PROVO, Utah — After pausing to look over the newly called mission presidents, President James E. Faust noted how all had been involved in an array of impressive activities in life.

Photo by Shaun D. Stahle

President James E. Faust waves to missionaries at Provo Missionary Training Center after addressing mission presidents seminar.

"But missionary work is different," he said. "You have to do it with all your heart, might, mind and soul. I don't think any of you have been, or will be, as challenged as you will be in missionary service."

Speaking to 108 newly called mission presidents assembled in the Provo Missionary Training Center June 27 as part of a three-day seminar, President Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, emphasized characteristics of missionary success.

"In large measure, the success of the work depends on you," he said. "The key is to know that you are being led by the Spirit under the direction of prophets."

Research suggests that it is not so much the program that determines success, but leadership that makes the difference, he said after referring to the apostle Paul's teachings in 1 Corinthians regarding the different manner of administrations.

"This means that the Spirit adapts itself to our differences," he said. "To me this means you should feel comfortable with your own approach. Success is generally reflected in the faith and diligence of the leader."

President Faust encouraged the mission presidents to foster healthy working relationships with stake presidents. "Missionary work moves forward the best with member involvement," he said.

This relationship improves when members have opportunity to work with the full-time missionaries. It also improves when missionaries are obedient and hard working.

"One fruit of member involvement is an increase in spirituality of the members and missionaries," he said.

President Faust told of two experiences where strengthening the relationship between members and missionaries resulted in stronger wards. In one case, a ward where 65 members were attending was to be closed. But after an eight-month effort of working together, less-active members became active and new members were baptized. Soon 140 were attending.

"Everything else in the ward changed, and with the increase in activity, this ward became the strongest in the stake," he said.

In another ward, where growth had become stagnant, members enjoyed working with missionaries so much that a two-month joint effort was extended another three months. There were two baptisms and the youth of the ward began to feel more pride in their Church membership.

President Faust also urged mission presidents to take advantage of unique opportunities and places that are present in each mission to uplift missionaries spiritually. He told of one mission president who held a yearly zone conference in the mountains where the missionaries considered the great things the Lord wrought on mountain tops.

"All missions have meaningful ways to offer renewal and rededication," he said.

But after considering these characteristics of success, President Faust reminded the mission presidents that there is no way they can know of the width and breadth of the success of their labors.

He compared the membership of the Church in Brazil where he served as a missionary 60 years ago to the Church in Brazil today where his grandson recently served. Where there was once 175 members and one mission with 76 missionaries who baptized three members in a year, there are now 27 missions and 700,000 members.

"Who possibly could have foreseen the result of those efforts?" he asked, after recounting his first day of tracting as a missionary when he didn't speak a word of Portuguese, and how he baptized only one person in 33 months.

"There is no way we could have possibly dreamed."

He promised the mission presidents that blessings would flow down upon them and that their callings would be as rich an experience as they'd ever have in life.

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