Dear
Sisters and Elders,
Each
of us has the honor and blessing of sharing the very profession of the Savior.
We have been called into the full-time ministry and share, by calling and
assignment, the mission of the Lord. We teach and testify, however, our purpose
goes beyond teaching and testifying. We baptize, and yet, our mission goes
beyond giving baptism. We share the very purpose God, Our Heavenly
Father, has ascribed to His life, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal
life of man.”
Recently,
the Brethren have emphasized the evolving scope of our sacred callings.
If you will, they have redirected and re-focused the time and attention of this
body of 80,000+ men and women to more fully suit the reveled purposes of Our
Father in Heaven and the Savior. The phrase they have adopted is “full purpose
missionaries”, relating to the broader duties needed to bring to pass eternal
life among our brothers and sisters.
With
the added emphasis, the Brethren continue to endow us with their priesthood
keys, priesthood rights and privileges, inspiration and guidance. They have
also given to us an un-equaled set of tools needed to accomplish our purpose.
Like
every profession, be it a plumber, electrician, doctor or accountant, etc. the
professional uses a defined set of tools needed to complete a task. The tools
are designed to make his or her work more productive, efficient, valuable and
complete. We too have tools of our profession. These tools are offered to us in
the scriptures, Preach My Gospel, the Missionary Handbook and other mission
resources provided for our purpose.
A
true professional knows how to use these tools; to get the most out of a particular
tool and has the ability to produce and fine, rigorous and qualified product.
In our case, the product of our labors is fully prepared, qualified candidates
for baptism; candidates who would be integrated into the branch or ward and
have a responsibility and friend. They would be “nourished by the good word of
God” and prepared to meet the challenges that lay ahead. And, they would be
looking forward to the temple and their next covenants. Truly, they would
be a fine product made of intricate tools and commensurate skills.
Please
pardon the analogy that compares our brothers and sisters to the products of
another trade but for purposes of illustration, we, like other serious minded
professionals, must be aware of and capable of using the tools of our trade.
My
hope and desire is that each of us can personally assess our own abilities and
knowledge and set a plan for becoming more capable and skilled in our chosen
profession.
Please
know this concern for your personal development comes from the deepest sense of
love I have for you and the love I sense from your Father in Heaven.
President
Erickson
Sisters and Elders,
There are so many things I love about being in the
unique calling that I find myself in now as the companion and wife to President
Erickson. One thing that I treasure is meeting new converts all around the
mission and having them come up to me and say things like…. “Sister Erickson,
can you please say hello to Sister Quaye for me? I miss her so much. She taught
me and is my dear friend.” Or members
that ask me “Sister Erickson, please greet Elder Owor for us. Where is he
serving now? Our family really loved him.”
These questions and declarations of love warm my heart and make me
keenly aware of the good work you are doing. You elders and sisters get
transferred around the mission and will eventually depart for your homes but
the impact you leave on the lives of individuals and families is profound. The
Lord tells us in DC 18 that the worth of a soul is great in the sight of God.
He goes on to say that if you bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great
shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father. I like thinking about
homecomings in heaven….when we are all reunited in grand assemblies. In
Elder Anderson’s talk in conference in April he spoke of the Lord’s magnificent
second coming. He said “There will be unforgettable
reunions with the angels of heaven and the Saints upon the earth” (Moses 7:63).
How wonderful that we all belong to this
grand family of our great God and that we will be invited to that reunion. Will
you accept the invitation? Do you plan on being there? I know that by keeping
covenants and with the grace and mercy of our Savior, we can All be there. It
will be more than great…it will be glorious!
As you genuinely love and nurture
your investigators, new converts, members and even your companions --- you are
laying a foundation of eternal possibilities for yourself and for them. You are
being a disciple of love…a true disciple of Christ. Remember the reunion of
Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah in Alma 17? This is one of the greatest reunions in
scriptural history. After 14 years of separation, the joy that Alma feels can only be fully
appreciated in light of the gospel which they shared. There is something
heavenly about reuniting with a loved one, especially when both have been
valiant in the cause of truth. Alma’s joy was like unto that which is enjoyed
in the eternities, for that same
sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be
coupled with eternal glory… (DC
130:2).
So much to look forward to!
All my love,
Sister Erickson
Kitwe District Conference July 2015
