- Prepare to serve

- Teach and testify- Keep the commandments

Obedient to a revelation from the Lord, the Quorum of the Twelve at Far West, Mo., departed in 1839 on missions to Great Britain, even though burdened with the hardship of having just been driven from their homes.

Wilford Woodruff was so sick he could hardly stand on his feet, and Brigham Young was so ill he could not walk 30 rods without assistance, recounted Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Presidency of the Seventy at the priesthood session Saturday evening.

Today, missionaries do not depart under such extreme hardship, Elder Tingey observed. "They go with relative comfort and ease, appropriately dressed, adequately fed, and travel by jet airplane."

Noting there are now more than 58,000 full-time missionaries serving in what will be 331 missions by July, Elder Tingey said, "The excitement and thrill of being a full-time missionary is one of the greatest blessings a young man of the Aaronic Priesthood can aspire to."

He suggested six ways young Aaronic Priesthood bearers can prepare for a mission:

- "Secure your individual testimony of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

- "Study and ponder the Book of Mormon to the point where you can declare that it was received by Joseph Smith from the Angel Moroni and that the Prophet Joseph translated the book from the Golden Plates."

- "Be clean and pure."

- "Pay your tithes and offerings so that you can bear witness of this great principle of the gospel."

- "Learn how to work. Be willing to get up early in the morning, work hard all day, and retire on time."

- "Serve as a home teacher in your ward to know the joy of service."

To all full-time missionaries, Elder Tingey gave this counsel:

- "Open your mouth. . . . Speak to everyone, shopkeepers, passengers riding buses, people on streets and everyone you meet."

- "Work hard.

- "Be obedient, faithful and true. . . . By keeping the missionary rules, you gain the freedom of having the Spirit assist you."

- "Teach and testify."

- "When you complete your mission, maintain the spirit, appearance and trust of a missionary."

Elder Tingey counseled fathers and grandfathers of Aaronic Priesthood young men to provide a righteous home and atmosphere of peace and stability where young men can be reared and prepared to serve.

"Set a personal example of keeping the commandments. Pay tithes and offerings, attend sacrament meetings, read the scriptures and have family home evenings so that your sons will be prepared for their missions.

"As couple missionaries, you and your wife should prepare to serve when that time comes. We need many, many more couple missionaries."