Texas Houston Mission: Consecration

Dear Sisters and Elders -

A full-time mission is a unique time in our lives. We have the opportunity to consecrate all of our time and talents to building God’s kingdom on the earth. We have a chance to show Him (and ourselves) that we are not only willing, but also able to put His desires and interests ahead of our own.

In the full-time missionary call letter that we each received, it states: “You will...be expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs” (Missionary Handbook, p. 4). The chief measure of success on our mission is not the leadership callings we receive, the friendships we gain, or even the baptisms we have. It is the level of personal consecration we give to God the Father and to His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the real measure of a successful missionary, and a true disciple of Christ.

Each day we confront many decisions, and each of these decisions is an opportunity to demonstrate devotion to God and His will, or to hold on to our own fears, preferences, or points of view. As full-time missionaries, God has asked us to live a higher standard during our term of service. These higher standards are contained in the Missionary Handbook. They are not mere guidelines, but commandments for us as missionaries. We should strive to live both the letter and the spirit of the law contained in the Missionary Handbook.

(If you do not have a testimony of the importance of the standards in the Missionary Handbook, I invite you to kneel down and humbly ask God if they are inspired by Him. He will answer you. I bear witness that He wants you to live them.)

We have many opportunities each day to put God first. Do we plan each evening and seek revelation for those we are teaching? Do we get up by 6:30 AM and stay up? Do we follow the morning schedule each day, including exercise, personal, and companion study? Do we leave the apartment on time and strive to use our time effectively until we get home at 9:00 PM? Do we follow the missionary standards for music, dress and grooming, Internet usage, cell phone use, and vehicle use? Are we completely clean and worthy? Are there any "personal affairs" that we still need to leave behind?

I invite each of us to ask the Lord: “What can I do to submit myself more completely to Thy will?” When we ask with a sincere heart and with real intent, He will show us what to work on. In fact, we may already have received some impressions from the Spirit. As we strive to implement these changes in our lives, God will help us. Then, as we become more consecrated, we will feel closer to Him, gain added wisdom and strength, and be able to help more people.

I respect the love you have for God and the way you work to consecrate yourself to Him! I am grateful for your righteous examples.

With much love,

President Pingree