Dear Elders and Sisters,
Thank you for joining in a special mission fast this past weekend. Thank you for fasting so
that the Lord would bless you, and all missionaries in the mission, with the opportunity to
baptize on December 26th.
Missionary work takes Faith! It takes faith in the Lord.
Faith is different from belief. Faith is a principle of action. We see our faith in the way we
live, not in the words we speak.
Christ said "...If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain,
Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto
you." (Matthew 17:20)
When I read this I think: How will I show my faith? I will show my faith by praying with all
my heart and then picking up a shovel and getting to work! Can I move the mountain with
my shovel? No. But I can show the Lord that I will do everything I can. When the Lord sees
me using all of my faith, then the blessings will come.
"Faith leads to action, including repentance, obedience, and dedicated service. When
you have faith in Jesus Christ, you trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments--
even when you do not completely understand the reasons for them. You accomplish what
the Lord wants you to accomplish...You are abler to do miracles according to the Lord's
will. Your faith will be manifest through diligence and work....Faith is a principle of power.
God works by power, but His power is usually exercised in response to faith." (Preach My
Gospel, chapter 6)
In the last general conference, Elder Neal A. Anderson taught about faith:
"Your faith will grow not by chance, but by choice. How we live our lives increases
or diminishes our faith. Prayer, obedience, honesty, purity of thought and deed, and
unselfishness increase our faith.
Although your beginning fire of faith may be small, righteous choices bring greater
confidence in God and your faith grows.
Faith is a choice. Strengthen your faith, and live to be deserving of the Savior's approving
words: 'Great is thy faith.' As you do, I promise you that your faith, through the grace of
Jesus Christ, will one day allow you to stand with those you love, clean and pure in the
presence of God."
Sisters and Elders, let's exercise our faith together, and then let's trust the Lord that, AS A
MISSION, we will see the great blessing of many, many souls gathered to Him.
With love for you, and faith in the Lord,
President Creg Ostler