As of last night we had 34 baptisms for the month of July. I
am constantly thinking and praying about how to reach our goal of 60 baptisms
per month. We need more faith and we need more skill. I know that the Lord can
show us how to accomplish our work. “For he knoweth all things, and there is
not anything save he knows it (2 Ne. 9:20).
We need to continually strive to invite and encourage
investigators to keep meeting with us after the first lesson. Too many investigators,
after the initial meeting, do not continue to learn and progress towards
baptism. We need to focus on inviting the Spirit and relating what we are
teaching to what they are experiencing in their lives. A missionary recently
wrote to me, “One thing that
I have been learning from [my companion] is how to effectively teach people
according to their needs and concerns… we have been evaluating after every
lesson a) whether or not they received or learned anything that will give them
a drive to continue learning and improving themselves, b) whether or not we
learned anything about them that would help us understand what will be best to
share with them in the next lesson.”
Another
missionary wrote, “We noticed that one thing we really needed to work on in
order to bring people closer to baptism is following up. Our follow ups were
very poor and we saw that although we were teaching many, there was no way they
could improve until we did better follow ups. I think a part of it comes from
the incorrect thought, "when we return to the apartment we aren’t
missionaries anymore." We have a bed, food at our access and no one
watching. However, I found as I [recognize] my accountability to the Lord and
the fact that this is a calling from God, not a work assignment, I realize the
power I have been set apart with and seek to do my best regardless of the time
or place.” For more about the power of following up, see Elder M. Russell
Ballard’s talk, “Following Up,” in the most recent general conference.
One last
quote from a missionary: “Yesterday as we fasted I pondered constantly over how
we may be able to reach the very realistic goal of 60 baptisms and how I can as
a missionary baptize monthly. At the end of fasting I felt I had no answer.
Then last night while I was praying, I was filled with such hope and such a
fire to baptize. Also, before I fell asleep I wrote down about 15 ideas of how
to help every person we are meeting with progress. Before we left the door this
morning, we did all those things on the list. I realize now that was my answer
to fasting, and that according my desires, Heavenly Father will give his
servants answers of how to help his children progress to baptism and full
activity.”
I believe
that as we worthily ask, seek and knock, Heavenly Father can, and will, show us
and teach us how to do His work. We must ask with real intent, which means that
we, like our investigators, must be willing to go and do the things that He
asks of us. As He comes to know that He can trust us, He will allow us to have
a greater role in leading His children along the path that leads back to Him.
President
Blickenstaff
Mentor of
Champions
No comments:
Post a Comment