As I sat in fast and testimony meeting last week a sister in the congregation got up and talked about what it means to be set apart as a missionary.

Converts to the LDS Church certainly recognize that membership in the church comes with a language, or a vernacular, and idioms all our own. We use all kinds of words and expressions in church discourse that have specific meaning in an LDS context and often need some explanation for those outside or new to the faith. For example, what is a high priest, what is Zion vs. the mission field, what is gathering? We do work for the dead, do endowments, do visiting teaching and do home teaching.

We set apart those sustained to various callings in the church (and what is meant by a calling?). Each of these terms has a clear and specific meaning in "church talk"; however, because we bandy them about often their meaning and the power inherent in that meaning is often lost on us.

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