What changes will I make?

As we seek to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ through personal study, companionship study, district classes and zone conferences, it is important that we consistently ask ourselves the following three questions:
1. What did I learn?

2. What did I feel as a result of what I learned?

3. What changes am I going to make in my life to become more like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as a result of what I have learned and felt?
----------------------------------Elder Bednar has said that “we do not always act in accordance with what we know.” Addressing the third question with much diligence, thought and prayer can be the key to bridging the gap between what we know and what we do. As missionaries, we can go about doing many “missionary things” without actually becoming a missionary. “Some chapters in Preach My Gospel focus on what you need to do as a missionary—how to study, how to teach, how to manage time wisely. Just as vital as what you do, however, is who you are.” (Preach My Gospel pg 115)

Chapter 2 of Preach My Gospel under the section “Apply and Live What You Learn” offers us some insights into the application of “how to become” a true disciple of Jesus Christ:

• “Liken” what you learn to yourself (see 1 Nephi 19:23).

• Set goals to live what you are learning. (Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action.)

• Substitute your name in a verse of scripture to personalize it.

• Ask yourself, “How should I change as a result of what I have learned?” Set appropriate goals.

As we discussed in our previous zone conference, one of the keys to bridging the gap between knowing and doing is prayer. As we learned from the prophet Joseph Smith´s simple prayer, it is not enough to simply ask to have more faith, more patience, more virtue, or more charity . Rather it should be “what is to be done” to develop and put into practice the desired attribute as a result of what we learned in our personal study or zone conference. We pray for opportunities to develop this attribute. We pray for the guidance of the Spirit to recognize opportunities that Heavenly Father will put in our path in our daily comings and goings as missionaries to develop more patience or diligence. We pray for the strength to exercise or agency righteously and act as the Savior would act.

In Elder Bednar´s general conference address in October of 2008 he shares the following in regards to prayer:

Consider this example. There may be things in our character, in our behavior, or concerning our spiritual growth about which we need to counsel with Heavenly Father in morning prayer. After expressing appropriate thanks for blessings received, we plead for understanding, direction, and help to do the things we cannot do in our own strength alone. For example, as we pray, we might:

Reflect on those occasions when we have spoken harshly or inappropriately to those we love the most.
Recognize that we know better than this, but we do not always act in accordance with what we know.
Express remorse for our weaknesses and for not putting off the natural man more earnestly.
Determine to pattern our life after the Savior more completely.
Plead for greater strength to do and to become better.
Such a prayer is a key part of the spiritual preparation for our day.

During the course of the day, we keep a prayer in our heart for continued assistance and guidance—even as Alma suggested: “Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord” (Alma 37:36).

We notice during this particular day that there are occasions where normally we would have a tendency to speak harshly, and we do not; or we might be inclined to anger, but we are not. We discern heavenly help and strength and humbly recognize answers to our prayer. Even in that moment of recognition, we offer a silent prayer of gratitude.

It is my prayer that we as missionaries can make the necessary changes in our lives to become more like our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ as a result of the many learning opportunities we have each and every day in the mission.

We love you and are grateful to serve with you,
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