Serving as a mission president is "no ordinary calling," said President Gordon B. Hinckley. "It is a calling of tremendous consequences. Not only will it affect your lives, but it will affect in a very important and inescapable way the future lives of all those who serve with you."

Photo by Shaun Stahle

Speaking at the annual mission president's seminar, President Gordon B. Hinckley recalls more than 72 years of service in missionary work.

Addressing 130 mission presidents and their wives gathered in the Provo Missionary Training Center June 21 for a weeklong mission presidents seminar, and 211 presidents and spouses in their missions around the world — for the first time by satellite broadcast — President Hinckley offered counsel and a perspective on the growth of the Church.

"I have had a very long exposure to missionary work since I was called as a missionary 72 years ago," he began. "I have been acquainted with every problem that has arisen, with every plan that has been devised, with every aspect of the work. All of this has made me aware of the tremendous responsibility that you brethren and sisters have."

President Hinckley laid on the shoulders of the mission presidents "the responsibility to see that everyone who serves under your direction grows in spirituality, capacity and maturity. You will have greater influence than anyone else in their growth and development while you are their leader.

"You are responsible for their physical well-being, their safety, their health and matters of hygiene and deportment.

"You are responsible for their emotional well-being, to see that they grow in their understanding of the scriptures, in their prayers and in their service.

"You will be responsible to see that they develop qualities of leadership, which will blossom and grow as the years pass when they will be called upon to be future leaders in the Church and in their vocational pursuits."

President Hinckley spoke of the various plans over the years to present the missionary message and said: "They have all been good. They have all produced results."

Unfortunately, he said, in some instances, the plans degenerated into rote presentations rather than teaching by the Spirit.

"I am satisfied that if missionaries will cultivate the Spirit of the Lord and live worthily of it, they will be guided to say those things and teach in such a way as to respond to the needs of those they teach," he said.

He spoke of the new missionary plan called "Preach My Gospel," and said "it is intended to free the missionaries from memorized presentations and requires that they speak under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Following this process, "investigators will be led to an understanding of principles and concepts which will bring them to conviction, conversion and testimony."

As a general rule, continued President Hinckley, seek to teach families with fathers, mothers and children. He recounted the experience of Bishop Paulo Henrique Itinose of the Santana Ward, Aracatuba Brazil Stake, who was concerned about retention of converts and found that those who are baptized with another member of the family are the most likely to remain active.

" 'I realized,' " said Bishop Itinose, as quoted by President Hinckley, " 'that to teach families, especially parents, we as ward members would have to get more involved.'

"As the bishop worked with the members of his ward they became more involved, and the missionaries became more enthusiastic. Members introduced more friends to them," said President Hinckley.

As a result, 32 converts were baptized in that one ward.

"I commend that kind of effort to you," he said. "It will bring into the Church stronger converts, and they will remain active."

When all is said and done, continued President Hinckley, "this work of the Church is a spiritual endeavor. It is a thing of the heart more than a thing of the head. The things of God are understood by the Spirit of God."

President Hinckley spoke of the early converts to the Church, characterizing them as "poor in the goods of the world," people of integrity, law abiding, and of good intellect.

If missionaries focused more on "those who may be poor, but who are honest and good people," there would be greater progress in the work, he said.

President Hinckley put the growth of the Church into perspective by detailing the meteoric rise in membership during his years of service.

"I have seen the miracles of the great work which you will be doing," he said. "In 1960, I was given responsibility for the work in Asia. . . . In none of these places was the work strong. There were few converts, most of them youth. . . . But I have seen the marvelous changes that have occurred."

He told how the membership of one in the Philippines has grown to more than half a million.

He spoke of the same growth in Mexico, in Central and South America where he had administrative responsibilities. "Miracles have happened in Africa," he said.

"Almost all of this tremendous growth and strengthening is the result of missionary endeavor."

President Hinckley noted that in this anniversary year non-LDS scholars speak of the Prophet Joseph Smith, not derisively, but admiringly and with great puzzlement. "They cannot explain him," he said. "They cannot accept him, but they cannot understand him nor dismiss him."

President Hinckley shared his thoughts of the Prophet Joseph Smith, an "inconspicuous lad," and said, "Can anyone doubt the divine mission of Joseph Smith?"

"My final word to you is: go forward, nothing doubting," he said. "God will strengthen you where you are weak."

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