How I Lead in a Mission Presidency | An Interview with Bruce Chang

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Bruce Chang immigrated to the United States at age 12 and lived in Hawaii and Washington State. He is originally from Taiwan and belonged to the Buddhist faith, was baptized at age 17, and served a mission in the California, Arcadia Mission, speaking Chinese. Bruce has a PhD in Organizational Leadership and has worked as a seminary teacher and an institute director and coordinator for over 20 years, teaches at BYU Education Week and EFY, and was recently a visiting professor at Brigham Young University. He has served as a counselor in a young single adult stake in Syracuse, Utah, and in the California Arcadia Mission presidency. In this podcast, Bruce shares his experience working with youth and full time missionaries and how to effectively teach and support them.

Highlights

3:15 Bruce relates his experience meeting Elder Cook and getting called as a counselor in a newly-formed YSA stake. 9:00 Bruce’s experience being converted and baptized as a member of the Church. Bruce is the only member of his family and he has passed through many difficult experiences because he didn’t have much support from family. 23:08 The measure of a true leader is to be someone that listens more than he speaks. 25:00 How do we connect with youth and help them progress in the gospel?

Understand where they are at and where you think that the Lord wants to take them.

27:30 Bruce’s tips to help youth that don’t think they need organized religion.

Ask, don’t tell.
Don’t try to change their behavior.

29:20 Teach them correct principles but let them self discover. 29:30 Bruce gives an example of how to talk with teens and get them to pay attention when you teach. 35:15 Lead your children into the scriptures. Bruce gives a real life example of how to teach with scripture instead of getting angry with his child. 41:00 Bruce gets called to serve in the mission presidency in the same mission that he served in as a young man. 43:00 Experiences working in a mission presidency and with the missionaries. 52:10 How can we better help and prepare missionaries?

We need to focus on conversion and not baptism. It can be discouraging for missionaries when they can’t achieve their baptism goal. You can’t set a goal that infringes on other people’s agency. Control the controllable.

55:15 How can parents best support their full time missionaries?

Don’t focus on outward rewards, such as, being an AP, zone leader, district leader or getting a certain number of baptisms.
Instead ask them to share experiences and how they have seen God in their lives.
Ask them not if they get along with their companion but what they have learned or like about their companion. How has your companion helped you?
Be prepared weekly with great questions.

1:03:38 To be a great leader is to be an exceptional follower.