Prep Your Missionary

By Allison Beckert

Mind Your Mission Manners

Missionaries are representatives of Jesus Christ. As such, manners are a large part of representing yourself, the Church, and our Savior in the best way possible.

Courtesy within your companionship is a foundation for compassionate service in every aspect of your work. The love of God extends to everyone, as much to your companion as anyone else. Credit your companion with being a full, intelligent human whose perspective and suggestions are not just worthwhile, but as valuable in this team as yours.

Mission resources include suggestions on continually building up your companionship, fostering respect. Some other essentials to good manners with your partner include keeping your space clean. In a companionship, all space is shared space. Both parties have a right to be comfortable. Do not mock your companion, especially around other people. Consider your companion the way the Savior would see them and afford them respect.

Investigators often get most of a missionary’s time and attention, though not always their finest manners. For being so valuable, it can be easy to overlook some things that can quickly turn a relationship with investigators sour. Scheduling is a common problem. Investigators have whole lives. They are fitting lessons and church in with employment, family needs, and other obligations. Unlike missionaries, their days don’t and can’t revolve around lessons on missionary schedules. Taking their availability for granted can become a serious problem. When you do visit a home, respect your host’s space and property. Show gratitude. Do not leave a mess. Do all you can to add to the Spirit and avoid anything that will take away from that Spirit. Finally, watch your language – limit mission-specific terms, speak with respect and compassion for all involved. Communicate to their understanding. You are always teaching a complete person, not a

number. Your and your investigators’ greatest allies are the members in your area. Members serve missionaries to serve God, and this is a sacrifice of time and resources. Regardless of circumstance, be grateful and gracious. As missionaries, you are not owed their time, attention, or even meals. The same as investigators, missionaries and sharing the gospel are only one small part of members’ lives, not the focus of it. Most members cannot be available at short notice to join lessons and cannot change plans quickly. Update them if things change with as much notice as possible and remind them with a lot of notice as well of plans already made. Members are also essential in fellowshipping new members into the ward family, but know friendship isn’t predictable or controllable. Respect members’ and inPhoto by Church Media Library vestigators’ preferences and boundaries – there can Elders teaching on a doorstep. be miracles, but agency is always a person’s right.