Mission President as of March 6 2016

Texas Houston Mission

 

Monday, March 7, 2016

Feasting Upon the Words...

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

What a wonderful week it has been as we have seen so many come into the waters of baptism! We are grateful to you all for the hard work and dedication you have shown to not only find these souls, but to shepherd them safely to the water. Please remember to make sure there is a "New and Returning Member Progress Record" started for each of these new members and that their progress is being reviewed and assignments are being made weekly. We are excited to meet each of them as you bring them to the temple on the 25th of this month.

One of the last things Nephi counsels us about is what we do after baptism. He says:

2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?

3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. (2 Ne 32)

Often, we associate the counsel "to feast" with studying the scriptures. While that is certainly one of the ways we can feast, it seems as though he is really talking about seeking out and treasuring the words of the Holy Ghost. Elders and Sisters, learning to recognize and follow the "words of Christ" as spoken by angels and delivered through the influence of the Holy Ghost is one of the most important skills we can learn as missionaries. This month we will be studying the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion, both that of our investigators and our own.

We promise you that as you study and carefully listen to the promptings you receive, you will be directed in your efforts to find, to teach and to shepherd. You will also recognize ways to you can become more exactly obedient. It is the Lord who has said, "For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance" (D&C 1:31). The Adversary would have us believe that we can sin/disobey a little, "there is no harm in this...". Please don't fall into the trap of justifying disobedience. It only leads to heartache and sorrow. The Lord has much greater blessings in store for those He loves.

We love you and are looking forward to the beginning of a new transfer with great miracles that lie ahead.

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen