Dear Elders and Sisters,
I love the Lord’s words of encouragement to Thomas B. Marsh
less than a month after he was baptized. He had been ordained an elder and
called on a mission! You can
easily imagine his feelings of inadequacy and weakness. However, the Lord said to him, “Lift up
your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come…” (D&C
31:3). I hope each of you feel the
same sense of praise and support from your Savior. Each of you has planned and
prepared to serve a mission and now your time is here. It should be a time of
rejoicing!
However, missionary life is rigorous. Shortly after arriving
in the field, missionaries realize that there are many things that seem to keep
them from having a sense of delight and satisfaction in their labors. There is
much to assimilate, learn and do. Elder Gerrit W. Gong, our Asia Area
President, has written, “Missionaries who want to be perfect now may become
anxious or discouraged if learning their mission language, seeing people
baptized, or receiving mission leadership assignments do not happen fast
enough. For capable young people accustomed to accomplishment, a mission may be
life’s first great challenge” (Becoming Perfect in Christ, July 2014 Liahona).
Often our lack of joy in the work is a result of unrealistic
expectations, some that may be self-imposed, some that may be imposed by others.
As your mission president, I realize that my expectations, or an interpretation
of my expectations, may lead to comparison with others, discouragement, or
anxiety. Perhaps I have not clearly explained my expectations or desires, or
maybe other mission leaders have not communicated them clearly to you. This can
result in feeling unsuccessful in accomplishing what you feel I expect or
require of you.
In reality, we are all in the service of the Lord Jesus
Christ, whose name we display on our nametags. He has called us to our field of
labor and promised to bless and help us. He has admonished us to, “be anxiously
engaged… and do many things of [our] own free will, and bring to pass much
righteousness; For the power is in [us] wherein [we] are agents unto [ourselves]”
(D&C 58:27-28). The responsibility is placed on each of us, to work
diligently and do all that lies in our power to “Invite others to come unto
Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus
Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy
Ghost, and enduring to the end” (PMG, p. 1).
There are many acts of righteousness that help others to
come unto Christ that are impossible to capture in statistical reports. There
are many things that we do, “in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret,
himself shall reward thee openly” (3Ne. 13:4). Each missionary needs to know for him or herself that the
Lord is pleased with their efforts. Only He can give that commendation. As the
Lord taught Oliver Cowdery, “Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there
is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart”
(D&C 6:16). I have no way of measuring whether you did your best last week
or were anxiously engaged in bringing others closer to Christ. Statistical
reports can help me understand where your time is being spent only to a degree,
and lacks the ability to measure the intents of your heart.
I invite each of you to, as Paul invited the Saints at
Corinth, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own
selves” (2Cor. 13:5). Ask yourself and, more importantly, ask the Lord: 1) Are
my vision, goals, and plans realistic? 2) Are my efforts pleasing to the Lord? 3)
What lack I yet? If you ask with real intent (a desire to know and act) the
Lord will answer your honest inquiry.
President Blickenstaff
Mentor of Champions
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