Purpose of the Episode: Missionary Preparation
This episode focuses on helping Latter-day Saint missionaries—both future and currently serving—prepare doctrinally, historically, and spiritually. It highlights the need to:
Understand core Restoration doctrines deeply.
Know something about other Christian traditions.
Recognize the emotional highs and lows inherent in missionary service.
Doctrinal Foundations Every Missionary Should Know
The episode stresses that missionaries must understand not just a surface outline of the gospel, but the distinctive teachings restored through Joseph Smith, such as:
The full Plan of Salvation.
The nature and character of God.
The purpose of mortal life.
Human divine identity and eternal potential.
The degrees of glory.
The temporary nature of “hell” as understood in LDS doctrine.
The reality and necessity of priesthood authority and ordinances.
Doctrine and Covenants 76 – “The Vision”
Doctrine and Covenants 76 is presented as one of the most doctrinally significant revelations for missionaries. It teaches:
The existence of three degrees of glory (celestial, terrestrial, telestial).
That the vast majority of God’s children will inherit a kingdom of glory.
A merciful and purposeful design in God’s eternal plan.
These teachings contrast sharply with most traditional Christian views of a simple heaven-or-hell divide and are central to the Latter-day Saint understanding of salvation.
Doctrine and Covenants 93 – Divine Nature and Premortal Christ
Doctrine and Covenants 93 is highlighted for its teachings that:
Christ existed with the Father before the world.
Human beings likewise existed with God before mortality.
Light, truth, and glory grow in us through obedience.
This section supports missionary teaching about divine heritage and the eternal potential of each person.
Understanding Other Christian Traditions
Missionaries are encouraged to become familiar with:
Catholic beliefs and practices (especially in heavily Catholic areas).
Protestant doctrines and vocabulary, particularly in North America.
How other Christians understand the Trinity, salvation, grace, and scripture.
This helps missionaries address questions like “Are Latter-day Saints Christian?” and explain differences in a respectful, informed way.
Historical Topics Important for Missionaries
The episode recommends that missionaries be conversant with several core historical topics frequently raised by investigators and critics:
The martyrdom of Joseph Smith: key events, causes, and meaning.
The multiple accounts of the First Vision: why they differ and how they fit together.
The translation of the Book of Mormon: witnesses, methods, and what historical sources actually say.
The nature of the Apostasy and why a Restoration—not just reformation—was needed.
These topics help missionaries respond intelligently to common questions.
Correct Expectations: Prosperity, Numbers, and Success
The episode pushes back against cultural assumptions that spiritual success always brings visible outward success. It teaches that:
Faithfulness is not measured by baptism counts or numerical growth alone.
Obedience does not guarantee social acceptance or easy missions.
Missionaries cannot control the agency of those they teach.
In God’s eyes, success is defined by faithful effort and loving service, not statistics.
Historical Missionary Experiences: Wilford Woodruff
To illustrate the emotional extremes of missionary work, the episode recounts experiences from the ministry of Wilford Woodruff:
In one period of preaching in Canada, he witnessed dramatic spiritual manifestations: gifts of tongues, multiple people requesting baptism, healings of the sick, and the casting out of an evil spirit.
Shortly afterward, he faced sharp rejection: his preaching was drowned out by loud drumming, he was mocked by audiences, and a minister barred him from teaching.
These records show that even one of the most successful missionaries in Latter-day Saint history endured both powerful miracles and heavy discouragement.
Fox Islands Example: Jonathan H. Hale’s Baptism
Another episode from Woodruff’s missions occurred on the Fox Islands in Maine. Critics back home claimed that Elder Jonathan H. Hale would “never baptize anyone.” Woodruff encouraged Hale to perform a baptism there, which he did.
This example illustrates:
That God calls and enables missionaries others may underestimate.
That every soul baptized is precious, regardless of numbers.
That missionary success may be quiet or unnoticed by the broader Church.
The True Aim of Missionary Preparation
The overarching message is that missionary preparation is about more than memorizing discussions:
It is about deepening personal testimony of Christ and the Restoration.
Learning to love and serve people with patience and charity.
Being willing to teach by the Spirit rather than by debate.
Gaining doctrinal understanding that brings confidence and clarity.
A missionary does not have to know everything; what the Lord requires is a willing heart, a desire to serve, and sustained faithfulness.
Enduring Value of Missionary Service
The episode concludes by emphasizing that:
Every experience—joyful or painful—can shape a missionary’s character and future discipleship.
Missionaries today continue the work that earlier generations began, blessing future Saints in ways they cannot fully see.
The Lord is with His servants, and the Holy Ghost teaches more powerfully than intellectual argument alone.
Careful preparation simply increases the missionary’s capacity to partner with the Spirit.