How to Choose LDS Art for Missionaries in the Mission Field
Missionaries have almost everything they will need for a two year mission when they leave home for the MTC. Elders, or young men, and Sisters, or young women are both well prepared for their service.
Coming up with a gift for an LDS missionary can be challenging. Missionaries read church approved literature only and listen only to certain music. All have an alarm clock to wake them up for 6:30 companionship study. Most receive sappy letters, and movies are out of the question.
When I was a missionary, I used to hang paintings from the Ensign or New Era magazines and put them on the apartment wall. I felt like this helped to remind me of why I was a missionary. As a gift for missionaries, one might consider missionary pictures or other LDS artwork. Most missionaries would be thrilled. The question is then posed, what is appropriate art for a missionary? A good rule of thumb when choosing LDS art for missionaries is, will it remind them too much of home or help them keep their focus?
A missionary, while I was serving as an Elder, recounted to me an experience he had when he had a photo poster of an ocean with a man surfing. After some consideration, he took it down because he felt it was a distraction. When coming up with LDS art for missionaries it needs to be spiritual in nature to help the missionary keep focused on his mission.
There are very few if any recommendations from the leadership of the church as far as what missionaries should have adorning their walls. The church leadership has left that up to the individual missionary to decide. Since missionaries are in a twosome it is a good idea to find something that will not offend or make companions upset for having it hung on the wall.
Paintings of Christ, temples, prophets both modern and Biblical, are always a great choice. Paintings of other missionaries teaching the gospel and serving others would be a fantastic choice as well. LDS missionary art might include paintings or pictures that show elders or sisters in the field; these are pictures that would aid missionaries in their goal to keep focused on teaching and spreading the gospel to those they come in contact with. These types of images help the missionary stay focused on the Savior and His gospel.
Coming up with a gift for an LDS missionary can be challenging. Missionaries read church approved literature only and listen only to certain music. All have an alarm clock to wake them up for 6:30 companionship study. Most receive sappy letters, and movies are out of the question.
When I was a missionary, I used to hang paintings from the Ensign or New Era magazines and put them on the apartment wall. I felt like this helped to remind me of why I was a missionary. As a gift for missionaries, one might consider missionary pictures or other LDS artwork. Most missionaries would be thrilled. The question is then posed, what is appropriate art for a missionary? A good rule of thumb when choosing LDS art for missionaries is, will it remind them too much of home or help them keep their focus?
A missionary, while I was serving as an Elder, recounted to me an experience he had when he had a photo poster of an ocean with a man surfing. After some consideration, he took it down because he felt it was a distraction. When coming up with LDS art for missionaries it needs to be spiritual in nature to help the missionary keep focused on his mission.
There are very few if any recommendations from the leadership of the church as far as what missionaries should have adorning their walls. The church leadership has left that up to the individual missionary to decide. Since missionaries are in a twosome it is a good idea to find something that will not offend or make companions upset for having it hung on the wall.
Paintings of Christ, temples, prophets both modern and Biblical, are always a great choice. Paintings of other missionaries teaching the gospel and serving others would be a fantastic choice as well. LDS missionary art might include paintings or pictures that show elders or sisters in the field; these are pictures that would aid missionaries in their goal to keep focused on teaching and spreading the gospel to those they come in contact with. These types of images help the missionary stay focused on the Savior and His gospel.
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