When the Field Gets Weird: Learning Composure from a Rio Dog Story

There are moments in the missionary journey—whether you're in the MTC, standing in a challenging culture, or right here in your own neighborhood—where you feel completely out of your depth. You’re talking about eternal life, you’re testifying of the Atonement, and suddenly, something completely random happens. Maybe it’s a stray dog, a confusing cultural custom, or a question that stumps you entirely.

I was laughing the other day remembering a story a friend shared from his time in the Rio de Janeiro Mission. It was a classic, wonderfully awkward moment that perfectly captured the unpredictable nature of the field. He and his companion were walking down the street, and everything was going smoothly until... well, until a big dog appeared.

His reaction was, to put it mildly, dramatic. It wasn't a graceful, composed, missionary-level response. It was pure, flailing, unprepared human panic! But here’s the beautiful thing about that story, because it’s not really about dogs. It’s about composure. It’s about what happens when we, as disciples, encounter something that throws us off balance.

The Unexpected Nature of the Work

We are taught so much—how to answer investigator questions, how to prepare for a missionary discussion, how to feel the Spirit while sharing the plan of salvation. We practice, we study, and we get ready for the big moments. But the work, truly, is unpredictable. The Spirit can guide us into a perfect moment of discourse, only to have a car back up, or a dog appear, or a technical glitch ruin the perfect flow. These moments are the 'Rio de Janeiro' moments of our discipleship.

When we are in the field, whether physically or digitally, we are representatives of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Our mission isn't just to be knowledgeable; it's to be *Christlike*. And being Christlike, at its core, means maintaining composure—even when our bodies are doing 15 things at once, like the story suggests!

Translating the Dog Incident to the Field

What did the friend learn from the dog? That sometimes, when you are unprepared, the best thing to do is to react with such genuine humanity that the moment passes, and you move on. Spiritually, this translates into accepting that you don't have to be perfect. You don't have to have the perfect answer to every challenging question or the perfect explanation for every cultural difference. You just have to be present, be honest, and remember the core message: the Savior.

If you feel overwhelmed in your own life, or if you’re facing a tough question during your own missionary preparation, remember that the power isn't in your perfect performance; the power is in the Spirit that guides you to speak the truth, even if your knees are shaking.

Your Next Step in Disciple-Making

As we continue to learn how to be Internet missionaries, we need to build our spiritual muscle memory. If you’re feeling a little flustered about how to handle difficult conversations, I highly recommend checking out Davee's AI Investigator role. He walks you through those hard questions and helps you practice turning panic into thoughtful, Christlike answers.

For those of us who are already seasoned, remember to keep leaning into structured discipleship. Have you looked at the social scripture study layer inside LivingBook recently? It’s a wonderful way to deepen your knowledge and connect with other disciples who are studying the same material.

And if you want to keep the momentum going, join us for our weekly Disciple Challenge! It’s a free way to practice our skills and receive encouraging words from the brethren. Let’s keep building that spiritual composure, one wild dog encounter at a time. We are building a global fellowship of Latter-day Saints, and we are all in this together!