Had a wonderful week. My companion and I are working hard in our area and seeing many fruits come from our Labors. Anthony, is still progressing towards baptism in a few weeks. We are so excited for him. The other set of Sister missionaries in our ward have a baptism going on next week and we have set a baptismal date with this 18 year old girl named Tatiyana, who is loving the Gospel. We are also teaching a family that we are hoping to commit to a baptismal date this week. God is so good and his hand is in this work. He is truly hastening the work and you can feel it!
This week Elder Zwick, of the quorum of the Seventy, came and did a devotional for all the leaders in the stakes here in the Northern Florida region, then we had a day of training for the missionaries. It was incredible!!!
I would like to share with you some of my notes from this past weeks meetings.
At the devotional Elder Zwick talked a lot about the hastening of the work and what that means for members. First off, he talked about Preach My Gospel and its significance, not only in the lives of missionaries, but in the lives of members to move this missionary effort forward.
Preach My Gospel (PMG) Origins:
When you think of President Hinckley, what do you think of?
For me (Sister Heckel), I used to think of TEMPLES. During his time as prophet many many temples were built and it was an incredible work.
Now...I think of PREACH MY GOSPEL when I think of President Gordon B. Hinckley. He not only built so many temples to hasten the work of Salvation on the other side, but to add to that he (along with his counselors and the Quorum of the twelve) produced Preach My Gospel to hasten the work here on the earth!!!
PMG started in 1995 at an assembly of the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency and a couple hundred or so other general authorities. They were all dressed in white on an upper floor in the Salt Lake Temple. [This was the first meeting the Elder Zwick had gone to as a member of the 70] President Hinckley stood to speak and he read from Mormon 6:17-19. "O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you! Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss. O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!" As he shared this with those present, he wept openly and after 15 or so seconds of silence (Elder Zwick said it lasted an eternity), the next words that were spoken by the Prophet were "I LOVE THE MISSIONARIES. We MUST DO MORE FOR THE MISSIONARIES." That is when Preach My Gospel got started.
This next part not seem very remarkable for some, but for me it is incredibly significant. During the 9 years that it took for PMG to be created, there was not a single change in the Quorum of the 12 or the first presidency. ALL of them lived to see its completion. ALL of them had their hand in its work from the beginning to the end. This is the longest period of time in the history of the church that the brethren went without someone passing and another of the quorum of the twelve being called. Even more remarkable was that in 1996 Elder Maxwell (i believe) was diagnosed with a very serious form of cancer and given only months to live and he survived for the next 8 years!! Elder Hate had 3 heart attacks and was even pronounced dead at one point, but he survived those 9 years. There were 7 of those bretheren who had significant health issues and they all lived to see the beginning and the completion of preach my gospel!
Within a week of the completion of PMG Elder Maxwell passed away and in a few more weeks after that Elder Hate left us, and then within a few short weeks and months thereafter we also lost Elder Wirthlin, Elder faust, and another. REMARKABLE....at least to me!
Preach My Gospel is so inspired and prayed over.....it is the Lords work!!! It was prepared to hasten the work!
EVERY MEMBER OF THE CHURCH SHOULD HAVE A COPY (or two) IN THERE HOME AND SHOULD BE STUDYING FROM IT REGULARLY!!
At the seminar for new mission presidents held in June, a record 173 new presidents and their wives received final instructions before beginning their service. All 15 members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed this special group.
Elder L. Tom Perry added the concluding comments: "This is the most remarkable era in the history of the Church. this is something that ranks with the great events that have happened in past history, like the First Vision, like the gift of the Book of Mormon, like the Restoration of the gospel, like all of the things that build the foundation for us to go forward and teach in our Father in Heaven's kingdom."
How amazing is that. This "hastening of the work" that was prophesied about in D&C, is coming to pass and it ranks with the FIRST VISION! Do you grasp the significance of that??
We need to be actively engaged in this work.....President Monson, this past general conference, asked us to do one thing.....and he asked us to do it NOW! Did you catch it?? Are you following the prophet and doing it??
This is what he said.....
"Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together to labor in the Lords vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill HIS work." - Pres. Monson
Are you heeding the call of the prophet?? To rise up and come together with the missionaries and "labor in the Lords vineyard? If not, what do you need to do to heed that call in your own life. No one is an exempt from this calling. We are all called to this work!
There are numerous ways to do the work, there is no one specific way. Like I mention in my previous emails....READ....."The Power of Everyday Missionaries." It will help you.
TEACH TRUE PRINCIPLES THE SAME WAY YOU LEARN THEM!!! It doesn't have to be anything fancy. If you dont know what to share....share the first article of faith and go from there. "We believe in God the Eternal Father and in His son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." Also....the missionaries in your area are just itching to teach....TRUST them....they have been prepared well. Let them teach those that you contact! :-)
STUDY.... Preach My Gospel & the scriptures daily....and understand the basic principles of the Gospel. PRAY....for missionary opportunities. TRUST....the spirit to put in your heart and mind what to share and what to teach when the time is right. INVITE.....we are successful when we invite. You don't have to get a YES every time to be successful.....but inviting shows the Lord that you have faith and trust in him and that if the timing is right someone at some point will accept.
YOU have a TREASURE (the gospel).....a treasure that goes UP in value, not down, when we SHARE IT!! :-)
I love you all! I have so much more that i would love to share, but my time is running out. I must go. :-) Have a wonderful week and I will share more next week.
I want you to know how much I appreciate all of your prayers and all that you do to support me and my family! I am truly grateful!
Love
-Sister Heckel
P.S I would love letters and emails from anyone who receives my weekly emails. I would love to hear success stories in your own lives as you strive to follow the prophet :-) I would also just love to hear from you!
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