Why We Are Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: The Church is becoming fairly large, but it is not because the goal of the Church is to become large. The goal of the Church is to help individual people become the best they can be. The work and the glory of the Church is the same as Elohim expressed for himself: “to bring to pass the immortality and Eternal life of man.” There are good people everywhere who choose to align themselves with the Church and serve others as it teaches them to do. The last report I heard was that there is only one nation on the earth where we have no record of members. Nevertheless, the Church is and will always be a minority among men until He comes to reign whose right it is to reign. Even then the growth of the Church won’t be forced upon us. It will come only as individual people choose to act in accordance with desires for righteousness.

The influence of the Church: The Church has a big influence that belies our numerical size. We are not a small church, and we are growing rapidly, but that doesn’t begin to describe the influence we have. For an understanding of that you have to look at our purposes and goals. The typical Christian church is concerned about the birth, life, and death of the little group of individual people who are its members. They do the best they can for this membership. The Church of Jesus Christ, however, is concerned about more than just those who are its members. We have a concern for every individual on the Earth – in all nations, in all family relationships, in all religions. And that is not all: our concerns are for all time – past, present, and future.


Sister Howlett by the Frankfurt Germany Temple

This concern is not just a philosophical concern for the salvation of the souls out there. The humanitarian aid of the church is becoming widely recognized, such as the “Helping Hands” in times of disasters, or the Welfare services provided wherever they are needed. These acts of Christian Charity are not started when we read the news and learn of the suffering of others. Ours is on-going, and always prepared for immediate deployment. It is constantly a part of our life.
Our concerns are not limited by time however. Our preparations are intended to not only alleviate distress in our own times, or the future, but, as directed by revelation, we are concerned about those in the past who still exist but do not yet enjoy the blessings that our Father in Heaven has prepared for us all.
In the mission work that Pat and I do, we hardly ever speak about the Church to non-members. We have had a few discussions about the Church with non-members – even with non-Christians, and we have attempted to help them understand what is available to them – even at their doorsteps. But the vast bulk of our work is focused on efforts to bless people who lived in the past, and to prepare so that people of the future will be able to complete the last phases of God’s work for this Earth.
It is not just a concern for Christians. I just read a report of one of our friends who is also a missionary in Frankfurt who wrote about our efforts in Jerusalem. Jewish law forbids proselytizing in Jerusalem, and we obey the law. But this sister was in Jerusalem at the time the Church built the BYU study-abroad center. We are very much aware of the Jews, and of their historical role both in the past and in the future. We also had a chance recently to hear a presentation by Mark Peredes, who is one of the directors of Jewish relations with non-Jews in California. Oddly enough, even though he is employed by the Jews, he is LDS. He told us that the Mormons were the only Christians that the Jews respected or even trusted. Their relationships with the Mormon Church is the only relationship the Jews have with Christians that they value. Members of the Church know that this started during the lifetime of Joseph Smith when he sent Orson Hyde to dedicate Palestine for the return of the Jews. Many Jewish leaders are aware of the exact words Elder Hyde used in his prayer of dedication, and quotes from the prayer are kept on display in the offices of several of the leaders of the current State of Israel.


Elder Howlett by the Bern Switzerland Temple

The Church and the World: To continue a little about the Jews, the “day of the Jews” is long past. The Jews are no longer the “Torchbearers” of God’s work with His children. That phase of the Lord’s work began to come to an end as evidenced by a revelation given to St Peter that we read about in Acts. Now is the time for the Gentiles, and even that will end in the Lord’s timetable. There will again be a day for the Jews to receive the Gospel in its fullness. But contrary to popular Christian doctrine, none of the Jews who live today or have lived since the days of the apostles will be denied God’s full blessings because of their birth as Jews. If they are willing to accept the responsibility for their own personal actions and discipline themselves as they know they should, they will eventually be blessed with everything anyone else can receive. The same can be said for the Muslims, Buddhists, or any other group who have lived in a time and place where their leaders did not give them guidance toward or freedom to learn of and obey the full truth. God has promised to judge such individuals based on how they lived according to the truth they have received, and how they respond when the fullness is made available to them. The merciful and loving service of the members of the Church will have prepared the way for them to move on to the extent of their capacity. While the bulk of the Christian world grovels in hatred, we steadily move forward with our preparations for the day when those whom some call “enemies” can be blessed with every blessing we now enjoy.

The Church, the doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus and the Millennium: Some leaders of churches still believe the words of Jesus relative to a time when He will come again and reign upon the Earth and create a time of peace. Unfortunately many Christian leaders no longer believe or teach this sacred doctrine. The Church not only believes it, but is actively preparing for it. They take the parable of the ten virgins very personally, and try to prepare themselves personally to be ready. But that is only a part of the effort. In the last chapter of the Old Testament Malachi speaks of the world being wasted at His coming if there are not specific relationships within families that have been properly established through a power that Elijah held and would come back to the Earth to restore. Even the Jews recognize the necessity of Elijah coming to restore that power, and even today the Jews leave a chair vacant for Elijah at their annual Passover celebrations.

Not only does the membership of the Church look forward to this relationship being fully established so that the whole Earth won’t be smitten at His coming, but we are actively working as hard as we can to establish those relationships. The very purpose why we are in Germany as missionaries is to help establish these relationships. The purpose for our temples is to establish this relationship among the living, the dead, and those yet to be born. What would happen to our thinking if we could get our genealogical records complete enough to recognize that people in every nation on earth were truly related to us? What if we recognized that in the struggle between them and us, all of the “thems” were really part of “us”?
It would take many pages to describe the efforts of the church to extend the Lord’s blessings to the World. As our mission assignment is in the Headquarters of the “European Area” we have the opportunity to associate with other missionaries who are assigned to some of these tasks. We’ve been thrilled to learn of their efforts, and particularly of the Lord’s direct intervention that they have experienced. Some here work in legal matters, and have worked directly with preparing that the Church may build a temple in Rome. They also work to open the doors of the nations so that religious freedom will be given in lands long denied that blessing. We have people working in humanitarian service, and in medical matters, to alleviate suffering and extend life. Some are involved in building relationships with governments and peoples that will be needed for all of the Lord’s work to be completed. Some are assigned to produce effective training to help people learn better ways of living. Some work to translate materials into dozens of languages. We were delighted to spend several hours with the two ladies that were the prime planners of the Olympic events in Salt Lake and in Beijing. They run a business out of Italy organizing such large world-class events. Even though their projects involve millions of dollars, they are both humble LDS members, and their influence in the world is astounding, but they operate carefully according to the inspiration given them by the Holy Ghost. We have thrilled as we heard their testimonies.
The activities we see going on here are clearly assigned from the Lord in preparation for a future that most people of the world don’t yet even dream of in their fondest dreams. But the Church is now deeply involved in these things in preparation for a glorious future. Our faith in this future is transformed into action today.


Freiberg Germany Temple

The Temples of the Church: Who else builds temples? Temples are not status symbols to show our greatness. They are the Lords favorite place for blessing his people. Whenever there are enough of His people gathered in one place He has them build a temple so they can receive those blessings. When only a few were faithful, He would take his servants alone to a place apart – often onto a high mountain - where He would reveal those blessings. But the Lord’s way is not to force men into Heaven. He only opens the way for them to enter if they choose. Such are the temples of the Church. They are places where we can receive the highest blessings that God gives individuals in this world, as a preparation for even greater ones in the one to follow. And they are not just reserved for an elite few. Only once in our lifetime do we experience those ordinances for ourselves. Every other time when we go to the temple we do so to serve someone else.
Some say we are just trying to force everybody into the Church. Did Jesus force everyone to be saved when he performed his atoning sacrifice? Has everyone been saved by it? Was Jesus wrong in opening the door if there are some who don’t want to come in? Is the Church wrong because it opens doors for people who may never choose to walk in? Has everyone who has lived on the earth had in their lifetime the chance to accept all of the Lord’s blessings personally? Isn’t it an act of mercy that we should make them available to all?
What other church or people show their faith in God’s promise of a life everlasting – of a resurrection-by taking action that not only their own status in that period of existence will be as productive as possible, but also that the rest of mankind can enjoy it as well if they choose to? There is nothing that we do in the temples that isn’t founded on our faith in the continuation of our life after this life. It also shows that we accept the teaching of Jesus that there will ultimately be a judgment for each individual person. The conditions people enjoy after the resurrection will differ depending on the choices those people have made. The easily recognized fact that not all people have the same privilege of making choices while alive should make us grateful that the chance will be made available to them through the service of others in holy temples. They can then be judged according to the choices they would have made had they had the opportunity to choose in this life. It is essential that we complete this work in the temples before the resurrection, for if we do not, “The Earth would be wasted at His coming”. Criticisms of the temple work in the Church of Jesus Christ all either are based on a lack of faith in the resurrection, or a lack of understanding of God’s purposes and love for His children.

The Gift of the Holy Ghost: The most significant difference between members of the Church and others in this world is the Gift of the Holy Ghost that Jesus promised to all of his disciples. That isn’t to say that all members of the Church have received this gift, or that the Holy Ghost doesn’t often influence other people for good. We recognize that a person’s conscience is an initial manifestation of this gift, given as an influence from Jesus and the Holy Ghost. Because all people experience the influence of this “consciousness of the difference between right and wrong” they can and will each be held accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, some people overpower their consciences through sophistry and sin until it no longer has any influence in them.
Going beyond the conscience, however is the Gift of the Holy Ghost that in the times of the apostles, and in our day too, is given through a priesthood ordinance. But the Gift of the Holy Ghost has always been more than an ordinance that follows baptism. At the time of the ordinance we are commanded to “receive the Holy Ghost”, and unfortunately many are not obedient to that commandment. It takes effort to prepare oneself, to discipline oneself, and to be worthy for that to happen. We have to be obedient to what has already been given before we will be given any more. As we continue our efforts to live worthily, we find it being a part of our lives more and more. Literally it changes our lives, and always for the better. There has never been a time when the Gift of the Holy Ghost has led a person to become a less righteous individual. It helps us to purge our lives of things that don’t ennoble. It is an essential element in the process of sanctifying God’s beloved children. Sadly, since long before the Council of Nicaea in 324 AD, the Christians have proclaimed from their pulpits that this gift ended with the apostles. What a sad thing when the religious leaders deny the promised blessing in such a way. It is true that such events as took place on the day of Pentecost aren’t daily occurrences, but such events aren’t the only manifestation of the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

In God’s loving way, and through the ordinances in His temples, the millions of people who were denied the opportunity to have this Gift in this life will have the door opened and the blessing will no longer be denied. Thank God they too can enjoy what is the greatest source of guidance and development for the faithful.
For many years, we (Pat and Grant) have been growing slowly in our readiness to receive this gift. Those times when we have been directed by the Holy Ghost, however, have been the times of the greatest experiences of our lives. We are grateful that we have it now more frequently than before. It is more frequent when we are serving in the Church, and particularly when we are serving as missionaries. We experienced that blessing when we were on our mission in the islands, and the desire to again experience the joy of those times lies at the heart of our desire to serve another mission. If we can, we want to do it again when this one is finished. Nothing that we have accomplished in our missionary work is the product of our own thinking – it has all come from those moments when the Holy Ghost directed us. One of the greatest sources of satisfaction for us is to see the Lord’s work move forward under His direction. Truly, we not only pray and work for, but see, “Thy kingdom come.”