Our Duty to Teach

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

As we have reflected on our email to you last week, it has occurred to us that some may wonder that if we are "agents to act," why should we need to council and commit each other to do certain things. If you have had that question, we want you to know that we believe it is a thoughtful, sincere question and one deserving of a equally thoughtful answer.

Why Do We Teach?

As you all are aware, one of the primary purposes for our mortal existence is to learn to exercise agency in righteous ways. As Lehi teaches his sons in 2 Ne 2, the only way this can happen is if we are "sufficiently instructed" (v.5). One thing we must remember is that it is impossible for righteousness to be chosen if righteousness is not taught (v.16). That is why the Savior's last admonition to His apostles was to "teach all nations" (Matt 28:19).

What Do We Teach?

The Savior doesn't simply say that we should teach, He continues by telling us what we should teach by saying: "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt 28:20). He then promises us that as we are found in the path of duty to fulfill these commandments, He will be with us.

In our day, through both latter-day scripture and latter-day prophets, this council has been expanded to "preach repentance." As we have discussed previously, the way we preach repentance is to teach faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. As missionaries and, in time, as future parents and church leaders, we have been taught that one of the primary ways we teach repentance is to invite others to make and keep commitments (PMG Ch 11). 

How Do We Teach?

In His visit to the Nephites, one of the last things Jesus taught His disciples was to do "that which ye have seen me do" (3 Ne 27:21). This is why we spend so much effort in our mission to learn to teach "after the manner of the Master."

In addition to teaching by word, one of the most powerful ways for us to teach is by the way we act. This is one of the reasons the Savior taught the Nephites, "what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Ne 27:27). Elders and Sisters, we need to regularly ask ourselves this question, "Do my words, my actions and does my appearance make me easily identifiable as a disciple of Jesus Christ?" If the answer is "no" we must repent. Because we can't afford to let these things keep us from fulfilling our divine commission to teach.

Who Do We Teach?

The answer to this question may be obvious, but we want you to remember that we teach those we love and we love those we teach. Often, the people closest to us are the people we find hardest to teach, but are the people we can influenced most profoundly. We need to remember that teaching is one of the greatest expressions of love. This is why the Savior spent His life teaching.

We feel lucky to be associated with such powerful teachers. We are excited that so many of you understand that we commit because we love and because we love, lives and eternities are being changed forever!

We love you!

President and Sister Mortensen

We had these wonderful missionaries to dinner last week!

We held two leadership council meetings last week. We received some great revelation as we counseled together and learned from each other and the spirit. Here are some pictures I took that day.

We attended District Meeting last Friday in the Tomball District and were inspired by the great leadership of Elder Myers and the missionaries in that district. We love District Meeting!

Agents to Act

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We are excited by the opportunities that the revised reporting structure will give us to learn to exercise our agency to choose righteousness. This is one of the great doctrines taught in 2 Ne 2. Lehi instructs his sons about agency and how it works. One of the great lessons learned as missionaries is that we don't have to be enslaved by our circumstances, emotional states, or any other circumstance that would seem to "cause" us to fail. We are empowered to choose righteousness in spite of all of those conditions. That IS the reason we have been given agency (Moses 7). As President Russell M. Nelson taught in our last general conference, joy is the reward of those who understand and act in righteous ways. 

We want to remind you that along with the opportunity to exercise our agency, the scriptures teach that we will be judged according to our choices. This is the principle that Alma tried to teach Zeezrom (Alma 12). So, as there is greater freedom to choose, there is also greater accountability for those choices. We expect that any area falling beneath these standards will get the attention of their leaders so we can help each other succeed. 

We hope you are each taking the time to plan to achieve the standards of excellence each week. If we are planning to find at least one new investigator everyday and teach two lessons, and hold ourselves accountable to those commitments, you will find that the work will be more rewarding and we will be entitled to greater success. We are excited to see it. 

We promise you that as you use your agency to act in righteous ways IN SPITE of your circumstances, the Lord will bless you openly and bless those you serve in ways that will build your faith and shape your future in ways that will astonish you.

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We had Mission Leadership Council last Tuesday and enjoyed a wonderful council with these amazing leaders. We feel so blessed to learn from them!

Houston West South Zone

Katy Zone

Bear Creek Zone

Houston West North Spanish Zone

Houston North English Zone

The Woodlands Zone

College Station East Zone

Klein Zone

Spring Zone

College Station West Zone

Houston North Spanish Zone

Cypress Zone

Mission Leadership Council

We attended Zone Meeting last Friday in the Woodlands Zone. It was such an inspiring meeting and we were filled with the spirit as discussed how we will adapt to the new changes to the key indicators and the daily schedule. We feel the Doctrine of Christ permeates the things that we do personally and with our investigators.

Elder Vickers training

Sister Leavitt's training

Sister Gutierrez trains us

Elder Bird's training

The Woodlands Zone

Impressions from the Worldwide Missionary Broadcast

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We were so happy to see you this week as we watched the training broadcast. We are so grateful to be led by prophets, seers and revelators. We sustain them with all our hearts! We hope you have had an opportunity to review the notes you took. If you haven't please take the time to do so and share those impressions with your companion and zone this next district meeting. Here are a couple of thoughts that we have had:

Doctrine of Christ as it applies to us in our current roles as missionaries:

     1. We demonstrate faith as we: are obedient, study the scriptures and PMG, make goals and plans and find

     2. We repent by always being willing to make the changes necessary to qualify for the powers of heaven. These corrections may come by the Holy Ghost, but also make come through our leaders (D&C 1:38).

     3. We are "baptized" and renewed every time we worthily partake of the emblems of the Sacrament each week.

     4. We are able to endure to the end by remaining worthy so that the Gift of the Holy Ghost can tell us those things we should do to find, teach and baptize those the Lord has prepared to receive the blessings in store for the faithful.

Doctrine of Christ as it applies to the way we progress investigators:

     1. We give them an opportunity to exercise faith by accepting the commitments we extend to them.

     2. They have opportunities to repent by keeping those commitments (PMG ch 11)

     3. We give them an opportunity to be baptized AFTER they have had the opportunity to repent sufficiently. DON'T SKIP ANY STEPS!!

     4. We help them endure to the end by making sure we they are continually taught the good word of God, are able to participate in temple ordinances both for themselves and for their kindred dead and then help "strengthen the church" (PMG p.10)

Elder Oaks stated that, "If we do things in the proper order, the invitation to be baptized with be both persuasive and powerful." We add our testimonies to those we heard on Wednesday. This is Christ's church. He leads it through Prophets and Apostles and it is our great privilege to serve with them in assisting the Lord in hastening His work!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Waiting for the broadcast to begin.

We attended District Meeting in the Katy North District. The following are pictures taken there.

Elder Okleberry is a great district leader! We were edified by his training.

Role Plays

Celebrating Sister Alone birthday

Elder Labbee and Elder Stevens made the cake

Katy North District

Our interaction with Ward Councils

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We have been inspired by the work that is being sustained throughout the mission. Last week almost every area in the mission had 6 days or more of 15 ITLs. The faith to find is yielding wonderful results. We are seeing February shaping up as a month as good or better than January. We are seeing greater shepherding of those with dates and greater retention of those who are baptized. It is exciting to see the results of continued growth of collective faith and obedience.

We have realized that it has been some time since we trained the mission on our role in ward councils and in ward missionary coordination meetings. Understanding our role in these meetings will continue the positive things we are seeing. We want to remind you of three things:

1. If you have any updates in ward council on those you are teaching, they need to be given prior to the meeting throughout the week. Ward Council is a council to discuss those issues that require counciling (typically things we can't resolve on our own).

2. Too many of you get frustrated by the lack of "time" you get in ward council. If you need time, you need to work with your WML to add things to the agenda prior to the meeting. Otherwise your job is to participate (that means speak :)) on any topic the council is discussing.

3. We review reports with stake leadership that the zone leadership puts together every month. Many of you are reporting that your wards don't address the 9 key indicators or use the new and returning member progress records. The thing that is hard to understand is why you aren't "causing" this to happen. If you are trying to raise these issues and not having the success you would like, we understand. Please let your zone leadership know so they can address it in their weekly meetings with the High Councilor over missionary work. If you aren't addressing them, please start.

We attended Elder Byrd's district meeting this week and were edified by his instruction about how we effectively work with wards to shepherd our investigators. He read us the experience of Alma and his brethren and their desire to lead the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's to safety to protect them from the Lamanites. We read in Alma 27:

"20 And now it came to pass that Alma conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla; even to his own house. And they went and told the chief judge (Bishop) all the things that had happened unto them in the land of Nephi, among their brethren, the Lamanites.

21 And it came to pass that the chief judge sent a proclamation throughout all the land, desiring the voice of the people (Ward council) concerning the admitting their brethren (investigators), who were the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.

22 And it came to pass that the voice of the people (ward council) came, saying: Behold, we will give up the land of Jershon, which is on the east by the sea, which joins the land Bountiful, which is on the south of the land Bountiful; and this land Jershon is the land which we will give unto our brethren for an inheritance.

23 And behold, we will set our armies (ward members) between the land Jershon and the land Nephi, that we may protect our brethren in the land Jershon; and this we do for our brethren, on account of their fear to take up arms against their brethren lest they should commit sin; and this their great fear came because of their sore repentance which they had, on account of their many murders and their awful wickedness.

24 And now behold, this will we do unto our brethren, that they may inherit the land Jershon (be baptized); and we will guard them from their enemies with our armies, on condition that they will give us a portion of their substance (receive a calling) to assist us that we may maintain our armies (to "strengthen the church").

25 Now, it came to pass that when Ammon had heard this, he returned to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and also Alma with him, into the wilderness, where they had pitched their tents, and made known unto them all these things. And Alma also related unto them his conversion, with Ammon and Aaron, and his brethren.

26 And it came to pass that it did cause great joy among them. And they went down into the land of Jershon, and took possession of the land of Jershon (were baptized); and they were called by the Nephites (Mormons/Latter-Day Saints) the people of Ammon; therefore they were distinguished by that name ever after."

If we will similarly work with our Bishops and wards to shepherd our people first to church and then to the water, we will see even greater miracles than we are currently seeing!

We love you and are looking forward to seeing you this week!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We had the 8 week Follow-Up Training for the missionaries who arrived last November. It was so good to see them altogether again. They are doing great and becoming master teachers!

We attended District Meeting in the Melbourne District last Friday and were blessed by Elder Byrd's inspired direction and training.

The Melbourne District

We held a Mission President's "Why I Believe" Fireside, in Spring tonight and were blessed to hear beautiful music from our missionaries and touching testimonies. A spiritual night! The following are the pictures I took.