“There is a big difference between the faith to serve and the faith to succeed,” Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the First Quorum of the Seventy and President of Pacific Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints taught new missionaries in Auckland recently.
“The process of going from having faith to serve and having faith to succeed will be happening inside you,” he said.
Latter-day Saint missionaries spend the first few weeks of their missions in Missionary Training Centres (MTCs), such as the one in Auckland. While at the Missionary Training Centre, they study the gospel of Jesus Christ and learn what they will be doing day to day as missionaries.
Elder Pearson told the new missionary group currently attending the New Zealand MTC that having a desire to succeed and a hope to succeed are important but stressed the need for each person to gain their own personal assurance that they will succeed.
“Assurance is a gift from God,” he said. “Faith is a gift from God bestowed as a reward for personal righteousness. The greater the measure of obedience to God’s laws the greater will be the endowment of faith.”
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Elder Pearson explained the importance of having exact obedience in order to receive the assurance that they can and will succeed as missionaries.
“When you are obedient,” Elder Pearson taught, “you are in alignment with the Saviour and will have access to the power of the Atonement. The more aligned you are with being a disciple, the more spiritual power you will be given from your Heavenly Father.”
“The more you align your will with Heavenly Father,” he continued, “you will gain the assurance that He will show you with great power and authority who you are, what you can do, and what you can become. And you can be an instrument in His hands in bringing many others to Christ.”
Elder Pearson warned that during the early part of their mission and during their training at the MTC there may be hard things to do but reassured them they will be become easy, natural, and instinctive as they learn what to do and how to do it. “Everything is hard until it becomes easy,” Elder Pearson said. “You just have to know what to do and how to do it.”
“Heavenly Father has already prepared a way for each of you to succeed,” he said. “You are not some random missionary out there — He knows you. He’s already prepared a way for you to succeed. The Saviour is the way, the truth and the light.”
He reminded the missionaries to study the gospel by using the resources available to them at the Missionary Training Centre and that using those resources coupled with obedience, prayer and personal study will help in their desire to receive the assurance of faith to succeed.
“You become by being,” Elder Pearson explained. “Be what you’re supposed to be every day and over time you will become the person you are being. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, act like a disciple, be a disciple every day. If you want to be a gospel scholar, study hard every day. Do you want great faith? Be exactly obedient. If you want to be loving, love everyone. If you want to be forgiving, forgive.”
Sister June Pearson echoed the words of her husband and counselled the new missionaries to: “Make sure you are doing those small and simple things in your life to become the kind of missionary you’ve been sent to become.”
“It is by the small and simple things that, through the Lord, great things will be brought about.”
She continued: “I hope that you will feel a sense of urgency to go to the rescue and to serve with all your heart, might, mind and strength — to give it your all every single day. Remember the success of your mission is determined by your obedience and commitment.”
“This is a great day,” Elder Pearson concluded. “This is a great season of your life. Have the faith to succeed and by and by your faith will grow and deepen and expand as well as your power and ability to do, and the things that were hard these two weeks will become easy as you learn what to do and how to do it and learn in whom you need to trust.”
“Go forward with power and do great things and exercise the faith to succeed.”
There are over 80,000 Latter-day Saint missionaries serving in nations and communities throughout the world. They serve for 18 months to two years for no pay and at their own expense. Missionaries engage in community service efforts each week as well as share their beliefs with others.
Watch short videos about Latter-day Saint missionaries: