Craig Harline is an accomplished author and professor at Brigham Young University. He teaches Cultural and Religious History. He resides in Provo, Utah with his family but he also travels to Europe as he continues his research.

Craig grew up in Fresno California. He was later called to Belgium to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was those experiences he had while on his mission that lead him to write the book Way Below The Angels, the Pretty Clearly Troubled but not even close to tragic confessions of a real life mormon missionary. In this book he shares what his expectations for his mission looked like, and what really happened as he enabled the power of the atonement.

Episode Highlights:

* 5:32- Expectations for your mission or calling.

* 6:54- Your ideals are a starting point.

* 7:39 - Avoiding feelings of failure.

* 8:22 “Ideals are stars to steer by; they are not sticks to beat ourselves with.” (Barbara B. Smith)

* 12:28- How to help young missionaries set expectations before they leave on a mission.

* 15:45- The right answer is not always the heroic one.

* 18:37- We are not called to save everything, the Savior has already done that for us.

* 22:32- Sometimes we look for affirmations of success in all the wrong places.

* 28:16- Why people convert?

* 30:25-Helping missionaries understand social structures.

* 31:16- Who am I converting vs. Who am I befriending.

* 34:43-Learning to speak their language and learn their culture is an act of love.

* 35:53-Having unrealistic goals makes the mission about you, and not the people you are there to help.

* 38:15-The mission may not go the way you thought and it is ok to talk about it.

* 39:48-Sometimes you will not get along with your companion.

Links

* Craig Harline website

* Way Below The Angels, the Pretty Clearly Troubled but not even close to tragic confessions of a real life Mormon missionary

* Craig Harline’s published books

* Times and Seasons Blog