Study Guide for "The Hour of Your Mission Is Come"

Bishop Sean Douglas invites members of the Church to recognize the sacred purpose of missionary service and respond to the Savior’s call to help others come unto Him. He emphasizes preparation, wholehearted service, and lifelong discipleship. As you study, consider how your testimony of Jesus Christ can bless others and what the Lord invites you to do in His work.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

What makes missionary service a uniquely important opportunity to serve Jesus Christ?
How does a desire to help others receive salvation influence personal priorities?
What does Bishop Douglas teach about missionary service for young men and young women?
How can missionary service strengthen lifelong discipleship?
What promises from the Savior help you respond to His call with faith?

Topics

Invite God’s Children to Come unto Christ

Bishop Douglas describes missionaries as divinely commissioned servants who help God’s children come unto Christ through repentance, baptism, and confirmation. Their purpose centers on the doctrine of Christ, and their lives exemplify the message they teach. Their love for others reflects the sons of Mosiah’s desire that salvation reach every soul.

They are uniquely set apart from the world and divinely commissioned by the Savior.

You are an army of righteousness with the doctrine of Christ as your purpose.

You are not only the messengers but also living examples of the message.

They reminded me of the sons of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, who “were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish.”

What does Bishop Douglas identify as the purpose of missionary service?
What does it mean for missionaries to be living examples of their message?
How do the desires of the sons of Mosiah illustrate the love that motivates missionary work?
How does my daily conduct reflect the message of Jesus Christ that I hope to share?
Who in my life can benefit from my testimony of the Savior, and how can I reach out with love?
What can I do to develop a deeper desire for others to receive the blessings of the gospel?

Prioritize the Lord’s Work over Competing Ambitions

Bishop Douglas teaches that a desire to serve the Lord deserves priority over competing personal ambitions. Missionary service requires a season of sacrifice, but its spiritual importance makes those sacrifices worthwhile. He reminds the rising generation of their preparation before birth and urges them not to let distractions prevent their service.

Their desire to serve the Lord rose above every other personal ambition.

For a season, all else takes a back seat—education, dating, careers, family time, and even sleeping in on Saturday mornings.

God held you in reserve for this time. You were taught and prepared, before you were born, to invite God’s children to come unto Christ.

Take care not to become distracted. Prioritize it; don’t let anything get in the way. You are needed!

Why does Bishop Douglas encourage prospective missionaries to prioritize service over other ambitions?
How does he connect preparation before birth with the opportunity to serve now?
What does his phrase “For a season” teach about the sacrifices involved in missionary service?
Which ambitions or distractions compete with my willingness to serve the Lord?
What practical change can I make to give spiritual preparation greater priority?
How does remembering that the Lord needs me influence the way I approach opportunities to serve?

Let Missionary Service Strengthen Lifelong Discipleship

Through Merlin Sanchez’s experience, Bishop Douglas illustrates how friends and leaders help a young convert return to Church participation and prepare for missionary service. Merlin’s desire to follow Jesus Christ leads him to serve, and the Lord removes obstacles as he moves forward. His story connects missionary service with deeper conversion, growth through challenges, and continued discipleship in family life and Church service.

When I asked him why he wanted to serve, he replied, “I only want to be close to Jesus Christ and to follow Him.”

His every experience, trial, and companion was consecrated for his gain.

Though opposite in personality, they became united in purpose—assigned together by divine design.

After all, serving a mission is just one of many significant steps on the path of lifelong discipleship.

How do friends and leaders contribute to Merlin’s preparation for missionary service?
What does Merlin’s stated reason for serving reveal about his relationship with Jesus Christ?
How does Bishop Douglas connect missionary experiences with lifelong discipleship?
How can I help someone move closer to Jesus Christ without pressuring them to make a particular decision?
What current trial or challenging relationship can become an opportunity for spiritual growth?
What habits help me continue following Jesus Christ through changes in assignments, relationships, or life circumstances?

Respond to Prophetic Invitations to Serve

Bishop Douglas invites young converts and the rising generation to place full-time missionary service high on their list of priorities. He reiterates prophetic teaching that every worthy, able young man has a priesthood responsibility to prepare for and serve a mission. For young and able sisters, missionary service is a powerful but optional opportunity, and he encourages them to pray about whether the Lord would have them serve.

To you wonderful young converts of the Church, a mission may not have been on your radar, but it ought to be now.

To all the rising generation of the Church, I invite you to place serving a full-time mission high on your list.

Some might be like Amulek of the Book of Mormon, who expressed, “For I was called many times and I would not hear.”

There is still plenty of room and a special place reserved for each one of you! We need you!

What distinction does Bishop Douglas make between missionary service for young men and young women?
What invitation does he extend specifically to young converts?
How does Amulek’s statement illustrate the danger of failing to respond to the Lord’s invitations?
How does the prophetic counsel Bishop Douglas shares apply to my circumstances?
What questions about missionary service do I need to bring to the Lord in prayer?
What next step can I take to prepare for service or support someone who is preparing?

Trust the Savior’s Promises as You Serve

Bishop Douglas concludes by inviting readers to personalize the Savior’s words to Thomas B. Marsh in Doctrine and Covenants 31. These words call servants to rejoice, declare the gospel, and labor with all their souls. They also offer promises of forgiveness, care for family, receptive hearts, and help in establishing the Church.

I pray that you will make the Savior’s grand commission your very own.

Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation.

Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back.

I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you. And I will establish a church by your hand.

What does the Savior ask His servant to do in the verses Bishop Douglas quotes?
What promises does the Savior give concerning teaching, family, and the hearts of others?
Why does Bishop Douglas invite each reader to substitute their own name for Thomas’s?
As I read these verses with my own name in mind, what invitation feels especially meaningful?
Which promise helps me face a concern about serving the Lord, and why?
When do I recognize the Lord helping me share the gospel or caring for those I love?