Dear Elders and Sisters,
Thank you so much for your faith and service. You are truly and inspiration to me.
One of the greatest blessings of serving a mission is the time you are given to study the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You have one hour per day for personal study, plus additional time to study as a companionship. You also have some extra time during meal times or in the evening for optional study.
Make a Plan
I invite you to make a plan for what you will accomplish during your mission for your personal study. This is your chance to really learn the gospel. What you learn on your mission will be a blessing to you, your family and the people you serve for your entire life. For example, plan might include:
--Read the Book of Mormon two times.
--Read "Our Heritage", "True to the Faith" and "Our Search For Happiness" one time.
--Read the Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price and New Testament one time.
(You should not read "Jesus the Christ" until you have read all of the 4 Standard works and the rest of the missionary library.)
--Study the 13 chapters of Preach My Gospel. Do every Personal Study Activity, look up every scripture and write it's meaning, and do every "Ideas for Study and Application."
--Read all of the General Conference talks after each conference.
--Keep a regular study journal.
These goals are only Ideas. They are not mission goals. They sound very high, but you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish if you plan out your study and stick with your plan. For example, the English Book of Mormon contains 531 pages. Reading only 3 pages per day, you can read the book twice in a year. The New Testament, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price have 762 pages to read. You can finish them in one year by reading just 2 pages per day. If you add the 1,184 pages of the Old Testament, you would need to read 3.5 pages per day.
These do not need to be your goals. Set goals that are realistic and helpful to you. For example, 70% of our mission is learning English. You may need to adjust your goals to fit your English ability.
Assignment
1. Read through Preach My Gospel, chapter 2 ("Effective Study").
2. Write a Personal Study Plan for the rest of your mission.
3. Share your plan with your companion.
**4. Send me your plan in next week's email.**
I am excited for the spiritual progress you will make in your life, and for the great job you will do as you teach others. This is the one time in your life when you are guaranteed the time to study the gospel in such depth. Please make wise use of it.
My life has been greatly blessed by consistent gospel study. I have read the scriptures many times and have studied the other resources. My testimony has grown deeper . I have been blessed with guidance and insight in times of need. My life has changed as I have tried to apply what I learn. My ability to teach the gospel has been expanded. I promise that you will receive the same blessings. Building your knowledge of the gospel now will serve as a foundation for the rest of your life.
Mahal ko po kayo,
President Creg Ostler