'Don't stop there'
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On the matter of "raising the bar" for prospective missionaries, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve in his priesthood session talk used as an analogy a reminiscence regarding his son, Lee, who was on the track team in high school and competed in the high-jump event.
In a practice session at home, on every attempt Lee would clear the high-jump bar at 5 feet 8 inches, the minimum to qualify for the state track meet. When his father suggested they raise the bar, Lee replied, "Then I might miss."
"If you don't raise the bar, how will you ever know your potential?" was his father's query.
Elder Perry recounted, "So we started moving the bar up.... Lee became a better high jumper because he was not content with just clearing the minimum standard. He learned that even if it meant missing, he wanted to keep raising the bar to become the best high-jumper he was capable of becoming."
Drawing a lesson from the experience, Elder Perry spoke of Church leaders having raised the bar for missionary service, "and now the minimum standard is absolute moral worthiness, physical health and strength, intellectual, social and emotional development.... But once you reach those minimum standards, shouldn't you try to keep raising the bar?... My challenge to you is to recognize that a minimum standard exists — and you must reach it to serve as a full-time missionary — but don't stop there."
Raising the bar could involve further physical conditioning and improving physical appearance, Elder Perry suggested. "Start now to prepare for a full-time mission by adopting the appearance of a full-time missionary."
He said young men should raise the bar in their intellectual preparation by taking their schooling seriously. "It is important to be able to read, speak and write with intelligence."
As missionary work is emotionally demanding, young men should learn to control their emotions under circumstances they will face as missionaries, Elder Perry said.
"While President Hinckley did not mention this, prospective missionaries also must be prepared with the social skill needed to serve a mission," he said. "More and more, young people are isolating themselves from others by playing video games, wearing headphones and interacting through cell phones, e-mail, text-messaging and so on instead of in person. Much of missionary work involves relating face-to-face with people, and unless you set the bar higher in development of your social skills you will find yourself under-prepared."
