Pastor's FIRST TIME at LDS Missionary Training Center 

If you’re LDS, did you serve on a mission and attend the MTC? What memories were brought back by watching this video?

I served my mission in Russia. The interactions I had with evangelicals were as varied as you can imagine. Some condemned me to hell, some became investigators, some of them just shouted at me, some were fascinated by us but uninterested in the message. Jehovah's Witnesses were easily identified by the questions they would ask us. Some of them were kind and professional, and some were not. I learned on my mission to never attribute any specific attitude to a group of people at large. We interact with individuals and each owns their own behavior.

My single worst experience as a missionary was an encounter with a minister who came armed with a carefully worded handout detailing many alleged problems in LDS theology. I took the bait, attempted to “win” a debate, and wasted hours in contentious vitriol. When I left, I felt that the Spirit was grieved, not so much at the minister, but grieved at me. I should have known better. As the Lord has stated, “Contention is not of me.” I vowed that I would never again allow myself to engage in contention. I needed to ALWAYS approach others with love and empathy. And Pastor Jeff, thank you for approaching so many topics with kindness, insight, and empathy. You have obviously learned many life lessons. My mission to Mexico City taught me a few of these lessons, and I’m still learning. God bless your ministry.

I'm not LDS, but the missionaries I've encountered always really impress me. It's awesome that they do this and I can see the benefits this can give for young men and women.

Missionary mamma here! One just returned and one is still out. Thank you, Pastor, for encouraging others to be kind to the missionaries. I tell anyone who will listen to be kind to any missionary from any denomination. These people are often out on their own dime, sometimes at great personal sacrifice to their families. They get no reward for their efforts except the joy that comes from seeing others come to know Christ. My son works tirelessly every day and when he calls home once a week, the experiences that impress him most are the people who are kind. It means so much to him! I would also like to point out that, while leading souls to Christ is the goal, missionaries also often become truly converted themselves as they make this sacrifice for the Lord. Thank you for your kind and insightful insights into the LDS faith!

I served an LDS mission in Thailand 30+ years ago. Last summer I had evangelical missionaries from Texas knock on my central Utah door. I welcomed them in and we had a wonderful conversation that lasted more than an hour. They were very cordial and kind. Our conversation was respectful. They asked sincere questions and did not accuse nor malign. We ended our meeting with a prayer. We stood and held hands as one of them offered the prayer. It was very nice. Very educational for both parties. I wish all missionary interactions could be like this.

I unfortunately did not serve a mission, I am 25 now and really regret not serving a mission. I unfortunately fell away when i turned 18/19. I am glad, though, that I came back.

I’m a Protestant missionary in Mozambique. We have many LDS missionaries here and I talk with them whenever I see them. I love that their heart is for people to know God. We may not agree on some aspects but at the heart we are the same. We love God and we love people.

I never served a mission ( because I was too old , 26 , when I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday- Saints ) but I am an convert of 2 young men coming to my door 34 years ago in the Netherlands , Elder Newman and Elder Wood , who both were trained in the MTC in Provo , I am so grateful to these men to bring me to the fold of our Shepherd , Jesus Christ !!!

I just LOVE how he chooses to talk so gracefully about a church he doesn't believe in! I'm protestant, but very keen to also broaden my knowledge about different gospels and beliefs! May God bless pastor Jeff, his family and his channel, and to continue to use him to share the gospel as a vessel of the body of Christ!

I love you, pastor. Thank you for caring and being a good bridge builder. We are stronger being unified.

❤❤Another great video. One of the best places on earth. There are about a few thousand of us subscribers who would love to see you interview David Boice from 52 Churches in 52 Weeks. What say you, pastor Jeff? All those in favor show by the uplifting of the Like button.

Appreciate your fair and generous approach to our faith. All Christians should link arms to preach Jesus!

I'm ex-LDS, now Russian Orthodox, I served a full-time mission and have very warm memories of the two months I spent in the MTC learning a foreign language. There were great speakers, great lessons, adversity and triumphs. I can remember my companion loved to eat healthy and challenged me to do the same. Of of the great laughs I gave him was sitting down with a large bowl of salad but having a doughnut not so well hidden under the lettuce. Good times! I am glad you had a good tour. You are lucky to live in Utah, so many wonderful people there and natural beauty.

Speaking on behalf of missionary momma's everywhere, so much love and appreciation for those who help to care for our children serving the Lord. Especially when those of other faiths reach out and feed and care for missionaries❤

I served an LDS mission in Taipei, Taiwan, Mandarin Chinese speaking. I lived in Provo through junior high and high school and later at BYU. Our house was just a couple of blocks from the MTC. The roof of our home could seen from just in front of the MTC. As a youngster before serving my mission, we could even walk through the MTC on our way to BYU basketball games (later on, they stopped allowing us to do this). I had many memorable experiences in the MTC and in Taiwan, working with many wonderful, motivated, bright people. The experience does shape your life. I still vividly remember the first door I knocked on stumbling through my Chinese and explaining who we were! It felt daunting! There are various Christian religions in Taiwan, but Christianity is definitely a minority religion, with most people claiming to be Buddhist. I remember one man I met who had heard of Jesus Christ but who had not ever heard of the Bible. Definitely a different place compared to those that are predominately Christian. The people are beautiful, good people that I grew to love deeply. They and their culture are forever a part of me and who I am.

I am a member of the LDS Church. I did not serve a mission. Two of my kids served missions, one in Canada and the other in South Korea. They had great experiences and they grew so much as individuals in their faith gave them confidence all the way around, which has helped prepare them for the achievements and future success success beyond their mission. We are proud of their achievements. I enjoyed watching your video. I love that we as Christians can find common ground finding love for one another. I believe we are living in a world that is becoming more and more evil and wicked and we need to stand together United as Christians to stand up against the evil in this world. I appreciated the loving kindness toward our faith in this video. You did a great job!! ❤

We are taught on our missions to continue being a missionary even after we return home for the rest of our lives. If one serves an honorable mission, it's ingrained in you. Not to say sometimes we don't get complacent, and lazy on that front. We are always taught to bring others to Christ regardless of a mission. Even if one doesn't serve a full-time mission, we are taught "every member a missionary". Some of the best missionaries I know didn't serve full time missions when young women/men, but later in life catch the missionary spirit and bring many souls to Christ. Some of our Prophets and Apostles never served full time missions. For me, my mission was the best choice I've ever made, and I contribute everything good in my life to be a byproduct of that decision.

I had four sons serve missions (I did as well). Missions are one of the great experiences of life. I tell people if I could only afford to send my kid on a mission or to college, but not both, I would send them on a mission in a heartbeat. On a mission they will learn things they could not learn just in college: They will learn self confidence, cooperation, success and failure, spiritual, cultural and social growth. They will learn to sacrifice, follow rules, be courageous, be humble, learn to step into the "dark" of the unknown. They will learn to study and absorb information. They will learn to heartfully pray. They will learn to count on the Lord for insight and inspiration. For those on foreign missions, they will become ambassadors for those countries. They go off as boys, but come back as men. They will figure a way to go to college and hopefully contribute to society and raise good families.

I served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan. One day, someone called out to my companion and me on the street. When we turned around, two American women dressed much like us RAN to us to talk and share materials about their church. I don't remember which religion they were, but after they left, my companion and I said, "Wow, we should be as exuberant as them." To be fair, the Japanese people are usually reserved and might be shocked by that kind of excitement, but we were struck by it and loved these missionaries' energy.

As a student at BYU in the 70’s, I taught Japanese at the Missionary Training Center for 2.5 years. I was part of the first teachers there. When I served in Japan, we went to the LTM ( Language Training Mission ) in Hawaii. I was a convert from the Deep South at 18 as I was an Evangelical Southern Baptist and was converted by the Spirit of God and went on my mission at 19. I saw and heard so many miracles and the true order of speaking in tongues. The Gospel is true some 50 years later I can testify.

Just love your content...after leaving the Church for close to 15 years, I had my own come to Jesus moment in 2020 which actually led me back to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was baptized Catholic, worshipped with my Protestant, Methodist and Catholic families before being baptized into the LDS church. I'm grateful for being amongst all denominations and worshipping as one glorious group of many denominations whose focus is on Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. Blessings to you and your family❤️

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we too believe we serve in the ministry for life. In fact, a common phrase throughout LDS culture is “Every member a missionary.” We serve one another in our congregations, in our communities, and in humanitarian efforts throughout the globe. As a mother of three missionaries, my sons learned selflessness, integrity, compassion, empathy… what it was like to truly walk in the footsteps of Jesus the Master missionary, giving of themselves to bring people to Christ. They learned to love and embrace people of all walks of life. My sons were at times hungry, cold, scared, lonely, in dangerous situations… yet their experiences have made them better humans who look outward rather than inward. Now they carry what they’ve learned and experienced into their engagements with everyone they encounter in life, sharing the light and goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love your tag line! “Fighting criticism with curiosity “. Thank you for publicly sharing your Christ like compassion and care for all of God’s children ❤

Thank you for your fair review. That’s really all most LDS members want. There is so much that is biased and unfair in reviews of our church. I served in the Southern United States and there was a fair amount of other churches that taught anti “Mormon” teachings and I did run into people wanting to fight about doctrine. But one thing I can say, no matter how hard the mission was, missionaries love the people in the areas they go-no matter the differences. I felt a deep love for the people in the areas I served. It wasn’t just work, it was a work of love.

I just returned from my Mission 2 months ago! I am still in contact with my friends from the MTC. The spirit was so strong there! I will always be praying for the Missionaries!

Thank you for seeing that we are all on the same team. We are Christians. We love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We all want to spread the “Good News”. As a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I appreciate all my friends of different denominations and all the things we have in common. I’ve had 2 sons go on missions, 1 to the Philippines and 1 to Brazil and they were life changing experiences. They are great men, husbands, fathers, providers. The mission played a big part in who they became. You are doing great work in your church, too! I can tell you are a man who loves the Lord and you’re influencing many people for good every day. Bless you!

I'm from Finland and went to the MTC for three weeks. I served in Texas Dallas Mission. I loved the speakers we had a chance to listen to. It was very interesting experience although I have to say I was big time sleep deprivated after the MTC... And Dallas was a very interesting area to serve in. I had never before or since experienced such hostility and been told I will go to hell together with Joseph Smith. 🤷🏻‍♀️ After wishing well to those people I just had to say to my companion that I would rather be in hell with Joseph Smith than in heaven with all those hostile people. But I also met so many wonderful people, both members and people from many different denominations. I loved my mission and it has had a great impact on my life. ❤

My 8 weeks in the MTC were magical. Great spirit and I grew a lot. Studied French with some amazing teachers. Would do it again in a heartbeat

On my mission in Germany, the Catholic Priest was far more friendly than the Lutheran Minister who saw us as more competition. Our church's outreach is helping tone that down some. We often work with the Catholic Relief agency on joint projects. We welcome your curiosity and kindness.

This video is well done, I did serve a mission in Europe truly changed my life. I’m still an active member of the LDS faith. one thing that you missed is that every missionary pays their own way.

I spent four weeks in the Provo MTC, and four weeks in the Spain MTC. I will say that after studying Spanish for 6 years, pre MTC, which included living in Chile for a month, studying abroad in Mexico with BYU, I never experienced the level of learning a language like I did as a missionary. I felt like I had glasses put on me in the MTC, and I could FINALLY understand what I was learning! It was incredible. I know God helped me learn the language as a missionary. Best experience of my life up until that point.

As a missionary in Cape Verde, a remote African country, I was amazed that there were other American missionaries out there, in this case Jehovah Witness sister missionaries. Usually we would kinda just respect each other's space but we were so thrilled to meet and see each other that we ended up chatting every time we ran into each other and swapped recipes and stories. It was fun. Good on em!

I served as a full-time missionary in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2000. The MTC was not as big or modern then and though it was challenging in many ways (that’s what training is supposed to be) it was an amazing experience and the springboard to the most pivotal time of my life. Learning Cantonese along with solidifying principles of the gospel was intense! When I left the MTC, I remember how excited I was to go to Hong Kong, the place the Lord wanted me to go. I felt completely inadequate of myself but I learned at the MTC that I could go forward without fear. Fast forward two years through the most difficult and amazing experiences of my young life and I had been blessed with the confidence needed to take on any challenge that was right and good-the Lord would guide and consecrate my efforts. I draw from that well to this very day. I fail at times, but as I strive to draw closer to Christ, I know it can all be made right.

Thank you for being so respectful and curious about us as a people. I loved my time serving a mission and the people I met while there. I would like to add that a mission is only the beginning of our service. We continue to serve within the church all our lives. It is so much more than just a church. We dedicate our lives to serving the Lord.

I spent 2 months in the MTC learning a Filipino language, absolutely loved my time there. Then later fell in love with the Philippines where I was assigned. My mission continues to bless my life as I have since made a career on RU-vid using my mission language 🙏🏽

There are also service missions. My husband and I are serving a mission in Adam-Ondi--Ahman, Missouri. The reason we are here is to beautify the earth and make friends. We are also preparing the land for the return of the Savior, and we're preparing ourselves to be ready to meet him when die, or if we are alive when he comes again.

I never had the chance to attend the MTC because I served during the pandemic. But I loved my mission! I served in Iowa (and IL and MO), and I will always cherish the experiences I had has an elder. Coming from the LDS dense East Valley in AZ, my eyes were opened to a side of the country I never knew existed. I loved all the people I served with and interacted with. Missions are life changing.

As a mom who has 4 children who served missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I appreciate you encouraging others to be kind to our missionaries. We all just need to remember we are ALL God's children, thus brothers and sisters!

Hi Jeff. I served my mission in Ukraine thirty years ago. Like many, my experiences with missionaries from other faiths were mixed. However, to this day, I remember some interactions I had with a Baptist missionary. His group was passing out a tract that listed doctrines of various religions, including the LDS Church. He asked me how much of his tract was accurate (some points were, some weren't). We had a great conversation about our different beliefs. After that, we'd run into each other occasionally. We'd chat without caring about "converting" each other. He told me some amazing things about his family's history with Christianity in the Communist era. It was very much a "fight criticism with curiosity" kind of relationship, and I developed a tremendous amount of respect for him and his commitment to Christ.

I was in the last group of missionaries to be trained at the BYU Hawaii Language Training Mission. As a convert of about 18 months at the time it was a fabulous experience. My most memorable experiences were the devotionals - when the group of about 50-60 missionaries sang the hymns it sounded like the heavens opened and angels singing with us. That and the instructors who were amazing at what they did teaching us Japanese. Memorizing what we called the missionary discussions or lessons to give us a basic grasp of language/vocabulary was certainly challenging - it was amazing to see different missionaries struggling to learn a foreign language and how to interact with each other. Were this not truly “by their works ye shall know them” I’m certain that the Church of 3 million at the time would not be one of 17-18 million today.

I grew up LDS. Never served a mission but, for professional reasons, spent some time abroad in a country where there wasn't any LDS congregation or group. I eventually found a small group of Christian friends who held prayer meetings in their homes on Sundays. They welcomed me in. It was a cultural learning curve in some ways, but I still feel grateful for the friendship, the chance to pray with them, and the things I learned from them during those years.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I did meet some Baptist and some Jehovah's Witness missionaries frequently from the United States when serving a full-time mission in South America. What both pairs did was to engage in friendly conversation about what we had in common. We did not argue. Neither did they wish to, nor did we. I remember asking how things were going with them. They asked us the same. Before that, I'd had no idea that Baptist missionaries existed! I thought them to be good and kind people. When on vacation with my family, we were also given a tour by a missionary from The Community of Christ, which was what most in my church consider to be a break-off of our church. The interesting thing is, they probably think of our church as a break-off from their church. They believe in The Book of Mormon: another Testament of Jesus Christ, as well. I was impressed with that missionary. He was a good young man who was also fresh our of high school.

My son is currently serving a full-time mission, and his experience at the MTC was incredibly powerful and spiritual. He misses it dearly and will always hold a special place in his heart for the MTC. During his time there, he formed lasting friendships, strengthened his testimony and faith, and prepared for the challenges ahead. Leaving home was hard, but he is willing to sacrifice two years because of his love for the Savior. I’m so grateful for my son’s decision to serve and support all our missionaries who have stepped up to the call, and have the courage and dedication to serve. God speed to our young missionaries worldwide

My experience at the MTC was AMAZING! I will never forget the spirit I felt there!!!!!❤

Thanks Pastor Jeff! My good friend leads tours at the MTC. Maybe she was your guide. 😊 I've only been inside the MTC when we took our son there prior to his mission serving in the Philippines. My husband and I mostly recently served as service missionaries in the Addiction Recovery Mission. Mostly we led a family support group. Beautiful program helping to lead people to Christ.

My son has been out for a year now. He just trained a missionary. Missions are hard for these kids but they grow so much because of the challenges they go through. They learn to love the people they serve and their companions. In his case, he is learning to love the Swedish people where his ancestors are from. Love and service go together and we become true disciples of Christ as we learn to do this. All of my children have served on their missions because they wanted to bring people to Christ and because they had a testimony of the restored gospel. They chose to go and serve. I'm very proud of my kids for that selfless act. I would say that the majority of these kids are the same way. It doesn't make it easy but it does help because they know they chose it. They also know that God willed it for them because they prayed about it and received that prompting to go.

It absolutely is a right of passage. It’s been 35 years since I entered the mission field. I’ve had amazing milestones in my life such as my wonderful marriage and five amazing children but to this day I still view my life as life before, during, and after my mission. It was that impactful!

In 1976, I received 4 days of training at the MTC that was located in downtown SLC where the conference center is located now. Then I was shipped off to the mission field in New Zealand. It was the one of the best experiences of my life, and prepared me to face the world post mission experience.

I served my mission in Manaus, Brazil which is a pretty large city in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. There were very few times that I recall seeing missionaries from other churches but I do have fond memories of finding the opportunity to connect with ministers of other churches in areas where I was serving. I remember once walking down the road and coming upon a "Deus e' Amor" church which is a Pentecostal church and in Manaus, it's very common for some churches to have the front of their church essentially look like a garage door so it can open up right to the road. They had a couple ladies singing at the road and we stopped to talk with the minister and asked if we could join them. My companion and I ended up singing a song or two as well. It was always a joy to find commonality in our purpose and our message about the Savior!

The MTC wasn’t my favorite part of my mission, but it did help me to understand the gospel better. I served in Norway and being there helped me to understand the Lutheran religion better and now I have many friends that are Lutheran. My mission did change my life and I’m so grateful for it

I served my mission in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas. I ran into missionaries of other faiths, and it was a mixed bag, to be honest. Some, right off the bat, wanted to tell me I was going straight to hell. With some, we had great conversations and came away believing we both had the right faith in Christ, and with some, we agreed to disagree. But I loved the people and the area; I can never forget it.

As a returned missionary and a current teacher at the MTC, I appreciate this video so much. I admire your approach to learning more about Latter-day Saints. Thank you for doing it with love and integrity Pastor Jeff.

I served as an LDS missionary in Germantown Ohio and we converted a Pentecostal man whose wife did not convert. We went to their church where the sang and played Wildwood Flower on guitars and I loved the song. After the music a woman minister called up to the stand "all ministers". What she meant was ministers of her faith but I was naive and simple minded and I went up on the stand and sat next to them. LOL Well, we were ministers and didn't know any better. It seemed like an open mic session so I went and testified about the Book of Mormon and even got a few "Amens" then my companion did the same. She parted ways when we talked about the stick of Judah and Joseph in Ezekiel 37 after the meeting. But we had a good time and enjoyed the service.

We're protestant parents of teenagers and while we do plan to encourage our kids to attend a Christian university, I do wish there was a more widely used missionary program in the evangelical world. Obviously we have missionaries, and obviously there are many who are young, but it's not as common and a rite of passage in our evangelical world. I was just telling my husband that we should investigate if there are college aged missions that our kids might be interested in. It's definitely good for a young person.

I served in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia as one of my assigned cities on my mission and an American Baptist(?) missionary couple lived in my same apartment complex. We passed them from time to time on the sidewalk. My companion at the time was Sister Beronova from the Czech Republic. The baptist couple were so genuinely kind and thought my companion and I were so amazing to be foreigners of Russia but speaking the language together and venturing out everyday for new adventures! It was fun! They had the same lovely view of the town square, rode the same busses, had the same troubles with ants, cockroaches and mice and hoped to share God’s love with our Russian neighbors. It was great! I loved seeing their smiles.

On my mission in Japan 1969-1971, we met some protestant missionaries. They were amazed that we became practically fluent in less than a year. Of course, nowadays at least half the missionaries in Japan are native speakers, which helps the foreign missionaries to learn the language better, having a tutor available 24/7. They didn't understand that the pastors for each native congregation were local members donating their time, rather than a paid missionary from the US.

You’ll never find a happier group of young people.

I miss the food 😭! Aloha plate!! Great times there. The focus on the Spirit was key. Really helped me out on my mission. I also felt like every time I was trained on teaching, I was also learning about following Christ's example. Principles like teaching to needs, sharing personal experience, listening instead of thinking about what I'll say next, being flexible to spiritual promptings, etc. did a lot to deepen my discipleship. Thank you for your channel and the work you put into it. I'm grateful for it being called Hello Saints. I feel welcome here and I hope our brothers and sisters of other faiths, and even no faith, also feel welcome here.

I was in the MTC 2005 for less than 3 weeks. In that short time, I cherished every moment. The bonds made with my fellow missionaries was so special. The spirit and excitement is palpable. Yes, it has rules, but we still had fun and good laughs playing sports, learning how to teach, and meeting people from all over the world

I served an LDS mission in Argentina, and found courage in the knowledge I was called by the Lord to represent Him, so anything that happened or how people reacted I didn't have to take personally but was content that it was all for Christ, grateful just to serve Him and help others come to know Him better, sharing His love and news of life after death and good news that we can repent and learn to become like Him. If people rejected our message, they were rejecting Christ's message, not me or my message.

When my sister was on a mission in Oklahoma, she encountered some people who were hired by their church to spend all day every day studying and debunking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She has surprisingly remained in contact with one of them and they seem reasonably friendly, so it can’t have been a fully negative interaction, but they definitely didn’t see each other as being on the same team. I’m glad to see in the comment section that there are those who’ve had more positive interactions. I guess it’s really individual

Great video. The MTC was great. Long days of trying to learn Spanish. I was grateful to actually get to the mission though. I haven’t seen the new additions to the MTC. Good to see.

My MTC experience was maybe different than some. I ended up switching assigned country and language halfway through. Learning two different foreign languages wasn't what I expected. It was pretty challenging on multiple levels. I think this happens more frequently now, but 25 years ago it was not common. And today there are definitely a lot of missionaries that end up learning more than one language. The fact that we send these young people out with just a few weeks worth of language training is pretty incredible. I loved my MTC experience even if it was one of the hardest parts of my mission. There was a purpose in the change of assignment and it was one of the clearest witnesses to me in my whole life that God is aware of each of his children and continues to move mountains to bless individual hearts in need. As a missionary I got the opportunity to serve in a soup kitchen run by a catholic organization. The nuns didn't care who we were as long as we showed up and worked hard. The sisters were so busy that we didn't get much chance to interact with them. But in general it was hard because many of the community organizations didn't want our help. I was so grateful that the nuns gave us a chance to serve.

Jeff, I’m a big fan & learn so much from you. I love your quote of the importance of “Being curious instead of being critical.” I served a mission in Pennsylvania. It was fascinating to see so many different Christian churches in the East coast. Joseph Smith wrote about there being a different church on every corner in the 1800’s and it was still the case in 1996-97. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as a full time missionary in my youth & the amazing people I met, taught and mentored me. It prepared me for a life of church service and leadership opportunities. My son is finishing his mission in Mexico 🇲🇽 I’m so grateful for all the kind people who feed and are kind to the missionaries around the world. It’s remarkable service these youth give for 18 months -2yrs. It’s time for us to come together in goodness and belief in God and link arms as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ. We’re all on the same team! I love that you show us Jeff that we have a lot more in common than different about our beliefs. And we can move forward together even if we believe some things differently and it doesn’t need to divide us but teach us to show love, respect & curiosty Keep up the great work of sharing the good news!!

You are just the nicest, most respectful person! I love hearing your videos and your perspectives!! If you are ever looking for a new church, look first at being a LDS! We would be beyond lucky to get you! Your teaching is so great!

I served a mission in Japan about 13 years ago. It changed my life - not just in how I view my faith and beliefs but how I view myself and how I can be confident in who I am as a person. I was in the MTC for 12 weeks and it was an absolute blast. Seeing your opening shot of the long hallway leading down from the main entrance to the cafeteria brought back SO many memories. It was great! I didn't come across any... protestant missionaries. Unless Jehovah's Witnesses are considered protestant? I'm not sure. But it was one of the more heart breaking yet poignant moments of my life. We were walking down a street and this lady we were walking by looked like she wanted to speak. I saw her hesitate then hang her head as we passed. I stopped and asked her if she was okay. She said she was a JW and just didn't have the courage to start talking to us. She asked us how we had the courage to talk to strangers and face rejection. I don't remember what I said, but I asked her if she wanted to practice her message with us. She brightened up and gladly accepted. After her thing, I asked her if she would be willing to reciprocate and let us give our message. She said no, thanked us for talking to her, and walked away. I was just kind of dumbfounded that she rejected us.. after what we had just talked about. But she needed cheering up and encouragement to do what she had made a commitment to do. I was glad to do that, regardless of the denominational line between us. Thank you for the great video and how much respect you give other religions, especially the LDS religion. Religions, especially Christian ones, don't need to be antagonistic toward each other and I'm grateful for your efforts to be as fair and open as possible.

I served my mission in the Bible Belt in the Independence, Missouri mission. My experiences with Born Again and Evangelicals was negative. They generally tried to trick my companions and I into conversations where they would tear down our beliefs and argue with us. I always left those discussions feeling sad and discouraged. I vowed that if I met any missionaries from any church after my mission that I would treat them kindly. I appreciate you urging kindness and respect toward missionaries of all faiths. We all love Jesus and are trying our best to serve Him.

Great presentation! Thank you for making this a very kind, Christian like presentation though from a different background. I served a mission in Columbia, South America in the 1980s at the beginning of the drug war. And it was very difficult. I’m always grateful for the elderly Baptist missionary couple that we would see in the streets every now and again they were always very kind to us and made us feel a little bit like we’re back at home. One thing I did want to mention is that the mission prepares the young missionaries for a lifelong ministry Wherever they go - whether they go to school or go back home and get settled down. But they will always be involved in various ministries whether with youth or adult within the congregation that they are part of at that time. In my career, I served as a chaplain with the military, and had the beautiful opportunity to work with chaplains of so many different denominations and faiths. Like you, I’ve learned so much and have come to appreciate the gifts that each brings to the table.

I served in San Francisco California (English Speaking). I loved it. The MTC was such a fantastic way to start but like you said the real learning happens both before entering and after leaving the MTC. I served my mission after going to school for one year. My first year of university I was a C student. My mission taught me how to learn and study it taught me how to work. That started in the MTC. After my mission I was able to become an A student. Serving a mission opened up doors for me that I would never been able to do without it. I would say it is the Best two years “For” your life. Thanks for being fair in your presentation of the LDS Faith I really enjoy seeing how others see something I am so invested in.

I really enjoyed how you are open to learning about other faiths. I know so many people that are so closed off and just stay with their own opinions (which is fine) but I find it extremely refreshing seeing this content. You made my day

I served a mission in Japan in 2017, and I spent 9 weeks at this MTC before departing. I always reflect on that time as one of the most sacred times of my life. It was also without doubt one of the hardest times of my life. But I am always grateful for the experience I received in the MTC, and for what it taught me. To this day I have a profound respect for the missionaries that I see walking around in there as I drive by, and for the missionaries bravely serving all over the world! Thank you for a wonderful video!

Thank you Pastor for sharing your experience the LDS Missionary Training Center. I had the opportunity as a young woman to serve a mission to the deaf in Northern California. Wow! What an unforgettable experience I still reflect on. We were focusing on is the Savior and His mission and work and how we serve our Father and Heaven and Jesus Christ. The daily preparation of pray, scripture study, reviewing our discussions or lessons on principle gospels and doctrines were included. It was about the love our Heavenly Father and the Savior loved people and how we serve those who are ready for this beautiful message for individuals. The spiritual experiences I had was amazing for those we served. Things happen to the people and us that only a loving Father who knew them would prepare them for his message. I had been blessed to know the Book of Mormon , the Second Testimony of Jesus Christ was the word of God. I am grateful for the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints to spread the gospel to the earth.

Thank you for taking the time to see the training that goes on at the MTC. I served in South Georgia 30 years ago and building on the commonalities we shared with those we met were the sweetest experiences. However, one encounter my companion & I had with a Missionary Baptist wasn't as positive as most. She invited us back to her home & then started to try to bash everything we believe in, she demanded to see an original copy of the Book of Mormon to show us how things had been corrected from the original book to our present copies. She got pretty hostile & finally we just told her we weren't there to argue, we were there to share with her the things that were important to us. Finally we shared our testimonies & left with a prayer. It was very unfortunate that with this individual we weren't able to share any commonalities. I pray that her heart was softened one day to understand we can still be together with peace in Jesus Christ rather than act with anger & hostility.

Missionaries aren't apologists, they are, hopefully, witnesses.

Thanks, Pastor Jeff! What great insight, brother! I recently served with two LDS Missionaries at a local food bank where they regularly participate in loading and unloading. I think they may have a better attitude towards "in mission together" than some of our Protestant counterparts. Made me wonder how they are encouraged and/or warned in these types of scenarios.

I am LDS. I served my mission before the MTC was built as a complex in Provo. The last few batches we received in my mission before returning home were the first groups to go there. For my missionary training, our experience at Provo was the LTM (Language Training Mission) which was for missionaries going to European missions, other than Scadanavia - which were trained at Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). English language missionaries were trained at the Mission home in Salt Lake City, on the land now occupied by the Conference Center. Missionaries headed to Polynesia and Asia were trained at BYU-Hawaii. At one point, all missionaries from the United States were processed at the Mission home and those going to foreign language missions were sent en-masse to their LTMs the afternoon after they were processed. Ours was the last group to undègo that step.

You have been very privileged to have these inside looks into core LDS places like the MTC. While the methods can be a little different, Christian missionaries are all engaged in that same work of introducing people to Christ and how to follow His gospel. You too are quite a missionary tour guide to bring these not so different groups to a common purpose. God has His Ways of bringing us to a unity of faith, even from seemingly different directions. Thanks for the tour and the perspectives.

My son has been in Peru for just over a year. This morning I read his email sharing about a man they just started teaching. This man is struggling with some addictions and my son was so happy to share the good news of the Atonement and its redeeming, healing, and changing properties! I'm so full of gratitude for my son's opportunity to serve, although I miss him deeply.

Jeff - I'd like to see a video from you exploring the other side of the coin. As a latter-day saint, I have been rejected by evangelicals when I've attempted to volunteer at soup kitchens and the like. Other saints have been fired or rejected as volunteers at pregnancy crisis centers and other evangelical charities once it was discovered they were LDS. Its becoming more and more common for evangelicals, especially pastors, to preach that latter-day saints worship a "evil, demonic Jesus Christ", are not christians, and should not be associated with. There are some really heartbreaking stories out there from saints who have attempted to volunteer only to be treated poorly and have their sincere faith in Jesus Christ slandered. It would be enlightening to hear your perspective as an evangelical pastor on why evangelicals are becoming more and more hostile towards fellow christians that are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the point they won't even accept our help with service-related charities. Obviously, the fruits of the LDS Church do not support the idea that we worship a demon. A bitter font cannot bring forth sweet water or vice-versa. So it would be helpful to hear your point of view on why evangelicals keep saying something so hurtful.

I served a mission in 2018 to Nauvoo and Carthage Illinois, and I spent 4 weeks at the MTC there in Provo. Your video brought back so many memories of study with my companion in front of the incredible artwork. Since I was a missionary preparing to serve at a historical site, I helped give tours of the MTC to visitors like yourself. Thanks for sharing how missions are viewed in the Evangelical world too. While a mission in our faith is a dedicated 18-month or 2-year service, the hope is that we also continue to heed the great commission to serve and spread the gospel throughout our lives, not just on our missions. Great thoughts!

This is absolutely brilliant, and a model for how we should engage with believers from other denominations. Writing as a devout, practicing Latter-Day Saint, here's hoping that members of my Church can be equally curious and gracious when encountering those who love Christ but who disagree with some of our basic truth claims.

I served in Germany. In 1991, I remember meeting evangelical missionaries in the North Eastern town of Wismar on the Baltic Sea. East and West Germany had just been reunified so there were religious groups throughout the country proselyting. One night we met a group of American evangelical missionaries in the town center. It wasn’t hostile but I remember them challenging us to pray with them. They seemed surprised that we agreed, like Mormons won’t say prayers or something. So on that spot, with people walking around us, under the streetlights and the beautiful Summer moonlight, we held hands and each of us said prayers thanking the creator of the Universe for our chance meeting and being together in that beautiful country with those beautiful people at that time. We parted ways politely wishing each other well. I’ll never forget that experience. We all learned a bit more about our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Thank you Jeff, I served a mission in 1977 and so this was a great update for me! A big thank you for your kind words of encouragement to look after our sons and daughters. As parents I think we are more concerned for them than they are when they leave the nest to embark on a missionary assignment. If you can fit it in you might consider an addition to this video about the “senior” missionaries. My sister who never served a mission as a young adult is now serving in Italy with her husband as a senior missionary. She’s having an experience very similar to mine as a kid. Except she gets to go with her sweetheart!

I served in Texas Spanish-speaking and was sent to the Mexico MTC which is a little more rare. It's a good deal more modest but you get the same general feel. One of the hermanas in my group ended up being my companion in the mission RIGHT after training which is also uncommon. But the Lord knew what he was doing putting us together and it ended up being one of my favorite companionships and she set me up with my husband after the mission! My mission was truly one of the greatest blessings and privileges in my life!

I should receive my LDS mission call on Tuesday so not only did this help me understand a Protestant POV it gave me a mini tour of the MTC lol. I really enjoyed what you said about missions being lifelong. As members of the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day-Saints, we may “officially” be a missionary for 6, 12, 18, or 24 months, but the responsibilities and call that we have to spread the gospel are lifelong. Many functioning Branches or Wards have designated Ward Mission Leaders and Ward Missionaries who help facilitate missionary work within their local geographical boundaries, with the assigned young missionaries, if there are any. The support that members have the opportunity to give the assigned missionaries (the ones who go through the MTC) can be extraordinary. They give support with meals, rides, going out to preach with them, and to give referrals. For many dedicated members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day-Saints, missionary work is an aspect of their life. Yes, we serve abroad for 18024 months, but that call to preach and spread the Gospel never really ends. Amazing video, Pastor Jeff!!

To the Finland missionary. I am from Finland in America and currently have 4 grandchildren serving all over the world. One, a granddaughter is serving in Rauma , Finland rt now. Her father and aunt ( my kids) also served in Finland 25 years ago! The gospel of Jesus Christ is alive and well!

Wow! Thank you! As a member of the LDS church and one who served a mission over 33 years ago, it was wonderful to actually see the inside of the MTC today! And your positive and honest approach is so refreshing and wonderful, it makes me want to watch more of your videos and when I visit UT I’d love to hear one of your sermons!! Uniting our faith in Christ in love and respect is so beautiful, it’s Christ’s teachings in action! Thank you again!

When the old age of 60 came around I decided to do a mission. I didn't want to learn a new language, so I stayed in the US and spent two years in Long Beach, California. I worked as a secretary to the president in the Mission Office there in Long Beach. The fun in that job was the missionaries that were in and out for this and that. I loved that. They were so much fun. I did this from 2005-2007. Then I came home and started to live with retirement life. 😀 Would I do it again? Yup! It's a great two years.

I just wanna say thank you for these.I am a Latter Day Saint Woman and I am so grateful that You are building bridges and not walls, thank you.

Thank you for always being respectful

I loved my mission experience and had the opportunity to serve with my MTC companion in the field as well. I went to the Milan, Italy mission, and it is the single most pivotal experience of my life that built me as a human and took me and my testimony into marriage and motherhood and just life in general.

So Jeff! When are you going to take the missionarie lessons?

I was sad by daughter didn’t get to go to the MTC because if Covid. So many cool experiences to be had there. Had to learn the Malay language at home!

I work at the MTC as a teacher to prep missionaries to teach and I love it! I’m glad they do tours and that you were able to go!

Fantastic analysis! I served an LDS mission to Finland as a young man in the 80’s and then again in 2019 as senior missionaries with my wife. We are heading to Ghana next to work with young people in higher education. Thank you for your insights and fair treatment. I am sure you are a wonderful minister to your flock. God bless you in your work to bring souls to Christ.

I sure appreciate how fair minded and respectful you are. Loved my mish in Manchester (mainly Liverpool) England 1980-82 Ivory Era…best 2 years of my life.

There are also senior couples who are retired and volunteer around the world, including special assignments using their professional skills as doctors, lawyers, engineers, and teachers. Two of my friends have served in Hong Kong. New Jersey, and Palmyra, New York.

I’m not a missionary but I am a Latter Day Saint. I was talking to an evangelical a couple years ago and he was talking about a spiritual experience he had had that was life changing to him. I said I would love to hear more of his experience and he eagerly set up a time for us to me. As we met, I immediately realized I had made a huge mistake. He instantly attacked my beliefs and mischaracterized what we believe. He was nasty and if I told him what I believe, he said I was lying. He stood over me barking that I should just admit that we believe things that I told him I don’t believe. It was a terrible trap. Eventually I pretty much just ran from his house. Worse experience ever. There are also a couple of pastors in Logan Utah that run a podcast based on calling the Latter Day Saints a cult. Thank you for being willing to just be fair and show all sides.

I served in Guatemala Spanish speaking. Interestingly, areas of Guatemala also have different Maya languages, so some who spent two months learning Spanish will end up having to learn that one. The skills we take are not for just two years. We still serve in the church in various capacities. I myself have served as a ward missionary many times, which means I work with the missionaries, but those skills can be used in just about every church position. President Packer spoke to us while I was at the MTC and spoke about how he hated the term "return missionary" because we never stop being missionaries, just the rules change. Somethings I wanted clarification on, did they say that in the MTC missionaries are given a training companion? That's different from what I remember. My MTC companion started the same day I started, and we left for the field the same day. My trainer was my first companion in the fiel. Usually our second companion in our mission was a native speaker but mine spoke perfect English and ended up in the hospital the first day I got him. So I didn't get a native speaker till my second year in. I had only native speakers for five months and that really was the best part about learning, because I literally had to do almost all communication in Spanish for all but a few hours every week.