New Teaching Curriculum Announced

Hello all:

Hope everything is going OK. Got a few exciting tidbits to report:

My old companion who returned home for 9 months has come back to the mission field! We are all extremely excited to have him back (and I certainly do not begrudge him having left me to take over Willow Creek 2 weeks into it as a greenie and having no idea what's going on-- yeah, no resentment whatsoever☺).

President Maynes and the Assistants gave an awesome 2-day training to much of the mission all day Monday and Tuesday regarding the new "simplified curriculum" that is soon to be implemented in the MTC. It's designed to (hopefully) help us become better teachers. it involves the following 8 lessons:

1. The Doctrine of Christ (Faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end)
2. The Role of the Holy Ghost in Conversion
3. Revelation through Prayer
4. Revelation through the Book of Mormon
5. Revelation through Church Attendance
6. Teach People, not Lessons (this is the main focus and purpose of the entire curriculum)
7. We Invite, They Commit, We Follow- Up
8. How to Begin Teaching
   

For me, it really was one of the best experiences of my mission. I learned so much and felt the Spirit teach me so well. It was kind of like a missionary's EFY. The plan is to cycle everyone through the training over the course of several months. If we implement this, it could be the most revolutionary help to our teaching since Preach My Gospel was introduced! I set goals and made resolutions to be a better missionary, or as the book of Moses called Enoch a "wild man" (Moses: 6:38)

Here's your spiritual though for the day:

I wish everyone to take time to look once more at Moroni's promise-- the litmus test of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:3-5). We've been working hard on helping investigators realize why they haven't yet received and answer to their prayers about the Book of Mormon. Almost without exception, the reason we don't receive answers when we want them is because we lack what Moroni calls "real intent." I liken it to asking your Dad for his credit card. Likely, a responsible father is at least going to ask what you intend to do with such a precious concession.

So it is with revelation. God is not going to give us an answer or a blessing until we make it clear to Him (and especially important, clear to ourselves) what we intend to do with what we would like Him to give/ tell us. When we have righteous intentions and a definite plan of action of how we will use that answer to our prayers, then He can trust us, and the gift is bestowed.

So with an answer to any prayer (especially regarding the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon), God doesn't want us to ask simply out of curiosity-- we must ask with the mindset that we will act upon the answer we receive. We must plan that if we receive a witness that the Book of Mormon is true, then we will be baptized. Once we are willing to pray with real intent, then the blessings will come an no sooner.

And here's your bit of missionary life for the day:

As missionaries in various wards, we usually greet members and investigators at the door, passing out programs and saying hello. With that comes the inevitable handshakes. What we have learned is that most women wear hand lotion. Some wear a LOT of lotion. And we shake a LOT of hands. Hence, here in the high altitudes of Colorado, we are well-moisturized every Sunday morning.

It's very tempting not to comment on people's lotion habits. "Hi Sis. Wilkinson! Here's a program. Oh, I see we're using Johnson & Johnson with Aloe this morning!... Ah, Sis. Anderson, I notice you've changed to generic brand! Is everything OK finance-wise?... Well, hello Sis. Wikenhoffer-- soaked your fingers in Crisco again today, huh?

Well, that's enough from me for this week. Enjoy the day, and spread the Gospel!