11. “The Field Is White Already to Harvest”

Since the earliest days of the Church, members have been asked to dedicate their lives to God and serve him with all heart, might, mind, and strength. One of the ways we serve is through missionary work, whether as a full time missionary or through daily life.
Missionary Work

“The Mission Experience of Spencer W. Kimball,” Spencer W. Kimball, BYU Studies, Vol. 25, no. 4

“Latter-day Saint Returned Missionaries in the United States: a Survey on Religious Activity and Postmission Adjustment,” Richard J. McClendon and Bruce A. Chadwick, BYU Studies, Vol. 43, no. 2

“The Record of the Twelve, 1835: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles’ Call and 1835 Mission,” Ronald K. Esplin and Sharon E. Nielsen, BYU Studies, Vol. 51, no. 1

“Coming to Terms: The Challenge of Creating Christian Vocabulary in a Non-Christian Land,” Van C. Gessel, BYU Studies, Vol. 50, no. 4

“The Record of the Twelve, 1835: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles’ Call and 1835 Mission,” Ronald K. Esplin, Sharon E. Nielsen, BYU Studies, Vol. 51, no. 1
In 1835, the newly called Twelve Apostles traveled to New York and New England on their first mission as a group. The mission was to conduct conferences with branches of the Church, and they preached and baptized along the way. The document presented here tells of their trials and faith during their mission.

“Raising the Bar: Preparing Future Missionaries,” Brent L. Top, Religious Educator 10, no. 1
“Raising the bar” means more than moral worthiness; it means knowing the gospel with all one’s heart, studying, and being able to share it.

“Missionary, Missionary Life,” Spencer J. Condie, Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Overviews who can be called as a missionary, how missionaries are trained, the practices of missions, and the goals of missionary work.

“Missions and Missionary Administration and Organization,” R. Lanier Britsch, A Firm Foundation: Church Organization and Administration.
Since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the missionary efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been guided and directly administered by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These fifteen men give high priority to this work.

Additional Reading

“The Mormon Missionary: Who Is That Knocking at My Door?” Robert L. Lively Jr., BYU Studies, Vol. 50, no. 1
A non-Mormon professor of philosophy spent decades interviewing Mormon missionaries, finding out about their lives, and studying missionary practices in the early LDS Church. This article is excerpted from his book, published in 2015.

“Latter-day Saint Returned Missionaries in the United States: A Survey on Religious Activity and Postmission Adjustment,” Richard J. McClendon, Bruce A. Chadwick, BYU Studies, Vol. 43, no. 2
A study of returned missionaries’ religious activity, socioeconomic status, marital status, and top concerns of adjusting to postmission life, along with missionaries’ suggestions for ways the church could help them adjust. Although the survey was conducted in 1999, much of the data still holds true.

“Coming to Terms: The Challenge of Creating Christian Vocabulary in a Non-Christian Land,” Van C. Gessel, BYU Studies, Vol. 50, no. 4
Efforts to translate Latter-day Saint scripture and sermons into Japanese encounter many obstacles, such as the multiple meanings of both English and Japanese terms. The struggle must continue as translators keep striving for better communication.