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Apostles counsel embarking leaders

REVERENCE

"Revelation and reverence are inextricably combined. You will not in irreverence receive much revelation. Reverence has behavorial manifestations in meetings and there is also a depth of personal reverence that is an essential if you are going to receive revelation. Reverence means submission, it means obedience." - President Boyd K. PackerCONVERSION

"Your challenge is, with all the power, faith, and enthusiasm of your souls, to create such a conversion in the hearts of your great, full-time missionaries that they will wish that they could extend themselves beyond the powers of just being a mortal, to be an instrument in the hands of God, and to have the great joy of bringing souls to repentance and to a knowledge of the gospel of our Lord and Savior." - Elder L. Tom Perry

ASSIGNMENT

Elder Haight, who underwent surgery earlier in the week for a hip replacement, sent the following statement to be read at the New Mission President's Seminar:

"As chairman of the Missionary Executive Council, I have complete confidence that you will fill your assignments effectively and with great power. The Lord expects that we find people who are willing to be obedient and take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, individuals who can help in building the kingdom and providing leadership for the onrolling of the work.

"Train your missionaries well. Teach them the doctrine and how to accomplish the work. Inspire them to work hard from the very first day. I know you'll have great success in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility to proclaim His gospel to the world." - Elder David B. Haight

BOOK OF MORMON

"Your investigators will never be truly on the road to conversion until they have at least a beginning witness that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. . . .

"The importance of the Book of Mormon in missionary work cannot be overestimated. . . . It is central to our history and theology. Nothing took priority over getting the Book of Mormon published. Everything was held until this was accomplished. There were no apostles until it came into being. Then, the day after its publication, the Church was organized." - Elder James E. Faust

CHRISTLIKE ATTRIBUTES

"Sometimes we give little thought to what we are to be. Yet Jesus asks us to become even as I am,' calling attention toweightier matters' such as judgment, mercy, and faith.

"Even the gifts of God are of little final use, if one has not developed the quality of charity.

"I hope we understand the implications of those words. Without charity we can't go to the upper rooms of the celestial kingdom. It is just as essential as baptism. So what we are to do and what we are to be are incredibly important." - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

PROPHET'S MISSION

"The quotation that Joseph Smith `has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world. . .' is not an extravagant eulogy. The restored gospel applies to both the living and the dead. The Savior laid down His life for the redemption of all mankind. Through the Prophet Joseph, temple work for the dead was revealed. Thus, if we consider the millions of temple ordinances - past, present and future - performed for those living beyond the veil, President Taylor's statement is not only reasonable and conservative, it is correct!

"The life and deeds of Joseph Smith stand as eloquent evidence of his divine calling as the Prophet of the Restoration - for which he was foreordained." - Elder Russell M. Nelson

TEACHING BY THE SPIRIT

"First, the Lord will speak to us in His own time. Second, He will speak to us in His own way. This is usually by what the scriptures call the "still, small voice" of enlightenment or ideas or a feeling of peace and serenity. Third, revelation is not continuous. We are often obliged to act upon our best judgment subject to the Spirit's restraining impression if we have strayed beyond the permissible limits. Fourth, revelation is a reality. It happens, in the Lord's way and according to the Lord's timetable." - Elder Dallin H. Oaks

POWER OF HOLY GHOST

"We have the great need to see that the power of the Spirit gets through this work because it is a work of the Spirit. I think we all understand that. Conversion is a process of the Holy Ghost being able to work through a missionary and touch hearts and bring a feeling within the heart that causes people to want to change their lives and to come unto Christ and to repent and give up their sins." - Elder M. Russell Ballard

DECLARING THE WORD

"Our challenge as missionaries is to declare the word of the Lord among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people of the earth who are searching and hungering and yearning for the truth: `For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations who are. . . kept from the truth only because they know not where to find it.' " - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

"You will accomplish a work that is far beyond your greatest dream to touch the hearts of your missionaries that you supervise, to strengthen the witness and testimony of your own children, those that are with us and those that are home, and to forge of you instruments worthy of representing the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the areas of the world to which you are assigned." - Elder Richard G. Scott

SERVICE

"We don't give our testimony and lives in death in the same manner that Joseph Smith, the martyred Prophet, gave his life. Rather, we give testimony by devoted service in our lives each day to live and to strengthen others. If your missionaries can understand this principle of the gospel, it will make them successful not only on their missions, but for the rest of their lives." - Elder Robert D. Hales

TESTIMONY

"Above all the things that bind us together today is that we are to bear testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is a renewed invitation to me now for the rest of my life, to be a special witness, the overwhelming responsibility for which has simply undone me. . . .

"There are a lot of things I don't know, but I know that Jesus is the Christ. I know that more certainly than I know that you sit here and I stand at the pulpit. I know that God lives and that this work is exactly what the boy Prophet said it was and that a mere child walked out of the grove and took history by the lapels and changed it forever." - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

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