New Mission Presidents Blessed for Exercise of Faith

In June, 128 new mission presidents and their wives were invited to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, USA, to receive instruction before leaving for their assignments.

President Thomas S. Monson opened the four-day seminar, held from June 23 to 26, 2011, saying, “You have been chosen from among the most faithful in the Church, and now you have the opportunity to go forth in the Lord’s harvest field. … I know of no field which produces more fragrant nor bounteous roses than the mission field to which you have been called.”

The couples come from all over the world—22 different countries—and will serve all over the world in 18 different languages. The seminar brings them all together to learn at the feet of apostles and prophets.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed those present several times. On Friday morning he expressed some of his hopes for the new mission presidents and their companions.

“May you have good physical, emotional, and spiritual health [and] success in learning, teaching, and applying the doctrine of Jesus Christ,” he said. “My hopes include your ability to harness the power of the members; to focus on the ordinances; to be one with the Lord, the members of the Church, and those precious missionaries entrusted to your care.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described part of the miracle of missionary work. “Your own faith in Christ and the faith of your missionaries will grow wonderfully as you and they seek day by day to know and to do the will of God,” he said. “Faith, already a principle of action in you, will become also a principle of power.”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, promised those at the seminar that they would succeed as Church leaders, as missionaries, and as companionships.

“Be sure that you leave this seminar with the right definition of success implanted in your heart and mind,” he said. “After all is said and done, the fruits of your labors as mission president and wife will be seen and felt in the lives of your missionaries; in the lives of those converts who accept the message; in the lives of members who are strengthened by your work, example, and testimony; and last but not least in the lives of your own family.”

Newly called mission presidents attend a four-day training session at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, shortly before they enter the mission field.

Photograph by Craig Dimond