Teach doctrine of Christ, a missionary's purpose
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PROVO, UTAH
Heading the list of eight foundational topics in which new missionaries are being instructed is the doctrine of Christ, a prominent theme in the Book of Mormon. That was the subject of a presentation given by Elder Richard G. Hinckley on Jan. 11, the opening day of the 2011 Seminar for New MTC Presidents and Visitors Center Directors.
"The doctrine of Christ is the core lesson from Preach My Gospel, and we want to embed that in your hearts and minds this morning as we are doing throughout the world," said Elder Hinckley of the Seventy and the executive director of the Missionary Department.
He called on members of the group in turn to read from 2 Nephi 31.
He invited them to look for elements of the purpose of missionary work as stated in Chapter 1 of Preach My Gospel — invite others to come unto Christ through faith in Christ and His Atonement; repentance; baptism; the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. All were found in verses 2-19.
Elder Hinckley highlighted verse 11, which states: "And the Father said: Repent ye, repent ye, and be baptized in the name of my Beloved Son."
Elder Hinckley asked, "Why do you think the Father would do that?"
In answer, he said, "There is something about the ordinance of baptism that is so incredibly important and so indispensible and so necessary that God the Father actually is the one who drove that point home."
After the reading of verse 13, Elder Hinckley commented: "The Father has commanded, the Son has testified, and Nephi now seals all of that with his testimony, very powerful when you think of that sequence."
After the reading of the chapter, Elder Hinckley commented that it is not surprising that Joseph Smith, in writing to Charles Wentworth, would identify the first principles and ordinances of the gospel as contained in the Fourth Article of Faith.
"The lights really go on in the missionaries' eyes when you start getting down to this level and teaching them their purpose," he said.
He also had the group read from 3 Nephi 9:20-22 and 3 Nephi 11:21-41. He pointed out that there is no difference in the meaning between the wording in verse 25, "having authority given me of Jesus Christ," and the wording in the baptismal prayer spoken today, "having been commissioned of Jesus Christ."
Regarding verse 27, Elder Hinckley said unity is essential to prevent the doctrine from being compromised. He said the verse is essentially a repetition of the John 17, the Savior's intercessory prayer. "There just isn't room in the Church for disunity in terms of fundamental doctrines," he said. "We have all kinds of differing opinions, and that's fine, on some things. But when it comes to the fundamental core doctrines of the Church, we must be unified."
