38. Every Small Unit Member a Missionary 

Problem or situation. The members coming into our small units were touched by the spirit and were full of enthusiasm for the gospel. They wanted to be involved in sharing the gospel and often introduced their friends and members of their families to the missionaries. I felt that we needed to take better advantage of their enthusiasm and spirit for missionary work, not only as sources of referrals, but also as teachers. I felt that by being involved in teaching they would not only help bring others into the Church, but they themselves would learn and grow from the experience.

There was no established program for small unit members. There were full-time missionaries, stake missionaries, and district missionaries, but the members in our small units did not fit into any of these groups. We had more small units than we had regular units with no precedence or system for small-unit missionaries. So we established them. 

Action taken. (6-80) ORGANIZE "SMALL UNIT MISSIONARY" PROGRAM. (Productivity label: Organizational.) 

Using the format of stake and district missionaries as a model, we called many of the new converts as small unit missionaries. They worked directly with the fulltime missionaries in street contacting, referring people, and teaching. We provided them with copies of the lessons, which they learned. They proselyted with full-time missionaries during specific times, and even attended zone, mission, and pass-off conferences when possible. 

Results of the action. It was like unleashing a reserve army in the midst of a battle. The impact was tremendous in so many ways that it is difficult to identify them all. However, there were four results which stood out. First, our missionary force--and our ability to contact people--was increased significantly. Second, the overall spirit and enthusiasm, both of the new members and the full-time missionaries, increased significantly. Third, the number of quality referrals from the new members increased dramatically. And fourth, the relationships between missionaries, members, new converts, and investigators became even stronger.

Some of the missionaries' observations about these results were motivating to me (Missionary Letters, 1978-1981): 

            I have really been amazed at the cooperation of the small group members. We have eight small group missionaries so far and should have five or six more in the next few days. All of the missionaries have been out proselyting--haven't perfected their skills yet, but are doing well and having success. They have really got a strong desire to build the kingdom, and it seems as though they saw the desire. in the missionaries and it was automatically instilled in them. 

            We were able to get two more baptisms this week, as the Lord continues to bless us with great people to teach the Gospel to. One was a referral from a group missionary that taught all the lessons with us and really convinced her friend to accept. When they get formally set apart, they can really go forth with power. Boy, this young sister really explained with authority.

            For the 'H' lesson we had one of the group missionaries help us. He did a great job, and our investigator related well with him. I can really see the benefits of this small group missionary program. As the small group missionaries participate in helping these people to be baptized, real friendships develop. Once we're long gone, they'll still be here to strengthen and help each other. It's a great work and the field truly is white and ready to harvest. 

            Sister Shiraishi, the mother of one of our members got baptized this week. Her testimony is that the gospel was what she has been looking and searching for since her childhood. The Lord has truly blessed us this week.

            Well, we have really been blessed lately. Five out of the last ten people have been through my [small unit] missionaries. The missionary program is the only way to go. 

            This week I went out proselyting with the members and what a 'good experience for both sides! The members were strengthened, and I was helped a lot, too. And we found some good people. The members are really growing. I can't imagine what it would be like if I hadn't come on this mission! 

39. Keeping Momentum through the Month 

Problem or situation. The month was still the primary cycle of a missionary's proselyting life. I had attempted to change this by issuing weekly baptismal reports, daily accounting, and so forth, and had achieved some measure of success that way. But the monthly cycles still persisted. The pattern of the month was typically made up of three parts: a good start during the first week (right after the conferences), a tapering off and sagging towards the middle, and a huge crescendo effort during the last week. It seemed obvious there was nothing inherent that made it that way--the nation of Japan didn't turn sour in the middle of the month--but rather, it was the self-imposed artificial cycle that made it so. The conferences at the beginning of the month and the reporting cycle at the end of the month helped make the beginning and end good. It was up to me to do something about the middle now. 

Action taken. (6-80) HOLD ADDITIONAL MID-MONTH ZONE CONFERENCES (BY Z.L.s). (Productivity label: Motivational.)

I felt it would be too costly and too disruptive to call all the missionaries back into the head office for additional conferences, but there was no reason we couldn't hold half-day meetings locally in each zone. The local Zone Leaders could preside over and conduct them. I worked out a format and schedule for these midmonth zone meetings and trained the Zone Leaders in how to conduct them. The basic format for this half-day meeting was as follows: 

1.         REPORT: Report what has happened in the progress of the mission and     zone for first half of the month, emphasizing the "best" things that are happening in this and other zones.  

2.         ACCOUNT: Follow-up. Each senior should account for his or her results and the results of the branch for the first half of the month.

3.         MOTIVATE: Use power and authority to motivate the missionaries and develop a strong "esprit de zone."  

4.         TRAIN: Have the "best" missionaries give brief presentations on their success so far in the month. Discuss questions and problems and work our solutions for them. 

5.         SET GOALS: Set zone standards; set district and individual performance goals; set zone. goals concerning baptisms, introduction lessons, regular lessons, etc.

Results of the action. Having the mid-month zone meeting helped raise the mid-month sag in at least two ways, one pro-actively and the other retroactively.

            First, the impending event--the fact that it would occur, along with the accounting, the recognition of the "best" successes, etc.--helped improve the performance during the week or so before the meeting, or retroactively. Second, the meeting itself--the motivation, the sharing of what others were doing, the questions, answers, and solutions to problems--helped improve the next week or so, pro-actively. And there were a number of smaller side benefits to these midmonth meetings. They gave zone leaders an opportunity for leadership growth by conducting the meetings and more realistically presiding over their zones; they gave the missionaries a chance to interact in person mid-way through the month which helped foster zone camaraderie and spirit; and they helped solve many problems before they became serious. 

40. Assigning Mission Leaders Individual Stewardships 

Problem or situation. Like most Mormon missions, mine was divided into zones. After I had split each zone and created two zones for each previous one, I had a total of twelve zones. Each of the zones had two Zone Leaders over it. Although these Zone. Leaders were no longer companions to each other--I needed them as trainers for new missionaries--together, the two zone leaders were responsible for the proselyting activities in the zone. District Leaders of each of the four to six districts within the zones reported to the Zone Leaders over them.

      My assistants were responsible together for the proselyting activities of the mission as a whole. The Zone Leaders reported to them. When I split the zones two for one, I also added two more assistants so I still had the Zone Leaders from six zones reporting to each set of assistants.

Even with this organization, it sometimes seemed to me that no one was really responsible for the zones or the mission. It seemed that in having several responsible together, almost no one was responsible. I felt I needed to get the inward versus outward orientation working more effectively with the Zone Leaders and my assistants.         

            Action taken. (7-80) ASSIGN DEFINITE INDIVIDUAL STEWARDSHIPS TO THE ZONE LEADERS AND MY ASSISTANTS. (Productivity label: Organizational.)

I divided and assigned specific stewardships to individual missionaries. Instead of both zone leaders being responsible together for both halves of the zone, I specifically assigned one zone leader stewardship over one half of the zone and the other over the other half. Together they were still responsible for the whole zone, but each had his individual responsibility as well.

At the same time I divided the mission into four parts, each part comprised of three zones. I assigned each of my four assistants specific responsibility for one of these parts. Like the zone leaders, they were still responsible together for the whole mission, but each had his individual stewardship as well. 

Results of the action. I felt this change did for the Zone Leaders and my assistants what the emphasis on personal and individual missions had done for each

missionary. It gave each mission leader the responsibility, authority, and motivation to better direct the proselyting activities in his assigned stewardship. And it helped break the "management by committee" log jams. Each Zone Leader knew that he must personally take action and do what was needed in, teaching, training, motivating, and following through on his own assigned part of the zone. He couldn't wait for anyone else to do it. Similarly, each of my assistants was responsible for a specific set of zones, and while they coordinated and consulted with each other, there was no longer any waiting for someone else to lead out and take the needed action. Each individual assistant had to do it, or it didn't get done.

Through this change, I felt that the effectiveness of both the Zone Leaders and my assistants increased. I observed more helping, more teaching, more motivating, and more follow-up than before. This increased helping, teaching, motivating, and follow-up helped produce more and better proselyting results.

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