For years you sang, “I Hope They Call Me on a Mission.” Now, the time has come. You received your call and are preparing to serve an LDS mission. As you get ready, your bishop will ask you to customize a missionary plaque.
How do you know which missionary plaque scripture to use? Which one best describes what you will experience for the next 18-months to two-years?
Deciding which LDS scripture to inscribe on your plaque can be a difficult choice. That is why our team has put together a formula for choosing the best missionary plaque scripture, including six favorites.
Read the guide below for help deciding which scripture is your best fit.
Guide to Selecting an LDS Missionary Plaque Scripture
REFLECT
When choosing a missionary plaque scripture, keep in mind that the best options are 100-150 words. While this requirement will narrow down your search, you will also want to reflect on your choice. Ask yourself what made you decide to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Think about what serving a mission means to you. Are there any scriptures that come to mind as you reflect?
Even if the scripture doesn’t explicitly talk about missionary work, consider using this scripture for your missionary plaque. Don’t worry about your missionary plaque scripture matching a certain standard. Instead, it should reflect your experience and what you hope to do in the next 18- to 24- months.
PONDER
It would also help if you took time to ponder your decision. Elder Whiting, a former member of the Seventy, says, “The power that comes from pondering is the power to receive revelation.”
He also explains, “Pondering is a spiritual principle that is often spoken of in scripture and by prophets, seers, and revelators. I have learned that not many of us know how to ponder or how to do so with the degree of effectiveness that will unlock the desired results.”
Elder Whiting outlines a process revealed to President Joseph F. Smith found in Doctrine and Covenants 138. The four steps in the pondering process you can use when selecting a missionary plaque scripture include:
Prepare a quiet place free from distractions.
Read scriptures with the desire to learn from them, rather than to just finish, by thinking deeply about what we are reading.
Reflect upon what we have read and think about it again and again.
Engage our minds in an active process.
As you ponder, keep your mind open to possibilities. Have patience. You will eventually find a missionary plaque scripture that feels right.
PRAY
Another principle to use when deciding which scripture to use is prayer. After reflecting and pondering over your choice, you can use prayer to finalize your decision.
As the scripture D&C 9:7–8 reads, “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”
After reflecting, pondering, praying, and coming to a decision, you can work with the LDS Missionary Plaque Specialists at McGee’s to customize your order. Together, we can ensure that your missionary plaque includes all of the details that will make it your own.
Missionary Plaque Scriptures
If you are still having trouble choosing an LDS missionary plaque scripture, here are a few options to consider:
1 NEPHI 3:7
7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.
3 NEPHI 5:13
13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.
MATTHEW 10:39 (KJV)
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
ALMA 42:31
31 And now, O my son, ye are called of God to preach the word unto this people. And now, my son, go thy way, declare the word with truth and soberness, that thou mayest bring souls unto repentance, that the great plan of mercy may have claim upon them. And may God grant unto you even according to my words. Amen.
ALMA 29:9
9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.
DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 18:15
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!
Custom LDS Missionary Plaques at McGee’s
Ranging in styles, colors, wood types, and sizes, McGee’s LDS missionary plaques are the best way to begin and end your mission. From the display case in your ward building to your favorite shelf at home, the LDS missionary plaques at McGee’s are perfect for any setting.
Customize yours with your chosen missionary plaque scripture online today.