“How to Communicate Support to Your Missionary Son or Daughter,” Liahona, Aug. 2024.
For Parents
How to Communicate Support to Your Missionary Son or Daughter
The following principles from Church leaders can help as you seek to offer your missionary support.
Illustrations by Alex Nabaum
When your child embarks on a mission, whether for a service or a teaching mission, it comes with a mix of emotions. You might be feeling excitement, sadness, pride, and worry—all at once. Your missionary too may feel discouraged or disappointed from time to time but will also feel joy, love, and hope. As parents and family members, you have a special opportunity to uplift and strengthen your missionary as you communicate with him or her. Understanding some principles for engaging in this kind of communication can be useful not only to the missionary’s parents but also to relatives, friends, and leaders.
Remind Them of Their Purpose
Remind your missionary of the great work he or she was called to do. President Russell M. Nelson emphasized the importance of this sacred work:
“Every child of our Heavenly Father deserves the opportunity to choose to follow Jesus Christ, to accept and receive His gospel with all of its blessings. …
“… You were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that.”
Missionaries learn that their purpose is to “invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”
Help your children remember their divine identity. They are children of God, sent here at this time because Heavenly Father trusted them with His work. Highlight ways they can use their gifts to bless the lives of others. As disciples of Jesus Christ, they are capable of things they may think are beyond their ability.
Focus on the Spiritual
While you may want updates on every aspect of the mission, don’t let the trivial overpower the conversation. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “Focus on the spiritual dimension of your child’s service. A missionary’s phone calls home are wonderful; they can change the dimension from ‘What did you have for breakfast?’ to … ‘Which family or individual are you teaching now and what lesson? What has strengthened you most?’ The danger is sometimes that we focus on the trivial and neglect the spiritual.”
Focus on the spiritual by prompting your missionary to share experiences about those he or she is serving or teaching. Consider praying for those individuals in your personal or family prayers. Listen carefully as your missionary shares ways the Spirit touched his or her heart that week.
Rather than giving updates on TV shows or sporting events, share pivotal moments from your life where the Lord guided, comforted, or instructed you. As you do so, your conversations will leave both you and your missionary spiritually refreshed.
Share in the Spiritual Journey
Your conversations with your missionary will be blessed as you seek to also participate in the work of gathering Israel. Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, former Young Women General President, shared:
“You may not be able to walk side-by-side with [your missionary], but you can still share the spiritual journey. …
“Join your missionary in the work—study, serve, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ! As you do so, you will both reap the promised blessings of missionary service.”
Sister Cordon also gave three suggestions:
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“Increase your own scripture study and share your insights in your next email.
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“Attend the temple and join them in the glorious work of bringing families unto Christ.
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“Seek your own missionary experiences so together you can discover the joy of sharing the gospel.”
However you choose to join in the spiritual journey, your joy will increase as you both seek to help others come unto Christ.
In all your communication with your missionary, remember to look to the Lord. He will inspire you to know what your missionary needs to hear and when. You and your missionary will be blessed as you learn, grow, and serve together.