Clayton Christensen hopes 'The Power of Everyday Missionaries' spurs discussion about member missionary work

Member missionary work doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, intimidating or difficult. In fact, it can be a deep source of happiness.

That’s one of the main messages behind “The Power of Everyday Missionaries: The What and How of Sharing the Gospel,” a new book by Clayton M. Christensen aimed at helping members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints engage in missionary work.

“It need not be hard,” Christensen said.

Deseret Book will release “Everyday Missionaries” on Monday, Dec. 31.

The world knows Christensen for his distinguished position as a Harvard business professor, his highly regarded ideas on innovation and his New York Times critically acclaimed, best-selling books.

Christensen only sees himself as a Latter-day Saint missionary.

“Hence, under license given to each of us in section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants, I ‘called myself’ on a mission,” Christensen wrote in the book’s introduction. “I love my life as a missionary, keeping myself on the front lines. The image in my mind is that God, my general, stands at the door when I go out every morning; and, knowing what the war is like, day after day he gives me his most powerful weapon: his Spirit. For this I am grateful.”

Over the years as Christensen has served in various church responsibilities, he has observed that church members generally struggle to magnify their callings because they simply don’t know how to do them. That realization led to another realization, which became his motivation for writing “Everyday Missionaries.”

“I realized, 'Oh, my goodness, this is why most of the members in the church aren’t engaged in sharing the gospel.' They want to — they just don’t know how,” Christensen said in phone interview from Boston. “So over the last 10 years or so, I’ve tried to be reflective of my own experiences and how I have learned to share the gospel. Friends and others have encouraged me to share it so other members have access to it.”

The book is structured in three sections. In the first part, Christensen shares ideas for how to find people to introduce to the missionaries.

The second part focuses on how to help those who are investigating the church progress more resolutely toward baptism and a life of committed membership.

The third part contains a collection of what Christensen calls “latter-day miracles,” personal experiences that illustrate ideas he has discussed.

“In every chapter I have tried to teach ‘how’ in the way that the Savior taught — through parables,” Christensen wrote. “I use them to simply show what we have tried to do, what has worked and what has not, and what we have learned from each other about how to do what God wants us to do.” Christensen discusses three key principles with regard to finding friends who are interested in the hearing the gospel. These principles are accompanied by specific suggestions, which he shares in great detail.

“First, I do not know who is interested in the church. God doesn’t want me to judge other people; therefore, I need to figure out how to have a conversation about the church with everybody I meet,” the author said.

“Second, because I can’t predict who is interested, I need to have opportunities with everybody. But I need to give them the opportunity to use their free agency to say they’d like to know more. That’s why in every conversation I use ‘Mormon’ words. Then everybody knows, ‘This guy is a Mormon.’ I open the door to have a conversation about the church. Most people just don’t walk in the door, and that’s fine. But on occasion, somebody comes in, giving me an opportunity.