Feed My Sheep - Preach My Gospel Studies

Feed My Sheep – MTC Talk – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

This talk was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on January 11, 2011. It’s entitled “Feed My Sheep” and was a precursor to the talk that he gave in General Conference.

What a privilege to be here. I love being at the MTC. I told these people earlier in a little informal and inadequate dinner remark that there's nothing I'd rather do, and nowhere I'd rather be than with Missionaries. And in Missionary service, and in performing Missionary labor, and doing things with the Missionary department. The mechanism and the structure that, under the direction of the prophet to call you on a mission, guide your Mission while you're out there, works with your Mission Presidents. I want you to have a good experience; provide you with things like Preach My Gospel and all the other helps that we can give you.

April 24, 2016 6-7:30PM Manila Building Special Meeting with HP Group Leader, Ward Mission Leaders, Family History Consultants

Family History Consultants Online Resources

Dear High Priest Group Leaders and Ward Mission Leaders,

As we continue to see the Lord hasten His work in our stake, we are given new tools and direction to assist us in His work. The Temple & Family History Committee and Missionary Committee, acting under the direction of the Stake Presidency, have been asked to work together with you to put these tools and direction to work in our stake with a very specific objective relating to Family History and the less active members of our stake.

On April 24th from 6 - 7:30pm at the Manila building, we will be holding a special meeting to discuss this objective. We invite all High Priest Group Leaders, Ward Mission Leaders and all Family History Consultants (adults and youth) to join us in this meeting to discuss how family history work can engage prospective elders, less active members and new members by introducing them to family history work. If you cannot attend, please send a representative from your organization to attend in your place. We would like representation from every ward's High Priest Group Leadership, Ward Mission, and Family History consultants to participate in this discussion.

We ask that High Priest Group Leaders reach out to ward family history consultants (adults and youth) and invite them to this meeting.  Ward Mission Leaders should bring a list of prospective elders, less active members and new members in your ward to this meeting.

We thank you for your dedication to the work of salvation and look forward to the blessings that will come to members of our stake as a result of your efforts.

Sincerely,

Brother Ken Knapton - Stake Family History Committee Chair

Brother Weston Lundsford - Stake Missionary Committee Chair

2016-June 4-5 Stake Conference Meeting Schedule

Stake conference will be held on June 4th & 5th, 2016.

We will be holding the following meetings:

3:00pm Saturday, June 4th - Stake Leadership Meeting:

• Stake Center. All members of the stake and ward council, counselors and secretaries are invited to attend. Additionally, all YM and YW advisors are invited to attend as well.

7:00pm Saturday, June 4th - Adult Session:

• Stake Center. All members 18 and older are invited to attend.

10:00am Sunday, June 5th. General Session. 

• Broadcast to all buildings. 10am.

We look forward to this joyful weekend with you.

Gratefully,

PG Manila Stake Presidency

Assisting Individuals Struggling With Pornography

Dear Priesthood Leaders,

All of you are assisting individuals struggling with pornography. There are also no doubt members in your ward of whom you are unaware that are also fighting this fight alone. One of those groups are the spouses of those fighting this fight.

Here is a great resource that I learned about today that might be very helpful to share with individuals in need of ministry: http://www.hopeandhealinglds.com/

I also read this great article today reporting on a recent forum held at UVU on the boundaries in Mormonism. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865652045/LDS-Church-boundaries-more-expansive-than-restrictive-Michael-Otterson-says-at-UVU.html

I know that there are members in our stake struggling with questions of faith, doctrine and testimony. Perhaps this will be helpful to share with those in need.

You are wonderful.

With love,

President Livingston

Our Messages for Missionaries - Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts

Missionary Broadcast, January 20, 2016

Our Messages for Missionaries

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Watch Missionary Broadcast:
- Missionary Purpose and the Doctrine of Christ
- The Role of the Holy Ghost in Conversion
- We invite, They Commit, We Follow Up
- Teach People, Not Lessons
- Working with Members, Retention, and Activation
- Teaching Repentance and Baptizing Converts

1. Introduction

Last month our Missionary Executive Council posted a two-hour broadcast to all mission presidents and there companions.  Now we have this unique opportunity to speak to all of our 75,000 missionaries in the world.  We love you as servants of the Lord and welcome this opportunity to help you in the great work you are doing.

Today we have been taught fundamentals from Preach My Gospel.  Elder Neil L. Andersen taught our purpose as full-time missionaries, which is to teach the doctrine of Christ.  As he taught, always keep your testimony of the Savior and His gospel as the most important part of your work.  Elder David A. Bednar described how conversion comes through the Holy Ghost as you and your companion do what is necessary to assure that the Holy Ghost testifies to those you teach.

Bishop W. ChristopherWaddell taught that investigators must act in order for the Holy Ghost to teach them and that missionaries must invite investigators to act and then follow up to be sure they are moving forward on the road to conversion.  Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson reminded us that we teach people, not lessons.  We always prepare and we are constantly “treasuring up,”1 but as we teach, we carefully listen to the Spirit, which will lead us to teach what each investigator needs.

Finally, we cannot teach if we don’t have investigators.  A major part of your work is to find.  President L. Whitney Clayton and Elder Brent H. Nielsen taught that we should always find when we teach.  All missionaries must develop the faith and skill to find.  The best finding is done when we work with members.  As President Thomas S. Monson taught us, “Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together.”2 Your best success will come as you work with ward councils and ward mission leaders and as you are seeking to retain and to activate.  Behind each reactivated contact are family members and friends who are golden prospects.  The more people we find and teach, the more we will baptize.

2016-4-24 Stake PEC/Council Meeting - Bishops & WMLs Invited

Bishop's and Ward Mission Leaders are invited to attend the Stake PEC/Council Meeting at 7:00 AM on Sunday, April 24th at the Stake Center in the Relief Society Room.  In preparation for this council all are encouraged to prayerfully study Handbook 2 section 5 "The Work of Salvation in the Ward and Stake."

2015 Statistical Report for April 2016 General Conference

The First Presidency has issued the following statistical report of the Church as of 31 December 2015.

CHURCH UNITS

Stakes........................................................................................................................... 3,174

Missions.......................................................................................................................... 418

Districts........................................................................................................................... 558

Wards and branches.................................................................................................... 30,016

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Total membership................................................................................................. 15,634,199

New children of record............................................................................................... 114,550

Converts baptized...................................................................................................... 257,402

MISSIONARIES

Full-time missionaries.................................................................................................. 74,079

Church-service missionaries....................................................................................... 31,779

TEMPLES

Temples dedicated............................................................................................................... 5

(Córdoba Argentina, Payson Utah, Trujillo Peru, Indianapolis Indiana,  Tijuana Mexico)

Temples rededicated.............................................................................................................2

(Mexico City Mexico, Montreal Quebec)

Temples in operation.........................................................................................................149

Elder Nielsen Provides Church Missionary Update After Surge

Elder Nielson Provides Church Missionary Update After Surge

Missionary force expected to gradually increase

As millions of Latter-day Saints around the world prepare for the 186th annual general conference of the Church, Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Seventy and executive director of the Missionary Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sat down for an interview in mid-February to reflect on the progress of the Church’s missionary program.

Media initiatives, the use of technology and the age requirement change have bolstered the missionary efforts of the Church in the past several years.

“We work regularly to make sure that people know about our church and understand what we believe,” said Elder Nielson.

Elder Renlund - 4 Minute Discussion On The First Vision

·         My wife and I once visited a university in Athens, Greece. As part of that visit, we were taken on a sightseeing tour. While we were actually inside the Parthenon, our hostess, a graduate student in archaeology, said, “Next, I would like to take you to my favorite coffee house in all of Athens.”

My wife said that we would love to go with her, but she said, “Please don’t be offended if we don’t drink the coffee.”

Our hostess asked, “You don’t drink coffee?”

“No,” we answered.

“Why not?” she asked.

As I was formulating a response, my wife said, “The short answer is this: In 1820, a young man by the name of Joseph Smith went into a grove in upstate New York to pray. He wanted to know which church he should join. There he saw God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Joseph was told he should join none of the churches. But he was told that through him, the Church Jesus had established while He was on the earth would be restored. The restoration would be through a process of revelation. And it is through revelation that we know that we shouldn’t drink coffee. My husband will now explain it to you further.”

How do we really explain ourselves? How do we explain anything that we do or believe if we do not go back to the Sacred Grove and establish the principle of revelation, that God reveals His will to prophets in this day and age? We obey because we have understood through the Holy Ghost something of eternal import. The reason you and I observe the Word of Wisdom, obey the law of chastity, and keep other commandments is because of revelation.

Two Great Questions - Invite

A few weeks ago, a bishopric member of the M10 ward sent a text asking the following two questions in regards to all of our efforts in hastening the work of salvation. We found these questions very insightful and wanted to share them with you.

1. What struggles have you had as a stake in helping spread the desire to do missionary work in the wards?
2. If you could have the ward mission leaders and/or each ward do 2 things, what would those be?