Ask the young men to imagine that the Church has invented a missionary robot .
• What are some things Elder Robot might do very well as a missionary?
• What would be some advantages of having thousands of Elder Robots sent around the world to do missionary work?
(Possible responses: they could easily endure all the physical challenges of a mission; they could be programmed with all the lessons that a missionary would have to teach; they could be programmed to speak fluently in any language; they could be programmed to respond well to common questions that missionaries are asked; they could be given appropriate social responses and manners that would please people in the cultures where they are sent; they would not have to pay for food or a place to sleep; they could go on many consecutive missions without tiring.)
• Do you think such an idea would work? Why not?
2. Why send real missionaries?
• What characteristics of an effective missionary can be developed only by humans?
(Spiritual Characteristics: Love, spirituality, testimony, enthusiasm, inspiration from the Holy Ghost.)
Missionary work can succeed only if the missionary has spiritual strength as well as physical, intellectual, and social abilities, (a robot could never be a spiritual missionary).
• How Can an Aaronic Priesthood Holder Prepare for a Mission?
Explain that to be successful, every missionary needs to have spiritual power. Express confidence in each young man’s ability to develop the spiritual power necessary to be a successful missionary.
• What does it mean to be spiritual?
(To be in tune with and have access to the spiritual help that comes from God in the form of love, forgiveness, inspiration, testimony, revelation, and discernment.)
• Why doesn’t God automatically bless missionaries with spirituality when they are set apart to go on their missions?
(Spirituality is a character trait that we must develop just like any other ability that we have.)
• Why shouldn’t you wait until you get into the mission field to prepare spiritually? (It wastes time to spend several months on a mission without the spiritual abilities necessary to serve well.)
• When is the best time for you to prepare yourself spiritually for a mission?
(NOW--When you hold the Aaronic Priesthood.)
Quotation: President Spencer W. Kimball said:
“When I ask for more missionaries, I am not asking for more testimony-barren or unworthy missionaries. … “Far too many young men arrive at the missionary age quite unprepared to go on a mission, and of course they should not be sent. But they should all be prepared” (“When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign, Oct. 1974, pp. 7–8).
Quotation: President Spencer W. Kimball said:
“One should study, ponder, learn scriptures, and build his testimony so that he may be prepared to teach and train. The Lord has said, ‘If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.’ … Every person approaching a mission should be schooled, trained, and indoctrinated for immediate and proper participation in proselyting. …Certainly by the time a young man reaches his nineteenth birthday, he should be prepared to step from his conventional role at home into the important role of the missionary without a total reorganization of his life, his standards, or his training” (“Advice to Young Men: Now Is the Time to Prepare,” New Era, June 1973, p. 9).
• Why is it so important for a missionary to have a testimony?
• When should the preparation that President Kimball asked for take place?
(Right now, while you hold the Aaronic Priesthood.)
Explain that the Aaronic Priesthood is called the preparatory priesthood. It prepares a young man for the Melchizedek Priesthood, which will give him spiritual power to bless and teach others.
3. Who should be a missionary?
Quotation--Every Young Man Should Serve a Mission: President Spencer W. Kimball
“The question is frequently asked: Should every young man fill a mission? And the answer has been given by the Lord. It is ‘Yes.’ Every young man should fill a mission. …
“… Every man should also pay his tithing. Every man should observe the Sabbath. Every man should attend his meetings. Every man should marry in the temple” (“When the World Will Be Converted,” Ensign, Oct. 1974, p. 8).
Quotation—This means you!: Elder Bradford
“If I could speak separately to each of you young men, … I would say with all the power of speech I could generate, ‘Just who do you think you are? What right do you have to match your wisdom with that of God, who through His prophets has issued a firm decree, a solemn mandate, that the restored gospel must be declared to all the world by the voice of His disciples? This means you!’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1981, p. 72; or Ensign, Nov. 1981, p. 50).
Emphasize that through his prophets the Lord has commanded us to serve missions. We cannot escape that obligation any more than we can be exempt from paying tithing or from keeping any other of the Lord’s commandments.
4. Blessings of Missionary Work
Quotation--President Ezra Taft Benson said:
“The Lord wants every young man to serve a full-time mission. … Not only should a mission be regarded as a priesthood duty, but every young man should look forward to this experience with great joy and anticipation. What a privilege—what a sacred privilege—to serve the Lord full time for two years with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. You can do nothing more important. …
“Prepare well for a mission all your life, not just six months or a year before you go.
“We love all of our missionaries who are serving the Lord full time in the mission field. But there is a difference in missionaries. Some are better prepared to serve the Lord the first month in the mission field than some who are returning home after twenty-four months.
“We want young men entering the mission field who can enter the mission field ‘on the run,’ who have the faith born of personal righteousness and clean living that they can have a great and productive mission. …
“Give me a young man who has kept himself morally clean and has faithfully attended his Church meetings. Give me a young man who has magnified his priesthood and has earned the Duty to God Award and is an Eagle Scout. Give me a young man who is a seminary graduate and has a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon. Give me such a young man, and I will give you a young man who can perform miracles for the Lord in the mission field and throughout his life” (Ensign, May 1986, pp. 44–45).
Quotation--President Ezra Taft Benson said:
“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life to God will find he has eternal life” (“Jesus Christ—Gifts and Expectations,” New Era, May 1975, p. 20).
Dear Deacons: I am so very impressed with each one of you. You are all spiritual giants. It is my privilege and honor to associate with each of you and feel of your spirit. I know in my heart that each one of you are ambassadors and friends of our Savior Jesus Christ and that someday each of you will be given the opportunity to serve him honorably (no, Valiantly) and you will each do so with fervently prepared testimonies and change the lives of thousands. Sincerely, Bro. Flynn
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