Brenda

First let me say that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That is the actual and proper name for our church.  Our church is often referred to as the LDS Church, or the Mormon Church.  This series of posts was at the request of some of my friends on Facebook.  You can read more about that here–on my Landing Page or introduction for the Write 31 Days Challenge.

This is a very abbreviated lesson on The Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you would like to know more, I encourage you to visit with the full time missionaries of the Church.  You can get information on how to contact them here.

From the Preach My Gospel Manual:

Our message is remarkable and simple. God is our Father. We are His children. We are part of His family. He loves us. From the beginning of the world, He has followed a pattern of love and concern. Many times He has reached out in love to reveal the gospel of Jesus Christ so that His children can know how to return to Him. He revealed it to prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. But people have repeatedly chosen to reject that gospel. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ Himself taught His gospel and established His Church, and accomplished the Atonement. Incredibly, people even rejected Jesus. Whenever people disregard or distort true doctrines and ordinances, God withdraws His authority to administer the Church.

Our invitation to you and all people is to add to the truths you already treasure. Consider our evidence that our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have again reached out to God’s children in love and revealed the fulness of the gospel to a prophet. This prophet’s name is Joseph Smith. The evidence of this glorious truth is found in a book—the Book of Mormon—which you can read, ponder, and pray about. If you pray with a sincere heart, with real intent and faith in Christ, God will tell you by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true.

• God Is Our Loving Heavenly Father
  • –We are God’s children (see Acts 17:29).
  • –God loves us and will help us make right choices.
  • –Through Jesus Christ, we can live with God again (see John 3:16–17).

• The Gospel Blesses Families
  • –The gospel of Jesus Christ helps families develop stronger relationships.
  • –Families are ordained of God; they are the most important social unit in time and eternity (see D&C 49:15–16).
  • –The family is the best place to teach, learn, and apply gospel principles (see D&C 68:25; Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 6:7).
  • –The family can be a place of safety, peace, and joy.

• Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensation
  • –God calls prophets to teach His gospel (see Amos 3:7).
  • –Apostasy means to reject prophets and the gospel.
  • –Dispensations are periods of time when prophets have taught the gospel. Previous dispensations have ended in apostasy (see D&C 136:36–38).
  • –Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other ancient prophets all taught the gospel (see Moses 5:4–12).

• The Savior’s Earthly Ministry and Atonement
  • –The Son of God restored and taught the gospel. He performed many miracles (see Bible Dictionary, “Miracles,” 732–33).
  • –He called Apostles and gave them priesthood authority to preach the gospel and perform saving ordinances such as baptism (see John 15:16).
  • –Christ established His Church.
  • –Christ was crucified, and His Apostles were rejected and killed (see Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:25).
  • –Christ accomplished the Atonement (see Bible Dictionary, “Atonement,” 617).

• The Great Apostasy
  • –Without revelation through a prophet, people fall into spiritual darkness (see Amos 8:11–12).
  • –Prophets and Apostles foretold the Great Apostasy (see 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3).

• The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith
  • –Joseph sought for truth (see Joseph Smith—History 1:8, 10).
  • –God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith (see Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17).
  • –Like prophets in earlier dispensations, Joseph Smith was called as the prophet of this last dispensation.
  • –God restored the fulness of the gospel through Joseph Smith (see D&C 35:17; 135:3).
  • –Other heavenly messengers restored the priesthood, and Christ’s Church was organized (see D&C 13; 27:12).
  • –A living prophet directs the Church today.

• The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ
  • –The Book of Mormon is convincing evidence that Joseph Smith was a prophet.
  • –Joseph translated the plates by the power of God (see Introduction to the Book of Mormon, paragraph 5).
  • –The Book of Mormon proves that God inspires prophets in our day as He has in every dispensation (see D&C 20:5–12).
  • –The Book of Mormon contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 20:8–9).

• Pray to Know the Truth through the Holy Ghost
  • –You can know that the Book of Mormon is true (see Moroni 10:3–5; Introduction to the Book of Mormon, paragraphs 1, 8–9).
  • –The Holy Ghost will teach you through your thoughts and feelings (see D&C 8:2–3).

I found a really fun video of a couple of Sister Missionaries teaching principles of the Restoration through a cup song. 

If you want to know more, here is a non-threatening way to see what a lesson with the missionaries would be like (without the interaction of course.)  These videos are done by a couple of members of the church to share what would be taught by missionaries.

God Is Our Loving Heavenly Father, The Gospel Blesses Families, Heavenly Father Reveals His Gospel in Every Dispensation.

The Savior’s Earthly Ministry and Atonement, The Great Apostasy, The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith.

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Pray to Know the Truth through the Holy Ghost.

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First let me say that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That is the actual and proper name for our church.  Our church is often referred to as the LDS Church, or the Mormon Church.  This series of posts was at the request of some of my friends on Facebook.  You can read more about that here–on my Landing Page or introduction for the Write 31 Days Challenge.

Missionaries study and teach lessons from the Preach My Gospel manual.  Back when I was on my mission, there were a series of 6 discussions that were given and we learned those to teach the gospel to others.  While the Preach My Gospel manual still offers guidance, it is a little less structured than when I served and it is up the the missionary to follow the direction of the Holy Ghost as they teach.  There are 5 lessons that the missionaries will teach, though those 5 lessons can be spread out over time as needed.

Over the next few days, I will share the basics with you.  However, if you want to know more, I urge you to contact the missionaries in your area.  They will be able to guide and direct you and answer any questions you may have.

Here is a video of two missionaries in New York, sharing what they do.  I really love this video.  They explain about their missions and talk a lot about all of the things I have covered thus far in this series.

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First let me say that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That is the actual and proper name for our church.  Our church is often referred to as the LDS Church, or the Mormon Church.  This series of posts was at the request of some of my friends on Facebook.  You can read more about that here–on my Landing Page or introduction for the Write 31 Days Challenge.

Missionaries are asked to serve others.  When I was on my mission, we didn’t have a set amount of time that we were supposed to be doing service for others.  But my mission began to participate in a pilot program where we were asked to provide a few hours of community service each week.  This was a challenge at first as we were in a foreign country and didn’t know exactly where we should start.  Some missionaries taught English lessons.  I did that in a couple of areas.  It was fun.  But it wasn’t my favorite one.

My favorite service that we did was in my second area, in Cadiz, Spain.  We were able to volunteer at a soup kitchen that was run by the local nuns.  We helped cook, serve, and clean dishes each week for those who were less fortunate, side by side with the Catholic Nuns.  We became really great friends with the Nuns, and they called us the “Mormon” Nuns.  Pretty funny.  Anyway, we became close enough with these dear women, that around Christmas time, they showed us their very special Nativity that was kept in their special room that only the Nuns got to go into.  It was really neat and I’ve never forgotten it.  I loved serving there.

The service program was a big success in our mission.  It was a couple of years later that this program was instituted for all missions.  I’ve watched missionaries get creative in how they provide service for others over the years.  This time of year you will often find missionaries raking leaves in the yards of widows, single moms, or the elderly.  Snow brings out snow shovels and clearing walks.  Sometimes they help people move, clean their homes, weed gardens, and other things like that.  If they see a need, they should offer to help.  In areas where there have been disasters, they do not proselyte, but instead help the community in disaster efforts.  Missionaries serve where they are needed.

Here is a short video of LDS missionaries serving others and helping out after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

First let me say that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That is the actual and proper name for our church.  Our church is often referred to as the LDS Church, or the Mormon Church.  This series of posts was at the request of some of my friends on Facebook.  You can read more about that here–on my Landing Page or introduction for the Write 31 Days Challenge.

Missionaries do not have a lot of contact with their families back at home.  In fact, they are only able to call home twice per year.  Once on Mother’s Day, and once for Christmas.  These days, the calls are a little more exciting because they are most often done on Skype or FaceTime.  So instead of just hearing their voice, you get to “See” them too.  Pretty cool how technology has advanced since the days of my mission.

But even though missionaries only call home twice per year, they DO keep in contact with their families through weekly letters or email.  Email wasn’t an option when I was on my mission.  I would have loved it though.

Just as important as the letters or emails that a missionary writes to their family and friends, are the emails and letters they actually receive.  These letters offer them support and love and helps them to keep on going while they are away from home.  When I was on my mission, I know I loved receiving letters and packages.  It was exciting at times because they had so many holidays and we wouldn’t get any mail.  Then we’d get a bunch all at once.  But those times when we went day after day after day after day without mail were discouraging.  Sometimes we felt like the mailman was stealing our letters and keeping them and our packages for themselves.  Certainly it wasn’t because no one had sent us anything, right?  If only…

I found this video of some missionaries accusing the mailman of taking their letters.  In this song, the mailman WAS taking them.  It was pretty funny and the guys that made it did it after serving missions.  So the sentiment is kind of real in a funny way.  Enjoy! 

First let me say that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That is the actual and proper name for our church.  Our church is often referred to as the LDS Church, or the Mormon Church.  This series of posts was at the request of some of my friends on Facebook.  You can read more about that here–on my Landing Page or introduction for the Write 31 Days Challenge.

Missions are hard.  For many missionaries, this is the first time they have been away from home.  Missionaries deal with anxiety, stress, strange lands, strange food, a new and difficult schedule and the list goes on and on.  They tract and have doors slammed in their faces. They walk or bike for miles and miles.  They get chased by dogs.  They serve rain, snow, and shine.  It gets freezing cold.  It gets unbearably hot.  Many have to learn to understand and speak a new language.  The list goes on and on.  But most will tell you after all of the struggles they may go through, that it is worth it.

I found this video that will help you get just a glimpse of what a mission is like.  The words are excellent.