How To Contact Effectively
(D&C 42:8-Have to FIND those who will receive. D&C
29:7- The chosen will listen to you. Alma 13:24-
People being prepared before you get there)
Characteristics
of Effective Contacting
1.
DECIDE
(to yourself) and COMMUNICATE (to them) that the person is someone that you
want to get to know (shh… ‘flirting’). The person is a potentially glorious
child of a Divine Being.
a.
“We don’t make contacts, we make connections.” (’MTC
Experience’)
b.
First make observations (Mormon 1:2-quick to
observe) and then ask questions. It should be a conversation, meaning
that you listen to the person and then respond specifically to what they said.
The contact should talk more than you. (Becoming a
Preach My Gospel Missionary, Elder Bednar,
June 2011)
c.
Should be normal and happy and real. Smile. (PME 176-
should be ‘warm and genuine’)
2.
Pray
to find them (before) and what to say (during). You’ll only make an impact if
you’re doing and saying what Heavenly Father wants you to, and He can’t tell
you that unless you ask. (
D&C 42:14- Spirit only
received by the prayer of faith, 2 Ne 32:9- Pray always, do nothing without
first praying)
3.
Use
scriptures. That is where your power comes from.
(Alma
31:5- Preaching of the word more powerful effect than sword.
4.
If
a person isn’t moving, they are your target. (On the bus, in line, sitting in
street, waiting for a bus, working in their lawn, etc.)
a.
Need to teach lessons short enough and far apart enough that you’re not
always in a rush to the next lesson and can stop to talk (D&C 61:3 – Don’t move so swiftly while people on either
side are perishing in unbelief.)
5.
Fill
ALL the forms of your Future Investigator
table in your agenda (FULL name, address
with HOUSE NUMBER, phone, when available, and how/where you met them) , and in
the area book when you get home. Put them on the map. Write yourself clues to
remember who they are. (
Mni 6:6- record so you can
REMEMBER)
6.
If
possible, teach a lesson in the moment. If not possible, set a specific
appointment.
7.
Give
EVERYONE a
mormon.org or
passalong card with your names, number, direction of the chapel, and the
meeting time. Write the date and time of the appointment if you made one.
8.
If
it becomes contentious, end it immediately. You might say the perfect thing,
but when they aren’t listening you are wasting precious time.
(3 Ne 11:30- contention is not of me, should be done away.)
9.
Ask
for references from EVERYONE.
a.
Question is not ‘Do you know someone?´ but ‘Who do you know?’ (PMG
159)
What
should I say? (The Key, Mind-Changing Principles to bring up)
·
The Restoration. In every conversation.
(PME 159)
o There are lots of people who say
‘I’m not interested in changing religions—it doesn’t matter because they all
lead to God.’ Lots of times, people don’t want to listen until we say something
like ‘Christ only taught ONE doctrine of how
to live with God and be happy, not multiple. Many of these truths were lost
because people took them out of the Bible or changed them. But because God
loves us, He doesn’t want us to not know the way to come back to Him. He’s restored
the truths that were lost. Would you like us to visit you to teach you more
about these restored truths?´ You’d be stunned at how many people change their
mind and give us their datos.
·
Families Can Be Forever.
(PMG
159)
o People like to talk about their
families, almost everyone has one, and usually it’s one of the things people
feel most strongly about and want help with. Really, the whole point of the
first bullet point, Restoration, is about how to have eternal families.
o Also, the Gospel helps families
have more love, purpose, unity, peace.
·
Purpose of Life (They are a Child of God with Divine Potential, Here on
Earth to Learn to Be Like God.)
o Lots of time this leads to the idea
of PRIORITIES (almost always ‘work vs. church’) and you can back them up to the
wall of faith. Often people realize they don’t really have faith and need to
learn how. (3 Ne 13:28-33)
o Teach that our actions and what we
do with our life have CONSEQUENCES now and for the eternities, so you’d better
be doing it right.
o Then tell them there are specific
instructions from God about how to live life correctly and happily.
·
There really is guidance in life to discern what is truth – Modern
prophets, Restored scripture, the SPIRIT
·
Their current religion and relationship with God/Christ.
o Instead of ‘How is your
relationship with God/Christ?’ (answer: ‘bien’), rather ‘Do you have a
relationship with God?’ (works much better.)
·
Use the 10 points of ‘How To Begin Teaching’ (
PMG
176), in a way that is part of the conversation.
