Missionary Work

One of my church callings is that of Ward Missionary. It has been a wonderful experience over the last two years or so and I'm thankful for it. Last night I got a little treat when I was invited to attend a missionary training meeting where L. Tom Perry, of the Quorum of the Twelve, taught us. It was a great talk and very inspiring.

Our Stake hosted 11 other stakes for the meeting. The parking lot was jammed and the building was overflowing as Stake leaders and Ward Missionaries from throughout the entire Phoenix Area Mission attended.

I've heard many apostles talk before, but there's something special about being in the same room with them. Elder Perry was informal, friendly, funny and clear about our objectives as Member Missionaries. I feel energized and inspired having been taught by him.

Elder Perry expressed the dire need for missionary work in America by citing the results of a Pew/APCO study regarding perceptions of the church. A couple of points are;

• 51% of Americans have little or no knowledge of our religion.
• 47% of Americans think we do not believe in Jesus Christ.
• A significant number of Americans have a negative opinion of the church.

YIKES! We've got a lot of work to do!