Preach My Gospel Podcast

John Hilton III (BYU religion professor, "Seeking Jesus" podcast host, author, speaker) joins the team to talk about how to focus your life and mission on Jesus Christ. John talks about the life changing impact of President Nelson's invitation in 2017 to read every verse in the topical guide about Jesus Christ. He discusses how a teenager can successfully connect themself and others with Jesus Christ in the midst of their busy lives. The team talks about how to focus on Jesus Christ no matter what principle of the gospel you are teaching. John shares his insights about what he learned from his research about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and how this demonstrates the importance of the "loving Christ." If you want to learn how to increase your focus on Jesus, you will not want to miss this episode.

The worth of the soul of a new convert is great in the sight of God! (D&C 18) M'Shelle Dixon re-joins the podcast to discuss the question: "How Do I Work With Stake and Ward Leaders?"(PMG Ch. 13) Missionaries and members need to work together to help new converts progress along the covenant path. They can do so by ensuring that every new convert has 3 things: 1. A friend 2. A responsibility 3. Nurture with the good word of God. The team talks about the difference between the priesthood keys of the mission president and stake and ward leaders and how those keys can be aligned to further the work. The importance of missionary coordination meetings is discussed and an inspiring example is given of miracles that can happen when a Bishop leads out using his priesthood keys.

"Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest." (D&C 84:20) Using audio clips from Elder Holland and stories from their missions, John, Brian, and Sean go through PMG Ch. 12 and explore how to help people prepare for baptism and confirmation. They talk about the qualifications for baptism as found in D&C 20:37 and discuss how to prepare their friends for the baptismal interview. They also explain the power of the baptismal service and how to make it special.

The discussion centers on helping others make and uphold commitments to follow Jesus. Missionaries learn that keeping their own commitments builds moral authority to invite others. Clear communication and the follow-up process are crucial components in fostering genuine conversion. The story of Elijah and the widow illustrates how faith leads to unexpected blessings. Moreover, the podcast emphasizes boldness in invitations and maintaining engagement to support individuals on their journey of faith.

Lee Donaldson (Former Mission President in San Diego and Area Mission Specialist for the Missionary Department) re-joins the podcast for part 2 of "How Can I Improve My Teaching Skills (Preach My Gospel 10). In this episode the team continues through Chapter 10. They cover the following sections: Teaching with Your Companion with Unity, Invite Members to Help You Teach, Use the Scriptures, Teach for Understanding, Ask Questions, Listen, Help People Resolve Their Concerns, Leave Something Behind, and Teach the Restored Gospel to Those without a Christian Background.

Lee Donaldson (Former Mission President in San Diego and Area Mission Specialist for the Missionary Department) joins the team to talk about the principles in PMG Ch. 10 that outline how missionaries can improve their teaching skills. Lee brings the voice of experience, having observed hundreds of missionaries teaching out in the field in various missions. Join us as we talk about teaching in the Preach My Gospel way--from the heart and by the Spirit! This is a unique opportunity to learn from 4 former mission presidents, 2 of which were Area Mission Specialists on the subject of teaching the gospel.

"Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members the Church...The process of bringing people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source from which new [people] are found." (President Gordon B. Hinckley, "Find the Lambs, Feed the sheep," Ensign, May 1999, 105-6). John shares that there are two ways to work with members: The right way and the wrong way! The team talks about various principles of effective finding through the members of the church, including why working with members is so essential. They share various stories and ideas about how to build "super trust" and inspire members to engage in the work. Remember: You can do the work of 100 or get 100 people to do the work!

"Nothing happens in Missionary work until you find someone to teach." In this episode, John, Brian, and Sean discuss the important question from Chapter 9 of PMG-- "How do I find people to teach?" They talk about finding people to teach as an attitude more than just a skill. As missionaries focus on their purpose and seek to build the flame of faith inside them, finding becomes natural and normal. They talk about developing multiple finding streams in order to increase their teaching pool. Those streams could include talking to everyone, asking for referrals, spontaneous service, social media, former people that were taught, working with new converts, less active members, active members, etc. They remind their listeners that they don't need to wait to be full-time missionaries to be looking for people with whom they can share the gospel. We can begin to gather Israel now!

Brian's daughter McKenna (Thailand) and Sean's son Brad (Paraguay) join the podcast fresh from their missions to share their perspectives on what it's really like out there. They answer questions about missionary preparation, adjusting to missionary life, the work itself, and share some of their biggest take-aways from their unique experiences.

John, Brian, and Sean explore the title question from Ch. 8 of PMG--"How Do I Use My Time Wisely? They talk about the importance of having vision, setting goals, and making plans in order to accomplish your purpose. They also talk about how to view mission statistics in a healthy and productive way.