JOEL - Most missionaries were already oblivious to what's going on in the world before they became missionaries. How many teenage boys do you know who actually sit and read the newspaper or watch the news on TV? Besides this they have no time for it. Their mission is to keep their minds fixed on spiritual things and dedicated to sharing the Gospel with others. The news of the world can be a costly distraction that could cause them to worry more about the things of the world rather than pondering the doctrines of God. It is more important for them for what they are doing to read the scriptures rather than the newspaper. But their ears are not completely closed to it. They hear about things through their conversations with other people or they might just happen to see a newscast while visiting a member's or investigator's home. The main objective of this guideline is to encourage the missionary to not spend too much time concerning himself about the things of the world so he can concentrate on his missionary work and other spiritual things.