For LDS Missionaries

If you are unable to hear the audio, click here for the alternate audio method.
This lesson is specifically for LDS Missionaries who have been called to serve in Japan and need to learn
Japanese. Between this and the other public lessons, most of what you will learn in the MTC is covered
and the lessons in our Members Area go well beyond. While you might think you have a good handle on
the Japanese language by the time you're ready to leave the MTC, two months really isn't enough time
to learn the language well enough to be very effective. Our hope is that you will find this lesson soon
after receiving your mission call so that you have more time to prepare and can then focus more time on
teaching.

The MTC focuses on teaching polite form. This is good because you should use polite form with those
you don't know well or are meeting for the first time but some people (especially members) will switch
to plain form fairly quickly so, if you don't know it, you won't know what they're saying. You also won't
be able to understand the scriptures.

The scriptures use kanji, hiragana, and katakana (like any standard written Japanese) but they also have
furigana (the reading written out in hiragana next to the kanji) so that even little children can read them.
This means you only need to learn hiragana to read the bulk of the scriptures but will also need to learn
katakana as well in order to read the names of the books and people.

Below you will find various nouns, adjectives, and verbs specific to the LDS Church in Japan. Click on the
image to hear the audio.

漢字 - Kanji ひらがな - Hiragana Romaji

(English Letters)English Meaning
末日聖徒イエス・キリスト教会 まつじつせいといえす・きりすときょうかい
matsujitsu seito iesu kirisuto kyoukai The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
末日 まつじつ matsujitsu latter days
聖徒 せいと seito disciple(s)
イエス・キリスト いえす・きりすと iesu kirisuto Jesus Christ (katakana - from
Portuguese)
教会 きょうかい kyoukai church
教会員 きょうかいいん kyoukaiin church member(s)
福音 ふくいん fukuin the gospel
救いの計画 すくいのけいかく sukui no keikaku plan of salvation
神様 かみさま kamisama God
天のお父様 てんのおとうさま ten no otousama Heavenly Father
主 しゅ shu Lord
救い主 すくいぬし sukuinushi Savior
贖い主 あがないぬし aganainushi Redeemer
贖い あがない aganai atonement
聖霊 せいれい seirei Holy Ghost
聖霊の力 せいれいのちから seirei no chikara power of the Holy Ghost
聖霊の賜物 せいれいのたまもの seirei no tamamono gift of the Holy Ghost
聖典 せいてん seiten scriptures
聖書 せいしょ seisho Bible
モルモン書 もるもんしょ morumonsho Book of Mormon
教義と聖約 きょうぎとせいやく kyougi to seiyaku Doctrine and Covenants
高価な真珠 こうかなしんじゅ kouka na shinju Pearl of Great Price
章 しょう shou chapter
節 せつ setsu verse
神権 しんけん shinken priesthood
管理 かんり kanri authority
定員会 ていいんかい teiinkai quorum
大祭司 だいさいし daisaishi high priest
長老 ちょうろう chourou elder
祭司 さいし saishi priest
教師 きょうし kyoushi teacher
執事 しつじ shitsuji deacon
支部長 しぶちょう shibuchou branch president
監督 かんとく kantoku bishop
使徒 しと shito apostle
預言者 よげんしゃ yogensha prophet
指導者 しどうしゃ shidousha leader
兄弟 きょうだい kyoudai brother
姉妹 しまい shimai sister
宣教師 せんきょうし senkyoushi missionary
同僚 どうりょう douryou companion
伝道 でんどう dendou missionary work
伝道部 でんどうぶ dendoubu mission home (also called "honbu" or "dendou honbu")
伝道部長 でんどうぶちょう dendoubuchou mission president
知恵の言葉 ちえのことば chie no kotoba Word of Wisdom
十分の一 じゅうぶんの一 juubun no ichi tithing (literally means "one tenth")
純潔の律法 じゅんけつのりっぽう junketsu no rippou law of chastity
祈る いのる inoru to pray (godan verb)
祈り いのり inori prayer
証 あかし akashi testimony
証する あかしする akashi suru to bear testimony (irregular verb)
バプテスマ ばぷてすま baputesuma baptism (katakana)
施す ほどこす hodokosu to perform (godan)
バプテスマを施す ばぷてすまをほどこす baputesuma o hodokosu to baptize
(godan)
聖餐 せいさん seisan the sacrament
パン ぱん pan bread (katakana - from Spanish)
水 みず mizu water
祝福 しゅくふく shukufuku blessing
祝福する しゅくふくする shukufuku suru to bless (irregular verb)
聖餐を祝福する せいさんをしゅくふくする seisan o shukufuku suru to bless the
sacrament (irregular verb)
義 ぎ gi righteousness
正しい ただしい tadashii correct, righteous [dv]
相応しい ふさわしい fusawashii worthy [dv]
真実 しんじつ shinjitsu true [dn]
真理 しんり shinri truth
信じる しんじる shinjiru to believe (ichidan verb)
記録 きろく kiroku record
永遠 えいえん eien eternity
サタン さたん satan Satan (katakana)
罪 つみ tsumi sin
悔い改める くいあらためる kuiaratameru to repent (ichidan)
Here is a link to Moroni 10:3-5 in Japanese (モロナイ書十章三節から五節まで - moronaisho juushou
sansetsu kara gosetsu made ) so you can practice reading. Look up words you don't understand here.