Missionary Work – Page 2

Baptism in the Meridian of Time

Paul wrote to the Ephesians that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesian 4:5). Either sprinkling a child is correct or immersion when 8 is correct, there is no in-between. These represent two different baptisms. Infant baptism isn’t new; it was practiced in the days of Abraham (JST-Genesis 17:4-8, 1), and in the days of Mormon and Moroni (Moroni 8).

The Lord is eloquent in His indignation. First He explains why little children don’t need baptism.

“And…little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.”

The Origin of Baptism

Baptism began with Adam, the first man. “He was caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into the water, and was…brought forth out of the water. And thus he was baptized.” (Moses 6:64-65)

This established the pattern. All of the apostles and prophets were baptized and all performed baptisms. Documented records of prophets being baptized include Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses (Moses 6:47-68; 8:19-24; JST-Genesis 17:3-7; 1 Corinthians 10”1-4).

In Isaiah 48:1 we read the “house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel and [had] come forth out of the waters of Judah.” This refers to baptism (1 Nephi 20:1).

The Antiquity of Baptism

Baptism carries an interesting connotation when speaking to people who consider themselves Christian in the Protestant and Catholic fashion.

With few exceptions, the ordinance of baptism has been distorted so dramatically that the only two features of origin still remaining are the presence of the person being baptized and the substance of water. Other concepts such as power and authority, mode, meaning, age, metaphors, similes, and purpose are lost and forgotten.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

On the day of Pentecost, Peter admonished all those within ear shot to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 3:28)

The gift is an endowment of divine grace and goodness. An endowment is a gift donated by a benefactor for the use of others on conditions specified by the giver.

There is a difference between the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost (History of the Church, 4:555.) The Holy Ghost is a personage of Spirit (D&C 130:22) while the gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to receive the companionship and association of the Spirit.

Are You Free Now?

Having knowledge is not sufficient for happiness or salvation. In life you are given a puzzle to solve. You have forever to solve it. When you do, you become like God. However, you have a problem—you don’t have the ability to solve the puzzle alone.

Are you free?

Freedom is knowing the truth. The truth will set you free (John 8:32). Free from what? Free from mortality and free to live an exalted life.

What is truth? Truth is knowledge of things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come (D&C 93:24).

Teaching An Agnostic

Here is the setting, Elder Jackson from my home ward of Gig Harbor, is serving a mission in SLC, UT and sent me an email telling the story of Tony the agnostic. He wanted to have a better understanding of what an agnostic is. I sent him a short definition and then received this email:

Brother Himmer,

Virtue, Obedience, and some Latin

Youth Speaker: Leah Savage

Virtue is the culmination of thousands of decisions.

Missionary Farewell: Aubrey McMullin

Obedience connects us to Christ.

“When obedience ceases to be an irritant, in that moment, God endows us with power.” Ezra Taft Benson

“We must get our people to teach out of their hearts instead of out of the books.” Pres. Hinckley

Missionary Farewell: Brook Sabin

Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase meaning “To be, rather than to seem (to be)” This was the motto for his BYU Men’s Chorus.

Life changing actions come from the little things we do daily.

Exit Interviews April – July 2011

I have the disctinct pleasure and honor to say good-bye to a number of full-time missionaries who serve in the Tacoma, WA Mission on a regular basis. They come to my office and we discuss the Rules of Engagement for dating and marriage.

Each set of missionaries brings a great spirit to our section of the Lord’s vineyard.

After our interview, they are better prepared to return and search for eternal companions.

Their interview is a short lesson on “Dating Above The Belt: How To Develop Emotional Intimacy”

Control vs. Power

When teaching the gospel, he who asks the questions is in control. She who is being questioned has the power. This allows the Holy Ghost to work in harmony with the missionary (teacher). The Holy Ghost will do the heavy lifting when you, as the teacher, give permission to the investigator to think and express an opinion without fear of judgment.

Think about the last time you met a persuasive salesperson or missionary. Did you have permission to say no? Were your opinions, thoughts, and desires truly sought? Were they considered and honored? If no, did you feel trust towards that person?

New Addition to the Site

Yesterday I spent the morning training the Silverdale Zone on the Currency of Trust for Missionaries.

My attempt to send each missionary copies of the reports and slides failed, so I’ve assembled a fair collection of everything and created a library site for all to enjoy.

Just above this post you will find at the bottom of the header the following: Gospel Knols Library.

Click on that and you will have a plethora of articles, talks, and reports available.

If I’ve mentioned a talk or report that isn’t there, send me a note.

Br. H

Is Life Really A Test?

What does it mean to be tested? Testing is an assessment intended to measure the respondents’ knowledge or other abilities.

From a conceptual standpoint it means to reveal a person’s thinking on the matter. This is in contrast to the traditional school environs of multiple-choice testing against the textbook or a standard.

Life is not a multiple-choice lab of experiences. Learning comes in the form of self-discovery, not in guessing an instructor’s thoughts. Unlike math, which is a function of absolutes, except in academia, too often students are not tested on thinking capability but rather on getting the ‘so-called’ right answer.

Converting Baloo the Bear

Some years ago, a friend of mine walked into my office, rubbed his back against my door jam and commented off the cuff “I’ve got to lose some weight.” I’ve heard him say that for months and I quietly wondered if he really meant it.

A few days later, he repeated his Baloo the Bear impression against my door jam making the same comment about losing weight. So I asked him why. “Why what,” he wondered? “Why do you want to lose weight,” I asked? After giving me a myriad of reasons, I asked: “Are you saying you want to lose weight because it makes you feel better, or do you really mean it?”

Judging In The Church

Judge not that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1) This passage carries a plethora of opinion, commentary, and misunderstanding. Elder McConkie points out that this does not prohibit sitting in judgment on principles of right or wrong. Rather it is the equivalent of saying: “Condemn not, that ye be not condemned.”

We sometimes confuse the definition of tolerance with judging. This is where the misunderstanding is often found. Homosexuality is wrong. It is a sin. So is overeating, constantly losing your temper, and being a workaholic. You can tolerate obesity, but it doesn’t mean you accept it.

The Art of Connecting: Building Rapport

The most effective space in missionary work is trust. In a recent training with missionaries, it appears the MTC is still teaching rapport building as an ‘effective’ tool in the work.

How do you feel when someone tries to manipulate you into doing something they want?

As a father, when my son prefaces a question with: “Dad, I sure love you,” my antennae go up. Does he love me because I’m dad, or because I have something he wants?

You can’t hide rapport building. Like bad breath, it usually arrives moments after you open your mouth. The art of connecting is another way of building rapport.

Being Right vs. Being InteresTED

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you are of the opinion and testimony that there are absolute truths in the world. For example, God exists and Jesus is His Son. Most parents feel the responsibility to share said truths with their offspring.

As a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ, you believe one of those absolute truths is the restored gospel.

As a parent of a 17 year-old teenager, you believe an absolute truth is to avoid premarital sex, or drugs, or alcohol or any number of harmful activities and behaviors.