Texas Houston Mission

Monday, January 9, 2017

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

Wonderful Assistants

Temple Trip with Departing Missionaries

Testimony Meeting with Departing Missionaries

They will miss Blue Bell ice cream :)

Good-bye to Elder Aholelei who departs earlier than the rest. We will miss you!

Good-bye to Elder Misa who departs later than the rest :) We will miss you too!

Group hug for Sister Oats from her siblings!

The Oats family reunited again

It's go time for these beautiful sisters

Final good-bye to these amazing missionaries. We love you!

Sister Harvey straight from the Mexico MTC

First greetings from our Provo MTC missionaries

What a great new group of missionaries! Aren't they glowing?

We love them already!

Texas BBQ for dinner

Temple grounds visit to remind us of our ultimate goal for those we teach.

The following pictures are of the new missionaries with their trainers. They are all in great hands!

Monday, January 2, 2017

The Hastening (and "the Fight") Intensifies in the New Year!

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We look forward with great anticipation to the miracles that the Lord will work work in this new year. As you are now aware, we are on the road to 630 baptisms in 2017. We have great reasons to believe that 2017 will be the greatest year in the history of the mission. These reasons include:

1. A shared vision to establish Zion (first within the mission as has happened in 2016 and now with the stakes and wards) by accomplishing our purpose and strengthening and establishing the church.

2. An expectation of all missionaries to get 6 days of at least 15 ITLs each week.

3. We enter this year for the first time with each missionary committed to do all they can to baptize with personal goals to baptize

4. A focus on and understanding of the need to commit people to church every Saturday night (Operation Church and Rescue)

5. A full year with the entire THM Toolkit

The Adversary is well aware of what is happening here and he is going to fight. We need to be prepared to do the same. In the Book of Mormon, we read that when the Lamanites came against the people of Limhi. The fight became intense and the Lamanites fought like "lions for their prey." We then read that despite the fact that the Nephites (missionaries) were not "half so numerous", they did have a righteous cause: they fought for families! We then read that because of their cause, the Nephites "exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight" (Mosiah 20:10-11) prevailing over the enemy.

If we are going to prevail in a similar way as the people of Limhi did we need to be prepared for the fight. In the New Testament, Paul teaches us what that will require. We would like you to read the following verses and determine what changes you need to make to be prepared to prevail:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Eph 6)

We look forward to the fight! Personal righteousness will be key. Truth and righteousness will always prevail! We feel so humbled to be able to work along side each of you assist in this great work!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Chiming at the Mission Home on Christmas! Grateful hearts.

The following pictures were taken at an expanded Mission Leadership Council where we counseled and through inspiration committed to a goal for 2017. Inspiring!!