Message to the Seminary Students

Hello Seminary Students...

Let me see if I can name you all first... Conner, Raegan, Cody, Zach, Erica, Missy, Nicole, Michael, Anupam and others, like Abby Donaldson???

The challenges that are seen as a missionary can be a lot one day and none one day. It really boils down at the end of the day of what I did was my best and if it wasn't, what can I do better, because just as God knows your thoughts and heart, Satan knows your purpose. Where God will give you the chances to do better on what you said you would do, Satan is over there making you remember why you couldn't do it yesterday. And honestly the same thing happens in all of life. Believe it or not, but seminary is one of the main things that prepared me for my mission. 

Here is the nitty gritty of some of the challenges that I have faced on a mission:

·       Awkward contacts

·       Forgetting to invite (which is to extended a commitment - that is how people are able to turn to Christ and begin to use repentance)(when our leaders invite you to do something for the better that is how we can repent and turn to Christ)

·       Just not even thinking its worth to mention about Christ

·       Assuming they don't know English

·       Not testifying

·       Silent tours

·       Antis (Anti-Mormon)

·       Sisters not answering their phones or giving lame excuses

·       People who ask too many questions

·       People who just want the history (of Temple Square)

·       Pride

·       Selfishness - (thinking such as these are MY investigators. I don't want to share them with my companion)

·       “Trying” to be on time

·       People who talk forever on teaching center

·       People who never pick up the phone on teaching center

·       Not being sure when you are feeling the Spirit during a contact/tour/phone call or not

·       Wanting to just take a really long nap

·       Falling asleep during personal study (this one doesn't surprise me)

·       Local missionaries that don't contact referrals or cannot solve the problem of how to contact the person themselves

The number one way for help for any of these problems is the most easiest and simplest thing you can do: PRAY! Pray for a love of those people who make you frustrated, pray for those people who didn't answer (the phone during the teaching center calls) that they will be elect for the next missionaries that come around, pray for energy, pray to remember what you need to do. Make that prayer meaningful, make it worth the time you put into it. 

There are other ways to help these problems, such as: setting goals. Remembering the goals is key to helping me improve. To think of everyone as a child of God with that limitless potential that Heavenly Father sees in them. When I fall asleep during personal study, I get up and get some water and that usually wakes me up. Talking about the challenges with my companion is another way. 

I will be honest, I have been out 7 months and there are times where I think that another sister will talk to investigators, another sister will help them find their needs or share the message. Thinking that way is WRONG. Don’t ever think that someone else will pick up the slack for you. As a student, as a missionary, and as a human being, everything God does is for the salvation of mankind. Your hardships = salvation; your sadness = salvation; your needing to overcome some small or big sin = salvation; someone letting you know that you have a flaw = salvation; you sharing what your standards are (GOD'S STANDARDS) = salvation; feelings of guilt = salvation (so you know that you are wrong and need to do better); your friends ask you religion questions = salvation; you helping someone = salvation; being kind = salvation; telling the truth = salvation. Missionary work is salvation for others and the missionary and for those who support the missionary. 

Satan makes salvation hard, like me not wanting to talk with people or just having chit-chat conversations, being angry with other sisters, seeing the flaws in people and holding on to them, not doing those primary answers. That is what makes salvation hard. For a year and a half, I am in the business of salvation, for others and… myself at the same time. 

Seminary is a great precursor to your future whether you are going to serve a mission, going to college, straight to the workforce, or whatever, develop those good salvation habits now so you can continue to try save yourself, share what you know, and everyone will have salvation!

Go forth children, and magnify your callings as students of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You have been enduring to the end since you were 8 years old, except (Aunupam). You are doing great for your desire to endure these months of seminary. 

Cheers my friends, see you in 11 months. :)

Sister Allison Glanzer

Temple Square Missionary

September 2016 – March 2018

Also, if you do serve a mission, when you get an HQ referral, please contact that person as soon as you can, and as often as you can, until the Lord has said you can stop and use your problem solving to figure out who can contact these people, who are the Lord's people, the Lord's investigators. BYE!

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