- "We must raise the bar on the worthiness and qualifications of those who go into the world as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Raising the Bar, General Conference 2007, L. Tom Perry)
- "The bar was raised by the leaders of the church, and now the minimum standard for participating in missionary work is absolute moral worthiness; physical health and strength; intellectual, social, and emotional development. If you want to be a missionary, you must be able to clear the minimum standards." (Raising the Bar, General Conference 2007, L. Tom Perry)
- "My challenge to you is to recognize that a minimum standard exists - and you must reach it to serve as a full-time missionary - but don't stop there. The greatest generation of missionaries will not reach its full potential unless it keeps raising the bar." (Raising the Bar, General Conference 2007, L. Tom Perry)
- "The great work of saving souls is not limited to the two years that you serve a mission but, rather, requires years of righteous living and preparation in order to meet the standard for full-time missionary service." (Preparing for Missionary Service, General Conference 2003, Daryl H. Garn)
- "There are two aspects of raising the standard for missionary service that we would do well to consider. The first is the early preparation of young men and women. In their letter introducing some modifications to the Young Men and Young Women programs, the First Presidency said, “As youth work on these goals, they will develop skills and attributes that will lead them to the temple and prepare them for a lifetime of service to their families and the Lord.” The second aspect revolves around personal worthiness, which comes through keeping the commandments of God." (Preparing for Missionary Service, General Conference 2003, Daryl H. Garn)
- "We now have very clear direction for success in missionary service. It is provided by the guide Preach My Gospel and the resources developed to accompany it. The highly effective new missionary lessons are based upon teaching by the Spirit rather than rote memorization. The worldwide study and application of the concepts in Preach My Gospelby every missionary has strengthened our capacity to proclaim the message of the Restoration and to teach the plan of salvation and other gospel principles." (Now Is the Time to Serve a Mission!, General Conference 2006, Richard G. Scott)
- "My dear young brethren, the single most important thing you can do to prepare for a call to serve is to become a missionary long before you go on a mission. Please notice that in my answer I emphasized becomingrather than going." (Becoming a Missionary, General Conference 2005, David A. Bednar)
- "The issue is not going on a mission; rather, the issue is becoming a missionary and serving throughout our entire life with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. It is possible for a young man to go on a mission and not become a missionary, and this is not what the Lord requires or what the Church needs." (Becoming a Missionary, General Conference 2005, David A. Bednar)
- "Obviously, the process of becoming a missionary does not require a young man to wear a white shirt and tie to school every day or to follow the missionary guidelines for going to bed and getting up, although most parents certainly would support that idea. But you can increase in your desire to serve God (see D&C 4:3), and you can begin to think as missionaries think, to read what missionaries read, to pray as missionaries pray, and to feel what missionaries feel. You can avoid the worldly influences that cause the Holy Ghost to withdraw, and you can grow in confidence in recognizing and responding to spiritual promptings. Line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, you can gradually become the missionary you hope to be and the missionary the Savior expects." (Becoming a Missionary, General Conference 2005, David A. Bednar)
- "At this time in your life, a mission call from the Lord, my young friends, is the most important work that you can do. Prepare now, live righteously, learn from your family and Church leaders, and come join with us in building the kingdom of God on earth—accept your divine appointment in “so great a cause." (The Divine Call of a Missionary, General Conference 2010, Ronald A. Rasband)
- Doctrine and Covenants 19:31 & 32
Summary:
Since I graduated from High School going on a mission has been on my mind a lot. There's a lot of reasons why I want to go and if it all works out I plan on going on a mission in the summer of 2013. Reading about mission preparation made me realize that I am very far from being ready for a mission. I am worthy to be one but there's so much more to being a missionary then that. I realized that I need to know the scriptures more and that I need to be someone who knows about the gospel well enough to teach it. I have a lot of preparation to do before I go on a mission but I am working on it.
