Dear Elders and Sisters,
Sister Ostler and I have so much enjoyed meeting with all of you during our recent zone conferences. We held the last one Friday in Puerto Princesa. You are magnificent!
As you know, the theme of the conferences was "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." I am very grateful that you have taken the time to examine your souls. Many of you have also had the courage to speak with me about things that you have needed to talk about for a long time. There are some who have requested time to meet this week. There has been a huge remission of sins in the mission. We, as a mission, are much more clean and pure than we were a few weeks ago. Thank you for your humility. Those who have taken advantage of the cleansing and healing power of the atonement now feel so much lighter and have so much more power in the work.
For those who still have not yet summoned the courage to talk, I invite you again to do so. Being clean is worth any price you need to pay. The Lord loves you and wants you to be clean and to be healed. He wants to bring you back to live with Him in the Celestial Kingdom.
Some have asked whether or not they need to meet with me about breaking mission rules. Any breaking of rules with regard to relationships with members of the opposite sex needs to be discussed with me in person or on the phone. All other disobedience can be emailed to me.
I now feel that THE TIME HAS COME. This morning I went back and re-read the general conference talk by President Hinckley from April 1995. It was his first talk as president of the Church to the entire world. Our mission theme comes from this talk. I feel that "THE TIME HAS COME for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth, and the importance of our mission."
Elders and Sisters, it is time to pray for hearts filled with faith. It is time to go out in each of your areas with faith and courage to find the elect. "We have nothing to fear. God is at the helm. He will overrule for the good of this work. He will shower down blessings upon those who walk in obedience to His commandments."
I invite you now to set REAL GOALS in your work. Set goals that are guided by the spirit. Set goals that WILL TRULY HAPPEN. There is no blessing in setting goals that are unrealistic. Set goals for new investigators, for progressing investigators, for church attendance and for baptisms. Set goals that require faith, but that you know you can achieve. Commit yourselves to the Lord and to these goals. I promise you, that if you are exactly obedient, and if you set your goals realistically, the Lord will bless you with success.
Here is a portion of President Hinckley's talk that has not been included in our mission theme, but it applies directly to us now. He said it right after the promise that the Lord will shower down blessings upon us:
"Such has been His promise. Of His ability to keep that promise none of us can doubt. The little stone which was cut out of the mountain without hands as seen in Daniel's vision is rolling forth to fill the whole earth (see Daniel 2:44-45). No force under the heavens can stop it if we will walk in righteousness and be faithful and true. The Almighty Himself is at our head. Our Savior, who is our Redeemer, the Great Jehovah, the mighty Messiah, has promised: "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your harts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up." (D&C 84:88) "Therefore," said He, "fear not, little flock, do good; let earth and hell combine against you. For if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail...Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven" (D&C 6:34,36,37)
We have the Lord's promise. We have been set apart by His servants to do this work. His sheep are waiting to hear His voice. Now let us go forward with great faith and diligence and watch the blessings come. Now is the time!
We love you and have confidence in you, and in the Lord.
President Ostler