The Restoration and Following the Spirit Part 2

Transcription

1 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents The Restoration and Following the Spirit Part 2 Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Quentin L. Cook Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles June 27, 2015 Elder Quentin L. Cook: Brothers and sisters, I was going to ask you a few questions about how you felt when the missionaries gave that first lesson, but I was in tears when they were presenting it, and I could see that you were, and it feels like overkill to talk about that at this point. Elder Ballard and I felt that it was essential to do that and essential that you prayed that the Spirit be there in a way that it needed to be, and it really was. I hope Elder Ballard doesn t mind me telling another true account of his. When Preach My Gospel was almost done but the First Presidency had not completely signed off, Elder Ballard went to Philadelphia with President Gordon B. and Sister Marjorie Hinckley and Elder David B. and Sister Ruby M. Haight. There were 400 missionaries at a missionary meeting, and he decided that he was going to have the first lesson of chapter 3, the Restoration lesson, taught in front of President Hinckley. I know a lot about this because my brother was the mission president in Philadelphia when it happened. He and his wife were acting as Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and Mary and I kind of enjoyed taking the spot today that my brother and his wife had then. My brother chose his two assistants to teach, and Elder Ballard had no more than 30 minutes to train them. The missionaries had only slight exposure to Preach My Gospel, but they had been teaching the First Vision account for a long time. President Hinckley felt what you felt here. Elder Haight felt what you felt here. When missionaries do it well, when they re full of the Spirit, following the Spirit, and teaching by the Spirit, that s what happens. We don t have any better way of preaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ than by following those lessons that are prepared and that the missionaries can teach well. I d like to take you to another part that is in some ways equally inspiring, Doctrine and Covenants 112, and talk just a little bit about it. It s a fabulous section of the Doctrine and Covenants, but it also has some wonderful principles in terms of the history of missionary work and the Restoration. Doctrine and Covenants 109 records the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, and in section 110, the Savior Himself appears, and ancient prophets return to restore keys for the gathering of Israel, the perfecting of the Saints, and the sealing power. Section 111 takes place a couple months later. Those revelations were in 1836, and you do not have anything until July of 1837, which is when section 112 comes.

2 That was a very difficult time for the Church, but it was also a very difficult time for the world, for the nation, and for England. In the late part of 1836, some of the major banks in England started to fail. There had been a lot of speculation. The price of cotton had fluctuated. Many of the mills in the north of England had failed when the price of cotton was too high and couldn t get going again when the price of cotton was too low. In Kirtland, where there had been speculation and a bank failure, people blamed Joseph Smith particularly for that bank failure and for the change in real estate values that were occurring, even though almost 40 percent of all the banks in the United States failed during that period. There was a lot of contention, and Joseph Smith faced one of the most difficult periods that he ever had. In June 1837, in the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith called Heber C. Kimball over to him and said that the Lord had let him know that Heber C. Kimball was to go on a mission to England. In ten days, Elder Kimball and his companions left to go to England. They had to go to New York first, and then they had to sail to England. Finally they arrived on that shore, and one of the missionaries, Elder Fielding, had a relative who was a minister and had a meeting in Vauxhall Chapel on Sunday, July 23, The Prophet Joseph was in Kirtland. He wasn t anywhere nearby. He didn t know that the very first public preaching of the gospel outside of North America was going to occur on Sunday, July 23, in Vauxhall Chapel in Preston, England. That s the background of Doctrine and Covenants 112. It s interesting to look at the record of what they taught. Three missionaries taught in the Vauxhall Chapel: Elder Kimball, Elder Goodson, and Elder Hyde. It is recorded that Elder Heber C. Kimball started by saying, I declare that an angel has visited the earth and restored the everlasting gospel. 1 Those were some of the first words that were spoken outside North America in a mission in this dispensation. Do you know what they did next? They did just like this mission presidents seminar was organized. They taught the first principles of the gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was so powerful and so inspiring that nine people presented themselves for baptism after. One week later, on July 30, the first Church members outside North America were baptized in the River Ribble. For a very different purpose, I have a video of me visiting that site a few years ago, and I d like to share that with you right now. [Video Begins] Elder Quentin L. Cook: This bridge crosses the River Ribble near Preston, England, where the first baptismal ordinance in the restored Church of Jesus Christ outside North America was performed July 30, Apostle Heber C. Kimball stood in the river and greeted George D. Watt, the first to be baptized. After the baptismal prayer, Heber immersed Brother Watt in the water to complete the baptism. I first visited this historic site in January of 1961, when I was a new missionary serving in the British Mission. I already had a strong testimony, but it was a spiritually inspiring occasion for me as I received an overpowering witness of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. I realized I was standing on sacred ground. I felt renewed appreciation for the Prophet Joseph Smith, for Elder Kimball, and for those early missionaries as they fulfilled this first mission to Great Britain. [Video Ends] Elder Quentin L. Cook: Elder Holland, I think that s the first time we ever met. We were there as missionaries together in that very spot at a conference in January Notice the name George D. Watt, the first person that was baptized. If you look at the Church News from last week, it talks about Elder Jeffrey R. Holland s visit to Scotland and about Elder Pratt and opening up the work in Scotland. When Elder Pratt was finished in 1840, he turned the congregation, 200 disciples, over to George D. Watt, the first one that was baptized 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 2

3 three years before. It s really quite a remarkable account. Let s read three or four verses out of Doctrine and Covenants 112. If you can, turn to verse 21. This speaks about you: And again, I say unto you, that whosoever ye shall send in my name, by the voice of your brethren, the Twelve, duly recommended and authorized by you, shall have power to open the door of my kingdom unto any nation whithersoever ye shall send them. 2 That describes you this very early section of the Doctrine and Covenants in the early history of the Church. The next verse: Inasmuch as they shall humble themselves before me, and abide in my word, and hearken to the voice of my Spirit. 3 That s the prerequisite for being able to open the doors and accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Verse 28: But purify your hearts before me; and then go ye into all the world, and preach my gospel unto every creature who has not received it. 4 And then verse 33, which is a very sobering verse to the leadership of the Church and I m sure will be to you: Verily I say unto you, behold how great is your calling. Cleanse your hearts and your garments, lest the blood of this generation be required at your hands. 5 We don t like to say too much about that, but this is serious work, and our missionaries need to know it s serious work. We re trying to gather scattered Israel, and we need to be very responsible. It s interesting to me that the Prophet Joseph had this revelation in Kirtland regarding Thomas B. Marsh even as the missionaries were teaching the first Restoration lesson in Preston, England. Heber C. Kimball s wife Vilate sent this revelation to her husband, which he didn t receive in England until September, several months after it had been issued. This is a very tender section, and I m very, very grateful for it. I wanted to come back to President Hinckley s emphasis on teaching by the Spirit, and maybe we can put that slide up, from Preach My Gospel, pages President Rasmussen, maybe we can get you to read that. President Daniel L. Rasmussen: Our purpose is to teach the message of the restored gospel in such a way as to allow the Spirit to direct both the missionaries and those being taught. It is essential to learn the concepts of the [lessons], but these should not be taught by rote presentation. The missionary should feel free to use his own words as prompted by the Spirit. He should not give a memorized recitation, but speak from the heart in his own terms. He may depart from the order of the lessons, giving that which he is inspired to do, according to the interest and needs of the investigator. Speaking out of his own conviction and in his own words he should bear testimony of the truth of his teachings ( Statement on Missionary Work, First Presidency letter, 11 Dec. 2002). 6 Elder Quentin L. Cook: If you were looking at the genesis, the heart of Preach My Gospel, this is it. In late 2002, President Hinckley and his counselors called members of the Missionary Department. President Hinckley dictated, and I was the scribe. When he got to this point about teaching by the Spirit, he felt it very deeply. The General Authorities had all heard him say that if missionaries met somebody at the door whose baby had died and they didn t go to Moroni 8 and teach a principle that was important to that person, they wouldn t be doing what needed to be done. This encompasses what the First Presidency said in that statement. I don t think there s any better place than at the bottom of page 29 and the top of page 30 of Preach My Gospel that more effectively says what the First Presidency felt in bringing forth Preach My Gospel and wanting the missionaries to teach it. You re going to find that a lot of the missionaries, as good and faithful as they are, have memorized a set of principles that are in line, and they don t vary them very much. They can run into somebody who s from Asia and doesn t believe in the Savior and they 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 3

4 may not even vary their teachings. If our missionaries would really prayerfully prepare for who they re teaching and very prayerfully seek the Spirit to teach to them and their needs, I believe that the hastening of the work would increase greatly. The harvest would increase greatly. It s something that we re very, very concerned about. Many of them have strayed on that one particular issue. Now, one area that Elder Ballard and I felt should be covered is the use of new technology in many of the missions. Over time, it probably will be used in all missions. All of us in the Twelve recognize that there s a danger if it ends up being used in a rote, wooden manner, if they re using it instead of bearing their testimony. But having said that, do not underestimate how powerful these devices can be and how important they are for the future, those of you that are using them. There s no question in our minds that these inventions and this technology have been brought forward to assist in the gathering of scattered Israel. We also believe it s fulfillment of what President Spencer W. Kimball prophesied in We ll watch a video of that prophesy. [Video Begins] President Spencer W. Kimball: Is anything too hard for the Lord? Certainly not. To Thomas B. Marsh, president of the Quorum of the Twelve, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord spoke: In whatsoever place ye shall proclaim my name an effectual door shall be opened unto you. 7 The Lord is also prepared to open doors by putting into our hands inventions of which we laymen have hardly had a glimpse. King Benjamin, you ll remember, called together all the people in the land of Zarahemla, and the multitude was so great that King Benjamin caused a tower to be erected, that thereby his people might hear the words which he should speak unto them. Our Father in Heaven has now provided us mighty towers, radio and television towers, with possibilities beyond comprehension, to help fulfill the words of the Lord: For, verily, the sound must go forth from this place into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth the gospel must be preached unto every creature. 8 Millions of people are anxious and willing to learn, if only they can hear the sound in their own tongue, and in the manner that they can grasp and understand. High in the heavens are satellites performing a miracle relaying broadcast signals back to almost every corner of the earth s surface. Who can say what other miracles the Lord is preparing to assist in worldwide communication? Doors will be opened, ways will be prepared, but I don t believe the Lord would open doors that we re not prepared to enter. [Video Ends] Elder Quentin L. Cook: It s almost unbelievable to think of what has happened, to think that President Kimball was prophesying during that period, and subsequent prophets. We ve shortened this a little bit; we had a video of President Ezra Taft Benson and videos of some of the other prophets that are extremely powerful as well, that we re not going to be able to show. What an incredible time this is to be going out and serving. There has never been a time like this with the opportunity for communication. I loved what Elder Perry was saying: Everywhere we go, our voice is growing. It s stronger. Other Christian religions are struggling. Ours is stronger. There has never been a time like this. Before turning over to Elder Ballard again, I want to impress upon you how significant you re going to be in the lives of your missionaries. I think you know that. Maybe I m preaching to the choir, but I m sure you don t have a full idea of what it s going to mean. You ll be teaching them, and they re going to pick up the idiosyncrasies as well. We laugh at how historically some missionaries have bought into some things that probably were just one mission president s personal beliefs or habits. But 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 4

5 your teaching of them is going to be so significant. I had two mission presidents but spent a lot more time with the last one, Elder Marion D. Hanks, and Elder Holland and I were missionary companions. As near as we can tell, out of the 97 Apostles in this dispensation, we re the only two that served together as companions, as young men. We had a mission president who did everything he possibly could to help us have an understanding of the doctrine, the Book of Mormon, the Restoration which he was so strong about and the Prophet Joseph Smith, but he never, ever got away from faith in God the Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Those were central. I m going to ask Elder Holland, if he will, to come up. I hope he s got his voice back. We know you ve been ill. Just talk a little bit. We ve got time. Talk about our mission president and what he did that would be particularly applicable to these mission presidents, or whatever you want to do. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: If you have a bad day with your missionaries someday and you want to just sort of rap them to the side of the head, let Elder Cook and me be a visual aid for you, will you? I don t know that our president ever wanted to rap us, but, you know, what do you do? You ve got a really smart one from Logan and a really dumb one from St. George. It has been tender to us to serve in this quorum, in some small measure because of our missions and because of our mission president. We know that there are other purposes at work and ultimately everything is according to God s direction, and office is irrelevant. God doesn t love us any more than He loves the newest convert or the youngest child. But our mission president really believed in us. I think one of the things, Elder Cook, that I felt from the beginning about President Hanks was that he treated us the way he expected us to be. He was dignified himself. He could have fun. We played basketball together on preparation day, and we had fun; he had a great sense of humor. But when it was missionary work, and that was 24 hours a day, seven days a week, really, he treated us like we were grown-ups. He treated us like we could accept responsibility, preach the gospel, represent the mission, and represent the Lord. That s an early impression I had with the first handshake that we had. You remember when we met him in the Hyde Park Chapel when he came as a new president with his little family? Another thing that he did for us and with us was, as Elder Cook has said and stressed, to teach the Book of Mormon. He loved the Book of Mormon. He said his earliest testimony was inextricably linked to the Book of Mormon. A lot of other things had happened in his life. He was a General Authority and you don t have to be a General Authority to be a good mission president but his course in life had led him to that. He said his beginnings came from the Book of Mormon, and that s what had given him his faith and sustained him. He was a widow s son. He had lost his father before he was born; he d never known his father. His widow mother raised these children, and he d had his challenges in life, and he d gone back again and again and again to the Book of Mormon. That s what he taught us. I never remember him teaching anything other than from the scriptures in any zone conference, district meeting, or mission meeting of any kind, and we had the good fortune to be with him for a lot of those. So please, you don t need Chicken Soup for the Soul. You don t need a Reader s Digest special edition. You ve got all the material you ever need in the scriptures, especially those that have been pointed out and included in Preach My Gospel, for motivation of your missionaries at zone conferences and other settings. Lastly, Elder Hanks loved the Savior. I can remember that one time in the office he started to cry. This was late at night. He said, Ever since I was a little boy, 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 5

6 I think when I ve heard the name of Jesus Christ, I ve wept. Now, that s a special gift. That s a special gift that might have uniquely been his. I ve never forgotten that comment, and I ve never forgotten the setting. He taught us about the Savior, the Book of Mormon, and teachings of the scriptures foundational, rock-solid material. I think it s because he wanted us to go home and be faithful forever. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopric these officers behind us here are desperately concerned about missionaries who come home and do not remain faithful. That s almost inconceivable to us. It s one thing to go out and struggle and find some sheep. We can t afford to lose the shepherds. Elder Hanks didn t say that in so many words, but I know that what he gave us in the Book of Mormon and what he gave us about our testimony of Christ was that we were to be in this forever. We were never, ever going to face him it would ve been our necks to face him ever, however many years hence and not be faithful in this Church, not be rooted and grounded in the scriptures and in the Savior of the world. One of the sweet byproducts was that we got that message individually, but sometimes we got to have it together as a companionship. Elder Quentin L. Cook: Thank you, Elder Holland. Elder Hanks had us read the Book of Mormon, the first time marking in red everything that had to do with Christ. Then he had us go back and mark in green everything that had to do with doctrine. (It s an option at the back of Preach My Gospel.) He was teaching those things at the same time. I cherished that paperback book and kept it and would often refer to it. I didn t realize how much it had influenced other people. Later on, Elder Holland wrote Christ and the New Covenant, which he acknowledges he started because his mission president gave him the assignment. Now, we re not giving you an assignment to do it this way. That isn t my purpose in going through this with you. My purpose in saying this is that it had such an impact. Elder Holland said in his acknowledgements, I also wish to thank my mission president, Elder Marion D. Hanks, who first introduced me to the profundity of the Book of Mormon and the majesty of Christ that lay hidden there. 9 Your influence on your missionaries is going to be incredible. All of us have had these kinds of experiences, and it s such a wonderful thing. I m glad that Elder Holland said, It isn t whether you have a high position or not. Elder Holland probably would be my favorite mission companion, but one of my favorites was a young man who came out on his mission from Utah, from outside the metropolitan area. His parents had a small farm that was in foreclosure. They didn t have anything to send him on a mission. His sister, who had a scholarship at BYU, wanted her little brother to go on a mission. She left BYU and left that scholarship and went to Salt Lake to work as a secretary in a law firm to give money to him for a mission. I can remember when he arrived and I was his senior companion in central London; he was scared to death coming off a farm. The first night he prayed, and when he started praying about his sister I literally opened my eyes to look up because I was sure, listening to him pray, that she was going to be right there. Well, we taught, and he didn t know the lessons. He didn t have a lot of doctrinal knowledge, but we taught the lessons. I would give him assignments, and he would do them. We had a lot of success, and we were far enough from Hyde Park Chapel that we had to rent a van to get there. We rented the van, and a group went with us for the baptism. We had the baptism, and on the way back I asked, When was it that you first realized that you would be baptized? I remind you, I probably did 90 percent of the teaching. Every one of them said (I m not going to give his name), When Elder prayed or when he recited the First Vision, I felt something I had never 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 6

7 felt before. There s not a missionary that will be in your missions, if he or she will be humble, that can t have the kind of impact that we saw these two elders have, Elder Dallas Doane and Elder Jacob Welch. It is following the Spirit. The Restoration and following the Spirit are key. I testify to you that this work is true, that this is the Lord s work. In all the things you ll do, if you re following the Spirit, the hand of the Lord will be in it. If you ll teach your missionaries to follow the Spirit and help them understand who they are and what blessings they can have, they will accomplish what the Lord wants them to accomplish. I testify of the reality of the Atonement and the divinity of Jesus Christ, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen. Elder M. Russell Ballard: Thank you, Elder Cook. I appreciate very much your insight and wonderful teaching. Presidents and sisters, I have just one or two items that have come to my mind as I ve sat here through this wonderful training. It has been very, very good I think the best we ve ever had. We had the sister missionaries here. We didn t have time to really draw from them the depth that they could ve given to us, but they said something very significant, and I want to be sure you caught it: that is that your missionaries must be able to teach with understanding. This means they must know that when they have taught a principle, that Mr. and Mrs. Brown understand what they have said and what they have taught. That comes by them asking careful questions focused on what they have taught. They will not generally know how to do that unless you have the training, as we have given you, in your zone conferences where they practice and learn how to do these simple things, which make a big difference as to whether or not people are tracking along with them. We ve talked a lot about Preach My Gospel. All of us have. My counsel to you is don t try to invent any new system. When missionaries tell me they ve read Preach My Gospel, I smile and say, Well, tell me what it says in the fourth chapter on the third page. They respond, Well I don t know that. I say, Well, why don t you read it again and then again and then again? Because that book was written to them. Preach My Gospel is written to the missionaries. That s what it s all about, and that s what we re all about here today. I was proud of Elder Cook because he was able to hold back his emotions when his great-great-grandfather Heber C. Kimball was shown on the screen. He walked where Heber C. Kimball performed the first baptisms in England. We ll have one last word now from our beloved President Spencer W. Kimball, all from that masterful address of [Video Begins] President Spencer W. Kimball: This is the way it must happen. This is the way it will happen. And may we emphasize again that numbers are incidental and secondary to our main purpose, which is the same as that of our Heavenly Father: to bring to every soul the gospel which can open the doors to eternal life for man. Our objective is not power or domain but is entirely spiritual. And to every nation and people which opens its borders to the gospel will come unbelievable blessings. If we do all we can, and I accept my own part of that responsibility, the Lord will do the rest. He will bring more discoveries to our use, He will bring a change of heart to kings and magistrates and emperors, or He will divert rivers or open seas or find ways to touch hearts. He will open the gates and make possible the proselyting. Of that I have great faith. My dear brothers and sisters, may each of us give to the Lord our very best efforts until the gospel has penetrated every continent, visited every climb, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, til the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say, The work is done. And may the Lord bless us as we do so, I pray, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. [Video Ends] 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 7

8 Elder M. Russell Ballard: Isn t he wonderful? I would recommend that you get a copy of his talk I think it s on LDS.org. A lot has been said about our responsibility to help missionaries become what they need to become to lead this Church 20 years from now. Always look at your missionaries as what you are preparing and whom you are preparing to carry off on their shoulders: the wards, branches, quorums, and stakes. Who knows? You may be teaching and preparing a future member of the Seventy or the Quorum of the Twelve, or the future Relief Society general president, or the future Primary and Young Women general presidents. As you teach, see the big picture. We don t know what you will instill into the hearts of your missionaries as their mission president, but all we can tell you is that the greatest joy that you will have will be after your mission, after you ve had an opportunity to watch them grow and marry and have children. They ll come to a mission reunion. Ours now come with their children and their grandchildren. I can t recognize them very well because they re all 50 pounds heavier. Most of them have lost their hair. But I count it a great privilege to embrace them and their children and grandchildren, which we do once a year. That ll also be one of your treasured experiences. Let us enjoy a brief testimony now from President Hinckley, who was so open and so willing to let us come and counsel with him. We ve referred to his name quite often. It s because he was willing to let us come into his office, sit down, tell him what we were trying to do, and get guidance from him. This is a statement that he made in [Video Begins] President Gordon B. Hinckley: Great is our work; tremendous is our responsibility in helping to find those to teach. The Lord has laid upon us a mandate to teach the gospel to every creature. This will take the very best efforts of every missionary. Before the Church was organized, there was missionary work. It has continued ever since, notwithstanding the difficulties of many of the seasons through which our people have passed. Let us, every one, resolve within ourselves to arise to a new opportunity, a new sense of responsibility, a new shouldering of obligation, to assist our Father in Heaven in His glorious work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters throughout the earth. This is God s holy work. This is His Church and kingdom. The vision that occurred in the Sacred Grove was just as Joseph said it was. The Book of Mormon is true. It testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. His priesthood has been restored and among us. The keys of that priesthood which have come from heavenly beings are exercised for our eternal blessing. Such is our testimony, yours and mine, a testimony of which we must share with others. I leave this testimony, and my blessing and my love with each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. [Video Ends] Elder M. Russell Ballard: Wonderful to hear their words, isn t it? It takes us all back. One last principle, and then I would like to go to the pulpit with my closing remark. I have talked to thousands who have joined the Church, and I believe if you were all recent converts, I could ask the question, When did you come to know the Church was true? The answer has almost always been something like this: Well, when the missionaries were teaching me, I felt... or When I was reading the Book of Mormon, I felt... or When I attended a Church meeting, I felt... I believe conversion and reactivation always begins with what people feel in the beginning. Once they feel it, they can be taught and they can grasp on the glorious message. We ve talked to you a lot about keeping your missionaries obedient, about having them do the right things for the right reasons. The reason they do that is so they can have the Spirit of the 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 8

9 Lord with them, so when they teach the glorious message that is uniquely ours, people will feel and recognize that this is something that they need to know more about. Today is the 171st commemoration of the lives of Joseph and Hyrum being taken in Carthage Jail. May we have the brief video reenacting their martyrdom, please? [Video Begins] Female voice-over: Joseph and Hyrum arrived in Carthage, Illinois, and surrendered themselves to face charges. Despite all the promises of fair treatment, what happened came as no surprise. [Gunshots] Joseph Smith: Hyrum! No! [Gunshots] Joseph Smith voice-over: What do we hear in the gospel that we have received? Truth, out of the earth. Mercy from heaven. A voice of gladness for the living and the dead. Shall we not go on in so great a cause? [Video Ends] Elder M. Russell Ballard: John Taylor was there. He said of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord,... left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!... Their testament is in force. 10 Today we sit together 171 years later, about the same time when the event that we just showed you on the video occurred. As brothers and sisters are called to go into the world to declare the message of the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I again quote from one of John Taylor s sermons: It is pleasing to know that we are the disciples of as good a man as Joseph Smith was, of a man that lived in the fear of God who was faithful all his life long. I know that he was a good man, that he was an honest man, that he was a man of integrity, that he was a prophet of the Lord, that he lived in that capacity and died in that capacity and maintained his integrity to the end. And I know that he yet lives because I have seen him. 11 No missionary should ever fail to understand and appreciate the great price others have paid to establish once again the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. No assignment or challenge of any missionary should hold him or her back from boldly declaring the gospel truths that are ours to share. Joseph was called to his work by the Lord just as you and your missionaries have been called by the Lord through His prophet. With the Restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the groundwork was laid for the Second Coming of the Lord. Joseph translated the Book of Mormon and brought forth another scripture, received priesthood keys and re-established all necessary ordinances, organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sent missionaries forth to proclaim the gospel worldwide, built temples, began the sacred work of salvation of the dead, and taught other principles that are necessary to prepare people for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Joseph and Hyrum were missionary companions, true and faithful one to another and to God. Their example of love and support on their mission is an example for every missionary companionship. None of your missionaries will be called to go through what Joseph and Hyrum and others did. None will be required to voluntarily give their lives for this Church. But all can learn how to support and strengthen one another from these two powerful missionaries. All of your missionaries need to devote themselves to this 2015 Seminar for New Mission Presidents 9

10 great cause. They can learn the power of the message of the Restoration. They can learn the attributes and skills that it takes to be fearless disciples of the Master. They can learn and practice the principles for success found in Preach My Gospel. All of your missionaries can come to know that the Restoration of the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ is glorious and provides everyone whom they may see or contact the way to immortality and eternal life. All of us, by following the example of Joseph and Hyrum, can protect, support, teach, and love one another as missionary companions with the same dedication as Joseph and Hyrum did on their mission. May God bless you, my dear presidents and your wives, with every blessing you need to instill in the hearts of your missionaries the same love for Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the faithful Saints of the past had in establishing this sacred and true kingdom of God. If any of you or your missionaries face a day of discouragement, I would suggest that you visit in your minds the Richmond, Liberty, and Carthage jails, and there you will find the power of the Savior to hold you steady as it did with our beloved prophets Joseph and Hyrum. We place into your hands the future leaders of the Church whom you will prepare to carry on their shoulders now and in the future the continuing preparation for that day when the Lord says, The work is done. May God bless you in this glorious and wonderful privilege that s yours. The mission of this Church is true. Jesus is the Christ. We re on His errand. To that I humbly testify in His sacred and holy name, even Jesus Christ, amen. Notes 1. Jay M. Todd, A Pictorial Story of the Founding of the Church in the British Isles, New Era, Nov. 1971, Doctrine and Covenants 112: Doctrine and Covenants 112: Doctrine and Covenants 112: Doctrine and Covenants 112: Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service (2004), Doctrine and Covenants 112: Doctrine and Covenants 58: Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant (1997), xiii. 10. Doctrine and Covenants 135:3, Adapted from John Taylor s June 27, 1854, Account of the Martyrdom, transcribed by LaJean Purcell Carruth and edited by Mark Lyman Staker, BYU Studies, vol. 50, no. 3 (2011), 39, by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. English approval: 6/15. PD