Dear Sisters and Elders –
In one of your weekly letters
to me, a missionary explained the following: "It seems like the ward is
really beginning to trust us! Yesterday, multiple members came up to us and
asked if we wanted dinner and to see if we could give them a lesson in their
homes. We also received three new member referrals! I have come to know that
the more we look and act like missionaries and the more the Spirit is with us,
the more the members want to work with us. They see us as true servants of
Jesus Christ."
We cannot fulfill our purpose
as missionaries unless we gain the trust of the members. Two of the stake
presidents in this area told me on separate occasions what they believe
missionaries must do to gain the trust of members. One explained, “Missionaries
need to act and speak like men and women of God. They need to have the Spirit
with them.” The other mentioned, “Missionaries should be friendly with
the members, but not casual. They always need to maintain a level of dignity
and respect because they represent Jesus Christ.” For members to trust us,
they need to feel the Spirit when they are around us, sense our concern for
them, and see that we are serious about representing Jesus Christ.
One of the most effective times
we have to demonstrate our devotion to Christ is during Sunday church meetings.
This is when the most members interact with us and make judgments about our
commitment to Christ and to sharing His gospel. The way we act at church makes
a huge difference in the level of trust the members have in us.
There are a number of things we
can do at church to demonstrate our commitment to Christ and to build the trust
of the members, including:
- Arriving early to church and greeting members as they walk into the chapel,
- Calling members by name and asking them about how their families are doing,
- Sitting up straight and paying attention to the speakers during sacrament meeting,
- Singing the hymns,
- Bearing our testimonies of the Savior on Fast Sunday,
- Contributing to class discussions, and
- Staying after church to talk with members and to identify ways to serve them during the week.
These are only a few
suggestions and certainly, you could list many more. The important thing is
that we really utilize our time during Sunday church meetings to demonstrate
our devotion to Christ and to building the trust of members.
I am so grateful for your
choice to consecrate yourselves to Christ during this period of your lives. It
is an honor to serve with each of you!
With much love,
President Pingree