Elder Dallin H. Oaks: Convert to Jesus Christ and His Gospel
Contributed By Jason Swensen, Church News staff writer
Elder Dallin H. Oaks speaks during the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents held Saturday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 28, at the Provo Missionary Training Center.
Article Highlights
- As missionaries seek and teach conversion to Jesus Christ, conversion to the Church will follow.
- A key component of working with members is working with ward and stake leadership.
- Mission presidents are most effective when they spend time with their missionaries.
“Conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel should precede conversion to and membership in His Church.” —Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
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Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles offered the closing remarks at the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents.
He began by sharing highlights from the “many outstanding teachings” presented by more than a dozen General Authorities and General Church Auxiliary leaders during the four-day seminar. “All have been inspired, edifying, and valuable for missionaries and mission leaders,” he said.
He made special mention of the teaching to focus on older youth and single adults. He added that we should “work with the members to fellowship and retain them,” calling that “very fruitful member missionary work.”
“Converts to what?”
Much has been said during the seminar about the purpose of missionary work: to teach repentance and baptize converts.
“But,” he asked, “converts to what?
“To Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Redeemer, to His doctrine, to His restored gospel, to His authority, and to His name.
“Conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel should precede conversion to and membership in His Church.
“Teach that to your missionaries,” he counseled. “Teach them to seek conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel. Conversion to membership in His Church will follow, and if it does not, we will still have blessed their lives.”
Relationship with leadership
Elder Oaks emphasized President Thomas S. Monson’s charge for members and missionaries to come together, adding, “The first and essential step in working with members is a close and cooperative relationship with stake presidents and district presidents. You and your missionaries should cultivate that relationship.”
It is essential that members and missionaries pray for help in the work. It is their shared duty to find people to teach.
Much of the administration of a mission can be delegated, he said. But the mission president’s most effective use of his time is to spend it working with individual missionaries or small groups of missionaries to help them be better servants of the Lord.
“And how he teaches them to use their time can magnify missionary work immeasurably.”
Elder Oaks said missionaries need to understand how special it is to be “set apart” for their calling. They are set apart as servants of the Lord. They should never take their “setting apart” for granted. Their calling truly sets them apart from the rest of the world.
Apostles attend the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents held Saturday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 28, at the Provo Missionary Training Center.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks (second from the left) and other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency attend a meeting for the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents June 25 at the missionary training center in Provo, Utah.
Missionaries at the Provo MTC greet new mission presidents and their wives during the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents held Saturday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 28.
Mission presidents and their wives are escorted around the Provo MTC campus by young missionaries during the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents held Saturday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 28.
Mission presidents and their wives walk on the Provo MTC campus during the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents held Saturday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 28.
New mission presidents and their wives converse between sessions of the 2017 Seminar for New Mission Presidents held Saturday, June 24, through Wednesday, June 28, at the Provo MTC.
