Ecclesiastical Training — Provo Missionary Training Center — April 14, 2019
1/ President and Sister Titensor
- We will no longer have the Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders select newly-arrived missionaries to give the two presentations (‘Adjusting to Missionary Life’ and ‘Living My Purpose’) on Thursday night orientation and welcome meetings. That aspect of the evening will simply be eliminated.
- The new ‘missionary app’ is nearly ready. It was tested by Branch 38 for the last few days and there are a few problems yet to be worked out. It will be a great boon to the missionaries. The app for leaders will be available at some point later in the year.
- The name of the app is MyMTC. It will bring into one place all of the various pieces of information that the missionaries receive during their weeks at the MTC.
2/ President and Sister Rahlf
- We have some suggestions for you as to how to teach leadership principles to your missionaries.
- M – T = F This stands for ‘motivation’ without ‘training’ leads to ‘frustration’.
- Make better use of the Missionary Leadership section of the portal.
- Administering and ministering are both important, but our emphasis should be on ministering.
- Important suggestions:
- Make specific assignments to branch presidency members and their wives regarding the training of missionaries to the individual leadership positions.
- Give a hard copy of the assignments to each missionary, or read over the assignments with them on their app.
- Give a vision regarding a culture of obedience, and of their responsibility for the well-being of the missionaries in their stewardship.
- Discuss with them the ‘pattern of loyalty’ on page 62 of PMG and the ‘pattern of correction’ in D&C 121:41-46.
- Follow up with these new leaders in a few days, ascertaining that they are magnifying their assignments
3/ President and Sister LeSeuer
- Teach the importance of the temple to these new missionaries, as most of them are newly-endowed.
- The Book of Mormon tells us that the ‘covenants of the Lord’ were removed by the great and abominable church. We can’t let the covenants lose their significance and importance in our own lives, nor in the lives of the missionaries.
- The order of the Church is precise and exact. For example, why are we interviewed twice in order to receive a temple recommend? The bishop is the President of the Aaronic Priesthood, and thus represents that Aaronic Priesthood aspects of the temple ceremonies. The Stake President is the President of the Melchizedek Priesthood in the stake, and thus represents the Melchizedek Priesthood aspects of the temple ceremonies. This is in addition to the fact that all important church matters require 2 or 3 witnesses. This is also the reason that only one interview is needed for a limited use recommend (the bishop represents the Aaronic Priesthood aspect, of which baptisms for the dead are included). Also, why do you only have to be interviewed by the bishop in order to settle your tithes? Because he represents the Aaronic Priesthood, and tithing is an Aaronic Priesthood matter.
- Are we losing our respect and appreciation for the Sacrament? Elder Holland admonished us in his recent conference talk to not let this happen.
- Lehi was told to go back and get the plates. This was of vital importance to their spiritual survival.
- Teach the missionaries the difference between a covenant and an ordinance. Understand it yourselves.
- The giving of a dowry is commonplace throughout most of the civilized world. Does the Lord have a dowry for us? Yes, it is the endowment.
- Two vital items to teach to your missionaries:
- It is inappropriate to go to the temple, change into the robes of the priesthood, and then walk up to the Celestial room in order to pray and ponder there. There is only ONE PROPER WAY into the Celestial room, and that is through participating in an endowment session and entering through the vail!
- It is distracting and detracting to kneel in personal or group prayer in the Celestial room. This simply can’t happen.
- We love you all, and there are thousands of very grateful parents who love you as well for your consecrated service to these young missionaries.
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