Helping Children Be Missionaries

“As parents of five, we are teaching our children to recognize their missionary opportunities,” says Laura F. Nielsen of the Cupertino Ward, Saratoga California Stake. “Every week in family home evening we take a few minutes to discuss what opportunities each family member had during the previous seven days to be a missionary and how each person responded to them.” As a family, the Nielsens discuss different options for handling those situations.

As a result, family members are learning what constitutes a missionary opportunity. For example, they have learned to refer to the Church by its full name rather than a nickname. One of the children gave a school report on Church history. Another shared his excitement about being baptized when schoolteachers wished him a happy eighth birthday.

Occasionally a family member will admit that he or she missed or ignored a missionary opportunity, and this gives the family a chance to talk about what happened and learn to take better advantage of a similar opportunity in the future. “Family enthusiasm helps us overcome embarrassment or laziness,” Sister Nielsen says. “Our children now actively look for opportunities on their own and eagerly report to the family for feedback. By helping each other this way, we are growing in our own capacity to share the gospel.”

Illustrated by Beth M. Whittaker