PROVO, Utah — In June, all members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with other leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered messages at the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders.
Talks from the seminar are typically shared only with mission and senior Church leaders, but Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles felt many of the messages also applied to missionaries.
“It was a remarkable seminar where the Spirit of the Lord was abundantly present,” Elder Rasband said in a Tuesday, Aug. 11, devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center. “Today I would like to share with all of you what I would like to call a ‘seminar highlight reel’ of sorts and emphasize the messages from the seminar that apply directly to you.”
Elder Rasband, who chairs the Missionary Executive Council, was accompanied by his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, who also spoke. Their remarks were broadcast to MTCs around the world.
Elder Rasband’s devotional message focused on four themes:
- First Presidency prophecies
- Fulfilling the missionary purpose
- Two verbs in the missionary purpose — “invite” and “help”
- The role of sister missionaries
Each message of the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders was covered by the Church News and is available at TheChurchNews.com.
First Presidency prophecies
Elder Rasband opened with a video from an Oct. 16, 2025, First Presidency interview in which President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor, said “the growth of the Church will accelerate” and that people will find hope as missionaries present the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“My prophecy is if things do get worse, the number of people who will come into the kingdom of God will increase rapidly,” President Eyring said.
Church President Dallin H. Oaks added, “I join in that prophecy, amen.”
In his June seminar message, President Oaks described how “missionary work is soaring to new heights,” with 55 new missions and more than 87,000 missionaries. Weeks later, the Church announced a new record of 88,500 missionaries worldwide.
“You are part of what President Oaks was talking about,” Elder Rasband said. “Because of you, we are soaring to new heights in missionary work.”
After noting that global convert baptisms hit historic highs in 2025 — and that 2026 is outpacing even that — Elder Rasband said: “What a remarkable time to be a missionary. With the Lord leading the way, and as we acknowledge Him as the reason for any of our success, we are witnessing the hastening of His work.”
Fulfilling the missionary purpose
The missionary purpose and the doctrine of Christ were mentioned in every session. Reviewing the talks, Elder Rasband counted the word “purpose” 169 times and highlighted several examples.
In his seminar message, Elder Rasband encouraged mission leaders to teach the missionary purpose seven times, in seven different ways, over and over again throughout their mission.
“This divine repetition is essential to the hastening of the Lord’s work,” he said.
Elder Rasband invited missionaries to internalize the missionary purpose by studying the doctrine of Christ in the scriptures and “Preach My Gospel” — and by living it as they help others come closer to Christ.
‘Invite’ and ‘help’
Church leaders also emphasized two key verbs in the missionary purpose — “invite” and “help.”
Elder Rasband said “inviting” is essential to missionary work and “helping” is equally important. When extending invitations to those they teach, missionaries should simultaneously commit to help them. One example — teaching children to ride bikes — came from the seminar message of Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Said Elder Rasband: “Our invitations become hollow and lack effectiveness when we don’t do all we can to help our friends keep their commitments. But when we combine ‘invite’ with ‘helping,’ missionaries become powerful teachers and incredibly effective in all they do.”
The role of sisters
The seminar featured the teaching and testimonies from women, including sisters serving in general presidencies and wives of Church leaders, which reminded Elder Rasband of the sister missionaries.
“I feel the prominent role of these women at the seminar was a simple reflection of the powerful role that women generally are having in the missionary efforts of the Lord’s restored Church,” he said. “Sisters, we honor all of you and express deep gratitude for you. We need you. We love you.”
‘Missionary-minded family’
Sister Rasband showed a Rasband family portrait from three decades ago, when she and Elder Rasband served as mission leaders in what was then the New York New York North Mission, now the New York New York City Mission.
Since then, two daughters and their husbands have also served as mission leaders, and 10 grandchildren have served or are serving missions.
“We love our missionary-minded family,” Sister Rasband said, testifying of the Savior and His gospel. “It’s a blessing to serve the Lord in His missionary service.”
What missionaries learned
Afterward, several missionaries shared what they had learned from the Spirit during the devotional.
Sister Ashlyn Hawkins, of Orem, Utah, training to serve in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission, said: “I learned that the Lord is hastening His work, and in order for us to be good missionaries and to help people come into Christ, we have to invite, but we also have to help and support them.”
That lesson also resonated with Elder Adam Marshall, from Troy, Michigan, assigned to the California Fresno Mission, who used to think missionaries only extended invitations. “I learned the importance of not just inviting but also connecting with them and helping them grow spiritually.”
Sister Sage Culter, of Centerville, Utah, also heading to the New Hampshire Manchester Mission, appreciated what Elder Rasband said about the role of sister missionaries. “Women in the Church can have a powerful role, and I know that I am ready to share my testimony to everyone that I’ll meet.”
Sister Ava Allen, of Katy, Texas, also preparing to serve in the California Fresno Mission, came away excited to take part in the Lord’s hastening of His work. “As a missionary, we get to have that hands-on experience of meeting new friends and sharing the gospel with them, and that’s something that I am so grateful for — the privilege to be a part of spreading this great message.”
