To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We love you and pray for your faith and success daily. We are inspired by all of the great things you are doing and lives you are touching. We love the way you are helping each other live up to your divine potential. 

As we have pondered over those things that will be of greatest value for you it has become clearer and clearer to us that one of our challenges is that while, in most cases, we are contacting the right number of people and teaching the right numbers of lessons, we aren't progressing people as well as we could. One of the reasons for that is that we haven't mastered the principles taught in Ch 8 of PMG. Sometimes we think we have accomplished our objective when we have committed our investigators to act. The reality is that is when the work begins. The day they commit and everyday thereafter we need to be planning for what we are going to do "today" to help them keep their commitments. 

As we share this revelation with you, we can't help but think of the days when we helped our children learn to ride a bike. In most cases, they weren't at a point where they realized how much they would benefit by knowing how so we had to commit them to do it. Can you imagine what would have happened if we would have left them to figure it out once they committed only to check on them in a week to see if they had figured it out? What if we would have told them where we wanted them to go in a few days on their bike and told them we would meet them there? Is there any doubt in your minds that they would have failed in keeping their commitment? Why? In this example, it's clear that they would have failed because they didn't know how to succeed. When you help someone learn to ride a bike you do it by holding on to the bike while they peddle at first. Sometimes you need to hold the seat and the handles. In time, you can start move from walking to running and when you see them balancing well, you can let go. The point though from commitment to riding confidently requires a lot of assistance.

As crazy as that example seems, isn't that how we operate many times with our investigators? We know the Book of Mormon is the key to conversion, but are we following up with them regularly after they make the commitment and then even after the 2nd and 3rd lessons to help them succeed in reading? Are we helping them understand what they are reading? 

What about attending church? Are we brainstorming EVERYDAY about what we can do to help make sure they get there? Do we have them meet us there beforehand so we can take them on a tour? Do we arrange to have member reach out to them and express their enthusiasm and offer to have them sit by them at Sacrament meeting? 

What about baptism? Are we brainstorming EVERYDAY about what we can do that day to help them be prepared? Do we begin planning their baptismal service with them? 

Elders and Sisters, in our planning sessions are we asking ourselves, "What can we do TODAY to help our investigators progress" as we seek the influence of the Holy Ghost and then act in faith? We can do much better!

We'd like you each to spend the next week or two reading from PMG ch 8 and watching the District 1 DVDs. Look for what you're not doing in your planning sessions. Emulate what you see and watch how the work grows.

We know that as we do these things, the Lord will reveal to us how He would have us carry out His work and bless His children. May the Lord bless you as you do so!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Elder Thiery before departing to Sao Paulo, Brazil. We will sure miss him!