Globe, Go on a Mission

Mission Preparation

By Elder Chandler

1. The District

At the beginning of my mission, I quickly grew tired of the district and counseled prospective missionaries to avoid watching it so it will be more new to them in the field, and it will grow old slower. As I grew, my perspective changed. Learn to love the district early. You can’t learn it all in the field! Learn from it your whole mission and start appreciating it now.

1. Preach My Gospel

One of my greatest pre-mission regrets was not studying Preach My Gospel enough.  My suggestion is to:

• Commit to memory the bullet points of each lesson in Chapter 3. These are found on pages 41, 55, 67 and are the bold headings throughout the Chapter.
• Apply the 5 bullet points at the beginning of page 62.
• Learn well Chapter one.
• Develop a habit of studying Preach My Gospel daily

1. Live the Doctrine of Christ

My #1 regret is leaving on my mission without ever truly applying the fundamentals. The gospel is THE WAY to happiness, to problem solving, and to missionary preparation.

1. Be a Missionary Now

You don’t have to wait until your gown. Enclosed is a list of ideas. Add your own. This will not only get you in the missionary spirit, but will help you help other members of the church to be involved in missionary work while on your mission.

1. Catch the Wave

I invite you to review Elder Nelson’s talk in the April, 2013 General Conference and prayerfully write your vision for your role in the wave. Don’t limit yourself just to the (full time) mission field. Who are you? What is your role in the big picture? What will you do to roll this great stone forth? I promise you, you will gain personal purpose as your revelatory plan for the future and the role of the Gospel in it.

Chapter 1: My Purpose

1. Thought Filter

In missionary work, there are two extremes: missionaries who just don’t care and perfectionists. The apathetic servant break rules, hang out, and treat their mission like jail sentences. They count the days till their departure and do well only when they roam to areas with plenty of work. The over-serious types are robots. They don’t laugh, they don’t smile, unless it’s for a specific missionary purpose, or preparation day. They hate lazy missionaries. They say stuff like: “I don’t ever want to go home” “Don’t talk about HOME!” and “That missionary is such a sack.” They can’t speak without their overdramatic “I’m feeling the spirit” voice and they claim they turn literally everything over to God and their purpose.

The middle ground is where a lot of missionaries eventually end up after some divine molding. Apply the doctrine. Be yourself, only more like clay in the hand of the Master. Pray for those at home and write your friends and family. Get to know missionaries on a “beyond the mission” sort of way and “watch yourselves and your thoughts and your words and your deeds and observe to keep the commandments of God” by filtering yourself through the question, “Should someone with my purpose think, say, or do this?”

1. Aim for the Temple

Like the tree in Lehi’s dream, the temple is where we experience the love of God, and gather our families together for eternity. Baptism is the gate all must enter to enter the Lord’s Holy House. Prepare everyone to experience the joy of the temple and keep their covenants faithfully to the end. Help others understand that the gospel is the way to family happiness here and in the hereafter, and those blessings of forever families can be theirs.

1. Teach the Members

Your purpose is also the purpose of every baptized members of the Lord’s church. Help others understand that and you will see great success.

Chapter 2: How do I effectively study to teach?

1. Not What, but Why

What you study is not nearly as important as why. Think about your purpose.  Is there any reason personal study should ever be purely “personal?” Ask inspired questions in your studies that will help you find and teach. Use study topic boxes in your planner to write a question to ponder while you study or names of investigator to study for. It is pointless to write “Book of Mormon, PMG” in your planner when deciding what to study. Think about the why.

1. Pages 20-21

Learn and apply the doctrine to yourself so you can better understand and gain testimony of the truths of the Gospel. It is so important to know where you stand. Write master lesson plans individually and as a companionship. This is especially important with new missionaries and lopsided companionships. If both the companions know the master plan, you always have a teaching fall back. When planning for a specific investigator, ask these questions: “What does this person need?” “What baptismal interview questions should this person understand and be able to answer?” and “ What commitments will help him most know and receive what he needs?” Create lists of questions people ask and the revealed answers. Role play, role play, role play! And ask the questions on page 21.

Chapter 3: What do I Study and Teach?

1. Tell the Father’s Story

This is our message to the world. Jesus Christ was foreordained to be our Savior and Redeemer. We chose to follow the plan of our Eternal Father in the pre-existence. Prophets in every age have pointed God’s children to individual and family happiness through Christ Jesus. He lived, loved, suffered, and died for us and on the third day He rose from the dead. There is no greater evidence of these truths than the glorious restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The resurrected Lord appeared with His Father to the boy Joseph Smith to usher in the dispensation of the fullness of times. The Book of Mormon has come forth as convincing evidence of His Divinity and the restoration of the Gospel. Tell the stories of truth found in Chapter three completely and powerfully. Don’t leave people hanging midway through a lesson.

1. Adapt

At the end of each of the first three lessons are outlines of the material for different time allotments. Notice that each still teaches the full content of the lesson, but the amount of time you spend on each main point may differ. Focus more on points of doctrine investigators need most. Don’t be afraid to teach a full lesson if time is limited, teach full lessons as you street contact and tract. Teach the members after dinner. Invite people to act on what you taught.

1. Stand in Holy Places

Know the doctrines of the lessons and gain a firm testimony that they are true. You are a child of God and He has sent you here, to this mission to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, and be a part of this great restoration and His eternal plan of happiness. As you treasure up in your mind continually the words of life, you will know where you stand and when the waves and rain come, you will be not moved.

Chapter 4: How do I Recognize and Understand the Spirit?

1. Pray With Faith

Mission president’s wives are amazing people. I’ve had two wonderful ones. Sister Kunz

taught us to carefully elevate our prayers. Many missionaries’ lives were changed forever by her 30 minutes for 30 days challenge. One training she gave impacted me greatly. She asked us what things we wanted to be really good at, and wrote each on the board. Then she asked what each of us needed to do to be really good at each thing on the blackboard. Everyone agreed that to be good at something you need to spend time doing it, and you need to master the fundamentals. We listed things to do to improve our prayers, to get “really good” at praying. So I did. I kneeled up, I pondered, I read from the scriptures with the Lord. I visualized Him. I set up a small table in my closet  and I took notes. I prayed alone with the door closed. Luckily, I had a really nice closet with a light. One day I prayed aloud by myself and a thought came into my mind. It was something I frequently say in group prayers, “We love thee.” As I pondered this statement, I realized I had never said that to God. I felt a little embarrassed. I opened my eyes and looked briefly at a picture of the Savior. (Sister Kunz said that was a good idea in order to visualize the Father). I slowly but carefully said, “I love thee, Lord.” I felt a little awkward saying it, but then I was filled with peace. I then felt my Father in Heaven speak through the still, small voice of the Spirit, calling me by name and saying, “Joshua, I love you too.” This is only one of the many experiences that have confirmed my testimony through prayer. Study and apply the principles on prayer on pages 93-95. I’ve even prayed with Preach My Gospel open and went through each bullet point. Seek the Lord and ye shall find. We need Him in this work.

1. Boyd K. Packer

On page 92 of Preach My Gospel, President Packer tells us we need to understand the feelings necessary for conversion. Too often, I think we diminish this statement to, “The Spirit,” but what does the Spirit feel like? How have you felt as you’ve become converted? Elder Holland says we must each go to our own Sacred Grove and then to Gethsemane, and then to Calvary. Think about the feelings attached to D&C 20:37. Seek them. Help others feel and recognize them. Watch The District videos for how they help their investigators recognize the Spirit. As we feel and help others feel the feelings of conversion, the conversion process becomes a literal change of heart.

Chapter 5: What is the Role of the Book of Mormon?

1. Abiding by its Precepts

Joseph Smith said this is the best way to get close to God. (or something like that). It is essential for those you teach to gain a testimony of the divinity of the Book of Mormon and to know and understand the restored truths it proclaims. I think more important though is that we live the principles of the book. We can’t just know it’s true. Just like faith, a testimony of the Book of Mormon is a principle of action. Here’s what I do:

Every day I read the Book of Mormon. I underline what it invites us to do. Each day I chose one thing, one invitation, to accept and apply that day. I’m not perfect at this, but as I’ve applied truths, the gospel has become much more simply beautiful. Help others to be changed by what they learn in this Book.

1. A Bible, A Bible

The Bible, in conjunction with the Book of Mormon, is a powerful teaching tool. Some of my best lessons introduced questions of doctrine posed by the Bible and then revealed the answers from the Book of Mormon. Believe me, you can’t prove the church true with the Bible alone (I’ve tried).

Chapter 6: How do I Develop Christ-like Attributes?

1. Patience

This has forever been one of my greatest weaknesses. My lack of patience has lost me opportunities and stunted my progression. This weakness has been articulated on my mission. My first area was full of very, very talkative people. I could ask them one question and they could talk non-stop for an hour and a half. They would pour out their whole life stories and go on tangent after tangent. The only thing on my mind during many of these one-sided conversations was, “Would you STOP TALKING so I can teach you the gospel?!” I grew anxious and frustrated. To top it off, my trainer was just like them. He could talk forever. His lessons were super long and he talked in a very careful “spirit voice.” Then he left and I began training a very stubborn new missionary that really tried my patience. So, I studied it. Every day I opened Preach My Gospel to page 120 and read the entry on patience. I wrote down what stood out to me. I looked up a scripture from the personal study box, read and pondered its message, and wrote a summary in the side-note section. Each day the message was the same. “This is patience.” “This is what patient people do.” You should be patient.” Unfortunately, I wasn’t and each day I tried, I failed as my understanding of what that means progressed. I was getting very impatient with myself. 

Then one day I read a scripture I’m sure I had before, but it hit me much harder. In Alma Alma meets some people with a bad case of Anti-Christ. They loved talking about their

own tenants, but wanted nothing to do with the message that Alma had to share. They worshipped with rote prayers and had lost much of the light of the gospel. “When Alma saw this, his heart was grieved.” (verse 24) “He lifted up his voice to Heaven.” In 

verse 31 of this beautiful prayer, Alma pleads with the Lord for the strength he lacked 

“That (he) may suffer with patience these afflictions.” Alma is a Book of Mormon hero. He is one of the greatest missionaries I can think of and in this, his hour of need, he  pleaded with the Lord for help. As I read this verse, I realized that I don’t have to be

patient by myself. I don’t have to do this on my own. I know by the power of the Holy 

Ghost that the words of Christ are true, that He “gives unto men weakness that they 

may be humble and (His) grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before

(Him) and have faith in (Him)” for I have humbled myself before Him and He has made

my weaknesses strengths.

1. The Process

The aforementioned process is the process of repentance and is the mode in which we acquire, by the Grace of Christ, His attributes. I’ve narrowed it down to this process:

1. See the need to change
2. Feel the need to change
3. Go to God
4. Change

As you apply this process daily, you will be a successful missionary.

Chapter 7: How Can I Better Learn My Mission Language?

1. Trust in the Lord

The gift of tongues is real. I’m not a foreign language missionary but I have experienced this gift teaching those who don’t speak my language. Spanish, Burmese, Thai, Hmong, Laotian, Pompeii, Nuer, Karen, French, and Nepali speaking people all speak the language of the Spirit. This I know from experience and I am confident speaking of all other languages as well.

1. Apply Yourself

Before my mission, I figured missionaries always picked up their mission language with no problems. Maybe this is true in other countries, but I’ve seen in my mission that the missionaries who master Spanish are those that truly apply themselves. Those who don’t, don’t speak it well.

1. Something I Don’t Get

I’ve been on several exchanges with Spanish speakers and some of them say the word “Andonses” a lot. I’m not sure I spelled that right, but regardless, I don’t understand why they use it. According to them, it’s a filler word, kind of like the word “um” in English. I don’t know, maybe it’s effective, but I don’t see the point in using fillers. Fillers are usually bad language habits that if I were a foreign language learner I would try to avoid picking up. I could be way off here so if you find “Andonses” words useful, ignore this tip.

Chapter 8: How Do I Use Time Wisely?

1. Key Indicators

I’m convinced that a key indicator of personal faith is in the setting and achieving worthwhile goals. When you set a goal, ask yourself if this goal involves faith in Jesus Christ enough that it makes you stretch and seems almost out of reach. When measuring time comes, a measure of your faith in action will be if you applied principles enough to reach worthwhile goals, if you should have had more faith, or if your goal was unrealistic.

1. Weekly Planning

Here are some weekly planning tips. Some of them might not be consistent with the counsel of your mission president or your trainer, in which case you should ignore them.

1. The orange box on page 147 is very important. On the District, there’s a scene where the Elders are weekly planning and agree that they have no on to teach in their teaching pool ready to be baptized that week. Then they set a goal for one baptized, one confirmed. Are there names associated with those numbers? Are those numbers realistic? No. Don’t let people tell you you should never have a goal of zero. If it’s unrealistic to have a baptism that week, put a zero in the box.
2. Pray with your area book open and pray for investigators by name and by special needs. 
3. “Referrals received” means: referrals received and not yet contacted. If you receive eight referrals in a week and you contact 7, your key indicators will read:

Received: 1

Contacted: 7

This is another appropriate spot for a zero in your goal setting.

1. My mission president asked us to erase the word “referral” from our vocabulary. Instead, we focus on helping people share the gospel themselves. Therefore, I’ve changed the heading of step 8 on page 149 to “Set goals and make plans to help more members, investigators, and non-members share the gospel.”
2. Step 10 is very helpful. Use it to its fullest. I especially like discussing how many people we will contact each day and setting specific goals for street contacting. I also like making specific plans for the next day which frees up the night time on weekly planning days.
3. Fill out progress records completely. Include as much information as possible.

Chapter 9: How do I Find People to Teach?

1. Teach 

I can’t remember who - said that if a companionship becomes master teachers, they will never have a shortage of people to teach. I’ve found this to be true. I’ve never been the greatest at “finding.” I get nervous talking with new people, but I love to teach and the Lord has provided plenty of opportunities to do so.

1. Teach

On my mission, I had an amazing opportunity to have a personal interview with Elder Nash of the Seventy. I was asked to prepare questions to ask him before the interview. When I asked him my first question, “How can I help the people recognize me as a servant of the Lord?” He looked at me for a moment and said, “I don’t know.” He paused and thought for a moment and said, “Maybe you could do this. Get out a piece of paper.” We made a list together of things that are unique about the restored Church and Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Now write a short, powerful statement about each of these things. Something you can say to people even as they are closing their door.” I’ve found Preach My Gospel to be true, that “people are accustomed to short, powerful statements,” and that “teaching brief summaries of restored truths allows the Holy Ghost to bear witness that you are the servants of the Lord.

1. Learn

I remember tracting with the missionaries back home and thinking they were lame. Their door approaches were always, “Hi, we’re the missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Would  you like to hear a message about Jesus Christ?” Guess what? I was wrong. No matter how well I’ve understood the principles, sometimes I just get nervous and say what comes easily. Love and learn. Do your best. Ask the Lord to help you. We all are weak. Try and you will succeed.

Chapter 10: How can I Improve my Teaching Skills?

1. The Beginning – A Very Good Place to Start

As directed by the spirit, use several of the ideas on Preach My Gospel pages 176-177. Once I was teaching a young man whose member friend was preparing to go on a mission. I asked him what he expected out of our lessons and he ended up asking us after he was baptized how much money would he need to save to go on a mission. We set him for baptism in the middle of lesson one. I once taught a woman and her member friend in a Burger King. We told her that because we are all a part of God’s family, we would like to refer to her as Sister Heinz. The most spiritual moment Burger King has probably ever seen was when Sister Heinz accepted the baptismal invite that night and prayed tenderly in gratitude that she “can finally be Sister Peters' sister.” Every first lesson should include the last bullet point on page 177. This sets the investigator up to receive the baptismal invitation in the first lesson.

1. Use the Scriptures

Always testify to the message of the scriptures. Use comparison between different passages, especially between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Teach people principles to live by from the scriptures. Read with people if they are not reading on their own. Trust in the converting power of the Book of Mormon and the spirit.

1. Ask and Receive

Master the art of asking questions and listening carefully to people and the spirit. Here’s a good teaching pattern I like using.

1. Ask an open ended, though provoking question. 

i.e. What role has God played in your life?

Sometimes follow-up questions are required to get discussion going.

1. Teach restored truth.

i.e. From the Book of Mormon we learn how personally our Savior knows us. Read Alma 7:11-12.

1. Ask an open ended question checking for understanding

i.e. How would you use this knowledge to help a friend facing serious challenges?

i.e. In your own words, what did the Savior do for you?

1. Ask an acceptance checking question

i.e. Do you believe that to be true?

1. Ask a closed ended application question

i.e. Will you pray every day to develop a stronger relationship with God?

1. Listen, Listen, Listen – Preach My Gospel pg. 185 ‘nuff said

Chapter 11: How do I Help People Make and Keep Commitments?

1. Discipline

President Thomas Wilkinson, 7 year President of the Conestoga Inner City Branch and hardest working man I’ve ever met describes discipline as the ability to make and keep commitments. This kind of discipline is required for salvation. It is how we grow in faith. It is God-driven change, it is the essence of covenant making and the power of the Holy Ghost. Celestial people keep Celestial commitments. This is what missionary work is all about.

1. Powerful and Packaged

I’ve received and extended countless commitment invitations in my life and in my mission. Some I’ve kept and some I’ve neglected. Some commitments have changed me, others I can hardly remember. I once made a list of commitment invitations have truly impacted me. This list includes:

• Go on a mission
• Read the Book of Mormon in x amount of days
• Pray for 30 minutes for 30 days
• Go to Nevada Boy’s state
• Join forensics

Each of these have become a part of who I am. I remember the relationships I’ve built, the changes I’ve made, and the lessons I’ve learned. As I’ve pondered why these stand out to me, I’ve realized that two factors are always involved. Each commitment was time specific and packaged. Each had a trackable start and end time, that specifically enabled me to see my progress clearly. Each was a specifically titled and tangible thing that I did and that made a permanent impression on my mind. Too often I’ve thought that invitations should be all inclusive and last forever in order to be effective. “Will you read the Book of Mormon every day of your life?”  kind of questions. Unfortunately, that doesn’t quite work to the end most of the time. Giving people time-specific packaged challenges enables people to see and track their blessings and encourages them to continue applying the principles beyond the initial commitment. This is how God works. He gives us something tangible to teach us. Something we can feel and see and experience. Instead of saying “live the Gospel,” He says, “This is My Beloved Son, hear Him!” Instead of saying, “Be ever faithful to me and your families and learn about the Plan of Salvation,” He says, “Go to the temple.” We read in JST John 1:14, 16 that “the word” the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the principle) was “made flesh” (tangiblized by the giving of the only Begotten Son of God.) “How could the Father tell the world?” “He sent his Son.” When the risen Lord came to the ancient Americas, He let the Nephites feel for themselves the tangible token of His sacrifice in His hands, feet, and side, that their record might provide tangible evidence of His ministry and Atonement in the latter days.

1. Follow UP. Never Forget

Chapter 12: How do I Prepare People for Baptism and Confirmation?

1. D&C 20:37

D&C 20:37 answers the question President Packer poses on page 92. It is ever so important that from the very beginning we help people meet these requirements for baptism. This is how we will see real growth in the church.

1. Questions

Know the baptismal interview questions and use them often. Use them as teaching questions, focus lesson plans on them and don’t let the day before the interview be the first time your investigators have heard them. Especially make sure they clearly understand the principle of repentance. This is the grand prerequisite of the ordinance of baptism. Don’t just accept people’s incomplete answer to this question. Sometimes I get too excited about what people do know about repentance to teach the grandeur of the whole process. Also, don’t neglect Thomas S. Monson. I’ve done a lot of interviews when the answer to part 2 of question 2 is “who?” It can be easy to forget to teach about President Monson because he’s not mentioned by name in the core lessons, but use him, you won’t regret it. 

1. Practice

After the 7^th dunk, baptism bloopers aren’t funny. Trust me on this one.

Chapter 13: Working With Members

I’d like to use this section to talk about my favorite subject. The future of missionary work is in the hands of the members of the church. The Lord is “Hastening His work in its season” in preparation for the Second Coming of the Messiah. It’s time that people everywhere “catch the wave.” And boldly preach the Gospel to all the world. I’d like to describe a 6 step process that can be adapted to fit the needs of the areas in which you serve.

1. Build Strong Relationships

Members need to not only trust you to teach those they introduce to you, but they need to receive missionary help from someone who cares about them and is speaking out of love, not just duty. Serve them! Learn about them. Get to know them develop a spiritual bond with the members. Also, get to know them enough that you know how to strengthen them. Missionaries imparct investigators because they tailor the gospel message to their specific wants and needs. It’s no different with the members of the church. The tricky part is that what members need is less evident than your average investigator. Hopefully they don’t have word of wisdom or law of chastity problems to work through. Also you can’t just straight up say, “So, are you getting along with your wife?” Instead, find out what matters most to them. Know what their goals are. Ask for marriage tips (these can be very telling). Learn what they learn when they study. Find out their concerns with missionary work. Learn about their extended family and their friends. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

1. Strengthen their understanding of the Doctrine of Christ

Once upon a time, I served in the Oakview Ward of West Omaha. The ward was small and full of the wealthy and the old. More temple workers come from that small area than any other in the mission, and two sealers come from that ward. The members are strong in the Church. When I was serving there, I often said to myself, “What can I teach these people?” As I’ve been faced with this challenge, I’ve learned how to better learn the Doctrine of Christ. It’s one thing to know the doctrines. It’s another to know the only true God and Jesus Christ who He has sent by living the Doctrine of Christ. It’s one thing to understand the scriptures. It’s another to live them. It is by “Abiding by its precepts” that the Book of Mormon brings us “closer to God than by any other book.”  Share with members the scriptures through the lens and against the backdrop of personal experience, both yours and theirs. Mission calls and transfers are inspired of God. As you teach members how you have and how they can apply the Gospel specifically, they and you will grow in the most important understanding of the Doctrine of Christ.

1. Love and Serve Others

The aforementioned advice both helps you accomplish the objectives mentioned and teaches this step by example. After you’ve loved and served the members, help them love and serve others. “ Help them understand that offering the restored gospel will flow more naturally out of relationships where they are seeking to love and serve their family and friends.” Teach them from page 168 from Preach My Gospel. I’ve found Elder M. Russell Ballard’s invitation from the October 2012 General conference helpful. I’ve also included a list of ideas including ideas for this principle.

1. Fasting and Prayer

These are two keys to missionary work found in Alma 17:3. As you invite members to join in “Fasting and prayer on behalf of those who know not God,” their desire to share the gospel will increase and God will answer their prayers. Ask them to pray for your investigators and their friends and neighbors by name. This will get them excited about the work and bring results.

1. Open Your Mouth

Teach members that as members of the restored Church of Christ, they are entitled to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. God loves them and He loves their non-member friends and family. He will give them words to speak as they take a few steps of faith and begin to speak.

1. Invite

After sharing what they know with someone, help the members invite people to do things to increase their faith. The best three are these:

• Read the Book of Mormon
• Pray
• Attend Church

Teach them from Chapter 11 from Preach My Gospel and help them by following up, role playing with them, and being there for those, “Let’s ask the missionaries! They can help us!” moments.

IDEAS: Member Work

• “Pay it Forward” neighborhood service
• FHE Expo hosted by a member family
• Family History workshop in a member’s home
• Plan a rescue mission
• Distribute The Family: A Proclamation to the World
• Distribute The Living Christ
• Involve friends and neighbors in Eagle Projects
• Organize a quilting club
• Street meeting member fireside
• Organize a neighborhood scripture study group
• Culture night based around where a member of the family served/is serving a mission
• Take a friend Home Teaching with you
• Watch Bible videos with a friend
• Pray/fast for neighbor/friends by name
• Help your kids draw the Plan of Salvation all over your driveway in sidewalk chalk
• Compliment religious symbols on/in neighbors/friends’ homes
• Memorize 15 statements of restored truth
• Boldly live the teachings of the Book of Mormon
• Write spiritual blog posts
• Post links to General Conference, Mormon.org, Family Search, Bible video, Mormon Messages, Scriptures, etc.
• Ask for help preparing lessons/talks for Church
• Host Provident Living workshops
• Invite people to the Trail Center
• Give away Finding Faith in Christ
• Invite youth to mutual activities
• Host service men/missionary writing activities
• Pray every day for simple service activities
• Write hand written letters to people
• Work on specific Christ-like attributes, set specific goals your friends can help with (i.e. I am trying to be more charitable, if you catch me saying something negative, will you tell me?)
• Plant a garden, ask for help, share with others
• Tell people about the spiritual aspects of your life (i.e. What did you do this weekend? Talk about church)
• Share what you are learning in personal study
• Invite others to participate in a church sponsored parenting class
• Celebrate Pioneer Day
• Be involved in your friends/neighbors lives
• Accept their invitations
• Bear testimony frequently
• Give religious books as gifts
• Write Thank-You notes
• Invite people to important gospel events (baptisms, confirmation, court of honors, award recipients, Primary programs, etc.)
• Invite youth to Youth Conference, campouts, dances, New Beginnings, etc.
• Let’s ask the missionaries, they can help us!
• Establish a Christ-centered home and invite others into it (See Elder Scott’s talk)
• Stand boldly for virtue
• Have kids practice Primary talks for neighbors
• Repent, sincerely seek to right wrongs involving others
• Help a neighbor or friend quit smoking
• Relief Society conference talk night
• Block party
• Emergency coalition
• Elder’s Quorum shooting party

Globecan's, You are beautiful.

An'd birds can't bring you down. (neither can misused apostrophes)

BaM!

I know. There's no need to say what you're thinking.
But there is aneed for more compoundwords. Idon't think there can ever beenough compoundwords.
They're kindof an endangeredspecies.

Therefore I hereby declare. (what I declare is probably irrelevant in this particular setting but it may have something to do with suave cocoa butter with shea body lotion)

Wow, this time I'm really not sure what you're thinking. Please elaborate. Hmmmm. Oh yeah! Hey, you know what? ME TOO!! I know what a freakingcoincidence! More people should really agree with us. We're pretty smart folks you know. If only congress would listen to us we'd have a constitution you know. What? Ouch globe, that kindof stings. Ok it stings alot. hhhhhh I know, I probably do deserve it. I'll try to do better. I just, I don't know, you know. It's hard to think about sometimes. Yeah, that's true. True again. Ah well. I'm leaving the country anyway. I wonder what would happen if my plane crashed in the ocean on my way to Nebraska. That would be scary. I would probably drown. Then I wouldn't get to share with the Nebraskans the wonderful message of happiness and truth that I get to share with them. There might be entire sections of that country that don't get to know at all about the saving power of Jesus the Christ. The thought that there might be some out there who have no idea the kinds of people they can be if they only put their trust in the Lord. We're imperfect, we're flawed, we're broken, we're lost, but when we draw near unto God, he draws near unto us until we become as he is. When we learn of him, we learn how to conquer our flaws, mend our brokenness, find our way and become perfected through the endless atonement of our older brother Jesus Christ. He loves us. His gospel has been restored upon the face of the earth and the way has been made clear to return unto him. Righteous souls everywhere, doing the best they can to live through Christ who strengtheneth them, who, even in times of apostasy has never completely abandoned them. People everywhere, now comforted by precious portions of truth, can now, through the everlasting gospel of Christ, know for sure who He is, how He lifts us, and how to return to live with Him once more. God's priesthood has been restored by the His power and through His prophet, Joseph Smith, who had the audacity to take the counsel of James and "ask of God, who giveth to men liberally" I know that like him, we can come to know the truth, by seeking out His word both in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and ask God, in the name of His son, Jesus Christ if they are true. He has answered me. He can answer all. All people can be lifted by the power of God made manifest among the children of men. No amount of reading or listening could have brought me to this knowledge. Only by asking, humbly for the direction of the Holy Ghost have I been so blessed to know the truth that has lifted me out of my flawed and broken state, and pointed me toward perfection.

Globecans,

God loves me.
He loves you.
What's that?
I think so to.

It's been great to spend all this time with you. May peace be with you this day and always is my humble prayer.

Sopapilla and Sharing

So the other day some some sweet ladies were in my line at the store and I filled them in on a Sopapilla recipe I have grown to love pretty quickly. They were obviously quite excited about this and wanted the aforementioned recipe for themselves. I told them I got it from "allrecipes.com" but I wasn't quite sure. It turns out I was right so all probably went well but next time I think I'll refer people to this easy to remember place. For those of you who are visiting because I've directed you here so you can get your hands on this delicious and easy recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. The only modification I made to the recipe was that I used "buttery" crescent dough for the top crust which I thought was a nice touch and I served with fresh macerated strawberries.

Sopapilla Mexican Cheesecake 

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
3. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

GLOBECANS!! Enjoy. <3

That's What It's All About (clap clap)

BAM!! Whatup Globe, Globey Globe Globe!? .. oh. Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Darn. Are your kid's ok? How's the wife taking it? That hard huh? Well, wow. I wasn't quite expecting such a response. I wish you the best, I truly do and I hope things sving for the better man. I hope you know I'm always here for you if you just need someone to talk to or even just a buddy to joke with for a distraction. I care about you Globe, and I want what's best for you. Yeah, it's no problem. You just work on getting that issue taken care of. I'd hate for it to get much worse. 

Anyway, just wanted to tell you a thing or two. That's what I do you know. 

First off. It's a great day for basses. If you weren't aware of that already, you might be like me and stopped watching this season of American Idol after Casey Abrams was voted off by morons who don't know a lick about the pure root of American music. On that note (literally), listen to some jazz. Feel the bluesey chord progressions pulse through your body and imagine what exactly it took to bring you that awe inspiring sound. Think before the forties, with the sultry sounds of the Glenn Miller Orchestra upon the backdrop of the second world war, providing the soundtrack for valiant souls who gave their lives for the cause of freedom. Think before the roaring twenties, as women were getting their hands on rights, heading to the ballot box and getting non-saloon singing careers. Think in terms of brave and honorable men and women chanting, in the fields of their masters', songs of their Master and his incomprehensible ability to bring about freedom, ringing over the rivers and mountains and plains to imprisoned people everywhere and remember that He can do the same for you, no matter what bondage binds you. Back to the topic sentence of the paragraph, congrats Scotty, I can't say I hoped you would win it, but I was hoping for the sake of the uniqueness of your voice, that you would make it far and that wish continues for your post-idol success. 

Plus guys, I think it's time we understand  a something important. I realized this Tuesday. We really have got to put our whole selves in. You can start with a hand, or a foot, if you'd like, but ultimately, in all you do, it is so important that you dedicate yourselves to it. If you're doing something you don't feel deserving of your full attention, maybe you should reevaluate your warrant for doing it at all. Commit to your decisions.When you do this, your decisions will commit to you. BUT!! It's also important to put your whole self out. Too many people are wandering around their self serving decisions, mindlessly acting on behalf of themselves. They do only what benefit's them directly and measurably. When we commit to those kinds of decisions we only bring those around us down and most often ourselves with them. Selfish people are bitter and unhappy. The antidote to this is to so the slightly above. Put your whole self out of selfishness. Then you're left with the beauty of ishness. Ish people are inspiring. Ish people are happy, because they know that what they are doing is truly making a difference in the world that needs some difference. 

Also, It's my birthday on Saturday and I demand presents. I really don't even care what kind of presents either as long as they're wrapped in shiny paper or in a shiny bag with fluffy fluff. 

IN conclusion, I just want to remind everyone to laugh, dance, leap for joy, live the good life, and probably most importantly 

Shake it all about. (The hokey pokey. Isn't that what it's all about? I think so too)

The Video

Globe! Remember that one time, no not that time, the other time, yes that time. I mentioned that day that there was a reason I was at the precise place at the precise moment where the Minnesotans crashed into the front left side my car and necessitated my walking a lot more than usual. Specifically I said, "Once upon a time, Mma, a friend of mine, enlisted my help for the creation of a music video for a friend currently serving an LDS mission in Belize.Well, I belize he's in Belize, but sometimes I get confused about these kinds of things. I know you know what I mean, you forgetful globe you. This music video is going to be freaking epic and will be on Youtube and my blog soon for all to enjoy. The epic-est part of the whole thing is that I didn't think it was possible to do the things that we're doing for this project. Video making is like voodoo magic. Quite frankly I didn't think it was real. I figured only mystical and mostly fictional witches did most of the creating for us to enjoy, but it turns our any ol' person can do it as long as they have a lock of hair and a needle." Well, Um, Here's the video vellas: 

My friend Emma is probably the most talented mystical and not at all fictional vooditioner ever. I'm happy to have been a part of this magnificent project. 

Globecans, Partake. 

A Poem About an Important Thing

It’s Alive

I.

It’s Alive.
Hours of painstaking, electric passion now brilliantly awakened in awesome perfection.
A heart beat. My art’s feat. A triumph over common logic, now opens eyes and looks me right in the face.
But it’s Alive. My life’s desire glares grotesquely into my face like every nightmare ever dreamed is my dream’s ugly reality.
IT’S ALIVE!
Skin broken, stitches sprung, muscles tightening until the beast had moved, and moved ugly, at me. His hands, terrible hands, at me, its creator, with eternal malice in spite of creation at me.
How could it be alive? Why would I wish this decision? Why work with this grotesque precision for an abhorrence, thrust now mad upon mankind.

Now it’s alive. Not like the mangled body of poor, pure, William. Not like that seven year old ladies man, Louisa Byron no longer fated for his arm. And at my selfish hand, Justine, Justine, while blood flows freely through my veins and despair grips my beating heart, lays accused of the murder I, by my irresponsibility, committed.
“Devil! Fiend that thou art! the tortures of hell are too mild” Monster! Demon!

II.

Precious child, brought to her mother at precisely 8:15. Nine short months, a few testing hours, struggles economically, physically, don’t get us started on emotionally, merely hurdles to leap, or more often, mountains to move, but with the right crew, and a little dynamite, we made it through to now, looking at this tiny angel and standing in silent awe.

She’s alive. Those moments and hours of painstaking, electric passion now brilliantly awakened in awesome perfection.
A heartbeat. God’s art’s feat. A triumph over common logic now opens eyes and looks me right in the face.
But it’s Alive. The future with my life’s desire now glares gluttonous into my face like every nightmare of the past nine months is only the beginning of reality. Work is hard and doesn’t pay enough. Love is tough and tough love is tougher. I don’t want to have to say no because “daddy can’t afford it” or “that money’s for school so daddy can afford it one day. Now go to sleep sweety. Remember to pray.” Sometimes stress doesn’t settle until we realize that someday happened today.
OH SHE’S ALIVE!
Skin awoken, eyes sprung, muscles tightening until her arms had moved, and moved gorgeous, at me. Her hands, precious hands, at me, her creator, with eternal love in spite of my follies, my imperfections.
How could she be alive? How could I be a part of this miracle? Why question the store of God’s grace for the future when an infinite measure of grace is packaged and presented before me in such subtle and grandiose splendor?


III.

It’s apparent that I’m not. But for parents, apparently, at least for a lot, I think it’s time we wake up and hear the midnight crying that for too long we’ve been ignoring. We can’t just roll over and whisper “it’s your turn this time” anymore. The screaming, the wailing, the whimper down the hallway isn’t something we can put off any longer.

In 2007, one year, one study showed that 1,760 infants were murdered by neglect and abuse in the United States. One “developed” nation carries the burden of 1,760 precious bodies, piled high polluting boundaries between stressful parenthood and silent genocide.

It’s so important that we sit up, late if we have to, and take responsibility for our actions, take painstaking responsibility for moments of electric passion,

It’s time we sit humbly at God’s feet take a second and third look at our interactions with the fragile, logic defying angels entrusted to us.

Because it’s ALIVE! It glares grotesquely even into the least expectant face. “perfect parents” on the outside beat and bruise their children from the inside, crushing their hearts with emotional attacks, declarations of worthlessness, indifference to quickly maturing feelings clipped before the rosebuds have a chance to open.

IT’S ALIVE!
Heartbroken, muscles sprung, hell bent, the beast, dialogue writ in Shelley’s art, unloved, forsaken, life forgone, “I, the miserable and abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.”

Bumper Cars

Globe, let me tell you a story. Yes, now would be the time to curl up in a blanket and get some milk and cookies. Once upon a time, Mma, a friend of mine, enlisted my help for the creation of a music video for a friend currently serving an LDS mission in Belize.Well, I belize he's in Belize, but sometimes I get confused about these kinds of things. I know you know what I mean, you forgetful globe you. This music video is going to be freaking epic and will be on Youtube and my blog soon for all to enjoy. The epic-est part of the whole thing is that I didn't think it was possible to do the things that we're doing for this project. Video making is like voodoo magic. Quite frankly I didn't think it was real. I figured only mystical and mostly fictional witches did most of the creating for us to enjoy, but it turns our any ol' person can do it as long as they have a lock of hair and a needle. So upon this oncely time, I got into my vehicle (pictured above) and took a drive down the road to Mma's aunt's house for filming. I was dressed all nice in a suit and tie and had my dads old missionary tag on to make everything legitimate. Blocks from my house, ten or so feet down Moapa Valley Boulevard, a small family of lost and confused tourists decided to make a speedy U turn from the right curb without looking to see if anyone was coming. To their defense, our quaint little town is not very crowded and at a hundred other times, they wouldn't have hit anyone, but this time, I was, in spite of my defensive swerve into the left turn lane, hit. And we all lived car-less ever after, the end.

Wasn't that a nice story! No NO NO! you're not supposed to actually answer that, 1) it's a rhetorical question and 2) I didn't even put a question mark. How long have you been reading? (yes, answer that one. it's the reader question of the day! if you don't answer it in the comment section below, your true love crush won't love you like ever and tomorrow you'll miss out on a chance of a lifetime and in seven days a bunch of retired politicians will decide to do a Boston Tea Party re-enactment in your living room and they'll use really hard staining tea that you won't be able to get out, so you'll call stanley steamer and they'll come down and their equipment will break, not because they can't get every stain known to man out, but because they were just due for new equipment but they'll have to fill out the proper paperwork for the damage and someone will draw a funny picture on the back and fax it to their buddy and they'll send it to everyone they know and one of them will be a lobbyist who will start a lobbying scheme to change the way people clean their homes and when congress passes it a billion million dollar earmarks will be underwritten and a million people will start protests asking their congressmen and women to be bored out of their mind reading it and this time they actually will and the government will lose the ability to act at all because they'll spend all of their time reading thousands of pages of legal jargon which they will have to look up in a dictionary and right when America is at it's weakest, we'll be attacked by terrorists and the president will freak out and nuke a bunch of countries that he personally blames and the whole world will be pulled into a nuclear holocaust culminating in the extinction of the human race)

I also had a vision. See, one thing I really enjoyed in high school was speech and debate, and i was pretty swell at it and I think what i want to do with my life is use spoken word to change really big things. Wouldn't that be cool? I think it would be.

Well have a cool day,

So Short.