MISSIONARY 911 will equip you to have authentic, productive conversations with Mormon missionaries (or ANY Mormon) that you come into contact with.
It is NOT our objective to burden you with a mountain of information to memorize. Quite the opposite. Our goal is to provide you with something portable and streamlined, which contains the bare essentials of what will help you most when that knock on the door comes. Basic concepts, simple lessons, presented in a memorable format.
Missionary 911 is a video teaching series that consists of five parts, or "modules", each approximately a half-hour in length (or a little shorter). So they are ideal for anything from self-paced personal use and enrichment, to family and small groups, Sunday School classes, and seminars. Also available is a 100-page manual that contains the same information as the videos, but expands on them, goes deeper and provides some additional resources you'll find helpful.
Each of the five video modules follows a lively, light-hearted "conversation" between Katie—a young woman who reluctantly finds herself agreeing to an appointment to meet with the missionaries, and is looking for some help; and Jim, a "veteran" of many missionary conversations. As Jim shares both his love for the missionaries, and some valuable information and insights on how to make the most of the conversations, Katie's anxiety begins to turn to eager expectation.
Which is what we expect will happen to you, too!
The Five Modules:
1. MYTHS & MINES: Alleviate a lot of your anxiety by clearing up some common misunderstandings about the missionaries (hint: they're really not that intimidating!) And while we're at it, we'll learn how to avoid some of the pitfalls, or "landmines" that can short-circuit a productive conversation.
2. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: Understanding the Mormon "plan of salvation" will help you make better sense of the missionary lessons. You'll learn some of the jargon, and see how it differs from the biblical gospel. This will be a road map that will help keep you from feeling "lost" later down the road.
3. DON'T SELL THE CAR!: There's a saying in car sales: "Don't sell the car, sell what the car can do!" The missionaries take a similar approach. Their goal is to share what the church can do for you. So here we'll present an overview of the actual lessons that the missionaries will cover with you. But we'll also move past the "shiny exterior" they'll present, and take a look "under the hood," so that you can ask thoughtful, well-informed questions, and get the most from your conversations.
4. THE PROBLEMS WITH PIES: You've probably heard about some of the awkward issues with Mormonism—its odd mythology, multiple wives, and mystical temple rituals, stuff like that. Those things spark the curiosity of outsiders, but they're not usually the best place to go in your conversations. Instead, we'll take a look at just a few "slices" of the more relevant issues in Mormonism...and more importantly, how to raise them gently and respectfully. These aren't bullets for a gun; they are just some ideas to encourage your new friends to think more deeply.
5. STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE: Now it's your turn at bat...you're the missionary now! Learn how to share your own faith story with the missionaries in an authentic and natural way that will "connect" with them...and learn how to invite them to put their hope and trust not in a religion or a church, but in the Jesus of the Bible.
