A Fertile Field for Finding
Dear Elders and Sisters:
In a Stake Correlation meeting yesterday I used those
words to describe the Less Actives, Part Members, and Perspective Elders in a
Ward we were discussing - "A Fertile Field for Finding". As I did so I felt a powerful confirmation of
the spirit that this is the work our Heavenly Father desires we focus on. It is the work of the Inspired Vision for
this mission.
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles stated in his training to Mission Presidents in June of 2014 and he
quoted the same again in October 2014 General Conference: “Keep the eyes of the
mission on the leaders of the Church. … We will not and … cannot lead [you]
astray. And as you teach your missionaries to focus their eyes on us, teach
them to never follow those who think they know more about how to administer the
affairs of the Church than … Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ do
through the priesthood leaders who have the keys to preside."
In June of 2014, in a united voice, the First Presidency
and the Twelve announced an historic change in the way Missionaries would work
with Members and Members with Missionaries.
Effectively the wall that had always isolated the Missionaries from the
Less Actives, Part Members, and Perspective Elders was taken down and the Brethren
instructed us to "go get them!"
This change in approach is largely manifested in the Lord's Inspired
Vision for this Mission. The Brethren
clearly want us to assist the Wards and Stakes in the "Rescue". "Behold, and lo, I will take care of
your flocks, and will raise up Elders (and Sisters) and send unto them."
(D&C 88:72)
As Sister Clark and I listened to this historic change
announced, one brave Mission President asked the question "how will
baptisms increase if we are spending all of our time teaching NMLs and
assisting the Wards and Stakes with their LAs/PMs/PEs?" Elder Russell M. Nielsen of the Twelve, who
is the head of the Missionary Committee and was making the announcement, got a
puzzled and concerned look and responded: "Oh no! You don't understand. Baptisms will be going up. As you work with the LAs/PMs/PEs you will
Find many more people to baptize."
This group, just like Investigators, knows many, many people who aren't
Members of the Church...yet. Their
friends are not Active Members or otherwise they would likely be active
themselves. They have family members
that need to be baptized and they have many non-member friends who need the
gospel and so working through them clearly represents a "Fertile Field for
Finding". If I were in the field
like you, I would want to be in the Ward with the biggest list of
LAs/PMs/PEs. That would represent the
most Fertile Field for Finding.
But we must be very careful with this precious
resource. We cannot merely go boldly
forward, knocking their doors and/or calling them. We must plan very effectively!!!! And once we plan effectively, we must work
with the Ward Members in order to carefully and appropriately approach these
LAs/PMs/PEs or we will quickly exhaust the resource. This is why effective MCMs have become so
important to our success. It is in the
MCM meeting where all of the coordination to carefully and prayerfully select
those names to be focused on and then determine who in the Ward is the best
candidate to get the missionaries in the homes of these LAs/PMs/PEs so we can
teach them, testify, increase faith, and help re-open the windows of Heaven for
them to receive revelation in their personal lives again. When a Ward Member who is somehow connected
to the LAs/PMs/PEs gets us in to teach them, we will be doing the Work of
Salvation in accordance with the Lord's Vision and desires.
Can you see why it will be so important to have the full
contingent of Ward Missionaries and Quorum and Axillary Presidency Counselors
with the WML and his Assistants in the MCM?
To me the sanctity of this approach is how it merges the Members with
the Missionaries in the Work of Salvation - it aligns our covenants and
commitments. It enhances the Rescue and
will provide Teaching and Finding opportunities. But please, be very careful and prayerful in
your approach so as to not waste this precious resource. As Elder Russell M. Nielsen has promised,
baptisms will go up as we follow what the Brethren have outlined as a new way
they desire us to do the Work of Salvation. We must approach this as a sacred
trust and a rich opportunity to Find, Teach, Baptize, and Rescue!
Please make the Lord's Inspired Vision a priority in your
area. As you do, please continue to Find
in other ways as well. I am convinced
that ultimately working through the Lord's Inspired Vision will have us so busy
Finding, Teaching, Baptizing, and Rescuing that we won't have time to do some
of the time honored traditional Finding we have done in the past in this
Mission. But until that day comes,
please don't stop doing all the great things you've always done to be such
successful Finders. The Lord will bless
us as we do and we will be able to be merged with the Members of these
wonderful Wards and Stakes as we do our part to help them bring 1,342 souls
unto Christ through the waters of baptism - the gateway to the blessings of the
Temple!
At the core of what I always pray for is you and your
success in fulfilling your Missionary Purpose knowing that as you do you will
"become" who the Savior would desire you be....and you will baptize.
Sister Clark and I send our devout love and appreciation,
President Clark
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