Letter from President Mortenson

Texas Houston Mission

 

Monday, May 30, 2016

Remembering Our Purpose

To the missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

We are inspired by the great efforts that being made by you to find and teach. We would like to invite you recommit yourselves to teach repentance by inviting those you teach to be baptized. With this in mind, we request that each of you study Chapter 1 during the month of June. It is natural to get so caught up in any routine that we forget the objective of it. Please spend the time in personal and companionship study during the month of June to study all of the elements of this chapter including the information and activities in the boxes :).

There are far too many people who are attending our church services who aren't being invited to be baptized. Everything we do, the finding, the teaching, the inviting is to help people become cleansed from sin so they can enjoy the Spirit of God in their lives. The best time to invite people to be baptized is when they are feeling the Spirit.

Please remember that no one should be be taught a first lesson in this mission without an invitation to be baptized. It is the way we bless their lives. When we follow up diligently with their Book of Mormon reading, we should be prepared to teach them the Plan of Salvation to show them that God would have them be baptized and that the Book of Mormon contains the answers to the questions of the soul. We shouldn't create our own barriers for people to receive a baptismal date. If they are exercising faith unto repentance (making and keeping commitments), they are prepared for a date. All investigators who are reading the Book of Mormon and who have attended church once should have a date by the very next lesson. A Covenant Path Calendar should be presented on the following lesson.

We must remember that we carry the message that will allow people to be redeemed of their sins and to receive the greatest gift anyone can receive in mortality which is the Gift and companionship of the Holy Ghost. All of God's children need it. Be as strictly obedient as you can be so that we can receive revelation to both find those the Lord has prepared and have the courage and faith to invite them to come unto Christ that they may inherit eternal life (D&C 14:7,8)!!

We love you! We can think of no better missionaries to labor with in this great work!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We attended the "English as a Second Language" Graduation in the Spring Branch School District last Friday. Our missionaries are so loved by those they teach! It is an honor for us to be associated with them. They are doing such great work.