Do, to Accomplish!
Dear Elders and Sisters:
We are still on a spiritual high from our recent Zone
Conference with all of you and couldn't be more excited about the higher ground
you are all journeying to. Thanks for
coming so prepared to receive and for leaving changed rather than
entertained. It speaks of your great
character.
I hope my example of trajectories and targets provided a
helpful analogy that teaches the need to do the right things in order to be
productive and ultimately reach the desired goal. In other words, "Do to Accomplish"
(1 Nephi 3:7)! I was so impressed with
your eternal target of Celestial Glory and trust you can see that you arrive
there by hitting many intermediate targets.
In a sense, these intermediate targets serve as course confirmations
that build faith and generate good works ultimately ensuring we arrive at the
eternal target of Celestial Glory.
As you work to develop your Mission Vision, be mindful to
"Begin With The End in Mind".
Develop a list of "Targets" you wish to achieve which will add
together to help you "become" the Missionary you envision. As you do, you will then need to determine
those things you need to "DO" in order to "ACCOMPLISH" that
which you desire. And of course, all of
this will be best accomplished if you listen to the spirit to guide and direct
you to the right targets.
Writing a Mission Vision Statement is difficult and
complex and so I feel I should offer something of a template to you for this
endeavor. You will note that first and foremost
is to stay true to your Missionary Purpose and the mark of a successful
Missionary:
My desire as a Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints is to always live my Missionary Purpose and become a
successful Missionary (PMG p. 10). This
I will best be able to do by Accomplishing the following:
1. Accomplish _______________ by,
a. Doing
____________,
b. Doing
____________,
c. Doing
____________, etc.
2. Accomplish _______________ by,
a. Doing
_____________, etc.
And so on.......and so on.....!
May I provide two examples from my Mission Vision?
1. Accomplish
being found possessed of Charity by,
a. Seeking to see people as Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ see them,
b. Being quick to offer love and slow to
criticize others,
c. Study the Character of Christ consistently
to understand better His charity,
d. Seeking to emulate His way of being
charitable,
e. Seek/receive others' counsel and correction,
including the spirit's chastisements to be able to...
f. Consistently be accountable to the Lord and
repent of shortcomings and offenses.
2. Accomplish becoming a better Spanish teacher and
speaker by,
a. Reading the Book of Mormon and PMG a loud in
Spanish daily,
b. Teach in Spanish as often as possible,
c. Study new verbs and their conjugations each
day and use them in a conversation or role play.
It would be easy to say I want to accomplish being a
better Spanish speaker and teacher or becoming charitable but without
"Doing" the right things, it would never come to pass. Never forget Elder Scott's great counsel:
"We become what we want to become by consistently being what we want to
become."
As I mentioned in each of your letters to you this week,
I am excited to get a glimpse of your Mission Vision Statements as you work and
progress to complete them. Please don't
be afraid to ask questions and share ideas.
We love you and pray in earnest for you as you work in
faith, diligence, and exact obedience to accomplish the Power of One this
month. Don't forget what I shared with you in a call out on Friday from Elder
Neil L Anderson of the Twelve and the examples of the same that are happening
in our mission. I include the entire
quote and story here below for your reference and study. Note the combination of faith and obedience.
“Years ago as a missionary in Philadelphia I (this was
told by a Stake Presidency member) was transferred to an area that hadn’t had
any baptisms for many months. The mission president instructed us to ‘break the
curse’ and find and baptize someone. So my companion and I set a goal of trying
to find and baptize just one person in one month. We worked hard, exercised our
faith, fasted, and prayed and within a week had found a few good families to
teach—one was exceptional and was progressing well. . . . With one week to go
before the end of the month we went to their house to have a family home
evening with them, only to find a note on the door that read, ‘Elders, please
do not ever come back!’ That didn’t stop us, and we knocked on their door many
different times on many different days, but no one ever answered the door. Our
other investigators weren’t progressing very fast and so we continued to talk
to everyone to try to find someone. Sunday was the last day of the month, and
by Saturday it wasn’t looking good and my faith was struggling. “Saturday night
we had gone to bed when the phone rang about 11:00. The person calling said
that he had just transferred to the naval base in south Philly and that he had
been taking the discussions and was going to be baptized on Sunday and he was
wondering if he could still be baptized. That experience changed my life
forever.” Miracles do change lives. I have experienced these miracles myself,
and I have witnessed them hundreds of times in the lives of obedient
missionaries, their spirits burning with faith in Christ. Let us always protect
this precious flame of faith. “For eaglets, the thrill of soaring begins with
the fear of falling.”
There is a power that can cause things to happen that
need to happen. There is a spiritual force that can stir a mortal soul toward
the spiritual, motivating deeper study into the Book of Mormon and more prayer
with real intent. Faith is a power, and it can cause things to happen that need
to happen. It can cause a soul who is good but dormant to awaken to God.
(Anderson)
“Faith is a principle of power. But that power usually
comes in a response to faith.” (Uchtdorf)
It's going to be a December to Remember!
With much love,
President Clark
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