10 Questions to Answer While Preparing for a Mission

By Benjamin Hyrum White

Are you ready to be part of the greatest generation of missionaries? This book will give you the additional mental preparation and spiritual motivation necessary to answer this call. The 10 questions found in this book will help you look deep within yourselves to determine if you have sufficiently raised the bar in preparing for full-time missionary service.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
• Release date: Apr 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781462103423

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© 2013 Benjamin Hyrum White

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, whether by graphic, visual, electronic, film, microfilm, tape recording, or any other means, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles.

This is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The opinions and views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Cedar Fort, Inc. Permission for the use of sources, graphics, and photos is also solely the responsibility of the author.

ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-1149-7

Published by CFI, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc., 2373 W. 700 S., Springville, UT 84663

Distributed by Cedar Fort, Inc., www.cedarfort.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on File

Cover design by Rebecca J. Greenwood

Cover design © 2013 by Lyle Mortimer

Edited and typeset by Whitney A. Lindsley

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my children, David, Megan, Hannah, and Grace, that you might be part of this greatest

generation of missionaries.

Contents

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

QUESTION 1: Do I Have A Testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

QUESTION 2: Do I Have An Eye Single To The Glory of God?

QUESTION 3: Am I Ready To Work HARD For Over sixty Hours a Week?

QUESTION 4: Do I Understand How To Feel and Recognize The Spirit?

QUESTION 5: Am I Clean and Worthy To Represent The Lord?

QUESTION 6: Am I Prepared To Enter The Temple?

QUESTION 7: Am I Ready To Face The Opposition?

QUESTION 8: Do I Know What Success Really Means?

QUESTION 9: Do I Have A Plan For When I Come Home?

QUESTION 10: Am I Truly Ready To Serve the Lord?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Foreword

IN THE FRENETIC lives we lead today, we are bombarded by distractions. Relentless efforts to grab our attention often leave us disconnected and overstimulated. No one faces this more today than you, the youth who are constantly updating a status, checking in, and tweeting your every thought. These diversions, although entertaining and engaging, make it difficult to find the quiet needed to receive guidance in major life decisions, such as serving a mission.

Ben White uses years of wisdom and insight in this masterful and concise guide created to help you make those decisions. He thoughtfully and compassionately conveys the thoughts of his heart, never losing sight of his audience: you.

The guidelines he lays out in 10 Questions to Answer While Preparing for a Mission are based on a lifetime of obedience and service, and I would expect that one day soon, this book will sit beside the scriptures and Preach My Gospel on the desks of countless young men and women as they prepare to serve the Lord.

Ben will prove himself to be one of the most respected and accomplished writers in the LDS community and beyond.

—LIZ LEMON SWINDLE

Introduction

NOT LONG AFTER my wife and I were married, we were discussing a popular contemporary book with a friend of ours. The premise of the book was for dating couples to ask questions about each other to see if their relationship could progress toward marriage. The idea intrigued me. About this same, time I listened to Elder M. Russell Ballard give his landmark general conference address, The Greatest Generation of Missionaries. It became known as the Raising the Bar talk. All quotes at the beginning of each chapter in this book are taken from this talk.

I knew I would have the opportunity to stand in front of hundreds of students, like you, in seminary and at EFY every year. I pondered about how I could help Elder Ballard’s powerful message sink deep into your hearts. This motivated me to put together some ideas to help you prospective missionaries become like Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah. I hope the teachings presented in these pages will motivate you young men and young women to sincerely prepare for the most rigorous and most rewarding stretch of service up to this point in your lives.

I was thrilled to hear our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, in the October 2012 general conference, say, I am pleased to announce that effective immediately all worthy and able young men who have graduated from high school or its equivalent, regardless of where they live, will have the option of being recommended for missionary service beginning at the age of 18, instead of age 19.¹

In all the excitement over his historic announcement, please remember the rest of his statement. I am not suggesting that all young men will—or should—serve at this earlier age. Rather, based on individual circumstances as well as upon a determination by priesthood leaders, this option is now available.² Young men, if you are ready to serve the Master, you can do so at an earlier age, but that necessitates that you are prepared earlier than ever before. Now is the time to arise and shine forth! You cannot afford to wait to think about your mission until after high school anymore.

If the first announcement from President Monson was not thrilling enough, he followed it with this: As we have prayerfully pondered the age at which young men may begin their missionary service, we have also given consideration to the age at which a young woman might serve. Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21.³ Wow! The implications of our living prophet’s words are monumental.

I was now just as ecstatic for the young women as I was for the young men. But remember the second part of President Monson’s announcement to lower the age limit for the sisters. "We affirm that missionary work is a priesthood duty—and we encourage all young men who are worthy and who are physically able and mentally capable to respond to the call to serve. Many young women also serve, but they are not under the same mandate to serve as are the young men. We assure the young sisters of the Church, however, that they make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome their service." ⁴

Young women, with the minimum age limit being reduced to nineteen, the opportunity to serve a mission is being presented to you two years earlier than ever before. But that does not mean you are under the same priesthood obligation as the young men. If you have desires to serve God as a full-time missionary, fantastic! If you do not have that desire, it’s okay. If you are feeling pressure to serve a full-time mission, make it a matter of sincere prayer. I am confident your Heavenly Father will reveal His will for you.

I had a goal to marry a returned missionary when I first started my mission. Then I heard President Hinckley say this in