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Problem or situation. The mission was now a dynamic, moving, changing entity. The groundwork and foundation of the new vision had been established, and the framework of a plan to achieve it was being formulated. As a mission, we were learning how to contact, how to teach, how to help our contacts study and pray and desire baptism. Missionaries who had caught the mission vision and understood the general framework now needed to learn specific skills and techniques for more effectively contacting, teaching, and friendshipping.

The needs were different for new missionaries just coming into the mission. Before the specific skills and techniques would have much application for them, they needed to understand the overall vision of the mission and the basic foundation and framework of what had already been established.

The situation was a little like a large class of students with various degrees of knowledge and skills about the subject being taught. How does a teacher provide an overall background and foundation to those with little knowledge while helping the more advanced students with the detailed help they need--and keep all of them motivated? To add to the complexity of the situation in the mission field, new missionaries were arriving almost every month.

Action taken. (9-78) PRODUCE AND UPDATE A MISSION PROSELYTING HANDBOOK. INCLUDE THE BASIC VISION OF THE MISSION, THE FRAMEWORK OF GENERAL TASKS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE VISION AND SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS ON SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES NEEDED TO CARRY OUT THE TASKS. (Productivity label: Training.)

The mission handbook covered the basic vision and a framework for accomplishing the vision. It took the form of a loose-leaf binder so that as new techniques and skills were discovered they could be easily added to the handbooks. New missionaries arriving in the field received an up-to-date version which included everything that had been given to the missionaries up to that time.

I asked all new missionaries to read and study the handbook intently during their first few weeks in the field. Older missionaries were asked to review it regularly. As we developed new ideas to further the work, we prepared them in written form and gave them to all missionaries to put in their handbooks under the appropriate topic. Occasionally, certain ideas were replaced by newer and better ones, and these were easily replaced in the handbooks, as well. The additions and deletions were automatically made in the binders given to new, incoming missionaries. Thus every missionary received all of the programs, policies, and approaches currently going on in the mission, but none of the discontinued ones.

Results of the action. The handbook helped to unify our new vision and direction. Writing it down seemed to make it official; giving it to each missionary in handbook form seemed to make it important. Even though individual missionaries continued to move at different paces, they now all had a map and knew where they were supposed to be going and what they needed to do to get there. The mission began to move as a unified whole while retaining the needed flexibility to change and progress.

I elicited feedback from all of the missionaries (including the incoming missionaries) so I was assured that they had read the handbook, that they understood the overall vision and proselyting framework, and that their questions, problems, or suggestions were considered or resolved. Their feedback was also helpful in making improvements and future revisions of the handbook.

Problem or situation. When new converts are baptized into the Church, they become members of a local Church unit. In areas where the Church is relatively new and the local membership is small, these units are called branches. Several branches are organized into larger units called districts which are supervised directly by the mission and the mission president. As the branches and districts grow and mature, leadership is available within them; they are separated from the mission and become independent Church units. Branches become wards, and districts become stakes. A local member referred to as the stake president presides over the stakes.

Even though there were three mission districts within the Tokyo South Mission, most of the proselyting was done within the boundaries of the independent stakes. (Originally there were two stakes, but as the numbers of converts increased, new stakes were created.) New converts living within the stakes' boundaries became members of the wards (and sometimes branches) within the stakes. It was obvious that our vision had to mesh with the vision of the ward and stake leaders or the whole process would fail.

In the past there had been some misunderstandings concerning the role of the missionaries and the role of the members in the proselyting and conversion process. Some ward leaders were telling missionaries to do things in one way while others were giving them contradictory instructions. And the direction from the Mission President might be different yet. Inconsistent messages tended to dissipate the energy of members and missionaries alike and sometimes even resulted in their being at odds with each other, each blaming the other for problems.

One of my first confrontations as mission president was with leaders from one of the local stakes. My journal entry (Groberg, D. H., 1978-1981) explains what happened:

After the conference I attended a meeting with the leaders there. We discussed various problems and concerns that they had about missionary work. I was shocked at the types of questions that they had and their misunderstandings and NEGATIVENESS! They seemed to only complain about what is not right without having a clear idea of what they are talking about. Some of their comments were:

The things they complained about were so atypical of what is happening that the whole thing made me mad. For example, one branch (ward) has had 18 baptisms this year. 17 are very active. One isn't. The bishop talked only about the one who was not active!

Negative rumors about certain members rode the grapevine from missionary to missionary, while members sometimes spread rumors about the missionaries or exaggerated stories based on experiences with one missionary. Also, since the missionaries were transferred to new proselyting areas every few months, it was chaotic when the wards and stakes in the mission were not in agreement on their basic vision and processes and procedures to achieve it. Most of the missionary-member problems we had experienced up to this time had been problems of communication, not only between the wards or stakes and the mission, but often between the wards and the stakes.

These problems centered mostly around the coordination of the transition of new converts from the missionaries into the wards. They focused around such questions as how many converts did the units want, how many could they accept and fellowship, when were the prospective members introduced to the ward, who was to take responsibility, how was the baptism scheduled, who was to attend, how were home teachers[1] assigned, when did they {home teachers] begin their contact, how extensively were the new converts taught before baptism, what teaching was needed after, who was to provide it, and so forth.

Correlation with the wards and stakes in having one correlated missionary program is vital to the success of full-time and stake missionary work. This whole area of priesthood correlation is so vital to the success of missionary work that I cannot speak too strongly about it. . . . The most successful mission presidents actively work with the stake and ward leaders and are developing a sound correlated missionary program {p. 11).

Action taken. (8-78). HOLD REGULAR MONTHLY CORRELATION MEETING WITH THE LOCAL STAKE PRESIDENCIES. AGREE ON GOALS, MEANS, PROCEDURES IN MISSIONARY WORK, RESOLVE PROBLEMS, AND AGREE ON FUTURE PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCEDURES. (Productivity label: Break down barriers.)

We began holding monthly meetings between the Mission Presidency and each Stake Presidency. We also invited certain missionaries and certain ward leaders to the meetings as deemed necessary and expedient. We jointly decided on an agenda for the next meeting, and each group had its own specific items to discuss.

Results of the action. The most immediate result of these meetings was an awareness that we all wanted the same things. Our goals and objectives were essentially the same. The local leaders wanted to carry out the vision of President Kimball the same as we did. They had their own visions of hundreds and thousands of converts coming into their wards and stakes. They wanted to work with the mission in making their vision a reality.

In some cases individual missionaries were out of line with the direction of the mission, and individual members were out of line with the direction of the stakes. By meeting and talking, we were able to discuss and resolve such situations rather than misjudge the intent, direction, and vision of another group. Energy that had previously been used to find fault and blame was now directed towards solving problems.

Another significant result of these coordinating meetings was the joint planning that took place. By planning together we prevented many of the normal growing pains from becoming problems. As the number of converts began to grow, coordinating their transition and assimilation into the designated church units required great effort on the part of both the mission and the stakes. This process was greatly facilitated by the monthly coordinating meetings.

When things were not happening as agreed in our meetings, we had prearranged procedures for resolving the differences quickly and efficiently so they did not interfere with the main work we were attempting to accomplish: that of finding, teaching, converting, and baptizing many new converts into the Church.

Perhaps the most significant result of these monthly meetings was the impact they had on the missionaries. When the missionaries knew the members--from the stake leaders on down--understood and appreciated what they were doing, had a similar vision, and were actively supporting and helping them, they approached their proselyting activities with more motivation, energy, and determination.

[1] Home teachers are local members assigned to befriend, visit, and generally assist the new convert in whatever is needed.