Texas Houston Mission: The Temple: Where Faith Meets Families

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

Since the time we arrived here almost a year-and-a-half ago, we have been trying to figure out ways to place the temple at the center of everything we do so that both we and those we teach have our vision elevated beyond baptism. We need to begin with the end in mind. If we do, we will see baptism for what it is: a beginning.

Because of that pressing desire we have done the following things:

1. We have worked with the stakes to get you all trained on familysearch (that effort is, and forever will be, ongoing. If it's not happening in your area, please let your zone leaders know).

2. We have requested that family history be taught right after a baptismal date is set.

3. We have created a lesson outline and modeled how to teach it effectively.

4. We have implemented tours of the Temple Grounds.

5. We have worked with the stakes to cause that the high councilors over missionary work meet with the zone leaders each week to discuss, among other things, the progress of recent converts to the temple.

In spite of these things, we have felt like we are still not where we need to be. There are too many of our converts who aren't getting the support or assistance to find family names to take to the temple. The Lord would have us do much better in this regard and has made that abundantly clear to us in recent weeks. Our new temple president, President Hayes, shares this vision.

With this in mind, we are announcing an exciting, sustainable initiative that will begin in January of 2016. We are calling it "Faith meets Families in the Temple." The objective of this is to ensure that every recent convert, ward mission, temple and full time mission work together to get our recent converts (the Lord's harvest) safely and timely into the Lord's garners/granary (the temple) where they can be sheltered from the storm. The elements of this initiative will be as follows:

1. On the fourth Friday of every month, the baptistry will be reserved for our recent converts from 6-9pm.

2. We will hold a meeting with all stake leaders in the first week of January to present the details to them so that we are united in our effort.

3. Hermanas Woodard and Sumsion will be spending the next two weeks calling every companionship in the mission to ask that you work with your wards to get all converts in your area from January 2014 to the present who have not been to the temple yet, prepared with their own names to attend on Friday January 22nd.

4. This will continue every month from this point forward with the office couples providing follow up to you and the stakes/wards so we don't lose track of anyone.

5. Sister Mortensen and I will be at the temple to meet your new investigators to congratulate and encourage them to move forward in faith.

The remarkable thing about this is that every convert is a key to thousands of people who are waiting to be released from Spirit Prison. This effort will not only contribute to the hastening, but will more perfectly ensure that the work we do "remains." (Jn 15:16).

We are so excited to serve with you and participate in this great work! What a wonderful time to be in His service!

We love you and look forward to seeing you soon!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Oakcrest District Temple day

Mission Leadership Council

We saw these darling sisters up in Hearne, Texas for sacrament meeting.

We held Temple Grounds Tours today and many people came to tour the grounds to feel the wonderful spirit that is always there. The following pictures were taken at the tours.