My Purpose

Hey folks!

It has been a pretty good week!  We talked with Gizi, the member we encountered whom I mentioned last letter, and got her records transferred!  Nuremberg just got a new member, and she seems excited to be connected with the church again!  In other news, we have been finding a lot of cool students, but each has only foundational knowledge and interest for now.  Hoping things turn out with them.

General conference was great, right?  My favorite talks were:

"Lord, Wilt Thou Cause That My Eyes May Be Opened" from Elder Craig W. Zwick

"Earning the Trust of the Lord and Your Family" from Elder Richard J. Maynes

"The Lord Leads His Church" by President Henry B. Eyring

"Bearers of Heavenly Light" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like Without It?" by President Russel M. Nelson 

and "A Yearning for Home" by President Uchtdorf again. 

In the past days my mind has been brought up to reflection on the principles surrounding the calling which I as well as others have.  To be called as a missionary of God and to take part in His holy work is a unique commission that has been given to people, especially in the times of Jesus, the Dispensation of the Meridian of Time, along with The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times--or, that is, now.  

What, or who is a missionary?  As missionaries, we are ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ, the immortal Son of God.  We are designated servants sent from Him to go and share His Gospel throughout the world. We are the carriers of His great Gospel of good will.  We know why we are called and what we are to do, for the Savior in His Biblical commission to His servants is clear and unambiguous: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20).  

The unique message we carry to the world is that this very same organization which Christ established as He sojourned here has been restored by him once more.  This is the organization through which His apostles and other servants were called, and through which the essential ordinances of baptism and confirmation are to still take place.  As we preach these things, we do not come alone, for the Lord has promised us that He "will be on [our] right hand and on [our] left, and [His] Spirit shall be in [our] hearts, and [His] angels round about [us], to bear [us] up." (D&C 84:88).  

If the message we carry is true, it follows that the authority to do and teach these things will not and cannot be found, except through the authorized power and organization of Jesus Christ.  By saying this, we do not say that any other religion or line of faith is utterly wrong nor evil, but rather that over time all men have lost at least a part of the full truth and power that existed in the time of Christ.  By the ingenuity, sacrifice, and goodness of people throughout the Dark Ages, many truths luckily were preserved, but likewise, a great amount were collectively lost or obscured.  The message is of mercy.  It is an invitation.  We ask all people everywhere to add to the truths they already know and hold tight, because God has given us these truths once more, not only fractionally but as a whole, and all needed things that have been lost are again on the earth.

My goal is not to convince people that the message is true.  In fact, I don't considered myself authorized to do that.  I do not seek to, exactly as Joseph Smith saw in his troubled time, "[use] all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove [people their] errors, or, at least, to make the people think they [are] in error".  It would be a long two years perhaps if that was the case, and in that case, we would also be fully authorized to use Google to find all the evidences to show people!  No, no, though, that is not how we do things.  Though our goal is faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end, our entire purpose as missionaries starts with one word: "Invite."  Not to coerce, lure, trick, convince, persuade, force, prove, or argue, but "invite".  That is because we cannot force anyone to be baptized, to repent, or to have faith.  Christ never did that, and it would never work even if we tried.  He invited people and He did His best, actually, the best, to do so.  Though I have mentally placed different emphases on this throughout my mission, I intend on making that my main emphasis for the remainder of it.  This is no concession to make as a result of any perceived lack of success.  I feel as though I have actually been successful so far and have seen fruits to bear witness to that.  To focus on inviting is no "lower-level" than any original purpose, but it truly is the core in finding those who are ready for further steps in the gospel.  

I am sure that there are few if any assurances that make one feel better than the knowledge that he has done his best in the Lord's work.  One day I will end my time here, and I continue to work for that conviction, in order to, when I am no longer assigned to labor in this particular cause, feel the sweet knowledge that I will have used my time here to the best of my ability.  It is not to say that I will have not made mistakes, and luckily that is why we have repentance, but it does tell me that I need to be sincere and I need to have faith.  Baptism is still my goal and I am still determined to find those who are ready as has been done in the past.  However, my measurement of effort to baptize will be my exertion to invite all I can.

The scripture from D&C 123 is currently on my mind--17: "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

I am very excited to be starting yet another transfer!  We're starting number eleven, chaps!  We have set a goal to help two people come into the waters by mid-November.  Please pray for us that we will find and teach with the spirit in a manner that will help.  I give you my promise, and hope to make myself accountable to it, that I will do all I can, and will daily improve if I fail, to find these people.  

I LOVE YOU ALL.  WISH US LUCK.  I WISH YOU ALL LUCK TOO IN ALL YOUR ENDEAVORS.

Elder Wallentine