PROVO, Utah — In 1829, a year before the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Lord told 26-year-old John Whitmer, “The thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father” (Doctrine and Covenants 15:6).
At the conclusion of His mortal ministry, the Savior had similar counsel for Peter, saying, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).
Such words of counsel, encouragement and wisdom are perfectly suited to young missionaries today, and they need to hear it from their mission leaders, said Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as he spoke Saturday, June 22, to the 148 couples attending the 2024 Seminar for New Mission Leaders at the Provo Missionary Training Center.
The teaching and testifying from mission leaders will not only impact the service of the missionaries but have a long-range influence on their lives, he added.
Talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, preach of Christ
“As mission leaders, you need to talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, preach of Christ, prophesy of Christ, and write of Christ so that the missionaries, the local members and the people you meet will know what the core message of the Church is — of Jesus Christ — and that they know ‘to what source they may look for a remission of their sins’” (2 Nephi 25:26), Elder Uchtdorf taught.
Teaching and testifying transforms not only the missionaries but also the mission leaders into disciples and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In deepening their faith, trust and hope in Christ, the mission leaders “will receive the most holy and efficient answers for your ministry” when inquiring of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 15:8, Mosiah 26:13-14), Elder Uchtdorf said. “As you communicate with the Lord, He will transform your thinking, working and serving. Jesus Christ will change how you respond to challenging situations.
“You will learn to see things you may not have seen before, hear things you may not have heard before and feel things you may not have felt as intensely before. The Lord will refine your senses, your compassion and your love for God and His children, our brothers and sisters. God will do this to us — if only we let Him.”
Elder Uchtdorf told the new mission leaders that their preparations since receiving their mission calls have helped them learn “great and incredible things about how to love, share and invite.”
Christ is at the center
As new mission leaders strengthen their relationships with the Savior, they can appropriately share their spiritual journey with the missionaries — and direct the light on Jesus Christ. “He is at the center of your mission and the missionaries’ mission,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “He is at the center of His work. He is the center of our sacred temples. He is the center of our lives.”
As they observe their mission leaders’ ongoing conversion, they in turn transform themselves by applying the teachings through words and deeds, he added.
When leaders teach missionaries about deepening their faith, hope and trust in the Savior, “words are important, but they have to be certified by our deeds and personal living.”
The Christ-centered spiritual atmosphere mission leaders create will bless not only the missionaries but also the leaders’ family, friends and others, Elder Uchtdorf said. “As you focus on Him, the Lord will multiply and bless your efforts, and your work and service will be perfected in Him.”
He encouraged the new mission leaders to help missionaries engage in practical Christlike service. The Lord blesses missionaries for doing His will “way beyond any human expectation,” said Elder Uchtdorf, underscoring two blessings from selfless service:
- As missionaries serve the Lord and God’s children, they will feel that they are part of a greater cause.
- Service to others will create people’s interest in who the missionaries are, why they are there and what their real motives are.
“If the Lord’s work appears difficult, don’t worry. If you go and do, the Lord will provide a way. Remember, it is His work,” he said, citing the saying: “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
Concluding, Elder Uchtdorf invited mission leaders to “please love, share and invite your missionaries to become the light of the world. Follow the simple pattern the Lord has used in His ministry by inviting people to come and see, come and help, and come and belong.”
