Dear Elders and Sisters,
I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who directs the
work in which we are engaged and is also able to care for and look after me. I
am imperfect and have weaknesses and yet Heavenly Father has given me this
opportunity to learn and grow and become better as I serve to the best of my
ability. I think it is a pretty good way to allow me to become what He wants me
to become.
I feel like I should resist the temptation to be satisfied
with myself and what I have accomplished. There is always room for improvement.
When we cease to strive for improvement, we will cease to look for inspiration
and guidance. It is incomprehensible to me that Nephi or the Brother of Jared
could build a boat in which they would trust their own lives and the lives of
those they loved. If the Lord asked me to do that, I would be terrified. I
marvel at the faith it must have required to not complain, seek inspiration,
and follow the Lord’s direction. I love Ether 2:16, “And the Lord said, go to
work…”
I believe that, collectively as a mission, we have not yet
learned to do all that we can do. In a conference of the Church in 1831 the
Lord told the saints, “Ye are clean, but not all…” (D&C 38:10). In the Book
of Mormon we read, “the remission of sins bringeth meekness and lowliness of
heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of
the Holy Ghost”(Mor. 8:26). As we repent of our weaknesses and are sanctified
by the Holy Ghost, our faith will increase. After Enos was told that his sins
were forgiven, he began to pray on behalf of his family and friends for them to
have the same blessings. He received an assurance for them from the Lord.
“After I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the
Lord…” (Enos 1:11). As we develop unshaken faith in the Lord, He will allow us
to accomplish more.
We need greater faith than we now have. I urge you to study
and ponder this question: What do I need to do to have greater faith in Jesus
Christ? As we, personally, and in our companionships, and as a mission,
understand and act upon the answers to this question, we will be given greater
power to serve others. We will be given insights (see Alma 12:3) into the needs
of our investigators and we will know how to help them build their own “unshaken”
faith in the Lord.
Please accept this letter in the spirit of encouragement and
not as a criticism. It is my belief that we could have greater success than we
now have in inviting others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the
restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance,
baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.. As we
sanctify ourselves and attain greater faith, we will achieve greater success in
our missionary purpose. We need to put aside our distractions and resolve our
“jarrings and contentions” (see D&C 101:6). We need to have faith in the members of the Godhead – that
they will keep their promises to us if we do our part. This is their work and
it is our privilege to labor in their vineyard for a season, perhaps for the
rest of our lives (see Enos 1:26).
We have the potential to accomplish much more in the Taiwan Taichung
Mission. Let’s go to work.
President Blickenstaff
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