Three Amazing Blessings From Missionaries Being Able To Call Home Weekly
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When The Church announced a policy change allowing missionaries to call home each week during P-day at first, I honestly murmured within my heart; I thought, "Why are they doing this? This will be abused and will cause homesick missionaries!" But like any new revelation or policy, rather than dwell on why I think it is a bad idea, I sought to understand why the Lord thought it was a good idea. Quickly I realized the amazing benefits far outweigh any misuse that might happen. Here are just three potential blessings from this change.
1st. Non-Member/Less Active Families Coming Back
So many missionaries come from less active or part member families. These missionaries will now be able to interact with their parents and siblings in the height of their missionary service and directly influence them. I see missionaries calling and boldly inviting their family to living the gospel. I genuinely believe that this new policy will result in more baptisms and reactivation at home.
One of my favorite changes was the guidance that "in addition to communicating weekly on preparation day, missionaries also are encouraged to communicate with their families on special occasions such as Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, their parents’ birthdays, and other holidays that are significant in the missionary’s home country or culture." Imagine your missionary skyping in to give a talk at a baptism for her younger sibling, or a missionary calling give his younger brother encouragement as he is ordained a deacon. The ability to bless families is so much more than the pday call!
2nd. Reducing Early Returning Missionaries.
Something that has plagued missionaries across every dispensation is mental health issues or straight up discouragement. Elder Marvin J. Ashton taught, “One of Satan’s most powerful tools is discouragement.” Even one of the greatest missionaries of all time, Ammon, recorded these feelings in Alma 26:27 when he wrote, "our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back ."
With missionaries leaving home at ever younger ages with less experience on how to cope with these feelings we have seen a massive rise on early returning missionaries. In one of my best friends missions, they've been having a missionary go home early almost every week! These early RM's face an uphill battle to stay active in our culture full of stigmas about them. These changes will hopefully be able to help these younger missionaries cope with the stress of missionary work and help them work through what is often not just the best, but the hardest two years.
3rd. Setting A Missionary Fire At Home.
Missionary Zeal is like lightning in a bottle. Mission presidents often will take a missionary on fire and move them into areas that are slow to ignite the work there. I see this as the third blessing of enabling more phone calls and video chats with families at home. The statement from the First Presidency reads: “One of the major purposes of this adjustment is to encourage families to be more involved in their missionary’s efforts and experiences.”
Imagine the missionaries sharing the miracles they are seeing and igniting the missionary fire with their family at home, whose families, in turn, start reaching out to those in their wards, welcoming the recent convert, reach out to the less active, and inviting their non-member friends to learn more. And imagine the ability for missionaries to talk with their families about their investigator's needs. To receive direct counsel from parents on how to help their investigators, it will also allow families to be more involved with their child's missionary service. I see the day when families around the world, kneeling in family circles, will be praying for their children's investigators by name and need. Thus united in faith the work will be hastened.
Tools or Distractions.
When missionaries were given cell phones everyone was afraid they would abuse them and text/call people back home and get distracted. A few disobedient ones did, but the good missionaries instead used cellphones to further the work. When missionaries were given access to Facebook, once again the fears that they would abuse it arose, but once again, a few disobedient ones did, but the good ones did not.
What it really comes down with these new rules is that the disobedient missionaries will always break the rules and abuse what they are given; I think it is about time we unshackle the good missionaries and enable them to make the biggest impact they can in their short time they have as 'set apart' servants of the Lord.
Some on social media have gone so far as to criticize this new policy claiming that missionaries today are not as tough, or mocking them for being momma's boys, millennials, snowflakes, or declaring they need to suck it up and go without their parents.
First off, check yourself! If you find yourself belittling the Lord's servants whos kingdom are you trying to build? Can you imagine how disheartening it is both to the missionaries and to Christ to see members treating missionaries this way? They are giving 24 months of their life to build The Church only to be mocked by the very members of it. Second off, the purpose of missionaries is not to develop life skills, and it is not to learn independence or to grow up. Missionaries are called to invite others to come unto Christ, to build the kingdom! If calling their mom helps them then we should empower them! Every tool we can give them to aid in that endeavor needs to be provided, and a tool far more significant than a phone call is our support as the members!
Some good points are made in the article; however, I think it’s very dangerous to refer to any missionary as bad, bad ones, etc. “When missionaries were given cell phones everyone was afraid they would abuse them and text/call people back home and get distracted. A few bad ones did, but the good missionaries instead used cellphones to further the work.” Of course there are immature missionaries who make wrong choices, who caved to temptation to call home when handed their first cellphone. Who used social media inappropriately when the reigns were loosened. This doesn’t make someone BAD. It doesn’t make them a BAD missionary or a BAD person.
I've met bad missionaries. I cleaned up an area after a missionary was arrested for sexual misconduct. Do I pass judgment thas as a person he is evil or bad? No, I'll leave that to God. But as a missionary he was terrible.
This is a great post! I am the mother of a missionary (sister) who went on her mission about 7 years ago. I would have loved to have had contact with her on a more regular and personal basis. Not because I wanted her home or because I could control her but to give encouragement, give life lessons as examples of the things she was dealing with. I joined the church as a single person at age 30, I am now 70 and in those 40 years, I have learned tons in dealing with new members and investigators. I also know what it means to be lonely in a crowd. My daughter and I have a great relationship and I believe that my experiences could have helped her deal with many of those she taught. I lived the missionary experience on the other side and that could have been helpful to her.
I agree with most of what you said. Except the labels of bad missionary verses good missionary. How about instead of labeling some missionaries as bad, instead say — a few missionaries misuse the extra freedom but most missionaries do not? Erase the labels that separate us and pass judgement. Everyone is in a different place on their journey and all can improve. We all can show more love and understanding.
Whereas I disagree with the idea of never using the label of 'bad missionary', I do see how it detracts from the message, so I will adjust.
I agree with the first comment!
Thank you for writing this article. I too was taken off guard by this announcement and really had to take time to read the articles released on LDS news and Mormon.org. Your insights are thought provoking. I appreciate your open mindedness and agree with you. I believe in modern revelation and sustain the prophet and apostles in this decision. In my opinion, the Lord is really trying to weed out the weak. Every virtue has its vice and the good that can come from this announcement is Immeasurable. Thanks again!
Thank you for your timely and genuine insight. I have recently sent off my 4 th missionary...how wonderful that through phone calls he will be able to help strengthen, involve, and uplift his older brother who returned early from his mission for anxiousness. Phone calls home to us (the very people who have invested the greatest amounts of love and energy) would have/ could have created a beautiful and strengthening setup for that son to have remained out in the field. My heart hurt so bad. And I look forward to growing alongside their 3 younger siblings (ages 17, 15, and 13) as we interact with our missionary...and his investigators. Personal level. Wow. "It takes a village to raise a child" (or a brand newborn member of the Church). This is simply the latest and greatest from a loving Heavenly Father to further His work...He knows what he is doing.
the Lord continues to guide his church with revelation
jeremy thanks for making that little adustment, disobedient works much better. I will be sharing this. you make some very good points that have eased some of my concerns. I think an important point also is for familes to be cautious about pulling missionaires into any family drama that might be occuring, but focusing the communications on helping the missionaries to focus on the work, lifting them up and encouraging them. Thanks again.
While you make some good points, you leave out any negative impacts. I learned to lean on myself, learned to listen to quiet prompting, learned that the Lord would indeed put His words in my mouth as promised, learned to get along with challenging companions, and when beat up, learned I could stand on my own as long as He is with me. All things that would have been significantly less-impactful had I been concerned about sick family members, getting updates on a girl, or asking family/parents for advice. Now my daughter prepares to go. I am happy, but also concerned. Of course I want to talk to her, help her, and support her. That doesn't mean she, or I, will be "bad". But, great blessings come out of hard situations and learning on Whom you can trust implicitly. Yes, disobedient missionaries have disobeyed before and will again. Not my wheelhouse. In my wheelhouse is a genuine concern for my kids. Think about all the learning and growth that the first missionaries experienced. Truly alone, physically, they became giants spirituality. To completely understand that "I can do all of things through Christ who strengthens me" one must encounter hardship and a sense of aloneness. Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting. Why not do it at home? I am not concerned with disobedience, but for my future missionaries I am very concerned that they might miss out on some life-changing growth because they turn to me for advice and not elsewhere.
Learning and growing were never the purpose of a mission. They were side benefits, good ones, but still not the purpose. The purpose of a mission is to bring souls to Christ. This change I doubt will have any negative impact on the purpose of missions.
The Lord's purpose is to redeem all man. He can bring them to His father without missionaries. Elder Perry came to my mission and, upon hearing someone pray for the missionaries to find those seeking the truth, commented that the Lord can do this alone, ably. He challenged the members to pray for those the Lord has prepared to find the missionaries and members. As any missionary will tell you, their greatest conversions were their own. Just because the Lord lets us help doesn't mean He needs to. First, strengthen yourself and then seek to strengthen your brethren.
I enjoyed this article. It is straight to the point. And I agree with it whole heartedly.
I read this blogpost on FB, and am still astounded by how many members of the Church are still swiping at (a) the missionaries (b) the missionaries' families and (c) the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve for instituting this change in the first place. Other than sheer envy, I cannot for the life of me figure out how instituting this change possibly harms YOU, the critic or detractor. So what if 'you and yours' never would have called home....did they call home on Christmas and Mother's Day? Did they 'need' to? No, they wanted to. Ditto for likely 90% of all current missionaries with the P-day rule. Frankly, I personally see a big rush today (Monday, Feb 18) and maybe a little bit for the next few weeks, and then things will taper off.
AND EVEN IF THEY DON'T, again, HOW DOES IT POSSIBLY IMPACT YOU THE CRITIC? Have you referred so many investigators to the missionaries that you think they'll be "too distracted" to teach your thousands of referrals by a single phone call or text message? (puh leaze.)
It's just sheer envy, whether the critic wants to admit it or not (i.e., "I didn't get to" or "my kid didn't get to" so you shouldn't get to.)
Did I read the same article? Because I never saw the term "bad missionaries" used; I saw the term "disobedient missionaries". Big difference.
studying the beattitudes this week makes me understand moving to a higher law with less rules. that's what the Savior was teaching in his sermon on the mount. so many changes in the "rules" of the church in the past year are raising is is to a higher more personally accountable law
. . . potential blessings, and . . . when announced. . , I honestly murmured within my heart, I thought, . . .
Well, I am looking forward to the *real actual* blessings and less towards any potential blessing or thoughts that come from who knows where. Today was a great experience for our family: husband, wife, and two older brothers who have returned already from their missions. Sure we're just one family, one anecdote, but its was our family and it was positive to us, it was a real blessing to us today! Our missionary followed the guidelines, contacted us, shared with us about the work, and engaged his parents and brothers more than he was able to in the weekly letter. He was always engaging or trying to be engaging, but this time his brothers responded and shared relevant experiences from their missions! I'm for one am looking forward to the next time, whether it is next week or in several weeks. Real prayers have been answered and real hearts and minds rejoiced.
I had mixed feelings about this announcement when it came out. Every reason to be critical went through my mind. I was concerned that my current (and third) missionary would let it become a distraction or that she might become homesick. She is as dedicated to her missionary work as any missionary i have known.We wrote her that we would respect her decision if she chose not to call or video chat every week or at all. We wanted her to be able to communicate with us in the manner she felt best about. After talking to her today, any feelings of criticism were vanquished. She stated that she would probably not call of video chat every week but that she felt that it was a good thing to have available and would be strengthening to her. She told us about all of the people she is teaching in a way that writing could not convey. They became real people and we wee getting to know them without having met them. The feelings and emotion and excitement were much more palpable than when written in an email. Furthermore, my wife was just sustained as a ward missionary and my daughter and she can now share experiences that will strengthen each other. She told my wife to start studying Preach My Gospel so that she will be familiar with the lessons when accompanying the full time missionaries. How awesome is that. I believe this will have a great positive impact at home and in my daughter's mission. The taboo will quickly wear off and it will become an empowering experience. A two hour block, home centered gospel study, ministering, sister missionaries in pants (my daughter was in pants from the beginning of her mission); what is this all leading to? A stone cut out of a hill rolling forward to cover the world. The future of the church and the spreading of the gospel is going to leave a lot of people in the dust wondering what happened. For me its better to be in the game than watching it.
What occurred to me from reading this article is that missionary work will now be more of a family effort, rather than an individual or companionship effort. Each companionship will have both of their families to draw on for support and experience and help with approaching their investigator's situations in a way that was more limited before. It's almost as if the whole family is being called on the mission now.
We are in the Last Days of satan's rule on Earth. He is obviously calling on his own YEARS of experience. and he knows each of us better than we nay know ourselves.
If we saw things being done as they always have been done, we would not be keeping up with the competition. What is being rolled forth in these days, is simply a way to EXPAND all efforts to bring forth the Gospel in any way known to man.
At least a month before the announcement came of calling home on P-day the sister missionaries assigned to our ward were both in depression and one was also in pain and tears often.
It was not long after we became aware of her situation that the mission president gave the one who was new in the mission filed, permission to us a computer to contact her family by Video chats EARLY in the morning before their day started as we are 11 hours ahead of her home. She was in the bedroom where the computer is and we sat in the kitchen as she had privacy as she needed. SHE WAS OFTEN IN TEARS DURING THE CALL.
It was during the chats with her companion that we found out about her skeletal formalities which were the cause of her pain as she was expected to walk the entire day. Bear in mind that there are no sidewalks in most of this nation and I have fallen and peeled skin from both knees and one elbow on the way to the temple. I got loaded into the taxi by 2 policemen who stopped to help me out of the concrete ditch So I have a real interest in the sister with bone structure problems..
Along the ,lines of missionaries being sent home, the youngest of our 3 sons me that fate. I see the next step possibly being the"calling home of the missionaries" which may be simply not leaving their home country. None of us are in any position to question what leaders are doing, other than they are helping the tares separate themselves before the Lord returns. We all have VAST families waiting for US TO GET TO WORK in the Temples. I will be 84 in 28 days, and may not be able to finish the day???
When the Lord said it’s ok end of story.
Thank you for this post! I loved what you said, especially when you defended today’s missionaries. Nice job!