Second, you may have heard (or felt!), there was a
major earthquake (7.7) on Haida Gwaii on Saturday evening, with numerous
after-shocks since then. If your parents or anyone asks, all the
missionaries that could have been affected (Haida
Gwaii, North Island, and Prince Rupert, in particular) are doing fine.
There were no deaths, or even injuries, in Haida Gwaii or anywhere
else. This is a miracle given how big this earthquake was (third
largest recorded in Canadian history, in fact).
II. Spiritual Thoughts for the Week
What a remarkable
mission presidents’ and wives’ seminar Sister Tilleman and I had. We
are humbled and feel very blessed. Elder Maynes called it
“extraordinary and historic.” I would have to say the theme was
“the time to hasten the work is now; the Prophet has spoken.” Three
members of the Seventy (Richard J. Mayes, Presidency of the Seventy),
Elder Schwitzer (First Quorum), and Elder Aidukaitis (First Quorum)
instructed us. They were joined by Richard Heaton,
the MTC’s top administrative advisor. It truly was an amazing
conference. And the theme came back, over and over again, to how the
Lord, through his Prophet, has called on each of us to hasten the work,
right now. If we were called by Brigham Young to cross
the plains, would we jump right in and do so? In terms of missionary
work, this is that type of revelation from the Lord. Truly historic and
extraordinary.
Elder Maynes reminded
us that the Lord has already declared: “Behold, I will hasten
my work in its time.” D&C 88:73 (emphasis added).
Elder Maynes explained that President Monson has declared that time to
be now. The Church normally receives about 300 missionary applications
per week. Since the Prophet’s announcement, as
of Wednesday of last week, the Church has received more than 10,000
applications in two and a half weeks– that is more than 10x the normal
number applications. The missionary department will be holding at least
twice as many assignment meetings each week,
with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve presiding over each of these
meetings. Our leaders are truly leading us by example. With all they
have to do, the Quorum of the Twelve will be spending significantly more
time to make each of the significantly greater
number of missionary assignments that will have to be made. The
hastening of the work is starting at the top of our leadership in the
Church!
Missionaries’ time at
the MTC will have to shorten to accommodate this surge of missionaries.
Soon the English speaking missionaries will not even be spending three
weeks in the MTC. We will therefore have to
be exponentially more prepared to train missionaries as they arrive
into the field. Do we see, now, why the Lord implemented the 12-week
program? The Lord has been preparing us for this time of hastening.
In our mission, right
now, we must prepare ourselves, and our areas, for many more
missionaries. We must be better teachers, and more of us will have to
be prepared to take on the highest honor that the Lord can
give a missionary – to train. Right now, we must have more truth
seekers in our teaching pool and improve or “hasten” the work in each of
our areas; some of the areas in our mission that currently have two
missionaries will soon have four. We must prepare
our areas and our wards and branches to receive and put these new
missionaries right to work. Right now, we must respond to the clarion
call from Elder Haleck to have each companionship averaging one baptism
per month. We can do this!
One of the Keys to
Hastening the Work – Serving With Zeal Toward God and To All Mankind
(Alma 27:27)
Elders and Sisters, to
answer the call of the Prophet, I feel we can and should truly become
like the sons of Mosiah. After the sons of Mosiah were converted to the
Lord, or as Alma the Younger said, after they
were “born again,” (Mosiah 27:25-26), these young men “zealously”
strived to repair all the wrongs they had done. Mosiah 27:35. These
fantastic young men became their era’s examples of Preach My Gospel
missionaries – they became “instruments in the hands
of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the
knowledge of their Redeemer.” Mosiah 27:36.
What was their reward
for doing so? “And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace;
they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the
people that the Lord reigneth.” Mosiah 27:37.
What was their desire
after being born again? They became so immersed in the Savior’s work of
salvation that “they were desirous that salvation should be declared to
every creature, for they 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.
How were these
missionaries received by those they taught? After Ammon and his
brethren first experienced much “long-suffering” and “many afflictions”
(Alma 18:11), the Lord guided them to those who were truly
searching for the truth, even though at first they did not know they
were. The Lord guided the missionaries’ thoughts and actions, and
touched the hearts of those they were teaching. The Lord blessed them
with much success. See Alma Chapter 26.
And what type of
converts did the sons of Mosiah have? The Ammonites were noted for
their “zeal in keeping commandments”. Alma 21:23
(emphasis added). Later, after they had moved to live with the
Nephites, they were again “distinguished for their zeal towards
God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly upright in
all things; and they were firm in their faith of Christ, even unto the
end.” Alma 27:27 (emphasis added).
May each of us
individually continue to become that type of missionary, and may we
collectively continue to become that type of mission. May we serve our
Heavenly Father, our Saviour, and our brothers and sisters,
with zeal, or with “enthusiastic dedication” and “eager desire.” As we
serve with enthusiasm and eagerness, our lights will shine and those we
teach will, in turn, feel of our enthusiastic love for God and all
mankind, such that they will come to believe
and then emulate these same qualities. Elder Schwitzer taught this
perfectly at our mission president’s seminar, when he said, “it is not
so much what our missionaries teach, as who they become. As they become
more like the Savior, their teachings will naturally
become more like His teachings.”
The Church is true.
God lives. Jesus Christ, His only Begotten son, is our Savior and
Redeemer. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, who through the power of
God translated the most correct Book of any on earth,
the Book of Mormon, which will bring us closer to Christ than any other
Book on earth. Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God; He is God’s
mouthpiece on the earth today. This Church is guided by true Apostles
and Prophets, just as we learn Christ’s Church
should be governed from Acts Chapter 1 (calling another Apostle to the
Quorum of the Twelve after Judas Iscariot had died), and Paul’s great
teachings in Ephesians, Chapters 2 and 4 (Christ’s Church is founded
upon Apostles and Prophets, with the Savior Himself
being the chief cornerstone). You and I have the privilege of being
full-time witnesses of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I testify to
you of these things, and am pleased to join with you in doing so.
This is the Savior’s
work of salvation in which we are engaged. It is so marvelous and
wonderful. Sister Tilleman and I love it, and we love to serve with you
in this glorious labor of love. We love you, respect
you, and are so grateful for you!
Have an incredible
week. Bundle up, stay warm, and serve like there is no tomorrow – with
great zeal and haste! Also, a reminder to get your flu shots if you
have not already done so. And finally, as always,
I anxiously await each of your emails this week.
Love,
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