OUR RESPONSIBILITY

The mission of the Church is threefold:

1.  Proclaim the Gospel
2.  Perfect the Saints
3.  Redeem the dead

It is interesting  to note that all three of these directives have one thing in common.  Proclaiming the Gospel is obviously missionary work.  Perfecting the saints very much includes fellowshipping the new members and ensuring they stay in the Church and progress.  Redeeming the dead is performing the physical work for those who are being preached to in the spirit world.  All three are about missionary work.  Therefore, we can safely conclude that the Church is a missionary church. 

The saints of this dispensation have been commanded to take the gospel to all the world.  We can achieve this through two ways:

1.  Influence

President Gordon B Hinckley shed some light on this when he said the following:

"If we will go forward, never losing sight of our goal, speaking ill of no one, living the great principles we know to be true, this cause will roll on in majesty and power to fill the earth.  Doors now closed to the preaching of the gospel will be opened.  The Almighty, if necessary, may have to shake the nations to humble them and cause them to listen to the servants of the living God.  Whatever is needed will come to pass.  The key to the great challenges facing us and to the success of the work will be the faith of all who call themselves Latter-day Saints". (Ensign Nov. 1997, 68)

According to this statement, how faithfully we live the gospel will have a great impact on the success of missionary work in the world. Not only do we influence people individually through being an example but the more righteous the saints collectively, the greater the spirit and where the spirit is strong, missionary work yields success. Our faith also plays a very crucial part in this success. I remember some years ago Australia was going through a terrible draught.  The Area President residing here at the time promised the saints that if they paid their tithing faithfully that the draught would break.  It was such a responsibility knowing that the fate of the whole country depended on the minority and their faithfulness.  I think it is the same with missionary work. 

Another way our influence can be felt is through the greatest window to the world we have been given in this dispensation, that of the internet.  Here again, you don't even have to step out of your house to spread our influence far and wide.  Ask yourself if you are a righteous influence on all the forums and networks you belong to.  Do people know you are a member of the Church?  Do they know how much you love the Church?  Are you telling them what your life is like because of the Church?  Are you sharing your knowledge about God with your internet friends? Just something as simple as sharing a quote from a general authority could spark someone's interest in the Church.  As I stated in my last blog on missionary work, our message should be one of love, but it is often curiosity about the Church that will bring someone to the knowledge of the Saviour.   

2.  Physical Effort

If you feel that finding someone to lead to the baptismal font is beyond you, find one thing that you are good at when it comes to missionary work.  Perhaps you have a strong testimony of The Book of Mormon that you want to share.  Ask the missionaries in your ward if you could write your testimony in the Books of Mormon that they intend to pass out.  Or you can make a goal to give out one copy of The Book of Mormon in a certain period of time and then pray that you can find someone to give it to.  If you love to bear your testimony in person, ask the missionaries in your ward if you can accompany them when they teach discussions to their investigators.  If fellowshipping is something you highly enjoy, ask the missionaries to make you aware who they are bringing to Church so you can make yourself available to sit with them and make them feel welcome.  There is at least one thing each one of us can excel in and it's up to us to find what that is and do it.  We are not required to do everything, as long as we do something.  Whatever it is, we should be endeavouring to bring someone to Christ in some way.  That is our mission, that is our purpose, that is our goal.

"The day will come the Lord will unveil the heavens and invite each of his disciples to come forward - one by one - and greet and embrace Him.  On that day, we will want to be surrounded by as many as possible of our brothers and sisters, surrounded by those we have influenced in some way to come unto Him - our children, our family members, our ward or branch members, our friends, our neighbours - as many as we have touched with the power of our testimonies.  If we do so, He will take us into His loving embrace and whisper to us, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant".
(Breck England, Lesson 41 "Every Member a Missionary", Meridian Magazine)

MY CONVERSION STORY

I was born and raised in Croatia.  I immigrated to Australia when I was nearly 14 years old together with my parents and an older sister.  Upon our arrival here I was enrolled in a Catholic high school in line with my Catholic upbringing.  We were not a church going family as such but I had been tutored in my religion during my upbringing years and fondly remember the Christian celebrations from my youth of Easter and Christmas which were highly spiritual events for me. Whilst in St Bridges Girls' High, I attended mass every week and had further religious instruction from the nuns that lectured at the school.  By the time I was 16 I was out of school, working and beginning to wonder what this life was all about. Because of my faith in God I concluded that the answer to my question should come from Him.  Realising that the Catholic church offered no such answers for me I decided I would look into other religions.  My first step was to visit the library to see what other religions had to offer.  I had heard about the Mormon church through the Osmond Brothers who were highly popular in the 70's and who were very vocal about their family oriented church.  That appealed to my senses in a big way so I decided that the Mormon church would also be one I would invstigate. 

Amongst the library books I borrowed was The Book of Mormon and another book entitled "What of the Mormons?".   It was when I read the latter that I knew The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was for me.  I wanted eternal marriage, I wanted eternal family, I wanted God in my life, I wanted everything the Church had to offer.  It also had answers to all my questions through the Plan of Salvation.  I knew I belonged in this Church. I also knew, however, my parents would never approve, especially my father who was very strict and was not interested in anybody else's way of doing things. I tried to approach him about the issue but he didn't want to discuss it much and said under no circumstances was I to even consider being interested in another religion. This caused me much anguish but I felt driven.  I longed to be baptised and I longed to go to Church every Sunday and be gathered with the saints. I would often go to the telephone book looking for meetinghouses closest to where I lived.  When I could stand it no longer I decided that I would go and see a Mormon chapel for myself one Sunday.  I didn't drive in those days so I determined to catch a train and walk to the chapel from the station.  Sunday came and I nervously and secretly caught a train to the suburb of Allawah.  I found the chapel and walked up and down the street several times looking at it longingly believing I was not allowed in because I wasn't a member.  As I stood there on the outside looking in, the principle of tithing practiced by the Church came into my mind and I thought to myself:  "I would gladly give my entire earnings to the Church if I could just sit inside that building." 

I went home that Sunday and returned to the phone book to find someone in the Church I could write to.  I found a Stake President, Ian Mackie, and wrote to him asking to be baptised.  After a week I had not received an answer and could not wait any longer so I called him and he promised he would arrange for the missionaries to get in touch with me.  That same afternoon, an Elder Keeler called me and we arranged to meet the next day, being Sunday, at the Bankstown chapel for my first discussion. He asked what I knew about the Church and when I answered all his questions he remarked: "Wow, you are golden!".  I had no idea what that meant.

Once again I secretly caught a train and found my way to Bankstown chapel.  I was met by Elder Keeler who was waiting outside and who asked me if I was the investigator they were waiting for.  I didn't know what an investigator was so I replied: "I must be".  After my first discussion I attended the sacrament meeting.  The elders couldn't tell me anything more than I had already read about the Church.  I knew it all and wanted to be a member but my family stood in the way.  I was not quite 18 years old and would need their permission.  As my 18th birthday was fast approaching I decided that I needed to leave home in order to be baptized.  An older single lady, Elaine White, who was fellowshipping me during my discussions in Bankstown Ward approached a single mother in Sutherland Ward, Heather Davidson, and arranged for me to live with her. 

I could not risk being stopped in my tracks so I told my parents nothing about my plans to leave home.  My mother worked night shift at the time and came home at 7 am and my father left for work at 6 am.  In that one hour I packed all my belongings on the appointed day and left them in Elaine's car while I went to work.  It was the most nerve wrecking day of my life thus far.  I had left home and all my belongings were in the car of someone I had only met a few weeks ago. I knew there was no going back. While I was at work my sister called me to ask me what it was that I was doing while my mother was sobbing in the background.  My first night in a home of strangers, away from home for the first time, was heart wrenching.  I sat on my bed and cried for a long time. 

I was baptised on 19 April 1975 at South Harbour chapel in Sydney by Elder Brad Keeler.  When I came up out of the water, I was overcome with the spirit which reduced me to tears.  I knew I had done the right thing and that I was home.  My parents would have nothing to do with me for a full year despite the cards and flowers I sent home to my mother which were promptly discarded.  I sorrowed that they could not understand that I had to travel my own path but now I can see how frightening it would have been to them, strangers in a foreign land with their daughter joining what seemed to them some kind of a cult.  In time they came to understand and when they saw the good values I was living by they became very supportive.  Whilst I was on my mission, my mother wrote me most encouraging letters.  When I visited them in Croatia at the completion of it and happened to go out with some of my peers who were all drinking and smoking, my mother waved me off with an admonition: "Remember who you are". 

Shortly after I was baptised I was given a remarkable dream about the Saviour.  I dreamt that I was in a building with my parents when there arose some commotion on the street.  As we exited the building to find out the cause of this commotion, a strange white matter akin to snow fell on top of us.  My parents and I started digging our way up but when I emerged on top I never saw them again.  Instead I saw immense whiteness everywhere and when I looked to my right, I saw the Saviour in white walking towards me with outstretched arms saying: "Where are my children?".  This dream made me feel accepted by Him as I considered myself one of His children now that I was baptised in His name by proper authority. I was certain that the whiteness in my dream represented baptism and I knew I had done the right thing.

Since my baptism the Lord has blessed me immensely.  He has made up for my lack of family in numerous ways with lasting friendships, friends that I now consider family.  I have been looked after, supported and carried by these friends and I have lacked for nothing.  Through studying the scriptures and staying active in the Church I have endured some terrible storms in life and grown closer to my Father in Heaven and His Son who has atoned for my sins and suffered my sorrows.  I know He lives.  I want to serve Him all the days of my life to in some way repay the debt I owe Him for the incredible suffering He has borne on my behalf.  He is the light, the truth, the way; the only way we can overcome this world and return home triumphant.  He is the balm of Gilead who can heal us and dry all our tears and encircle us in the arms of His love.

Joseph Smith spoke of 'the believing blood of Israel', those who seek the truth and recognise it the moment they hear it. I think I have such blood.  I think I am one of the sheep of which the Saviour spoke when He said:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me" (John 10:27

A LABOUR OF LOVE

When Lehi had a dream of his vision of the Tree of Life he found himself in a dark and dreary wilderness.  After he had been in this dark wilderness for many hours he began to pray to the Lord that He would have mercy on him 'according to the multitude of His tender mercies' (1 Nephi 8:8)  Immediately following his request he was shown a spacious field with a tree that bore fruit which was exceptionally desirable and not only the sweetest fruit he had ever tasted but it had extraordinary power to provide exceeding joy.  Unlike his brothers, Nephi sought explanation of his father's dream and was given to know that the Tree of Life was a representation of the love of God (1 Nephi 11:25).  A love that is the most desirable above all things and the most joyous to the soul (1 Nephi 11:23).  Immediately following the description of this love, Nephi was given the vision of the Son of God during his earthly ministry.  Why?  Because the ultimate love that God the Father can give us is His son, Jesus Christ.  He is the chosen vessel through which we receive godly love. The proof of God's great love for us lies in His sacrifice of His only begotten son. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).  Everlasting life is the greatest blessing the Father can bestow upon us, this blessing being proportionate to His love for His children. This godly love is amplified by the Saviour's love for us which was demonstrated through the Atonement.  "Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Our ultimate goal in life should be to prepare to meet Christ and to be "encircled eternally in the arms of his love" (2 Nephi 1:15)  To bring ourselves back into God's presence is wonderful, but to bring someone back with us, that's powerful.  As disciples of Jesus Christ, it is our duty to make this happen.  This is what missionary work is.

The purpose of missionary work is not to bring people into the Church but to bring souls to Jesus Christ.  The Church is merely a vehicle to accomplish this purpose.  Our goal whilst accomplishing this purpose is to be messengers of God's love for his children through His Son, Jesus Christ. With so many people in the world languishing for the want of love and spiritual comfort and not knowing where to find it or what it exactly is that is missing in their lives, missionary work becomes an easier task.  Too often we think we need to be heavily invested in the doctrines of the Church to be able to do missionary work properly but what most people need is the spirit of our testimony rather than the doctrine. 

You are not in this Church by chance.  You have been called out of the world to save the world. The Lord has said, "The voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days" (D&C 1:4).  Who are these disciples? You and I. Whether you have been born in the Church or you are a convert, you are His disciple and you have been chosen long before this world began.  Consider Joseph F. Smith's vision of us in pre-mortal world as outlined in D&C 138:55, 56:

"55. I observed that they were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God.
56. Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men."

If you do not consider yourself a ruler in the Church of God, then you are one of the 'many others'.  Either way, you are a labourer in His vineyard saving the souls of men. You are unique and there are people in the world who need this uniqueness.  There are some people that only you can touch.  Some who will believe only your words, be impressed with only your example, feel only the spirit of your testimony. You are endowed with the truth and your companion is the Holy Ghost.  You have been prepared, you need not fear.

IN HIS PRESENCE

The following is an account of Apostle Melvin J. Ballard's open vision of Jesus Christ which transpired in the Salt Lake Temple:

When I was doing missionary work with some of our brethren, labouring among the Indians, seeking the Lord for light to decide certain matters pertaining to our work there, and receiving a witness from Him that we were doing things according to His will, I found myself one evening in the dreams of the night, in that sacred building, the Temple.  After a season of prayer and rejoicing, I was informed that I should have the privilege of entering into one of those rooms, to meet a glorious Personage, and as I entered the door, I saw, seated on a raised platform, the most glorious Being my eyes have ever beheld, or that I even conceived existed in all the eternal worlds.  As I approached to be introduced, he arose and stepped towards me with extended arms, and he smiled as he softly spoke my name.  If I shall live to be a million years old, I shall never forget that smile.  He took me into His arms and kissed me, pressed me to His bosom, and blessed me, until the marrow of my bones seemed to melt!  When he had finished, I fell at His feet, and as I bathed them with my tears and kisses, I saw the prints of the nails in the feet of the Redeemer of the world.  The feeling that I had in the presence of Him who hath all things in His hands, to have His love, His affection, and His blessings was such that if I ever can receive that of which I had but a foretaste, I would give all that I am, all that I hope to be, to feel what I then felt!

"Temple Manifestations" page 152

WHEN WE LOSE A LOVED ONE

While delivering an inspired discourse at the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Sunday, October 4, 1896, President Wilford Woodruff stated that while labouring in the St. George Temple, he had learned a new principle of the gospel pertaining to the redemption of the dead:

While in the St. George Temple I had a son, who was in the north country, drowned.  He was 21 years of age, and was a faithful young man.  He had a warning of this.  In a dream he was notified how he would die.  We had a testimony of that after his death.  I asked the Lord why he was taken from me.  The answer to me was, "You are doing a great deal for the redemption of your dead; but the law of redemption requires some of your own seed in the spirit world to attend to work connected with this".  That was a new principle to me; but it satisfied me why he was taken away.  I name this, because there are a great many instances like it among the Latter-day Saints.

Marriner Wood Merrill was a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles from 1889 and Logan Temple President from 1884 to 1906.  Often his excessive temple labours fatigued him, which was later compounded by the death of one son, whose sudden passing Apostle Merrill could not reconcile.  Finally, on one evening following his exhaustive temple work, the Logan Temple President received a visit from his deceased son from the spirit world as recounted by President Heber J Grant:

He once told me that he could not reconcile himself to the death of his son Marriner, who had had charge of practically all his financial affairs, as he gave so much of his time to the Temple, until he received a manifestation in which Marriner seemed to be in the room with him, although not seen, and spoke to his father and said: "Pa, I am where the Lord wants me to be.  I am doing work of more importance than I would be on earth, and it is not pleasing to the Lord for you to grieve as you are doing over my death".  He said this reconciled him to the loss.

In a Church general conference Rudger Clawson of the Quorum of the Twelve related a marvellous manifestation received by one faithful Salt Lake Temple worker in which the status of married couples in the spirit prison who have not been sealed for eternity in a temple was revealed:

Upon one occasion I saw in vision my father and mother who were not members of the Church, who had not received the gospel in life, and I discovered that they were living separate and apart in the spirit world, and when I asked them how it was that they were so, my father said, "This is an enforced separation, and you are the only individual who can bring us together.  You can do this work.  Will you do it? - meaning that he should go to the House of the Lord and there officiate for his parents who were dead, and by the ordinance of sealing bring them together and unite them in the family relation beyond the veil.

"Temple Manifestations"  p. 77, 89, 131

 

 

 

SAVIOURS ON MOUNT ZION

Despite the fact that the forces of evil raged against the saints during the construction of the Salt Lake Temple, marvellous spiritual manifestations continued to attend those who laboured there.  One such labourer at the House of God received such a manifestation:

In the fall and winter of 1892-1893 I worked at painting in the Salt Lake Temple.  Although sick, I felt strongly impressed to go and do my very best.

At noon the third day after beginning, President Woodruff called all of the workmen together.  He said he had been told that some of the workmen had stated that it would be impossible to have the temple completed by April 6th.  he said when he looked at this body of men he didn't believe a word of it.  "Some of you may be sick and weak", (I thought he was talking to me) he continued, "Some of you may give out at night, but you will be here in the morning if you are faithful.  You are not here by accident.  You were ordained in the Eternal World to perform this work.  Brethren, I will be here April 6th to dedicate this building.  I know what I am talking about for this was shown me in a vision 50 years ago in the city of Boston".

Along about March, 1893, I found myself alone in the dining room - all had gone to bed.  I was sitting at the table when to my great surprise my old brother Alfred walked in, sat down opposite me at the table and smiled.  I said to him (he looked so natural), "When did you arrive in Utah?" (He had lived in New Zealand and I had not heard from him in years).

He said, "I have just come from the Spirit World, this is not my body that you see, it is lying in the tomb.  I want to tell you that when you were on your mission you told me many things about the Gospel, and the hereafter, and about the Spirit World being as real and tangible as the earth.  I realized that you had told the truth.  I attended the Mormon meetings".  he raised his hand and said with much warmth, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart, I believe in faith and repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, but that is as far as I can go.  I look to you to do the work for me in the temple".  He continued, "You can go to any kind of sectarian meeting in the Spirit World.  All our kindred there knew you were trying to make up your mind to come and work on the temple.  You are watched closely, every move you make is known there; and we were glad you came.  We are all looking to you as our head in this great work.  I want to tell you that there are a great many spirits who weep and mourn because they have relatives in the Church here who are careless and are doing nothing for them".  He then disappeared.

As I sat pondering upon what I had seen and heard, with my hear filled with thanks and gratitude to God, the door opened again and my brother Alexander walked in and sat down in the chair that Alfred had just occupied.  He had died in 1852 in New Zealand.  I did the work for both he and Father in April 1885.  he had come from a different sphere, he looked more like an angel as his countenance was beautiful to look upon.  With a very pleasant smile he said, "Fred, I have come to thank you for doing my work for me; but you did not go quite far enough", and he paused.  Suddenly it was shown to me in large characters, "no man without the woman and no woman without the man in the Lord".

 

 

"Temple Manifestations", page 128

IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND

 

Elder John Mickelson Lang, a temple workers in the St. George Temple, received the following manifestation in the sacred structure in 1928:

One day while baptismal rites were being performed, I distinctly heard a voice at the east end of the font, very close to the ceiling calling the names of the dead to witness their own baptism, allowing a moment for each spirit to present itself.  After hearing many names called, I noticed a difference in the pronunciation of some of them.  It seemed that the spirit who was calling must have a different list to ours.  I was so impressed at the time that I placed my arm about the shoulders of Brother W.T. Morris, clerk, who was passing, and called his attention tot he sound of the voice, but it was not discernible to him.

This occurrence had taken place in March of 1928, and it continued to prey upon my mind for some months, until one day in October I had gone to an upper room of the Temple, as was my custom, to offer secret prayer, asking for the assistance of God in my work, and to thank Him for showing me that there was a recording angel in His house, to keep a perfect record of that which transpired.  I had finished my prayer and was about to leave the room when the question flashed through my mind, "But where and how does He get these names?  Some of them were not pronounced the same as ours".

God knew my thoughts; I never asked of Him to know.  The explanation came to me in these words:
"Every spirit that comes to earth has a guardian angel, whose duty it is to keep a record of the individual's parentage, the conditions under which it was born, its inheritance, environment, thoughts and desires, and when the individual's life is completed, the guardian angel's mission ends.  It returns, makes its report and hands in the record it has kept.  This record is placed upon the other book, spoken of as The Book of Life".

All this gave me to understand that in this other book is preserved the names and perfect dates of every spirit that ever came to earth. 

It is also made plain therein, how all things will be proved by two or three witnesses; for instance, in case a child is left on a doorstep, the guardian angel of the child, that of the father and of the mother constitute three witnesses to the child's parentage.  There are two witnesses to all things which transpire between any two persons.  Also, God can give into the Temples a perfect record of the Lamanites, for instance, or any other people who have no earth record.

God is perfect.  His record is perfect.  We will be judged from the books.

I bear record that this testimony is true for I received it from an angel in the house of the Lord.