"Home: The Original MTC", By President and Sister Thomas Hale, Counselor, Gilbert AZ Mission and Full Time Missionaries

Last fall, Pres. Monson’s announced the lowering of the full-time missionary age (Fall 2013 General Conference)

Because of the change of age, many young men are entering the mission field upon graduation of high school.  There is no opportunity for them to attend a College Institute Missionary Preparation class as in the past.  Therefore it is important that we so organize our homes so we can appropriately teach & train up our children so they can be effective missionaries.

We chose as the theme for today’s class,  Proverbs 22:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go:  and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

It is never too early to begin.  (Our son, Jonathan, bearing his testimony to his one month old son, Joseph)  I Cor 2: 9-10

Tell our sons, “WHEN you go on your mission not IF”

What are you doing in your home to lay a successful foundation for your children’s missions & life?

Temporal Preparation

• Learn to work 
• Provide opportunities to give service
• Help them gain experience in talking to strangers & meeting new people
• Encourage them to set goals & work to accomplish them
• Primary-Faith in God
• Scouts-Rank Advancement
• YM-Duty to God
• YW-Personal Progress
• Finances
• Nutrition/Basic Cooking skills
• Laundry/ironing/sewing on a button
• Learn to organize time & things (gather belongings/materials the night before)
• BE ON TIME FOR APPOINTMENTS
• Exercise – helps manage stress
• Invite Full-Time Missionaries and Returned Missionaries into your home and encourage your children to ask   them questions regarding the MTC and missionary work.

Both prospective missionaries and parents read:

“Preparing Emotionally for Missionary Service,” by Robert K. Wagstaff, Ensign, March 2011

“Trust in the Lord to watch over and bless your missionary son or daughter.”  Our son, Spencer, left for foreign country two months after 9/11/01.  My fear was replaced by peace as I listened at the veil of the Temple.

Spiritual Preparation

Home environment (Don't just decorate, INSPIRATE!):

Pictures 

Posted Quotes to Ponder 

Songs that teach the gospel

Daily:  

• Both Family & Personal: (They need their own testimony of Jesus Christ & the Book of Mormon)
• Prayer (Personal Sacred Grove)
• Scripture Study Sis Natress (Gilbert, AZ Mission Mom), “We have missionaries arrive in the field that have not read the Book of Mormon. How can they teach something that they have not yet received a testimony of?”
• Memorization:
• Scripture Memorization Box (Involve even youngest children)
• Articles of Faith
• Family Proclamation by paragraphs
• Scripture Memory System
• Poetry
• Lay burdens on the mind to enhance gospel learning (David O McKay, “If you memorize a scripture a day, the time will come when you will have a photographic memory.”)
• Gather family at the table for a meal/Good, Better, & Best

Weekly: 

• FHE - Children learn to teach by taking turns giving the lesson (Preach My Gospel)
• Family pretend to be investigators & children teach the discussions
• Attend church meetings & stake conferences. Then meet with children thereafter to make family plans to follow the counsel of the priesthood leaders
• Help children identify the promptings of the Holy Ghost and FOLLOW THEM
• Watch General Conference as a family-Learn to enjoy listening to the Brethren
• Attend Ward/Stake Mission Prep class

Regularly:

• PPIs (Elsie asked, “Is Jesus Real or is He like Santa Claus?”)
• Let children see you prepare for & attend the Temple (when old enough take them to the Temple)
• Encourage child to receive Patriarchal Blessing & review regularly.  List gifts & promises & discuss with family how those gifts will bless them as a missionary
• Teach children to prepare to consecrate their lives to the Lord
• Let children see & hear you share the gospel with non-member friends & encourage them to do the same
• Invite the missionaries to teach investigators in your home & have the children sit in on the lessons
• Encourage children go teach lessons with the full-time missionaries
• Teach Obedience – the first law of heaven
• Teach the atonement with understanding

Don’t hesitate to modify & improve your current family practices as the needs & ages of your family changes.  Different children learn in different ways.

Alma 37: 6-7

Each of these practices by themselves are small things BUT put them all together and make them habits in the lives of our families, great things shall be brought to pass. 

First Presidency Message, “God’s Harvest”, Pres Dieter F Uchtdorf, Ensign, August 2014

Note:
When asked the question, "What are you doing in your home to lay a successful foundation for your children’s missions & life?" some of the sisters at the class responded with the following:

• Invite missionaries into our home
• When family members or friends return from missions, invite them to report about their mission for FHE, and encourage kids to ask them questions about the MTC and their time serving
• Form an FHE group with a missionary theme; take turns hosting lessons and food assignments
• Display family members' missionary plaques in the home
• Make our children do "hard things" so their mission is not the first hard thing they do
• Teach our kids how to pray and get answers
• Set priorities (good, better, best), and make time for family dinners, FHE, daily study, one sport, and PIANO lessons
• Teach children how to recognize and listen to the spirit
• Capitalize on alone time to teach important truths (like while driving!)
• Use Preach My Gospel to teach FHE