It's a funny one, really, because never having been an assistant ward mission leader, I actually thought, "Is there such a calling? Has it just been made up just to fit me?" And I wondered, "What did the Lord want of me? What was my role in all of this?" As he sought to understand the Lord's will for him and his calling, Brother McEwan sought revelation by preparing spiritually. He studied the scriptures and Preach My Gospel. He prayed, sought inspiration as part of his monthly fast, and humbled himself before the Lord. The Savior's promise in the scriptures was fulfilled. "Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." "My mind caught hold of something that happened to me when I was on my mission back in 1980, and I was serving as a missionary in Old Manchester. One of the happiest times of my mission, the ward mission leader tried to organize missionary cottage meetings within that ward. "And I just thought, 'Ever since I've been home from my mission, I've never really seen--in any of the wards where I've lived or served in--this happening.' And I just thought, 'That is what I'm going to do. That is what the Lord, I believe, the Lord wants me to do here in Sheffield.' Brother McEwan followed the prompting he had received through his spiritual preparation. He counseled with the bishop and the ward mission leader about inviting those being taught by the missionaries into Church members' homes. He was humble and willing to do as his priesthood leaders directed. The Spirit witnessed to all of the brethren this was the Lord's will for their ward. They put the plan into action immediately, scheduling meetings in members' homes and praying for the Lord to help them find people to attend. "The amazing thing was, we never had, ever, a time where we didn't have investigators to take to these cottage meetings." In the first year, the ward saw 30 people come into the Church. In the second, another 20 souls received the gospel of Jesus Christ. This happened in part because Brother McEwan had followed the principle of preparing spiritually and had received revelation. But he was not alone. The bishopric, members of the ward council, and the ward missionaries also prepared spiritually. They counseled together under the direction of the bishop who holds priesthood keys. Because of their spiritual preparation, the Lord taught them individually and as a council and blessed them to bring many souls into his church.

In this example, what did Brother McEwan do to prepare spiritually and seek revelation from the Lord?

He sought the Lord's will as he pondered and asked questions about the nature of his calling, and what Heavenly Father wanted him to do. He studied and prayed to seek revelation.

When inspiration came, Brother McEwan went to work, showing his faith that the Lord would bless him with success as he followed the promptings he received.

As you consider this simple example, you may want to think about these questions: What does the Lord want me to accomplish in my calling?

What more can I do to become better spiritually prepared to receive His guidance?