President Douglas L. Weight
Slovenia/Croatia Mission
Dear President Weight:
My visit to your area remains very much on my mind. I hope and pray constantly that the instruction that we shared with you at the mission presidents’ seminar has proven to be of some value to you, your assistants, zone leaders, and your missionaries. Encourage your stake/district presidents and bishops/branch presidents to do all that they can to help you move the work of the Lord forward at a more rapid pace. If there ever was a time that the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ are needed in the lives of our Heavenly Father’s children all around the world, it certainly is today.
I read sometime ago an experience recorded by Wilford Woodruff. He had the occasion of visiting with the Prophet Joseph Smith, after the Prophet’s martyrdom. It was not an uncommon thing for Brigham Young and John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff to still be tutored from time to time by the Prophet. On this occasion, Wilford Woodruff was striving to reach the Prophet to discuss some matter that was on his mind. He recorded that he saw the prophet, but Joseph didn’t stop. He was in a hurry. Then President Woodruff reported:
“The next man I met was Father Smith; he could not talk with me because he was in a hurry. I met half a dozen brethren who had held high positions on earth, and none of them could stop to talk with me because they were in a hurry. I was much astonished. By and by, I saw the Prophet again and I got the privilege of asking him a question.
"Now," said I, "I want to know why you are in a hurry. I have been in a hurry all my life; but I expected my hurry would be over when I got into the Kingdom of Heaven, if I ever did."
Joseph said, "I will tell you, Brother Woodruff. Every dispensation that has had the priesthood on the earth and has gone into the celestial kingdom has had a certain amount of work to do to prepare to go to the earth with the Savior when He goes to reign on earth. Each dispensation has had ample time to do this work. We have not. We are the last dispensation, and so much work has to be done, and we need to be in a hurry in order to accomplish it” (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 288–89).
I trust that the Lord will bless you and your missionaries to move the work forward faster. Help your elders and sisters to live worthily so they will have inspiration and promptings by the power of the Holy Ghost to know exactly what they should do in order to find more people to teach and baptize. With increased faith they can baptize more of our Father’s children into the Church. Remember, to keep your motivation focused on:
¨ Keep it simple. The devil loves complexity.
¨ Become a Preach My Gospel mission, focusing on the use of the scriptures and the purpose of missionary work stated on page one of this inspired guide.
¨ Exercise faith in the Savior by being strictly obedient.
¨ Follow the Spirit.
¨ Pray with faith and determination to be guided in everything you do. True conversion is a long, difficult road for many—from darkness to the light of the gospel requires patience and love.
¨ Focus your daily personal and companionship study on the needs of your investigators and use this precious time to “treasure up” the doctrines of the Restoration. Missionaries must know that they know how to teach. Outline lessons suitable for each investigator, and avoid wooden lessons.
¨ Plan each evening at 9:00 p.m. with exactness, as set forth in Preach My Gospel, focusing on investigators and their needs, as directed by the Spirit.
¨ Maintain your Area Books in such a manner that you would be pleased to show them to the Savior.
¨ Do not transfer very often.
¨ Teach as directed by the Spirit with power and authority, always inviting people to make commitments that will strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.
¨ Follow-up on investigators’ commitments to help them succeed.
¨ Do everything in your power to get many more people to attend sacrament meeting.
¨ Maximize the use of missionary couples.
¨ Talk to at least ten additional people every day.
¨ Teach at least fifteen lessons per week—investigators, less active/part member families, active members—must teach to learn to teach.
¨ Work, work, work—focusing on your purpose.
¨ Use our ward and the branch buildings. This is the greatest temporal investment that we have. Let’s use them. Take investigators through the building. Show them the various rooms and explain what goes on within the buildings of the church.
¨ Build and maintain strong, supportive relationships with the members of the Church, strengthening their faith and always seeking referrals.
¨ Have zone leaders meet with stake/district president, and missionaries meet with bishops to report.
-- Invite the stake president to come to zone conference. Call on him to talk to the missionaries. He will feel their spirit in fifteen minutes.
--Build the relationship between the missionaries and their bishops. It is a wonderful thing when the bishop meets with the missionaries. When bishops do this, they love their missionaries, and there is a whole different attitude and spirit within the ward.
¨ Whenever possible, have members present when you teach. Involve them in the lesson.
¨ Work as one with the leaders of the units you serve.
I extend my love and appreciation to you and to your good wife, as well as to your missionaries. Please know that if there is anything that I can do or the Missionary Department can do to be of greater assistance to you all you need to do is to write, and we will do the very best that we can to respond to your requests.
Again, may the Lord’s choicest blessings continue with you and your dear wife and family in the great work that you are accomplishing in your mission.
Warm personal regards,
M. Russell Ballard
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