By David Stewart. Copyright 2001.

May 26, 2001

This action guide was created to assist member-missionaries, stake missionaries, and prospective full-time missionaries in enhancing teaching effectiveness. It is provided "not...by way of commandment, but by wisdom" (D&C 28:5). We appreciate feedback on how we can make this guide more useful. Please email us at webmaster@missionaryhelper.com with comments or suggestions.

The most current version of this document is available for download at MissionaryHelper.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this document for private or pro-LDS Church related use. However, this document may not be re-posted to other websites without written permission.

Contents:

Teaching for True Conversion

Commitments

Teaching with the Book of Mormon

Teaching Latter-day Doctrines

Training New Members: Prebaptismal Teaching

Teach those who are Ready Now

Focusing on the Savior

Find Out: Assessing Understanding and Conviction

Sharing Testimony Effectively

Repentance

Teaching lays the foundation for how investigators will act as members.

- One should always decide whether the investigators are prepared for the discussion before it is given. Discussions should only be given when investigators are genuinely ready for them, not to boost proselyting numbers or fill one's schedule. If one chooses not to give a discussion, a short lesson or 5-15 minute follow up is usually appropriate.

- 60-90 minutes should be adequate for a discussion in almost all cases. There is rarely any good reason for spending over 2 hours on a discussion.

- Two brief, directed visits are better than one long visit.

- Follow-ups and member visits should be shorter.

- 30 minutes for member visits – never longer than 1 hour.

- It is always better to understay one's welcome than to overstay it.

- 'Don't let the Holy Ghost leave before you do.'

- Always commit

- Never leave without getting a commitment.

- 30 minute follow-up on reading after first discussion

- Commit investigators to attend church the first week and to read and pray to find out that the Book of Mormon is true.

- Live worthy of and pray for the spirit before each visit.

- If one does not have the spirit, the Lord commands us not to teach (D&C 42:14). It is far more honorable to reschedule an appointment than to teach without the spirit.

Missionaries should make it clear that the responsibility rests on the people they are teaching. Missionaries should not tell an investigator something like 'we can't come to see you any more -- you aren't worth our time;' instead, the missionary could say 'Will you keep reading? We really want to teach you so please come see us at church and we will continue to teach you about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.' Missionaries should make sure that they write down the time, place, and phone number of the meeting house for the investigator. If missionaries aren't sure if someone is interested, they should invite him or her to church and wait for them to come.

If a person isn't willing to come to church, he or she is probably not very serious about the Gospel. Joseph Smith tracts (and even first and sometimes third discussion handouts) are good screening tools -- give them to a person, and call or check back in a couple of days to find out what they think. It is helpful to always write the church address on the inside or back cover.

Keeping the commandments (observ[ing] all things whatsoever I [the Lord] have commanded you) is and must be the main difference between members of the Lord's true Church and members of other churches and simple social groups. If investigators are not faithful in keeping small commitments, such as reading the Book of Mormon daily and attending Church each week, they will not be faithful when their faith is tried by more serious challenges. True conversion cannot exist in the presence of sloppiness in observing basic commitments, as discussed at length in the section on true conversion. Missionaries should take every opportunity to reinforce the commitments and that they are not one-time events, but require daily effort and consistency.

Here are the core commitments that are the basis for every missionary visit, whether with investigators, new converts, members, or inactives:

Regardless of the number of discussions or missionary visits, the conversion process does not start in a significant degree until the investigator begins to consistently keep commitments.

Time in the church does not equal growth. Time alone does not equal stronger members. There is only one thing that will strengthen the testimony of members: obedience to the gospel through consistent, habitual acts of daily scripture reading, daily prayer, full Sabbath Day observance, etc. It is often said in areas where growth is low and new members struggle that the problems will improve withtime. Time is not the answer. Obedience is the answer.

Because of the great struggle with retention, is easy to become content with members who remain nominally socially active in the Church. Many use the criteria of reliability in attendance at church meetings as a gauge of the spiritual measure of members, without regard for the extent to which daily family reading in the Book of Mormon and other important commandments are observed. While activity in the church is vital, it is also easy to build a church of social members who attend activities regularly, but who have few personal gospel habits besides attendance at meetings. For such individuals, necessary spiritual growth is not occuring. They may give the appearance of growth while learning church jargon and mastering procedural tasks, but while failing in the performance if daily scripture reading, meaningful personal and family prayer, and true Sabbath Day observance extending beyond the actual hours of church meetings. A new convert who establishes consistent habits of meaningful daily family scripture reading, daily prayer, and full observance of the Sabbath is light-years ahead spiritually of a lifelong member who has been active in the church for decades, has served a mission, and who has held many leadership positions, but has not learned to consistently perform these basics. After all, the ultimate test of our testimony is what it motivates us to do on a day to day basis.

'Because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the book [the Bible], which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God - because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them.' 1 Nephi 13:29

'And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he [Jesus] taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken. And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.' 3 Nephi 26:8-9

'The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man that can not read them.' Mark Twain

I like to substitute passages from the Book of Mormon for the Bible whenever possible in the discussions and in teaching. No one gains a real testimony from only the Bible verses. It is important to use scriptures from the Book of Mormon because they are clear and powerful. Missionaries should remember that investigators may already have a testimony of the Bible so now they need one of the Book of Mormon. Missionaries who teach primarily from the Bible (or, more commonly, who use few scriptures besides those built into the discussions) in attempts to build on common ground should be warned that this technique, while it may soften rejection, is less effective in gaining members and those who are taught frequently do not have a full testimony of the Book of Mormon. When individuals are baptized, the vestiges of this unfortunate technique often surface later when individuals begin to question their testimony.

Let me with Brother McConkie express my great love for the Bible. I have read it many times. I have read it in eight languages and continue to read and ponder its truths daily. Yet, as Elder McConkie states, it is not the Bible that converts.

Ezra Taft Benson noted that approaches which do not emphasize the Book of Mormon are neither effective nor inspired:

'A missionary who is inspired by the Spirit of the Lord must be led by that Spirit to choose the proper approach to be effective. We must not forget that the Lord Himself provided the Book of Mormon as His chief witness. The Book of Mormon is still our most powerful missionary tool. Let us use it.' Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 204

It is generally better technique to find an appropriate Book of Mormon scripture in answer to a question rather than to answer in one's own words. This way, investigators and members will realize that they can find their own answers by reading the scriptures and develop a greater desire to study the Book of Mormon regularly.

As Bruce R. McConkie points out, many members and missionaries attempt to use the Bible to lay the foundation for acceptance of the Book of Mormon. Long experience has taught me the truth of Elder McConkie's words that this simply doesn't work, at least not nearly as much as using the Book of Mormon itself. Even the Book of Mormon teaches that one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to convince people of the truth of the Bible, and not the other way around:

The Book of Mormon points out that the Gentiles stumble exceedingly and that Satan has strong power over many because of the plain and precious truths that were taken out of the Bible (1 Nephi 13:34), but often our approach is to attempt to prove the Book of Mormon by the Bible. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons we are under condemnation for taking the Book of Mormon lightly, as President Benson has said. Yet so often, well-meaning members and missionaries get the approach backwards.

The basic problem with using the Bible to establish the Book of Mormon is, as Joseph Smith stated, that 'if Mormons believe in the Bible, we are the only people on earth who do, for there are none of the other sects of the day that do.' The Bible has undergone so many changes over the course of centuries through ignorant translators and conniving priests that even for the sincere men and women of other faiths it can be difficult to understand which of a number of interpretations of any given Bible passage is correct without another foundation -- the Book of Mormon.

So often, we think that those without modern revelation understand and appreciate the Bible the same way we do. Numerous biblical passages are routinely explained away by sectarian preachers who state that such and such is just and allegory, or as not intended to be understood literally. Studies have shown that a large proportion of sectarian ministers do not believe in the literal resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, let alone in other fundamental doctrines of the Bible. Sometimes it happens that the Bible is worshipped instead of Jesus Christ. On the one hand, ministers proclaim that the Bible contains the final word of God and is all-authoritative, and on the other hand they explain away its tenets and constantly change their interpretations. We must avoid the sin of 'Bible-worship' and instead direct peoples' attention to the source of Bible writings: the Savior and his divine, ongoing revelations to mankind. When we attempt to teach from the Bible without using the Book of Mormon as the basis, we are building on a sandy foundation rather than on the rock of divine revelation. Once the foundation of divine revelation is laid, the Bible becomes a powerful tool.

Many of the optionally recommended scriptures in the margins come from the Book of Mormon. It is very important to use them. I find many of them, like 2 Nephi 9:21-24, 3 Nephi 27:13-14, Mosiah 3:5, etc. far more clear, effective, and powerful than the bible verses. Oddly, many well-meaning missionaries attempt to teach about the Savior in Discussion 1, Principle 2 without teaching primarily from the book which is His main witness in the latter days and which can help us more than any other book on earth to grow nearer to Him. By using only (or mainly) the Bible, missionaries may think that they are building on common ground and that this will facilitate the investigator's conversion. Unfortunately, this technique frequently backfires and results in confusion of principles of the restored gospel with the teachings of other churches, who may use some of the same scriptures and same nomenclature but do not teach the need to live righteous lives to gain benefit from the atonement. We do not need to apologize for or work around the Book of Mormon: we should center our teaching on it.

Bruce R. McConkie and President Ezra Taft Benson pointed out what we should be doing:

Fewer conversions are to be had by teaching from the Bible, and those few that do occur are less likely to become faithful and reliable members:

We must use the Book of Mormon more consistently and more powerfully to come out from under our condemnation:

By using scriptures from the Book of Mormon to testify of God and Jesus Christ, not just from the fifth principle of the first discussion, but from our first contact with investigators to the first and second principles of the first discussion and beyond, we can become much more effective in our missionary work. Many missionaries have relatively little success in getting people to read from the Book of Mormon. Frequently, this is because while they may bear their testimony about the Book of Mormon in general, vague terms, they have not imparted its powerful passages with the investigators in full measure from the outset. When we read scriptures from the Book of Mormon with investigators from the moment we meet them, by the time we talk about the Book of Mormon and prayer in the discussions many of them will already have a testimony of the book and a love for its passages. When we fail to share many of its passages of the Book of Mormon until shortly before we ask investigators to study it independently and pray about it, it is not surprising that many people do not follow through with meaningful reading.

When we use the Bible as the foundation of our teaching, investigators can go to priests, ministers, or acquaintances and receive widely different interpretations of the same passage. When we teach with the powerful passages of the Book of Mormon, there can be no appeal except to God.

Missionaries must take every opportunity to emphasize that the doctrines they are teaching are understood only because of Latter-day revelation given to Joseph Smith and other prophets in our time.

Grant Von Harrison writes of the responsibility to teach investigators to gain a love for the Book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith: "if you fail in this basic responsibility, you will see many people accept the basic doctrines that you introduce, but they will not be inclined to join the Church" (Tools for Missionaries, p. 217). From my own experience, I know that this is true. Many missionaries are frustrated by completing all of the discussions with an investigator who is still indecisive about baptism. In almost every case, the problem is one of improper teaching. It most frequently stems from not placing adequate emphasis on the uniqueness of modern-day revelation and the Book of Mormon.

When one teaches basic doctrines, many people will falsely assume that their church teaches the same thing. The doctrines of the degrees of glory, while mentioned in the Bible, are neither understood nor taught by any other church. The Lord's way of blessing the poor through Fast Offerings is unknown to other religions. Such a blessing can only be found in Christ's true church.

When investigators become impatient and say 'I know that' or 'my church believes that too,' this is typically a sign that the person doesn't understand the doctrine being taught and how it is different from the beliefs of other churches. This is because many people have little idea of what their own church teaches and have put little effort into finding out. A few find-out questions can reveal that the person doesn't fully comprehend the doctrine and requires more interactive teaching. Missionaries can strengthen investigators' testimonies greatly by reinforcing that we understand even the basic doctrines through modern revelation, and that these are much different from the doctrines taught in other churches which claim to be Christian.

The most important part of member training is what occurs before baptism. In this period, the new member's foundation is largely determined -- whether for continued spiritual growth, for active membership at a social level only, or for inactivity. Pre-baptismal training is the great determinant of whether members will keep core commandments and function enthusiastically and independently, reaching out and serving others, or whether the members will have to be propped up by very frequent missionary visits to retain basic functionality and nominal activity. Upon baptism, the willingness of most converts to initiate further change declines dramatically. While new converts are generally very pliable before baptism and are willing to make substantial life changes to qualify for baptism in the true church, after baptism much of the impetus to change is gone. While most new converts recognize that baptism is not the end of the road towards salvation, many perceive it as a substantial achievement that allows one to slow one's pace. After baptism, the sense of urgency declines and a sense of complacency can set in. Such habits must not be very important, many reason, since because they are already members, and because many other active members don't spend time reading the scriptures each day or keeping the commitment of choice. Additionally, the demands of church service can at times seem never-ending and can distract attention from work towards obedience in other areas.

Success rates at convincing prospective members to read scriptures daily are vastly higher than for existing members. After all, very few existing members read scriptures daily -- in spite of the fact that this has been reiterated many times by latter-day prophets.

An unfortunate phenomenon commonly associated with church membership is that the discrepancy between expressed and internalized beliefs grows, and this discrepancy is accepted. Members develop tolerance to lessons about commandments that they are not obeying so that such lessons are generally simply ignored. They learn to say without doing. In contrast, prospective members have not yet been exposed to such unhealthy trends. While it may seem appealing and convenient to rush individuals to baptism without the basic habits of obedience in place, thinking that they will develop later, in reality this is a sure-fire way to generate later crises. Missionaries need to understand clearly that if new members have not established consistent daily scripture reading and weekly church attendance as firm habits at the time of baptism, it is unlikely that these habits will ever be established.

Surely Ammon and his brethren could not have experienced the success they did without good time management skills, regardless of the receptivity of the people around them.

I was always amazed to see how many missionaries would latch onto a family or individual that was not keeping commitments and visit this person or family repeatedly. Such visits are typically based on personality and non-gospel interests rather than the gospel, and are a way of avoiding real proselyting. I have often wondered if these missionaries felt any obligation to the other tens or hundreds of thousands of people in their area when they were failing to contact because of getting hung up a few stagnant investigators 'on the slow plan.' While some of these people are eventually baptized on occasion, they are usually poor members because they have learned that commitments aren't very important. Let the members, the people who will be in the area years from now, work with the 'slow' investigators. The goal of a mission is not to make celestial people -- there is not enough time on a mission! Missionaries must find celestial people; people who are prepared to accept the gospel NOW, while leaving the door open for those who may be ready later.

Missionaries should never schedule time with individuals who do not progress. If people aren't living by the commitments they made, they should lovingly be directed back to the commitments they can make. Missionaries must use their time wisely. For example, if a young man is not attending church; then the missionaries can first teach him why church is important to his progression, make sure he understands what is being taught, help him feel the spirit, get him to commit to attend church and then wait for him to do so. If he does, the missionaries should move on with him. If he doesn't come to church, the missionaries should wait until he does so and comes to them instead of them coming to him.

Imagine briefly a mountain stream descending through a white-water canyon. Because the water is moving, it stays clear. The faster it moves, the clearer and cleaner it stays. Now imagine a large pond with little inflow or outflow. The water quickly becomes muddy. So it is in missionary work. We need the inflow from contacting to keep our pools clean and active. When we fill our schedules with visits yet lack dynamic inflow and outflow into our pools, we quickly become 'busy people accomplishing nothing.'

On several occasions, I called missionaries with referrals who told me that they 'didn't have time' to teach new people. These missionaries had not had a baptism in months, yet were 'too busy' to teach new investigators. They needed to broaden their finding pool. They needed to take full advantage of all opportunities to find to prevent their pools from stagnating.

Much more frequently I would follow up a week later or more on contacts I referred and find out that the missionaries in their area had never contacted them. Missionaries should always follow-up within forty-eight hours. There is little value in visiting members or investigators to solicit new referrals if we are slow to follow-up on referrals which we already have.

'O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.' Hel 5:9

It is absolutely essential to focus on Jesus Christ as we teach the gospel. We cannot be saved without first a knowledge of him and his atonement and second, a consistent effort to do all we can do to gain exaltation. How can we focus on the Savior?

1. Learn all we can about him, his life, and ministry

2. Consistently apply his example, teachings, and commandments in our own lives.

3. Develop a personal relationship with Christ through prayer and always live so his spirit can constantly be with us.

4. Truly Repent of weaknesses and shortcomings by going through the repentance process. Remember that true repentance does not allow repetition of the act.

5. Sincerely Pray for guidance in becoming like the Savior (an example: pray for charity)

6. Focus on teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ

1. Learn

Good sources for learning about the Savior are the Book of Mormon, The Bible, Church Magazines, Conference Talks, Church Meetings, etc. We should do all in our power to study and ponder all authorized resources we have available to us about Jesus Christ.

2. Apply

We should do all in our power to emulate Christ. His example can be demonstrated through our words, deeds, thoughts, and desires. We should stand as witnesses of him in all places. We can do this wherever we go and with whatever company we entertain ourselves.

3. Develop a Personal Relationship

Christ can become our personal friend if we come unto him. He bids us to come unto him. We can do this wherever we may be in whatever situation we may be in. We should want Christ with us at all times. We must make room for him through prayer. We should always work on our relationship with our Lord. We should always live so that his spirit can be with us 24 hours a day. If his spirit is not with us, we must do whatever is necessary to get it back.

As I ponder the story of Christ's birth, I think about the inn that was too crowded for the Savior. This seems symbolic this is of the world. We must not be to busy with worldly matters that the cares of the world crowed out our Lord Jesus Christ. He should come first, before anything else.

We are not left without help. We have the Holy Ghost as a guide if we choose to follow him. He can help us direct our lives toward the Savior.

4. Truly Repent

No one is perfect and therefore, after we have done all above we must continually watch ourselves lest we fall. We must be constantly seeking after Christ. If we fall short of this goal, we must change and improve. We cannot expect to have the spirit guide us because of the goodness that we once had if we do not hold faithful.

5. Sincerely pray for guidance in becoming like the Savior (an example: pray for charity)

Prayer, coupled with fervent work in the areas we pray for, can help us to develop and retain Christ-like attributes and deep Christ-like love for the people we teach.

6. Focus on teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ

Christ should be a central point of our teaching. To truly understand and appreciate the Savior, it is necessary to convey not only what Christ did anciently, but how He continues to follow his model and direct His Church on earth today.

The pre-1986 discussions, which were intended to be memorized and delivered verbatim, addressed most principles of the gospel in significantly greater detail. One of the main reasons for discontinuing the old discussions and implementing the new discussions was that very few missionaries actually memorized them and delivered them in the intended fashion. The current discussions cover large concepts of the gospel in a very abbreviated format. Every missionary should be able to memorize and master the discussions. The current discussions are not intended to be a complete and verbatim dialogue of everything adequate for teaching, but rather an outline which requires the addition of personal testimony, scriptures, experiences, and examples as well as discerning find-out questions. When the current discussions are presented in a 'cookbook' format without expanded clarification of important points and very specific, discerning find-out questions, there is a high likelihood that the investigators may hear the words without adequately understanding their implications. This creates serious problems later when the correct foundation is not in place.

It is always crucial to assess the investigator's understanding of a principle before moving on. 'Yes-no' questions such as 'do you understand such-and-such...' are not helpful. There are three levels of understanding:

1. Vague or inaccurate understanding. The investigator cannot accurately restate the pertinent points of the principle which was taught. The investigators may give vague answers parroting some of the major themes which were discussed but without adequate detail, or the answer may contain erroneous information.

2. Abstract understanding. The investigator can accurately re-state the pertinent points, but is unable to apply them to meaningful real-life situations or give original examples.

3. Understanding with insight. The investigator can accurately re-state the points which were discussed and can give original examples and apply his or her understanding to real-life situations.

Any degree of understanding less than the third, understanding with insight, is inadequate. It is vital for missionaries to be fully objective in evaluating the investigator's understanding. Often judgment is colored by 'wishful thinking' which leads to making inaccurate assumptions or excusing inadequate levels of understanding. Sometimes missionaries get to the end of a discussion and wonder why the investigator doesn't want to accept a commitment, or why they promise to make a commitment (like reading the scriptures, attending church, etc.) and then don't follow through. This problem ALMOST ALWAYS has roots in missionaries ASSUMING that the investigators understood principles correctly when in fact their understanding was at the first level (vague or inaccurate understanding) or the second level (abstract understanding).

Making assumptions almost inevitably leads to serious problems. Missionaries who are adequately skilled in find-out techniques rarely face unpleasant surprises, while those who make assumptions are constantly bewildered and confused at why they are having difficulties with their investigators.

The missionary guide calls it 'finding out' and asking 'follow-up' questions. Grant Von Harrison calls it 'checking for understanding and conviction' (Tools for Missionaries, p. 203).

The current missionary discussions are significantly shorter than the discussions of previous times that were to be given word for word. The previous discussions were excellent, but missionaries simply weren't memorizing them and teaching them as the Brethren intended. The current missionary discussions cover the basic points of the Gospel, but place a special focus on follow-up and find-out questions. It is not enough to simply read the text verbatim and assume that people will be converted: the questions in the margin are vital. Additionally, the questions listed are necessary but not sufficient. They must be supplemented (as the discussions themselves tell us) with additional questions based on our own judgment, discernment, and experience.

Some missionaries breeze through the discussions and assume that because they stated a point and the investigator(s) raised no objection, that point has been absorbed and understood. This is, however, generally not true and leads to frustration and disappointment in a variety of forms. Individuals may refuse to make commitments (often to the missionary's surprise), or they may promise and fail to consistently follow through. In some cases, such individuals may be baptized, but either fall away or become 'social members' who attend Church but do not fully live the gospel. Why? Because they were never truly converted, and because the missionaries thought that their points were understood and incorporated when in fact much was missed.

It is important to check for understanding without using leading questions. The investigators should be able to restate the principles tested for in their own words and state its implications. When some investigators act intimidated by questions or consistently do not know the answer, the natural response to many missionaries is to stop asking questions and to skim over the material so that the investigator will not 'feel bad'. However, sweeping an investigator's lack of understanding under the rug or pretending that it does not exist does not make it go away: it inevitably manifests itself later in unfortunate ways, which often include inactivity or failure to keep basic commandments after baptism. It is also important to check for understanding in a friendly and non-threatening fashion that does not belittle the investigator, but nonetheless gives the missionaries an honest and full view of what needs to be reinforced. After reinforcing, understanding should again be checked periodically. 'Do you understand' is not an effective find-out question. 'How do you understand...' or 'what do you think about...' are appropriate open-ended find-out questions that allow the investigator to express his or her depth or shallowness of understanding.

Each discussion should start with asking the investigator to briefly review the material taught in the previous discussion. If important material is left out or is inaccurately represented, it may be far more valuable to review and reinforce old material rather than race blindly on with the discussions, which can only compound the investigator's confusion.

It is also important when multiple individuals are being taught to ensure that each individual has an adequate understanding of what is being taught. This does not need to take an inordinate amount of time, nor should each person be asked every question. Rotating questions allows for adequate identification of individuals who may require further clarification. Depending on the situation and the missionary's discernment, it may be best either to tailor the discussion more to the most interested person (if others are present grudgingly for the benefit of the most interested person and convey that they feel threatened when asked questions) or to the understanding of all persons involved. The most interested person is not necessarily the person who understand and absorbs the most of what is being taught, although this is most frequently the case.

Next, if the investigator understands the material, does he or she agree with it and are they motivated to live by it? Conviction is the willingness to stand up for one's beliefs and act upon them.

Missionaries in a ward where we once lived taught a woman all of the discussions. She agreed to their points, but attended sacrament meeting only once over the course of eight weeks. Every week she had some excuse for why she was not at Church. She read very little in the Book of Mormon, and that with heavy prompting and many reading sessions with the missionaries. My wife and I went on one of the discussions with the missionaries, only to see that they breezed through principle after principle without checking for understanding. Her baptism was only two weeks away, and we volunteered to pick her up for Church the following day. We confirmed again on Saturday, but that Sunday she did not answer the door when we came by. The next week, in spite of discussing the format of church meetings in detail and trying to make her feel comfortable, the same scenario played itself out.

I expressed my concern to the missionaries that this woman had limited understanding of the gospel and very little conviction. I told them that if she was baptized that week, I would of course do what I could to help her, but I could promise them that she would not be an active member. They disagreed and said that they would carry on with the baptism the next week since she had passed her baptismal interview. Out of personal considerations, a misunderstanding of the goals of missionary work, perceived pressure for numbers rather than true conversions, or out of one companion leaving for home with the desire to have 'one more notch on his belt,' they baptized her on their target date. They did not, or would not, understand that excuses are not a substitute for adequate performance. People find ways to do things that are truly important to them, while excuses signify lack of conviction. Consistent failure to follow through on basic commitments cannot be explained by overwhelming obstacles, but by lack of sincerity and desire. Faith without works is dead.

Even though we and the missionaries have visited this woman multiple times since her baptism, she has did not come to Church the Sunday following her baptism, or the week after, just as I told the elders. In fact, she returned only once and then announced that she was returning to her old church and wanted nothing more to do with the 'Mormons.' In spite of kindness shown to her by many members and considerable efforts on our part to call her, visit her, befriend her, watch her children, and assist her with errands, she has not become an active or contributing member of the church. The elders who taught her were surprised and disappointed. Yet this was all so predictable.

Surely this was not a 'member failure'. This did not happen because the members were not friendly or open. It did not happen because the members were not fellowshipping properly. It happened because of putting statistical goals ahead of the the best interest of investigators, good judgment, and the Spirit. What occurred was a natural consequence of the method of teaching employed, and not an aberration of unpredictable circumstance. Even if missionaries could 'check off all of the boxes' and she 'answered the questions correctly' to their satisfaction, they did not understand the principle of conviction. Multiple failures occurred: neither the companionship that taught her, or the missionary who interviewed her for baptism, understood the principle of true conversion as demonstrated by conviction as opposed to simply understanding. They did not understand the need for judgment and discernment, rather than simply going down their checklist. They did not understand the spirit of the law, nor the law itself.

I bring up this example because I have seen this scenario play out frequently in various forms across the Church. Many have still not learned this lesson. It is so tragic and so common, yet so preventable. None of this needed to happen, nor was it 'God's will' that things happen this way: it is simply a consequence of free agency, used poorly.

Imagine a patient who goes to the emergency room with a high fever, headache, shakes, and chills. The physician gives him tylenol to control the fever and pain and sends him home. The patient begins to feel better and becomes more comfortable. When family members try to wake the patient hours later, he is poorly responsive and disoriented. They rush the patient back to the emergency room, but it is too late to save the patient from rapidly-progressing bacterial meningitis. Why did this tragedy occur? The physician treated the external manifestations of fever and headache as the problems, rather than as the body's protective response warning against the more serious underlying problem of infection. He treated the symptoms without recognizing or treating the underlying disease.

Likewise, missionaries need to address the deep underlying issues symptomatic of low commitment, rather than glazing over or minimizing deeply-rooted concerns. The prudent missionary is grateful for the advanced warning which he receives from the symptoms of incomplete conversion or lack of commitment, while the unwise missionary gives spiritual tylenol to mask the investigator's symptoms and charges onward until the spiritual calamity within manifests itself in unmistakeable ways. The true tragedy is that this is entirely preventable with proper teaching and the spirit of discernment.

May we all work to understand the nature of true conversion.

'I may know that the Gospel is true, and my wife may know it; but I do not imagine for one moment that my children will be born with this knowledge. We receive a testimony of the Gospel by obeying the laws and ordinances thereof; and our children will receive that knowledge exactly the same way; and if we do not teach them, and they do not walk in the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life, they will never receive this knowledge.' Heber J. Grant, Collected Discourses, Vol. 4, April 6, 1894

There is a widespread notion that testimonies are gained by bearing them. While it may make for cutesy phrases and feel-good slogans, this is simply not true. To the contrary, President David O. McKay taught that we should not encourage small children to bear testimony, because a testimony takes time and effort to develop, and this encourages dishonesty and deceit. His counsel has been disregarded by most church members.

There is a great need for us to be completely honest in our testimonies. If we say we know something when we don't, even if it is true, we are functionally telling a lie. If we don't know that the gospel is true but we believe it is true, we should say that we believe. Belief is a stepping-stone. It is much better to say that we believe, than to say that we know if we do not. When we say that we know that the church is true, and yet our lives are not in accordance with its teachings, our testimony has a negative effect and encourages dishonesty in others.

We gain a testimony, not by mouthing a few trite phrases over and over until we begin to believe that they are true, but by receiving an unmistakeable witness from above after a period of consistent obedience that results in a true change of heart. As President McKay, ancient prophets, and the Savior himself taught, developing a testimony takes time. There are different degrees and strengths of a testimony. Understanding simply that the church is true is a very basic and primitive manifestation of a testimony. Having faith to live consistently according to gospel laws demonstrates a much deeper testimony. The real measure of our testimony is the extent to which obedience to the gospel is reflected in our daily lives.

In Alma Chapter 32, Alma describes how our faith can grow from belief into a perfect knowledge. How does it grow? Through nurturing the word; in other words, through obedience to the gospel. As we receive the blessings of obedience in our lives, our testimony grows. The Savior also taught that a testimony is acquired through obedience: 'If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself' (John 7:17). The proof is in the pudding. The best, and only, way to come to understand the truth of the gospel, or of any principle, is to live it. While obedience takes effort and may not be the 'quick-fix' answer many desire, it is the right answer, and the only one that will endure the test of time.

'The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts only can find them out.' Joseph Smith

There is a difference between effective testimonies born of righteous living and deep conviction which motivate us to action, and those that simply go through the motions. Effective testimony bearing incorporates the following features:

1. Effective testimony is directed not simply to convincing the listener that the Church, or some principle, is true, but toward motivating the listener(s) to keep specific commandments

2. Effective testimonies tell how the bearer received a personal knowledge that the principle is true.

3. Effective testimonies share a witness of specific fruits that living the principle has brought into one's own life, and not just the lives of others.

4. A 'living testimony' must be radiated in our conduct. It is impossible to effectively testify about a principle which one is not living. Our lives must glorify the Savior and give powerful evidence of our faith.

The scriptures are replete with admonitions that our preaching be centered on repentance. However, we often avoid using this word out of fear of offending people! Repenting is more than simply "changing one's life:" it is changing one's life in accordance with the will of God. We need to talk about repentance more than we frequently do and make it central to our teaching.

Never deny an investigator of his or her opportunity to repent. It is the most precious gift you can give him or her. No one can put a deadline on repentance. As general authorities have stated, conversion is not so much an issue of time as of sincerity and dedication. Many people need more time to develop the necessary commitment and to "change their hearts," and missionaries must be sensitive to this. Hasty or incomplete repentance before baptism will always resurface later once the person is a member, often with serious consequences.