Texas Houston Mission: Doctrine of Christ, Progressing Investigators, & Changes to our Mission Presidency

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

Due to the growing faith and obedience in our mission, this month is shaping up to have more people coming into the safety of covenants than any January in the history of this mission! We are inspired to see the efforts you are making to find and teach with power! Many lives are being blessed. Wards and stakes are seeing the fruits of your faith and are making greater efforts to get involved more purposefully. We can influence the outcome!

This past week we role-played how to drop investigators with power. It was clear to me as I watched that role play that it has been some time since we have taught how the Doctrine of Christ applies to progressing investigators. If we don't understand this, it will be difficult for us to know when to continue with certain investigators or when to drop them.

Faith is the first principle in the Doctrine of Christ. It is critical that we know how to see the evidence of faith in our investigators. We ought to ask each other after lessons, "What evidence of faith did we see in our investigators during the lesson?" In PMG, we learn that one of the ways we can detect faith in our investigators is in their willingness to ACCEPT commitments as we promise blessings.

Second, real faith should lead to action. In PMG (ch 11) we learn that as investigators KEEP commitments, they are giving evidence of repentance. Keeping commitments is a form of repentance and is a necessary step in their preparation to keep covenants later. Similar to the question we ask ourselves after each lesson regarding faith, we also ought to ask ourselves, "What evidence of repentance did we see in our investigators during the lesson?" For example, did they read AND pray about the Book of Mormon? Do we know? Did we ask? Did we ask what they learned? These are the ways we find out if someone is truly repenting. When they are truly repenting, they are ready to discuss the "first fruits of repentance" (Mor 8:25) which is baptism.

Once we understand these principles, it is easy to determine if we should continue teaching or not. This principle is the key to progressing investigators: IF AN INVESTIGATOR IS NOT EXERCISING FAITH UNTO REPENTANCE, WE CANNOT INVITE THEM TO ACCEPT A BAPTISMAL DATE. They are not ready. In fact, if after the first lesson or the second lesson they are not keeping commitments, they aren't ready to talk about making and keeping covenants. It is in this context that we introduced the drop lesson. After we have taught as powerfully and as convincingly as we can and cannot see the evidence of repentance, we teach the drop lesson with the intent of dropping them, NOT with the intent of begging them to keep their commitments. The hope is that, if we do it effectively, they beg us to stay and then we can set the expectations going forward. If they don't beg us to stay we drop them.

We also have one exciting announcement! As many of you know, we have been privileged to have President Jose Vasquez serve as second counselor in the mission presidency over the last two and a half years. With is impending retirement plans and the prospect of moving out of the area, we have extended a release to him and wish the choicest blessings upon him and his family for his faithful service.

After receiving the approval of the Area President, We are pleased to announce the call of brother Steele M. Kizerian (Klein Oak ward, Houston North stake) to serve as second counselor in the mission presidency. President Kizerian served as a missionary in Chile Santiago North mission. Previously he has served as a Ward Mission Leader, Elders Quorum President, Young Men’s president, stake Mission Preparation instructor, early morning seminary teacher and worked previously as a teacher in the MTC.

We have asked President Kizerian to work closely with each of you in some of the post baptismal activity necessary to retain these new converts and get them to the temple as outlined in the attached policy change issued on June 22nd 2014. You will find him to be a wonderful resource.

We love you and continue to be inspired by the growing unity and faith throughout this great mission. The Lord is hastening His work!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen