Called to serve as a Mission Office Couple

My wife and I have been called to serve 23 months as a Mission Office Couple in the New York New York South Mission. We enter the MTC in Provo, Utah, on March 21st, 2016. Since receiving our call letter, we have been re-reading the missionary guide, Preach My Gospel, where we find the concept of no death before the fall presented as Church doctrine.

Richard G. Scott introduced Preach My Gospel in his April 2005 general conference talk. Among other things, he said:

"Intensive effort on the part of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, other General Authorities, and most capable teams of devoted, experienced staff members produced Preach My Gospel and its planning tools. Those who participated in its development are witnesses of the inspired direction of the Lord through the Holy Ghost in the conception, framing, and finalization of the materials in Preach My Gospel.

"After extensive testing in 14 missions, Preach My Gospel was adjusted. That result was reviewed, modified, and approved by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve." (Ensign, May 2005.)

Preach My Gospel sets forth doctrines that missionaries are expected to study and teach. Twenty eight times, missionaries are directed by Preach My Gospel to read and become familiar with ideas found in the LDS Bible Dictionary.[1]

The Scripture Study section on page 52 asks missionaries to study the Bible Dictionary entry for "Death" which states explicitly:

"Latter-day revelation teaches that there was no death on this earth for any forms of life before the fall of Adam. Indeed, death entered the world as a direct result of the fall (2 Ne. 2:22; Moses 6:48)."

Preach My Gospel directs missionaries (10 times) to read and become familiar with ideas found in the doctrinal guidebook, True to the Faith,[2] which was written specifically for teens, young single adults, and new members. Teachings about no death before the fall found in True to the Faith were discussed in an article posted on this blog May 15, 2005.

Notes:

[1] Three times on page 14, twice on page 23, twice on page 42, twice on page 52, and twice on page 90. See also pages 21, 24, 25, 34, 62, 63, 66, 73, 91, 92, 93, 95, 106, 117, 118, 119, and 182.

[2] See pages viii, 21, 35, 92, 117, 165, 171, 182, 221, and 228.

(read more...)