A Day Never to be Forgotten..

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

This past Friday we experienced the fruits of the vision we hoped for when we introduced our "Faith Meets Families" initiative. That evening we gathered with many of you, more than 60 recent converts who brought their own family names and countless angels who rejoiced that their work was finally commencing! The rejoicing of the angels is justified as we consider that they were undoubtedly influential in you finding their posterity!

What a blessing it was to see the baptistry full on a Friday evening with recent converts on both sides of the font lining up, their faces full of anticipation and their eyes just beginning to see the vastness of this work. Many committed to return soon with their own names. Elders and Sisters, this is what Ammon must have meant when he exclaimed to his brethren after beholding the fruits of their labors:

5 Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted.

6 Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.

While this is a wonderful beginning, it is only just that. There is much more work to do. We hope you will be diligent in focusing on those recent converts who have not yet had this opportunity to help them have similar experiences. In coming weeks, we will show all of the pictures of those who have been to the temple (no names included) at THMtendermercies.blog.com. If your recent converts have any inspiring experiences they would like to share they can email them to Sister Nelson (2011239-FIN@ldschurch.org) and she can post them at this blog as a record of those tender mercies. We will protect their privacy.

A couple of reminders:

     1. These fourth Fridays are reserved by the temple for RECENT CONVERTS who are bringing THEIR OWN names for the FIRST time.

     2. No convert should come unattended. This should be a time where members of the ward can If they can't make it one month, they can come the following month.

     3. Any less actives, recent converts who wish to go again can go during normal temple/baptistry operating hours

We love you and feel so richly blessed for the great privilege it is to serve in this mission with you!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We had the blessing of attending a Worldwide Missionary Training via Satellite from Salt Lake City last Wednesday. We were instructed by members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other General Authorities of the Church. We learned more about our purpose to Preach Repentance and Baptize Converts. We were inspired and edified!

Singing the rest hymn

Some final words from President Mortensen

President Mortensen and I also attended the District Meeting of the Melbourne District on Friday.

Elder Borman provided great training and leadership

We always improve with role playing!

The most wonderful event happened on Friday Night! We had our first "Faith Meets Families" at the temple. We invited the most recent converts in our mission to find families names and bring them to the temple. They in turn we able to perform saving ordinances for their family members in the House of the Lord. It was one of the highlights of our mission experience thus far. It touched us so deeply to witness the spirit touch the hearts of these new members as hearts were turned to their Fathers (Malachi 4:6). Here are a few pictures the Nelsons took that evening. They will post all the pictures on our THMtendermercies.blog.com.

We also held another Mission President's "Why I Believe" fireside last night. It was a wonderful event with amazing music and testimonies. We enjoyed hearing a beautiful rendition of "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul" from Sister Packard and Hermana Bohn with Sister Ita'aehau on the piano and Hermana Beaty on the flute. We were pleased to hear a musical quartet with Elder Griffith, Elder Backstein, Sister Pinster and Sister Bates singing "Israel, Israel, God is Calling". We also enjoyed a medley of hymns performed by Elder Taumoe'anga and Elder Berry with Elder Mikesell on the guitar. Wow! The missionary choir brought many to tears as they sang the EFY medley of "Sisters in Zion and Armies of Helamen". Goose bumps all the way! We had many investigators and youth present and it was a spirit filled night.

Here are some pictures taken before the fireside

Members Can "Astonish" in Inspiring Ways

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

In the Book of Mormon, we read of an interesting experience that took place with Alma and Amulek. Alma had been cast out of the wicked city of Ammonihah, but the Lord asks him to return. Upon returning he meets Amulek who we learn is an "inactive" member of the church. Once Alma "ministers" to Amulek and his kinsfolk (Alma 10:11), the Lord commands Alma to preach again and this time to take Amulek with him. Interestingly, as they go and preach, Alma (the missionary) begins the teaching and says all of the right things, but fails to "move" the people of Ammonihah. Seeing this, Amulek steps forward and teaches so personally and so boldly that we read in Alma 11:46that the people of Ammonihah were "astonished". The people weren't so impressed when the missionary taught, but when the member taught as a second witness, things changed.

Typically when we think of member involvement, we think of "member presents" and that is one important area where members can make a difference. The truth is, though, that often the most valuable member influence that members can have is outside of the lessons. This kind of involvement usually requires us to help members see the opportunity and that's unfortunately why it sometimes doesn't ever happen. We can do better. Think for a minute about the last time you had progressing investigators who didn't come to church after having previously attending. Who did you ask to reach out to them to express concern and that they were missed? If it is a family that missed, did we reach out to primary teachers, primary presidency, YM/YW leaders, RS presidency, EQ presidency and bishop and ask them to reach out to the family via text, email or phone? If we didn't, we need to do better. This, Elders and Sisters, is how we "encircle the flocks" that have been led to the water. We need to help our investigators feel wanted and identify for members easy and effective member missionary opportunities. The difference between our investigators feeling like they belong or not, comes down to small things like these.

The other group of members we can do better with is the youth. During this round of interviews I have been asking many of you about the youth in your ward. How many of them have specific commitments you are following up with them on. So far the average has been less than 5%. Committing the youth is important for a couple of reasons:

     - We convey our belief in them which motivates them to act

     - We help them build their faith

     - We help bless their friends who are likely the recipients of our invitations.

     - Parents follow youth. If the youth get activated, parents will; both the parents of our youth, but also the parents of their friends.

As we expand our vision to mobilize the members of the ward to be involved with us and with our investigators more, we will see greater and more frequent miracles.

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We attended an Open House at Lone Star University to launch another Family History class on campus.

Brother Dickson from the Copperfield ward was there to answer questions and assist sign ups. 

There was a lot of interest in our class and we are excited about the potential of many hearts turning to their Fathers. 

Fishers of Men

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

At the outset of the Savior's ministry He came to Peter and Andrew who were involved in their very prosperous fishing expedition and said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matt 4:19) It is interesting that He doesn't say, "Follow me and be fishers of men." Instead He says "I will make you..." The point is that just because we choose to follow Him or just because we are "willing" to serve doesn't result in us "being fishers" of men. There is a difference between "fishing" and becoming "fishers". The Lord "makes" us fishers as we learn to "fish" the way He asks of us. Sometimes that means changing small things like casting our nets on the other side of the boat like He often asked of His disciples of old.

One of the critical tools the Lord has provided us as latter-day fishers is the Book of Mormon. We are convinced that if we can learn to present the Book of Mormon in a way that helps our investigators understand it's significance both as evidence that God has called a prophet in our day ("fruit") and as the way that they can find greater peace in this life and happiness in the eternal life to come, we will have far greater success.

In this month's district meetings, we will focus on the Book of Mormon. We hope that each of you will read or reread Chapter 5 of PMG throughout this month. Review it together during companionship study. Determine how you can be more effective teachers. You will know when you are more effective when people feel motivated to read and keep their commitments to read and pray to know it is true. Once this happens, you will realize that the Book of Mormon is what President Ezra Taft Benson declared it to be: "The tool the Lord has prepared to sweep the earth and gather the elect in the last days."

Sometimes we are too quick to get to lesson two which reflect our lack of understanding about the power of the Book of Mormon. We shouldn't begin teaching the plan of salvation until their is a testimony of the Book of Mormon born of the Spirit of God. That may mean we spend a couple of visits reading it with them. Reviewing it and making sure their is evidence of understanding. You will find what I found a a young missionary: that the Book of Mormon possess within its pages the power to convert and lead people to Christ unlike anything else we possess.

We testify that as we ourselves are diligent in reading from the Book of Mormon EVERY DAY and using it in the way the Lord has intended to bring the souls of men unto Him, we will see the power of God descend upon His children in ways we have never seen before. This will not only bless their lives, but it will bless yours as it has blessed ours. It is because of this sure knowledge we can testify unequivocally that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's kingdom once again restored to the earth to prepare us for His second coming. There is no greater blessing than to know these things are true! Our duty as fishers is to help as many others come to know this too!

We love you and are proud of the great work you are doing!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We held Mission Leadership Council last Tuesday. It was a wonderful meeting and especially edifying with the District Leaders from the mission in attendance as well. We are grateful for such dedicated leaders in this mission!

Binding ourselves to act (D&C 43) 

Here we are binding ourselves to the Lord

The whole group! Zone Leaders, Sister Training Leaders, District Leaders

President Mortensen instructing us

We held an Open House to kick off our 1st Family History class on the Montgomery campus of Lone Star University. It was a great success and shows us how many of God's children want to know where they come from.  We are grateful for Elder and Sister Nelson of the Texas Houston Mission and for Sister Prince and Sister Cheney of the Woodlands Stake for staffing the booth and answering questions.

We Are Here to Help Others Feel

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

What a wonderful year we've had and what a great opportunity we have to now look forward. Elder Holland has said of faith and hope that they are, by their very definitions, forward looking. We hope each of you are filled with hope as you consider the opportunities that await you this year.

One of the challenges each of us face as we become missionaries is how to not only recognize and understand the Spirit, but to teach others do so as well. Many years ago Elder Henry B. Eyring gave a training to gospel teachers and said, "Often we spend too much time trying to explain to people how the Spirit feels. I submit that we ought to spend less time doing explaining it and more time giving them experiences with it so that they can come to recognize it for themselves." These are inspired words.

Everything we do depends on whether we understand the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion. It isn't by coincidence that the sequence of the chapters in Preach My Gospel are in the order we find them. We need to understand our purpose, get familiar with the doctrine and create lesson plans and then master them. It is only then that we can be prepared to allow the Spirit to do its job. We invite you to read Ch 4 of PMG this week which is entitled "How do I Recognize and understand the Spirit." Please look up the scriptures and devote time in your companionship study each day to review what you've learned.

There are a few keys to being able to help others feel:

1. We must be worthy of the Spirit ourselves which will happen as we become aligned with the Lord's will and exactly obedient.

2. We must master the content of the lessons so we can be prepared to listen to the promptings and act on them. This means we need to be role playing daily.

3. We need to learn to act on the impressions we receive as we listen. One of the greatest resources to know if we are receiving impressions is found in Moroni 7:16-17.

Most investigators, when asked about their decision to be baptized, will say something along the lines of, "I felt something as the missionaries prayed" or "I felt something as I read the Book of Mormon" or "I felt something when I went to church." The point is, it is the way they are feeling that causes them to want to change and progress and less about what they are understanding.

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the material that we need to teach that we forget who the actual teacher is. Elder Ballard has taught, "True conversion comes through the power of the Spirit. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. When individuals … feel the Spirit working with them, or when they see the evidence of the Lord’s love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually and their faith in Him increases. These experiences with the Spirit follow naturally when a person is willing to experiment upon the word." (PMG p. 93).

We hope you will all feel edified and enlightened as you study the doctrine in chapter 4. It will help us gain greater appreciation for the power of the Spirit in conversion.

We love you and are excited to embark upon this year with you!

President and Sister Mortensen

The winner of the special zone activity is the 

Houston North Spanish Zone

We had fun playing soccer, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball together. The weather was beautiful but the field was muddy! 

We held the 8 week follow-up training for the missionaries who arrived here in November. It was an revelatory meeting and one we hope will shape our teaching forever. They are doing well!