October 3, 2016

  October 3, 2016 letter



 

Texas Houston Mission

 

Sunday, October 2, 2016

A Key to Progressing our Investigators to Conversion

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

What a blessing it has been to sit and listen to the words of those who we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators! We hope you enjoyed the messages that were shared. Even more importantly, we hope you will take some time in upcoming zone meetings this Friday to share with each other the key messages you heard.

There has always been a need for effective teaching so that others can know what to do (D&C 82:8-9). This is even more so the case with those who are just beginning to know what the Lord would have them do and striving to find the strength necessary to follow that counsel. We attended a district meeting this week where Sister Teasdale shared some great insight from the Book of Mormon that illustrates this point.

We see interesting parallels in both the way Ammon is described as teaching the people of King Lamoni, as well as the consequences of His teaching. In Alma 21:23 we read:

23 And Ammon did preach unto the people of king Lamoni; and it came to pass that he did teach them all things concerning things pertaining to righteousness. And he did exhort them DAILY, with all diligence; and they gave heed unto his word, and they were zealous for keeping the commandments of God.

Ammon, like us, was trying to help a people build their faith in Jesus Christ. To accomplish this, he was involved with them daily just as we must be. As a consequence of diligence, we read that the Lamanites became "zealous", or extremely faithful in keeping the commandments of God.

Elders and Sisters, the Book of Mormon is indeed a book of answers and written for our day! Please do all you can to be sure we are as diligent as Ammon so that those we teach may enjoy the same enthusiasm for righteousness that King Lamoni's people had. This requires careful planning, particularly after an investigator accepts a baptismal date. We ought to be planning for DAILY contact and WHO is going to contact them. If we will, we testify that our investigators will more successfully become converted.

The assistants are providing planning training for each zone to help expand your vision and deepen your commitment to plan the way the Lord would have us plan.

Thank you for your faithful service. We feel so lucky to be serving with you!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen