Preach My Gospel—the Unifying Tool between Members and Missionaries
Of the Seventy
Missionaries and members must . . . become one in our efforts to proclaim the gospel.
Not long ago, we invited two sister missionaries over for lunch. After we finished eating, we asked them to leave a spiritual thought with us. They were well prepared and introduced a scripture reading and marking exercise to us. They had brought a fresh copy of the Book of Mormon and a set of colored pencils. We accepted the invitation of the missionaries. Since then, our daily Book of Mormon family scripture reading has changed. In every chapter, we mark with different colors the passages related to Jesus Christ as we discover them. Every time, this little exercise reminds us of our missionaries.
When the missionaries presented this, we immediately recognized it as a scripture study exercise suggested in Preach My Gospel. As a family, we are so thankful for this great and powerful missionary tool.
For the past three years missionaries have been using Preach My Gospel all around the world. It has truly revolutionized missionary work. The great vision of President Hinckley is being fulfilled: Missionaries “master the concepts of the lessons.” They “teach the concepts in their own words under the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit” (see “Missionary Service,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 11, 2003, 19).
As the missionaries become immersed in Preach My Gospel, they learn and apply important doctrines and principles which make them more capable in their important service. Despite this, they still need all of our help and support. Only together can we fulfill the great charge given to the ancient and modern Apostles: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
In order to be successful in these efforts, we must be one with the missionaries, and we must understand one another. Do you always understand the missionaries? I do not refer to language but rather to how they do missionary work. We see and observe them inviting people to listen to their message. They teach gospel principles and invite those who are interested to change their lives and be baptized and confirmed members of the Church.
If we want to understand and help our missionaries, we must have faith as missionaries have faith, we must think as missionaries think, and we must feel as missionaries feel. How can we achieve that?
One important way, of course, is to be with the missionaries and see them do what they do. But another way for us is to get acquainted with Preach My Gospel and learn more about missionary work. Ever since President McKay said, “Every member a missionary” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1959, 122), members have been striving to become more active in sharing the gospel. With Preach My Gospel, we have a marvelous guide to better help us act upon this invitation. Our own study of Preach My Gospel will not only help us to develop a greater understanding and appreciation for our missionaries, but it will help us in our own day-to-day life.
Every member of our family owns a copy of Preach My Gospel. Studying this guide is a great support in developing a strong testimony. It helps us understand fundamental gospel principles and the desire to serve. Allow me for a moment to highlight some of the headings of Preach My Gospel ([2004], iii), and you will understand.
They read:
“How Do I Recognize and Understand the Spirit?”
“How Do I Study Effectively and Prepare to Teach?”
“What Do I Study and Teach?”
“What Is the Role of the Book of Mormon?”
“How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?”
Aren’t those the things that all of us want to learn? For everyone who wants to become a better member missionary and who wants to know how to support the missionaries, Preach My Gospel is full of powerful ideas and insights. We learn how we can help the missionaries find people to teach and how we as members can work hand in hand with the missionaries to help those who are investigating the Church. We learn to understand why strong invitations to act are helpful to increase faith in Jesus Christ and how we can stand with our nonmember friends who are moving through this wonderful, life-changing process of conversion.
Along with studying the scriptures, missionaries study Preach My Gospel every day. They learn principles and skills, and they apply them. They especially learn how to use the guidance of the Spirit in their work. If we want to learn as missionaries do, we too must carefully study Preach My Gospel and observe the missionaries in their daily work.
In the introduction to Preach My Gospel, we read: “Preach My Gospel is for the full-time missionaries of the Church. However, the principles and doctrines taught herein are also applicable to ward missionaries and leaders as they seek to build the Lord’s kingdom. Frequent study of this manual will enable them to fulfill their responsibilities as member missionaries and will foster unity with the full-time missionaries” (xi).
Elder Richard G. Scott taught that all members should carefully study Preach My Gospel. He said, “Much good has been accomplished . . . since Preach My Gospel was introduced, but the best is yet to come as we all become more proficient in the use of this extraordinary missionary tool” (“The Power of Preach My Gospel,” Liahona and Ensign, May 2005, 31).
Our time may seem limited to do this study, so therefore let me give a few suggestions that may help.
- Youth preparing for a mission should carefully study Preach My Gospel along with the scriptures.
- Invite the missionaries to your home. Ask them to teach you and your family a principle or doctrine from Preach My Gospel.
- Every once in a while, use Preach My Gospel for family home evening. Let your teenage children teach your family as missionaries would do. In our home, we have had some surprisingly great lessons given by our children. We have been astonished at how well they taught simple principles. Sometimes we have invited friends to those lessons.
- Gospel teachers could use the simple but effective principles of gospel teaching as outlined in Preach My Gospel as a support to the prescribed courses of study.
- Preach My Gospel has been translated and published in almost every language that our members speak. In countries where the Church is still young, Preach My Gospel may be used along with the scriptures as a resource and foundation for all gospel learning and teaching.
- Elder Scott encouraged local Church leaders “to use these materials in . . . presidencies, priesthood executive committee meetings, and ward councils” (Liahona and Ensign, May 2005, 31).
- Use Preach My Gospel as a resource for training, talks, spiritual thoughts, lessons, firesides, and personal study.
I bear witness that this missionary guide is inspired of God. We must study it more carefully, that we may understand our missionaries and their work better. Missionaries and members must speak one language. We must become one in our efforts to proclaim the gospel. It will better enable us to become tools in the hand of the Lord, for He said, “And even so will I gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me, and hearken unto my voice” (D&C 33:6).
As members of His Church, we are expected to be a part of this glorious gathering process. Of this truth I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
宣講我的福音──讓教友與傳教士合一的工具
艾易希‧柯畢施凱長老
七十員
傳教士和教友必須……在宣講福音的努力上合一。
不 久前，我們請了兩位姊妹傳教士來家裡吃午餐。用餐完畢後，我們請她們跟我們分享一則靈性信息。她們早有準備，並向我們介紹一套閱讀經文和劃記經文的方法。 她們買了一本全新的摩爾門經和一組彩色筆。我們接受了傳教士的邀請。從那之後，我們家庭每日研讀摩爾門經的方式就改變了。在每一章中，我們一發現與耶穌基 督有關的章節，便會用不同顏色的筆加以劃記。每次我們劃記經文時，都會想到教會的傳教士。
當傳教士介紹這項劃記經文的方法時，我們立刻就看出這是宣講我的福音中所建議的研讀方式。我們全家人都很感謝有這本絕佳且有力的傳道工具書。
過去三年來，世界各地的傳教士都在使用宣講我的福音。這本書的確為傳道工作帶來革命性的改變。興格萊會長的偉大遠見正在應驗：傳教士要「精通課程的概念。」他們要「在聖靈的指引、影響之下，……用自己的話來教導那些概念」（見「傳道服務」，全球領導人訓練會議，2003年1月11日，第19頁）。
傳教士在熟悉宣講我的福音的同時，他們也在學習和應用重要的教義和原則，使他們更有能力從事傳道服務。雖然如此，他們依然需要我們的協助和支持。唯有同心協力，我們才能完成主交付給古代和近代使徒的這項偉大任務：「你們往普天下去，傳福音給萬民聽」（馬可福音16：15）。
為 了在傳道工作上獲致成功，我們必須與傳教士同心合一，我們必須相互了解。你是否一直都很了解傳教士？我指的不是語言，而是了解他們如何從事傳道工作。我們 看見並觀察到他們邀請人們聆聽他們的信息。他們教導福音原則，邀請有興趣的人改變他們的生活，受洗並被證實為本教會的教友。
如果我們想要了解和協助傳教士，就必須像傳教士一樣有信心，有傳教士般的思維和感受。我們如何做到這點呢？
當然，有一個重要的方法，那就是跟傳教士在一起，看他們如何工作。但是還有別的方法，就是買一本宣講我的福音，學習更多有關傳道工作的事。自從大衛奧‧麥基會長說：「每一位教友都是傳教士」（in Conference Report, Apr. 1959, 122）之後，教友們一直努力更積極地分享福音。宣講我的福音是一本絕佳的指南，能幫助我們更積極地回應這項邀請。研讀宣講我的福音不僅會幫助我們更認識和感激傳教士，也能在日常生活幫助我們自己。
我們家每個人都有一本宣講我的福音。研讀這本指南可以幫助我們培養堅強的見證，幫助我們了解重要的福音原則，提升我們服務的渴望。讓我特別提出宣講我的福音（〔2004年〕，第iii頁）裡的幾個標題，你們就會明白了：
這些標題是：
「我該如何辨認和瞭解聖靈？」
「我該如何有效地研讀並為教導作準備？」
「我該研讀和教導哪些事？」
「摩爾門經扮演什麼角色？」
「我該如何培養基督般的品格？」
這不都是我們每個人想要學習的事嗎？對於每一位想要成為更好的教友傳教士，以及想知道如何支持傳教士的人而言，宣講我的福音提供了許多很有效的點子和見解。我們學會如何幫助傳教士尋找教導對象，也學習到一般教友如何與傳教士攜手合作，幫助慕道友認識教會。我們學到有力地邀請人們採取行動為何會幫助他們增強對耶穌基督的信心，也學到如何陪伴我們的非教友朋友順利度過改變生命的歸信過程。
除了研讀經文之外，傳教士也要每天研讀宣講我的福音。他們要學習原則及技巧，並且加以應用。他們特別學習如何在工作中運用聖靈的指引。如果我們想要像傳教士一樣地學習，我們也必須仔細地研讀宣講我的福音，並觀察傳教士的日常工作。
我們在宣講我的福音的緒言裡讀到：「宣講我的福音是為本教會的全部時間傳教士而寫的。然而，當支會傳教士和領袖尋求建立主的國度時，書中所教導的原則和教義也適用於他們。經常研讀本書能幫助他們履行教友傳教士的責任，並且培養與全部時間傳教士之間的默契」（宣講我的福音，第xi頁）。
李察‧司考德長老曾教導，所有的教友都應該仔細地研讀宣講我的福音。他說：「引進宣講我的福音後……成果斐然，等到我們都能更擅於運用這項非凡的傳教士工具的時候，成果就會更豐碩」（參閱「宣講我的福音的力量」，2005年5月，利阿賀拿，第31頁）。
我們可能時間有限，無法徹底研讀這本書，所以容我提供幾點建議，或許會有所幫助。
- • 準備去傳教的青年除了研讀經文之外，也應當仔細研讀宣講我的福音。
- • 邀請傳教士到家裡來。請他們教導你和家人宣講我的福音中的某項原則或教義。
- • 偶爾在家人家庭晚會中使用宣講我的福音當作教材。請青少年年齡的孩子學習像傳教士一樣教導家人。在我家裡，我們有一些出乎意料的美好課程，就是由孩子們教的。他們把宣講我的福音裡的簡單原則教得非常好，讓我們大感驚訝。有時候，我們也會邀請朋友來聽這些課程。
- • 福音教師可運用宣講我的福音裡所列舉的一些簡單、有效的原則，作為課程的輔助教材。
- • 宣講我的福音幾乎已被譯成教友所說的每一種語言了。在教會剛剛起步的那些國家，宣講我的福音可配合經文教導，作為學習及教導福音的資源和基礎。
- • 司考德長老鼓勵各地領袖「在會長團、聖職執行委員會會議，以及支會議會中使用這些資料」（「宣講我的福音的力量」，2005年5月，利阿賀拿，第31頁）。
- • 使用宣講我的福音作為訓練、演講、靈修、課程、爐邊聚會及個人研讀的一項資源。
我 見證這本傳教士指南是一本受神啟發的書。我們必須更仔細地加以研讀，好讓我們更了解我們的傳教士和他們的工作。傳教士和教友必須同心同德，我們必須在宣講 福音的努力上合一。此書會讓我們成為主手中的工具，因為祂說：「正如這樣，我也要從大地四方聚集我的選民，即所有相信我並傾聽我聲音的人」（教約33： 6）。
身為主的教會的教友，祂期望我們參與這榮耀的聚集過程。我為這項真理作見證，奉耶穌基督的名，阿們。
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