Dear Sisters and Elders,
Congratulations on a wonderful harvest of souls these past few weeks! Thank you for your obedience, hard work and dedication. I thank the Lord for sending you to this mission.
Thank you for being great teachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As "Master Gospel Teachers" you have demonstrated your ability to teach all five missionary lessons (a total of 40 gospel principles), including all of the doctrine as well as supporting scriptures and personal examples. Thank you for taking the time to prepare yourself so well.
Today I want to remind you of another kind of teaching you do. This teaching is even more powerful. This teaching reaches many more people than just those you sit down to teach in their homes. This teaching starts the minute you wake up in the morning and ends the minute you go to sleep at night.
YOU ARE ALWAYS TEACHING.
When you wake up in the morning you are teaching your companion and apartment mates when you are out of your bed by 6.30am, praying for the Lord's help in your day. You are teaching as you faithfully exercise and then start your studies promptly at 8am. You are teaching when you take companionship and language study seriously. You are teaching as you realize that you serve the Lord IN your apartment just as you do OUTSIDE your apartment.
You are teaching when you leave the apartment and go out on the street. Are you smiling and pleasant with your companion and those you meet, or are you shy, embarrassed or focused on yourself? You are teaching when you greet people and Open Your Mouth to share the gospel. Do you treat them with kindness and like a child of God and not "just another person who will probably reject me?"
You are teaching by how you walk. Are you walking WITH your companion in unity? Or do you trudge through the streets like you are sweating through a death march?
You are teaching with your humor. Is your humor uplifting and cheerful or is it making fun of someone?
You are teaching by the respect you show to older people and women and children.
You are teaching when you are watching and praying for your companion while he/she teaches rather than watching TV or gazing around the room.
You are teaching when you show only love and patience with your foreigner companion learning Tagalog.
You are teaching when you NEVER say anything negative about your companion to members, investigators or other missionaries.
You are teaching by taking a daily shower and keeping your clothes clean and fresh-smelling, even though every day you sweat and are covered with dust.
You are teaching by asking questions of others that show your true love and concern.
You are teaching when you refuse to go home early, even when you are tired and none of your appointments have worked out.
You are teaching by what you say in your relaxing time. Is it uplifting and spiritual? Is it focused on your investigators or is it focused on the things of the world?
You are teaching by your obedience to mission rules, whether you understand them or not.
Elders and Sisters, YOU ARE ALWAYS ALWAYS TEACHING. You have the name of our Savior Jesus Christ on your chest. You are always teaching about what it means to be a disciple of Christ and a member of His Church.
Please make sure that you never fall into the condemnation that Corianton received from his father Alma: "Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words." (Alma 39:11)
May it be said of you, as it was said of Moroni:
"And Moroni was a strong and a might man.; he was a man of perfect understanding...Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ...Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." (Alma 48:11,12,17)
May your teaching, through your words and through your actions, be powerful, clear and righteous.
Mahal ko po kayo,
President Creg Ostler