It has been a great week! The temperatures are cool and we have received some much needed moisture here in Houston. Zone Leader Council was held on Tuesday morning, New Leadership Training on Wednesday morning and on Friday morning, individual zone meetings were held in respective areas. Unfortunately, we can't seem to upload any pictures from the computer, so we will post President Pingree's weekly letter to the missionaries for now.
Dear Sisters and Elders –
We need to renew our faith in God and strengthen our
resolve to find those ready to accept the gospel. As explained in Preach My
Gospel, “Strengthen your faith that God is preparing His children to
receive the message of the Restoration. As you do all you can under the
guidance of the Holy Ghost to find people to teach, the Lord will place such
people in your path” (p. 167).
“Strengthen Your Faith” to Find
God has prepared people in your area to accept His
gospel. This is more than a motivational statement. It is truth!Every person in
your area is a child of God. God loves them.He has a specific plan for them and
is preparing them to receive the restored gospel. As the Lord promised: “I will
open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you” (D&C 31:7).
It is important to understand that not every person is
prepared at this specific time. However, many are ready right now!We are told
to find “them that will receive you” (D&C 42:8). These individuals will
recognize you as God’s servants and will be willing to act upon the things you
teach them. They will pray.They will read and pray about the Book of Mormon.
They will come to Church.They will repent and change. This is how you know if
someone is ready to accept the gospel.
Pray with faith that you will be led to those the Lord
has prepared to receive the gospel. Pray with faith that they will find
you.Then, do all you can to make it happen.
“Do All You Can” to Find
While we need to pray and rely on the Lord to find those
He has prepared, “[our] faith to find people to teach is demonstrated through
[our] actions” (PMG, p. 168).We not only need to “thrust in our sickle”
with all of our “heart, might, mind, and strength” (D&C 4), but we must
also be wise in the activities we choose for finding.
What are some of the most effective ways to find people
to teach? Let me suggest the following priorities in our finding efforts:
1. Work with part member
families;
2. Work with new and less
active families;
3. Seek referrals from
active members;
4. Seek referrals from
current and former investigators; and
5. Find people through
your own efforts.
Part Member, New, and Less Active Families: Strive
to develop a very close working relationship with the bishop and each member of
the ward council.Work with them to identify part member, new, and less active
families you can contact, serve, teach, and invite to come to Christ. As you
help these families, ask them for the names of their family and friends that
would benefit from the gospel message. This is one of the very best ways to
find people to teach and to energize missionary work in any area.
Active Members: Every member has a friend that is not
a member of the Church. As you develop the trust of members, they will be more
likely to share their friends with you. Members will trust you as they feel the
Spirit around you and notice your efforts to be obedient and to work hard.
Casualness with members reduces their trust in and respect for you. Always act
with dignity and with respect for your calling. Sunday church meetings, dinner
appointments, and exchanges are excellent opportunities to build trust with
members. Also, I suggest that you teach the Restoration lesson to active
members. They will feel the Spirit, grow in their own testimony, and become
more comfortable with the possibility of you teaching their friends.
Current and Former Investigators: Current and
former investigators are a valuable source for finding people to teach (PMG,
p. 166). Each has a friend that is not a member of the Church. As you help
these individuals, ask them for the names of their family and friends that
would benefit from the gospel message. Sharing the gospel with family and
friends will help investigators to come closer to Christ.
Finding through Your Own Efforts: There are many
ways to find people to teach through our own efforts (seePMG, p. 167).
Pray for the Holy Ghost to help you recognize finding opportunities. Throughout
your days, talk to as many people as possible about the gospel. Regardless of
their response, always ask: “Who do you know that would benefit from our
message?”
Power Hour
In addition, please exercise the faith to dedicate from
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to finding.
Schedule to visit with a member a little before 6:00 PM in order to share a
short, powerful message that builds their faith in Christ and in their ability
to share the gospel. Invite the head of household to offer a kneeling prayer
and to ask the Lord to help you find someone to teach that evening who is
prepared to receive the gospel. Your dedication to "Power Hour" will
build unity with the members, increase your teaching pool, and facilitate more
conversions in your area. Those who implement Power Hour with faith and real
intent will find more people to teach, whether during Power Hour or some other
time.
Let’s remember that: "The Lord is preparing people
to receive you and the restored gospel. He will lead you to them or He will
lead them to you” (PMG, p. 155). I testify that this is true.
With much love,
President Pingree