Raising the Bar: Missionaries to Match the Message
Raising the Bar: Missionaries to Match the Message, is a great mission prep book by Ed J. Pinegar. I liked it so much, in fact, that I’m giving it away. Seriously!
Giveaway: Everyone who makes a comment on this blog post will be entered into a drawing for the book. The winner will be selected at random next week, and I’ll send that person the book.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:
Open Your Mouth and Preach the Gospel
- “Tell the missionaries to open their mouths right away. Don’t wait until you feel comfortable with the language. Many precious souls may be lost if you wait.” p. x
- Joseph Smith declared, “after all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.” p. 3
- “When we know what Christ has done for us, we will want to open our mouths, and they will be filled with everything we need to say.” p. 119
- The sons of Mosiah “didn’t see these Lamanites as enemies, but as fellow children of God who needed the gospel too. That’s why they were such successful teachers.” p. 127
How to Prepare for Missionary Work
- “One of the most important parts of preparing for your mission is catching the vision of the work—it will motivate you to prepare every needful thing.” p. ix
- “Are we willing to prepare [for our missions]? So many people want to win, but as BYU coach Lavell Edwards has often told his football teams, ‘Maybe they don’t want to prepare to win.” p. 21
- “Ye cannot say when ye are brought to the MTC that I will repent, that I will gain a testimony…Ye cannot say this , for the same spirit which doth posses you prior to the MTC will possess you after. Our true conversion must take place now. The Lord wants us already prepared.” p. 143
Teaching by the Spirit
- “We cannot do anything in the mission field without having the Spirit, and we can’t have the Spirit unless we choose to be obedient.” p. 24
- “Testify. Truth without testimony is hollow.” p. 67
- “Sober-mindedness is one of the most essential traits in order to be a spiritual giant, in order to speak by the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to be Ammon-like and Moroni-like missionaries. The language we use is an important key in maintaining sober-mindedness. Words like ‘He’s a cool dude’ are totally inappropriate when talking about spiritual things.” p. 110
- “With the Spirit, and by magnifying your call, you can do miracles for the Lord in the mission field. Without the Spirit you will never succeed regardless of your talent.” p. 137
Worthiness to Serve
- “If the Elders cannot go with clean hands and pure hearts, they had better stay here. Do not go thinking, when you arrive…that then you will purify yourselves.” p. 31
- “We must become missionaries to match the message, disciples of Jesus Christ, not just for a full-time mission, but for life.” p. 35
- “When you are busy obeying, you don’t have time to entertain temptation.” p. 84
- “Always sustain your leaders…Remember, sustain the prophet means you also sustain all the people under him in the priesthood line, and they you will have the blessings of the Lord.” p. 84
Getting Motivated and Understanding
- “Our duty is clear—to invite all mankind to come unto Christ.” We must “be worthy, willing, and eager to serve.” p. 6
- “If we are rooted in Jesus Christ, listening to the living prophets, and adhering to the scriptures, we will have a continual, living well of motivation.” p. 96
- “When we don’t have enough understanding, we don’t trust in God and we fear what others will think or what may happen to us. When we gain enough knowledge, we see clearly, we have power, and then fear will flee from us.” p. 118
Rules for the Book Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win the book “Raising the Bar: Missionaries to Match the Message” by leaving a comment on this blog post saying what you are doing or would do to raise yourself to the bar. Please, just one entry is allowed per person. Comments must be received by Thursday, October 7, 2010. The winner will be selected at random and announced on Friday Oct. 8th.
I am trying to raise myself to the bar by staying clean and worthy.
We are struggling to do all we want to do as a family to help our future missionaries prepare. We know that now is the time for our children to strive to meet a higher standard. After watching General Conference we are all determined to make daily family scripture reading happen. We also regularly work with the boys on Faith in God and Duty to God, and with our daughter on Personal Progress. Reading the church magazines helps us keep perspective and a connection to other youth in the church striving for the same lofty goals.
Is this referencing the limbo or the high jump? I can only echo Amy’s comment.
What am I doing to raise the bar? Well… I attend seminary, read the Scriptures, participate at mutual activities, do my part in my quorum, partially immerse myself in athletic activities (to prepare physically for a mission of tedious walking). Live the gospel I do.
To reach the bar we need to spiritually jump, trying as hard as we can to obey the words of the prophets and our leaders, and once we reach the bar, do a pull-up, by reading our scriptures daily, living the gospel and speaking about it to our friends. If we are already converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and live by it’s teachings when we arrive at the MTC, it will allow us to fulfill the call to serve to the fullest.
There is no need to do an extraordinary thing. I just need to do what is right, in all the time, and in every step of the way.
I want to give a copy of this to my grandson who will be serving in a few months. I want him to know how important it is to serve a mission for the right reasons not just for family or peer pressure.