Over the years I have found great satisfaction in plumbing the spiritual depths of the Book of Mormon with students in Sunday School, priesthood, and institute classes in a quest to learn the essence of missionary work. The missionary experiences of the sons of Mosiah, for example, offer a unique and powerful blueprint of what it takes to be an effective missionary (see especially Mosiah 27–28, Alma 17–26). There is no finer missionary guide than what one finds in the scriptures. Looking back over their chronicle of courage in the face of affliction and triumph in the face of overwhelming odds provides a remarkably comprehensive portrait of the ideal and noble missionary. The following chart summarizes the salient points and gives the scriptural references for review:
(Richard J. Allen )