The importance of a personal testimony of the Savior and His Atonement was emphasized by President James E. Faust to new mission presidents and their wives at the opening session of the annual mission presidents seminar June 24.

President Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, addressed some 105 new presidents and their wives at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. The seminar began Tuesday and continued through Friday, June 27. The new leaders were then to travel to their respective missions in some 39 lands to assume their responsibilities about July 1.Among those addressing the new mission leaders during the week were the entire First Presidency, eight members of the Quorum of the Twelve and members of the Presidency of the Seventy.

President Gordon B. Hinckley was to speak Friday, June 27. His remarks will be included in the July 5 Church News. An address June 25 by President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, is reported on this page.

President Faust warmly welcomed the new presidents and their wives, saying, "You have our prayers and our confidence; we are able to sleep at night because you are out there."

He told the leaders that his personal issuing callings to about half of them was a singular event that "strengthened my faith. It built me up. It was a marvelous experience as we felt of your devotion and strength and spirit." Their selection, he said, came down to one test: "Would I wish my son or grandson to serve under that mission president and his wife?

"You can't know - you just cannot know how many times you were prayed over and prayed over some more." He observed that mission presidents could well be judged not so much by the numbers of baptisms by their missionaries, but rather, how active in the Church their missionaries were 20 years later.

President Faust discussed four things, that, if he had a son serving a mission, he would like his son to learn from a mission president and his wife.

- First, he said, missionaries should be taught how to acquire a testimony of who the Savior is, the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and then understand the blessings that have flowed to mankind as a consequence of the Savior's Atonement and the Restoration.

"Now, missionaries are like members of the Quorum of the Twelve. They are special witnesses of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and you must never let them forget that. And they can't testify - they won't have the power and they won't have the authority to testify - unless they themselves have a testimony."

President Faust told of serving in Brazil in 1939 before the scriptures of the Restoration were available in Portuguese.

"All we had was an old Bible and our personal testimonies. There is nothing more powerful than a personal testimony. And there are still people today who joined the Church in Brazil from the personal testimonies of the missionaries without ever having held a copy of the Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price in their hands. I would emphasize that we are now approaching 600,000 members of the Church in that one country."

- Second, he said, he would like his son to learn honesty from his mission president. The Church leader recalled learning a lesson in honesty at the missionary home in Salt Lake City in 1939 from President David O. McKay, then second counselor in the First Presidency.

"He came in and didn't say a word. He just took a piece of chalk and wrote on the board: `It is a greater honor to be trusted than to be loved."

President Faust continued: "Loyalty to a principle is greater than loyalty to a person. We want our missionaries to be honest with the Lord, whose servants they are."

He also encouraged mission presidents to teach their missionaries to be frugal and to do their work in a spirit of sacrifice and consecration.

"On my first mission, I tried to save what money I could in case an emergency followed. I didn't buy shaving soap. I used hand soap to shave, and I did not buy a camera."

- Third, missionaries should be taught to go forward with courage and teach eternal principles without fear of men, "by doing the Lord's work, trying to build up Zion and establish the kingdom of God." Missionaries need to have courage so they will not be afraid of men.

- Fourth, be obedient, said President Faust. "The Lord gives us love and guidance. In return we give Him obedience."

In closing, he encouraged mission presidents and their wives to let their missionaries know they are loved, trusted and prayed for.

"The growth and progress of this Church is a witness in and of itself of its divinity. You have seen it, we have seen it," said President Faust.