FIRST PRESIDENCY MESSAGE
Called to
the Work
When
the Prophet Joseph
Smith called Elder
Heber C. Kimball (1801–68) to “open the door of salvation” as a missionary
to England, Elder Kimball was seized by feelings of inadequacy. “O, Lord,” he
wrote, “I am a man of stammering tongue, and altogether unfit for such a work.”
Elder
Kimball accepted the call nevertheless, adding: “These considerations did not
deter me from the path of duty; the moment I understood the will of my Heavenly
Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would
support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I
needed.”1
My young brothers and
sisters who are called to full-time missionary service, you are called to the
work because you, like Elder Kimball, “have desires to serve God” (D&C 4:3) and
because you are ready and worthy.
Senior couples, you are
called to the work for the same reasons. You, however, bring not only a desire
to serve but also wisdom gained from seasons of sacrifice, love, and experience
that your Father in Heaven can use to touch the hearts of His sons and
daughters who are looking for the truth. No doubt you have learned that we can
never truly love the Lord until we serve Him by serving others.
To your desires to
serve as missionaries, you will add faith and fortitude, courage and
confidence, resolve and resilience, determination and dedication. Dedicated
missionaries can bring about miracles in the mission field.
President John
Taylor (1808–87) summed up the essential qualities of missionaries this way: “The
kind of men [and women and couples] we want as bearers of this gospel message
are men who have faith in God; men who have faith in their religion; men who
honor their priesthood; men in whom … God has confidence. … We want men
full of the Holy
Ghost and the power of
God[,] … men of honor, integrity, virtue and purity.”2
The Lord has declared:
“For behold the
field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with
his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth
salvation to his soul;
“And faith, hope,
charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the
work” (D&C 4:4–5). Your
call has come through inspiration. I testify that whom God calls, God
qualifies. You will receive heavenly help as you prayerfully labor in the
Lord’s vineyard.
The
beautiful promise the Lord gave to the missionaries early in this dispensation,
as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, will be
yours: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your
left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you,
to bear you up” (D&C 84:88). As
you serve, you will build rich eternal memories and friendships. I know of no
field which produces a more bounteous harvest of happiness than the mission
field.
Now, a word for those elders, sisters, and couples who, for
whatever reason, may not be able to finish their assigned time in the mission
field: The Lord loves you. He appreciates your sacrifice. He is aware of your
disappointment. Know that He still has a work for you to do. Don’t let Satan
tell you otherwise. Don’t get down; don’t become discouraged; don’t despair.
As I observed in
general conference shortly after I was called to lead the Church: “Fear not. Be
of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”3That
promise still holds true for you. So don’t lose your faith, because the Lord
has not lost faith in you. Keep your covenants and move forward.
The world needs the
gospel of Jesus
Christ. May the Lord bless all of His Saints—regardless of where we
serve—with a missionary heart.
Teaching from This
Message
Whether
or not we serve as full-time missionaries, each of us has the opportunity to
share the gospel and serve those around us. Consider pairing this message with
a recent general conference talk on this topic, such as “Sharing the Restored
Gospel” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Liahona, Nov. 2016, 57). You could also discuss
the phrase “whom God calls, God qualifies” with those you teach. How have they
felt God supporting them in missionary
work and in their
callings? You could invite those you teach to pray for strength and inspiration
to know how to share the gospel with their family,
friends, and neighbors.
Youth:
A
Missionary without a Tag
By
Kirsti Arave
The
author lives in Utah, USA.
At
school I have a teacher who has the kind of personality that might scare
someone from sharing opposing views on a subject. One day we got on the topic
of LDS missionaries. I knew I could have answered his questions, but I felt
like I shouldn’t. So I said just enough to satisfy him for the time being.
For the next few weeks I couldn’t stop thinking about our
conversation. Finally, a thought came to me that I should give him a Book
of Mormon with a few
highlighted phrases about missionary work. The thought scared me, but it
persisted. I knew it was a prompting I had to follow.
About
two months later, I had the Book of Mormon ready. All day long I felt like the
book was burning a hole in my backpack. The three seconds it took for me to
hand it to him as I left for winter break was the scariest moment of my life.
On
the first day back, I passed his classroom but was scared to go in. Then I
heard him call for me, and he gave me a card. I read it in the hallway. He
wrote that he had studied “at length” the passages I had marked, and he was
beginning to see some reasons behind my faith.
I
get excited sharing the gospel now, and I am even more excited to serve my
Heavenly Father on a mission soon.
Get ideas at lds.org/go/6176
Children
Missionary Service
Missionaries
are called to teach the gospel and also to serve people. Help the missionaries
find these tools hidden in the picture!
Notes
“Whom Are Called”
cji
6/1/17
All are
called to serve
our mission
in mortality
to share
precious truths
giving
understanding
of the
Savior our Lord
to speak
of his Father
thus to
share the Gospel
found in
the Scriptures
literal
and true known
without
the wisdom of man
relying
fully on our Lord
nothing
wavering ever!
Copyright © 2017 – cji
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