Back to Basics

Zone Conferences were held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week with 4 zones meeting each day.  Because a large portion of the missionaries have been out six months or less, we reviewed key principles of finding, member-present lessons, planning and the importance of qualifying for the Spirit each day.  We also discussed scriptures relating to the Godhead and the blessings that come from understanding the true nature of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  In the afternoon, workshops were held on temporal affairs such as health, vehicles, and apartments along with a workshop taught by the ASL missionaries on how to contact deaf people.  Without a doubt, the highlights each day were the musical numbers, talks, and testimonies shared by missionaries!

We thank all who helped make these conferences possible, including ward Relief Societies who prepared delicious food for us to eat.  Please enjoy some pictures taken during lunch.  With 278 missionaries now, it is getting increasingly difficult to guarantee a picture of each missionary (maybe next time we will do zone pictures instead). 

 

 

Serving Others, Not Ourselves

Dear Sisters and Elders –

As missionaries, we are here to serve others and not to serve ourselves. The scriptures highlight many who sacrificed personal interests in order to benefit others, including Ruth, Jonathan, Nephi, Mosiah, and Joseph Smith. Of course, Christ is our best example.  He taught: 

“Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:26-28).

When we care about others more than we care about ourselves, we receive blessings. Several include: 

• We come closer to Christ;
• We receive increased spiritual power; 
• We gain more personal happiness; and 
• Our relationships with others are better.  

 

As full-time missionaries, we cannot fulfill our purpose effectively unless we forget about ourselves and instead think of others.  We can ask ourselves:

• Do I plan, study, and teach to meet the needs of investigators?  
• Do I work through exhaustion, rejection, and bad weather to find more people to teach?  
• Do I follow all of the standards in the Missionary Handbook to qualify for the Spirit so I can be of greater service to God and to others?
• Do I pray for my companion and strive with love and patience to meet his or her needs?  
• Do I pray for local leaders and strive with love and patience to meet their needs? 

 

Over the next week, I invite each of us to (1) study the examples of Christ and the prophets and how they served others and not themselves, and then (2) identify our personal obstacles to caring for others more fully.  As we make necessary changes, the Lord will use us more powerfully to spread His gospel and to bless others.

Thank you for your examples of caring about others more than yourselves.  It is an honor to serve with you.

With great love and respect,

President Pingree

Missionaries attended the temple with their zones last week.
Here is a picture sent by the West Zone.

 

Two Great Couples

 

The Bradys and Littles completed their missionary service this week. Elder Little served in the peanut butter manufacturing facility helping to improve process flow. The Bradys and Sister Little served in the employment resource center serving the greater Houston area. Each of these couples served faithfully and will be missed!  Also included in this post are a few other pictures taken during the week.  

 

Littles and Bradys

New Leadership Training

Mission Office

Sense of Urgency

Dear Sisters and Elders –

Throughout the scriptures, the Lord communicates a SENSE OF URGENCY about spreading the gospel. The definition of urgent is something that is “very important and needing immediate attention” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

Why is spreading the gospel so urgent? As full-time missionaries, we are called and set apart to bring about the “the salvation of souls” (D&C 100:4). What could be more important than this? Moreover, the Lord has explained that the “field is white already to harvest” (see D&C 4:4, 11:3, 33:3). There are people ready right now to accept the gospel in each of our assigned areas!

In the early history of the church, there were many examples of missionaries that felt an urgency to spread the gospel—Samuel Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Dan Jones, Parley P. Pratt, etc. On occasion, however, the Lord needed to warn missionaries to avoid idleness: “Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent” (D&C 60:13) and, “You should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might” (D&C 75:3).

Do we each feel an adequate sense of urgency concerning our responsibility to share the gospel? Please find below some questions we might consider as full-time missionaries to gauge the urgency we have for spreading the gospel:

• Do I keep my thoughts focused on those I am teaching? Do I pray for them by name throughout the day? 
• Do I expend sincere effort to plan effectively for the next day? Do I seek God’s help to plan meaningful, purpose-driven activities?
• Do I expend the effort to have quality personal and companion study each morning? Do I seek for the Spirit? Do I concentrate on the needs of those I am teaching?
• Do I leave the apartment on time each morning and engage in meaningful proselyting activities throughout the day?
• Do I schedule meal appointments to end before 6:00 PM for prime proselyting? (Of course, a meal appointment with a nonmember present would be considered prime proselyting.)
• Do I quickly return to my assigned area after zone meetings, district meetings, temple sessions, service projects, etc? Or, do I linger to socialize?
• Do members sense my urgency for the work? At church, am I busy greeting people and trying to schedule teaching opportunities and exchanges? When visiting their homes, do I share spiritual messages and extend commitments? Do I keep my visits brief?
• Do I make personal errands to the store, post office, doctor, etc. on days other than preparation day? 
• On preparation day, do I complete a full personal and companion study in the morning? Do I talk to people about the Church throughout the day? Do I begin proselyting at 6:00 PM (or even before)?
• Do my thoughts, words, and actions demonstrate a sense of urgency to God and to sharing His gospel?

When reviewing these questions, please remember that a sense of urgency is about much more than a set of behaviors. Our outward behaviors are simply indicators of our inner conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. “As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire [and urgency] to share the gospel will increase” (PMG, p. 2).

Please review each of these questions above together as a companionship and then determine ways to act with greater urgency to spread the gospel. Prayerfully consider ways to increase your understanding of the Atonement. I promise that as you develop a greater sense of urgency about the work, you will see more success in bringing souls to Christ and you will feel more fulfilled in your calling.

It is my hope that each of us will increase our sense of urgency for God’s work and that we will come to feel more like the sons of Mosiah who “could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3).  

I sure love you and am grateful for your efforts to spread the Lord’s gospel with urgency.

President Pingree