The Power of Everyday Missionaries: The What and How of Sharing the Gospel

by Clayton M. Christensen

Uncomfortable. Intimidating. That is how many people describe member missionary work. Clayton Christensen admits that he and his wife, Christine, felt that way in the past too. But they also recognized the tremendous blessings associated with the work, and they wanted to learn how to share the gospel in ways that would be natural and rewarding. Claytons expertise as an innovator kicked in, and he set out with friends and family members to find a more effective approach to member missionary work. Their refreshing perspectives are presented in this book, which includes inspiring, unusual stories that demonstrate the effectiveness of the ideas. Chances are, you will discover you are already doing a lot of the things mentioned, and with just a little tweak here and there, you will be sharing the gospel naturally as part of your everyday interactions. Along the way, you will feel the deep joy that comes from helping others discover the most precious blessing in the world: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Lds, Church, Spirituality, Christian, Inspirational

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Clayton Magleby Christensen was an American academic and business consultant who developed the theory of "disruptive innovation", which has been called the most influential business idea of the early 21st century. Christensen introduced "disruption" in his 1997 book The Innovator's Dilemma, and it led The Economist to term him "the most influential management thinker of his time." He served as the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School (HBS), and was also a leader and writer in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was one of the founders of the Jobs to Be Done development methodology.
Christensen was also a co-founder of Rose Park Advisors, a venture capital firm, and Innosight, a management consulting and investment firm specializing in innovation.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEVER like Deseret Book books! EVER. Only read this book out of duty as I'm a new Ward Missionary and our ward Mission Leader asked me to read it. I began it with a chip on my shoulder CERTAIN I wouldn't like it. I now want EVERYONE to read this book. It will change your life... and more importantly... will change the life of others who are awaiting the gospel message. FULL of revolutionary thoughts/methods/tips on how to do missionary work with everyone around you. I highlighted something from almost every page as I read the book. It costs $6.99 and proceeds go to the General Missionary Fund of the LDS Church. Buy your own copy so you can mark it up and re-read. Can not emphasize enough how important I think this book is.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was initially a fan of Harvard Business professor Clayton Christensen's work on innovation as well as his HBR article of the year, "How Will You Measure Your Life" (now a book by the same title). However, when I heard Clayton speak on missionary work at a conference a year or so ago, I was even more impressed by his humility and willingness to be a true disciple of Christ. I especially loved his stories and counsel on missionary work--something he is obviously passionate about (me too)!

Now we have a whole book to help us look at missionary work in a different way--a way that seeks to "mirror the mind and the ways of God." For example, how often do we ask others, "Do you have any questions about religion that you've been wondering about or that you haven't been able to get good answers to?" Or how do we involve others in the essence of our religion: serving others?

He also teaches us how to teach others towards conversion by teaching them how to pray, study the scriptures (specifically the Book of Mormon) prayerfully, keep the Sabbath Day holy, and how to view and deal with opposition and temptation. I think one of the big keys Christensen brings forth is focusing on the how's, which often hinders our success.

Most inspirational of all are the real stories that have taken place in the life of Christensen's family and the families of his friends.

This quick read is definitely worth the investment of time to study and think about, and it has given me the resolve to be more diligent and more effective in the ways that I share my most prized-possession--the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

[Nat Harward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I had never asked anyone to meet with full-time missionaries to be taught the gospel.

After reading it, I have asked 3. One said yes.

I used to think I shouldn't say anything until someone has expressed interest first. And I used to think talking about the gospel was a really big deal. I am now free to talk about it like it's a normal part of my life -- because it is! And I get that invitations are just invitations and not matters of success and failure or life working and life falling apart. Sharing my faith is easy and a joy now.

And I'm now working for CMC to build a community online of people who want to effectively share the gospel. Look for "Everyday Missionaries" or "Daily Missionary" on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, G+ and Instagram.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take everything you have ever learned about being a "member missionary" and then re-think it through this book.
Sometimes we know WHAT we need to do
But we just don't know HOW to do it.
Clayton Christensen helps us understand the HOW of being a member missionary through some simple techniques.
Here are just a few:

1. Do not judge who YOU think will be receptive...leave that to the Lord.
2. Use Gospel-lingo in everyday conversations...it will open up natural conversations.
3. Share the truth...it is really that simple.
4. Set goals and deadlines...it is easy to say "I'll do it tomorrow." But tomorrow never comes.
5. Become a "virtual missionary" by posting a blog or answering questions on blogs.

This book also has some AMAZING insights for EVERYONE on HOW to pray, study the scriptures and how to keep the Sabbath Day holy.
Great stories to illustrate the principles taught and a powerful testimony at the end.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 Stars

This is typically not my favorite topic at church, okay,sometimes I cringe when I hear another talk about missionary work, but I kept hearing about this book and the author so I decided to pick this up. More than anything I was completely inspired by the author as a person. His kindness and love inspired and touched me to the core. He made me think of how I can be a better Christian all around, and reminded me of some of the best parts of my religion like coming together as a community and really being our brother and sister's keepers.

I would highly recommend this to my LDS goodreads friends.

[Kelsey Kacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every member should read this book. It is life-changing for members of the LDS church who are looking to be better missionaries but are stuck, bored, or scared. The principles in this book are practical and real. My family and my husband's family read this for our book clubs and it has been inspiring for all of us. My convert dad invited my non-member aunt by using some of the recommendations and she is taking the lessons for the first time in her life at age 70. Huge fan!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up because the missionaries in my ward have been teaching my family little mini lessons out of it. Every single principle they taught was so FRESH and INSPIRING! What an incredible book! Completely changed my view of sharing the Gospel. And I realized a lot of the opinions I held about how and what to do were totally wrong. Some of the best things I learned are that everyone needs to be needed, everyone needs to be loved, and most people need to learn how to acclimate to religion if they haven't been.

Lots of fantastic teaching stories. I think this is a must read for every Latter Day Saint. And not just a book to read once. A book to keep close at hand, to refer to often, to teach from and to pray about how to implement. I can't say enough good things!

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would it give you an idea of how much I was affected by this book if I said that I wish I could buy it for all the LDS people that I know? I will at least be purchasing it to give to members of my family and I hope that they will read it and be impacted by it as much as I have been.

This is a fairly new book and one that I hadn’t heard of until a few weeks ago. It was recommended by our ward mission leader and the bishop asked us to read it as a ward council so we could discuss it and improve our missionary efforts. I didn’t serve a full-time mission and have never viewed myself as a good missionary…I’ve always worried too much about offending people by being too preachy, I guess. The best thing I can say about this book is that it fundamentally changed how I view missionary work. It helped me better understand why so many of us are intimidated by sharing our beliefs and then went on to give lots of suggestions and tools for being successful as a member missionary…really great, practical ideas, with stories to support them and help you see how regular people have used them effectively.

My book is marked up all over the place – it’s that good. As I flipped through it thinking to share a few of my favorite insights, I realized how difficult that would be…there are too many things to pick only a few. I’ll share just one idea: I loved Bro. Christensen’s suggestion that when people express interest in our religion, rather than telling them what WE think is important about our beliefs, ask them what questions they have and base the discussion around those things –because usually they will be different than what we would have chosen to talk about ourselves.

I see myself referring back to this book again and again as I seek to be a better member missionary. The Church is intensifying its missionary efforts constantly now, and I'm sure that’s not a reversible trend. If the thought of missionary work makes you – like me – a little (or even a lot) uncomfortable, this book has the potential to really change your perspective.

[Adrian Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missionary work is sometimes not a popular topic, but this book completely changed my attitude. Br. Christensen takes apart the common practice of choose a friend and set a date, of which I've always been suspicious, and suggests that missionary work is less about 'meeting with the missionaries' than it is about inviting others to come unto Christ. Here are the points from his book that have changed my life:

1. People are not interested in doctrine when they first come to the church. People are interested in the close relationship that Latter Day Saints have with God.

2. Be open about your activity at church. When you talk about your weekend or weeknight doings, talk about what you really did - including church attendance and activities.

3. The Lord sends investigators to wards that he can trust. Make sure your ward is one of those that can be trusted.

4. You succeed with every invitation to come unto Christ. It doesn't have to be an invitation to meet with missionaries. Here some of the invitations that Spencer & I have issued since the missionaries challenged us to issue 30 invitations to come unto Christ in the next three months (I can't believe that we're accepting challenges from missionaries. This book has really changed us.):

a. an inactive member - to seek God in prayer over a problem
b. an investigator - to give up pot in preparation for baptism
c. a random abortion protestor - to come to church
d. a friend at work - to learn more about Mormonism
e. neighbor girl - to come to church with the kids

5. The Lord pours out his Spirit where people need it most: and that's not in Church administration, but in missionary work. If you want to feel the Spirit, be a missionary.

This book changed our lives. I'm grateful that Spencer made me read it, and I recommend it to anyone.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought there were some good tips and ideas on how to be a missionary in our everyday lives. I really enjoyed the personal stories because they helped me see how to apply these tips and just how easy it can be.

One thing that really stood out for me was setting a date. If we don't have a date in mind--a deadline--then it's easy to say we'll get to it next week and to keep pushing it off. It's very important in our goals to have that end in mind.

Another thing that was good to know was that although he befriended and invited people, with a goal in mind, they don't always accept the invitation. And that's okay. He stresses that we can't possibly know who will and won't be ready and we're often going to be surprised. We needed to make friends and keep them--not making their acceptance or not a stipulation on that friendship.

Last of all, often times people are more receptive when they feel needed--when the Church needs them and not they need the Church.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you pick up Clayton Christensen's The Power of Everyday Missionaries: The What and How of Sharing the Gospel you'll notice a couple of interesting things right away. The cover is plain: just the title and author. Oh, and one more thing: "New York Times Bestselling Author." Then on the back of the title page, in addition to the usual disclaimers and copyright notices, there is this: "Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the general missionary fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Even if you had no prior knowledge of this work, you now know two essential things. First, the author has received a considerable amount of acclaim for his writing, and second, this book seems intended to add to neither the author's fame nor his fortune. That said, it's a great resource for LDS readers -- articulate, practical, compelling.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! This book made me think about missionary work in a whole new way. Christensen takes what may seem daunting and scary and shows how to fit sharing the gospel into every day life, with techniques that are time-tested and make perfect sense. I think every member of the LDS Church should read this book.

[Melanie Stanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read church books often, and especially not non-fiction, but our ward mission leader challenged the ward council to read it so I said yes.

This book was a big eye-opener on missionary work- something I'm terrible at. Excellent ideas and examples, and stories that brought tears to my eyes. A must-read for members of the LDS church.

[Keri-Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real game changer for me. Clayton Christensen approached his subject in ways I've never seen before and inspired me to make some changes in my own life. It's not often a book does that for me.

[Elizabeth Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book on missionary work by far.

I read a library copy. I will definitely be purchasing this book for my home library. It is one worth referring back to over and over again.

[Jamie Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the most practical church book I've ever read, and certainly the most useful on the subject of sharing the gospel! At ten years old now, the chapter on online sharing needs to be updated (in our minds) to be more expansive, but what's here is timeless and universal advice--clearly the lifelong passion of someone who labors to serve the Lord.

Even more than being just a missionary manual, though, it'll catch on fire the spirit of anyone who's looking for a boost. You can't read this and not feel the author's profound faith, and the true power of that faith in each of our lives.

[Rashae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has completely altered my view of member missionary work! It has made it seem far less intimidating and so much more attainable. The Gospel applies to everyone and anything, and when I live it and pray for the faith and power to share it, God will help me find those who need it and are ready.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite vignette was when Virginia Perry, wife of apostle L.Tom Perry (years before he was called to that office), came to church in jeans & a t-shirt to help make a new visitor feel comfortable. I guess that's because earlier this year I felt prompted to wear dress pants to a Stake fireside to make a non-member friend feel welcome & I shrank from the prompting out of fear of being misunderstood & judged by fellow members. I didn't want to be associated with the "wear pants to church" movement that had happened recently in Utah, otherwise I probably would have worn the pants. I regretted following my fear instead of love, but learned from the experience. I hope that I will have more courage if I have another opportunity like that.

This book is full of inspiring stories & examples of gospel sharing & some good principles to keep in mind that can make it less daunting. I wanted to give it 5 stars, especially since Brother Christensen was my neighbor in my childhood & I think he is a wonderful man. I think for many others this is probably a 5 star book.

To me, missionary work is more a matter of personal testimony & desire to share what blesses my life than part of a to-do list. I've experienced the joy of sharing the gospel in my life many times & I hunger & pray for more of those experiences, so the whole set-a-date program isn't really my style, and I think that's why I couldn't give the book a full 5 stars. For me a deadline turns it from a natural thing to a stressful "to-do" item. Obviously that approach works well for Brother Christensen & probably for others, so that's just where I'm at personally. Other than that portion of the book, everything else resonated with me. For me, missionary work really comes down to loving others, having a desire to share the joy that the gospel brings to me & then not letting fear overtake me when I feel genuinely prompted to invite or testify. I'm working on figuring out the balance between being bold but not overbearing & those stories in his book that illustrated that balance were beautiful to me.

Overall, this was an excellent book & if you're struggling with being motivated or scared to share the gospel & just wondering how to do it naturally, it is full of inspiration.

[Erika B. (SOS BOOKS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as being insanely informative and overall inspiring this would get like 4.5 stars from me! The ideas and stories were excellent. However I think I wanted to be more enthralled and entertained at the time that I was reading this so I found myself taking a long time to read it! It wasn't exactly a page turner. It has a great message though! So I'm torn! 3.5 stars to you book!

[Dallin Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you need to study out theoretical methods to know how to do something well, and other times you need to be inspired by others’ stories to apply correct principles in your own way. This is more the latter, and I’m excited to go and apply these concepts to sharing my testimony of the restored Gospel.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Principles that Work from a Lifelong Missionary

I just finished reading this book for my second time and enjoyed "round two!" I first picked it up because it was referenced a few times in General Conference, and I've found lots of peace and success in my missionary efforts when I put its teachings into practice. I think of this book as "Preach My Gospel" for members--a handbook of stories and principles that can help advance the Work of Salvation in our lives and homes. Here are the highlights:

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: Clayton M. Christensen, a now-deceased former Member of a Quorum of the Seventy and a Harvard Business professor, uses this book to convey a lifetime of missionary lessons he and his family have put into practice. In only 150 pages he describes the principles that he's discovered while serving and building the Kingdom in New England. The book is chock-full of inspiring anecdotes that share useful, approachable principles that are adapted to "the weakest of all Saints" (D&C 89:3) and really show a path forward to sharing the gospel.

*The Bottom Lines: Christensen's ultimate messages include the following:
-We succeed when we invite others to learn the gospel, not only when they accept.
-One of the best ways to invite others to express interest is by using gospel vocabulary on a regular basis (e.g., "When I served my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...")
-We should focus our teaching and discussions on people's questions.
-Many people, especially those in the middle and upper-classes, will be more affected by a request for help than an offer of information.
-We need to show the Lord that He can trust us to follow through when we make commitments to share the gospel.
-The best modern missionaries are "spiritual entrepreneurs."

*The Principles Work: Since I first read this book in 2013, I've applied several of the above lessons and I can testify that they work. I've made a particular point to bring gospel vernacular into my daily walk and conversation and, when people ask if I'm a member, I ask "why do you ask?" This has led to many sweet and unexpected experiences, including accepted (and rejected) invitations to read the Book of Mormon, colleagues setting up Family Search accounts and working on their genealogy, and various prolonged and wide-ranging discussions about our faith and beliefs. I want to do better at being a "spiritual entrepreneur" and setting dates to show my commitment this time around; I believe that those measures will bear fruit too!

*In Line with Prophetic Teachings: Christensen's teachings align very well with, for example, Harriet Uchtdorf's lifelong habit of answering questions about her weekend by describing Sunday Services. It also matches President Uchtforf's repeated petition that we need new members to "come and help."

*Inspiring Modern Miracle Stories: The book concludes with a set of anecdotes that are just as inspiring as the stories of Wilford Woodruff on the Benbow Farm. The Church is full of wildly successful member missionaries TODAY, and I want to be one of them.

I highly recommend this book for everyone. It can significantly bless full-time and ward missionaries, Ward Mission Leaders, members of Ward Councils, and parents. I'll read it again in the future!

[Richard Bracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am grateful to the friend who gave me this book several years ago, not the least reason being I was called to be the mission leader of my ward two weeks ago.

I’ve too often given myself big pats on the back for occasionally sharing the gospel in some small way in my orbit, invariably with little reciprocal interest. This book helped me identify a possible reason. While I may have been sharing, I’ve rarely “invited” anyone to do anything.

“If you knew about a party, but weren’t invited, would you go”? asked a visiting missionary recently. I have to admit, the question made so much sense I replied with complete silence. I’m sure Brother Christensen would have readily agreed with him.

”The only way all people can have the opportunity to choose or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ is for us, without judgment, to invite them to follow the Savior”

.

We ought to merely, and authentically, invite and move on; detached from outcomes.

I appreciated his also pointing out that the sorts of things that interest individuals not of our faith are often not the kinds of things we think would resonate. He then identifies them.

I also greatly enjoyed his highlighting the Malden branch in Massachusetts as it sought to grow in the early 1990’s from 10 active members meeting in a member’s home to a group of over 20 in a rented hall, to their present enjoyment of a phase II building. I probably appreciated this section the most because I was privileged to actually serve in that very branch as a missionary for a short time during the period written about. It prompted me to dig out my old mission journal to see if I had written anything about the branch, and I had!

”June 7, 1992, Church was great. The Malden branch meets together in a building that helps the handicapped. We had to go early to set up chairs etc and convert it into a chapel. About 30 people came. It’s so exciting to help build and strengthen a struggling little branch.”

The gospel is amazing. This book has a lot of helpful material about sharing that I hope to implement. I wish I hadn’t put off reading it!

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in awe with what this brother has accomplished with missionary work! He truly has the spirit of it and is in tune with how to accomplish it and how to recognize the efforts of others in that glorious work. He is however, just a bit lacking in being able to see how efforts in other areas are just as serviceable (as Mormon indicated were the works of both Captain Moroni and Helaman to their people) toward the faith and spirit of the members of our day. I thoroughly disagree with his statement to the effect that serving in a bishopric doesn't require as much access to the Spirit as does missionary work. I think that each person has access to the Spirit more strongly with different callings. Whereas Brother Christensen has the spirit with missionary work, I think I have the spirit with Sunday School and another person has the spirit with administrative duties while my wife has the spirit with the Primary and so on and so forth. I also have a slight issue with how he implies around the end that successes in missionary work are not miracles if you're following what the spirit directs. I have long felt that just because we know how something works we have no right to declare it isn't a miracle anymore. If lives are being led to Christ, it most certainly is a miracle, no matter how well it can be explained or not. God works in mysterious ways, but sometimes the biggest mystery is how easy it is for some to understand what happened. Still, I feel that this book is well worth a read and may even help to cause some more missionary miracles too.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book!!!!! We read this as part of our ward missionary Meetings, a sort of book club and walked away with so many ideas. How we approach missionary work is so backward or wrong often and this book provides you the framework of how to change your ideas and your approach to it through numerous REAL examples. Every member should read this book. It is short and sometimes I wish the chapters we're longer and meatier but the simplicity is to help us have the spirit inspire how we can adapt that principle in our lives and areas.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short book is about being a missionary. Not the kind with a calling who is set apart for1 1/2 -2 years but all of us. All the time! It gives excellent, practical instruction on what you can do. For example, how to talk more openly about your life and beliefs in a casual but inviting way. Or giving yourself a time limit in which to extend invitations. Also judging your success by the invitations you extend, not in people’s reactions to them. One of my favorite tips was to find out what other people’s questions are instead of forcing your own doctrine on them or starting where you think the most logical place in doctrine is. I think so many people could benefit from reading and implementing any number of his suggestions. I loved it!

[Fabrizio Poli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers an excellent series of ideas of how to effectively do Missionary work.
It is a book to read and study over and over again, a must in every LDS library.
The big takeaway is that our duty is to invite, not convert and that not everyone in the pre-existence chose to join the Church in this life.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book finally provided much needed direction for what my role is as an everyday missionary! If i knew this information 20 years ago it would have helped me avoid a lot of frustration and awkward situations regarding my responsibility to share the gospel and find people for the missionaries to teach.

[Zachariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this twice now. It's one of the most perspective-changing books I've ever read. A must-read for anyone wanting to know how to fulfill God's charge to share the gospel.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been incredibly inspired by this book. Having read and pondered many parts of it, I feel a greater determination to be a good human and love people for who they are.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offered severs insightful ideas on member missionary work and how to sincerely serve with love