I just got back from the Saturday evening session of our Stake Conference where the theme was clearly focused on missionary work. Memories of my mission have been flooding my mind as they often do when I am reminded of my duties to share the gospel. I remember how excited and focused I was for those two years. I remember telling myself, as a missionary, that when I got home from my mission, I would be the best member missionary that every lived, and not be like so and so who was a disappointing ward mission leader, or so and so in my area that was too busy working to come out and teach with us. Fast forward almost ten years and guess what, I’ve become the member I never wanted to be: a little too comfortable, a tad too polite, and a whole lot more scared to speak up than I used to be. The world has a way of creeping into our lives and distracting us from important things. If you were not present at the meeting tonight, President Lee challenged each of us to answer this question: “What am I going to do?” regarding missionary work. I would like to share what I am going to do.
Missionaries keep a record of the work in their area. This record is appropriately called an “Area Book”. When I served, the Area Book was a three-ringed binder that was passed from companionship to companionship ensuring information about the investigators, less active members, potential investigators, and even former, or “dropped” investigators, was not lost. When I arrived to a new area I would open the Area Book and study the active or progressing investigators and I could know very quickly what we were up against. It is one of the best tools that missionaries have. Today, missionaries carry this record with them everywhere they go on their iPads. They are always updating and improving the record to help them receive inspiration about who and what to teach.
When I got home from my mission, I felt inspired to create an Area Book for my post-mission life. I decided to organize it by area, and I filled it with tabs mimicking the way we organized it in the field with progressing investigators, potentials, dropped, less-actives, and other important contacts. I started with my first area: Provo, Utah. I wrote down on a paper a list of all the non-members I could possibly think of that I knew in that area. The list was short, but it was a start. I gave each person their own page. I included their contact information, their back ground, how I met them, and what their interest level was. I left plenty of space on the page for future updates. I determined to update the information as they progressed. For each “potential investigator” I made check-box items, or mile stones so to speak to help me know how to share the gospel. For instance, I would ask myself a series of questions: “Do they even know you are a member of the church?” (implying that if they don’t, then it is time to find a way to let them know). Or, “have you ever asked them about their religion?”. Typically, the questions progressed in way that would allow for the investigator to learn more and more but also required more involved actions on my part. “Have you invited them to an FHE activity? Have you invited then to a baptism or activity at the church? Have you invited them to read a pamphlet? Etc…” Ultimately, the idea was to set mini-milestone goals to help me know what to do next. The most important part I think, was that in writing down and keeping track of the work, I would open myself up to inspiration.
I made my Area Book and committed to keep it updated. I felt how awesome it would be, if after living maybe 50 years of updating the book diligently, how precious it would feel. I had a vision in my mind of me laying it at the feet of my Savior and saying, “Lord, I tried. Here are my efforts. I really tried.”
Like I said, the world has a way of creeping its way into our lives, slowly pushing important things aside. I kept up with my Area Book for a few years. I took it with me to Washington D.C., where I saw some real success in using the book. It kept me focused. Then I took it back to Provo, then to Florida, and then Phoenix. During one of our moves it was packed in a box, and I lost track of it for a while. I fell out of habit of keeping it updated. I fell out of practice, and focus. It’s been years since I have updated anything. Years since I added new names or pondered how I might best make the next step with a contact. Years since I pondered old or dropped investigators. Who knows how many who were not interested then, may be now. President Lee, I know what I am going to do; I knew the moment you asked us from the pulpit. I am going to find my personal area book, open it up, and begin again. Right here in my favorite area so far on my “mission.”
