God Does Answer Prayers! - Something I learned as a Young Boy

日本語は英語の下にあります。ぜひ読んで下さい
  
A few years ago my mother passed away. This is one of my favorite memories of her. This little event has had a huge impact on my life. This was the beginnings of my testimony of prayer. The year is around 1972 and the location, Visalia, Calfornia.

 - William McIntyre

I learned at a young age that our Father in Heaven really does answers prayers.  As a boy of about 8 or 9 years of age, I often biked around the block to the street behind my house to play with my friends. There was a large walnut orchard behind my house that separated my street from the neighborhood behind us. The trip around the block was not all that far, but with the extra distance due to the orchard, to a young boy it seemed like a major journey. To complicate the trip, there were some boys that lived in a house on the corner behind our street. They were the neighborhood bullies and passing by their house was a scary experience. I remember rounding the corner each time and riding as fast as I could in hopes that they would not see me or at least not be able to catch me.

One day after playing with my friends around the block, I was riding home and to my great fear, these boys were out in the street right in my path. It was as if they were waiting for me. They were your typical neighborhood bullies and I was sure they saw in me a younger boy they could take advantage of. They seemed to think the corner was theirs and they had the right to torment anyone who past it. I stopped as soon as I saw them. I was still a few hundred yards away. I remember sitting on my bike at the curb near the sidewalk. I was terrified. I thought they would beat me up for sure.

At first, I hoped they had not noticed me, but then I saw them start walking my way. I had to think quick. I imagined myself dropping my bike and making a mad dash for the front door of the house I was stopped in front of. Then I thought, but if they are not home and no one answers the door, I am a dead man!

I felt helpless and alone. The only thing I could think to do was pray. I prayed in my heart that they would not hurt me and that I could somehow get away. I could not see anyway out of this problem. I prayed harder asking my Father in Heaven to help me be safe and know what to do.

I stood for what seemed like a long time, but was probably only a minute or two, as they approached. The boys started yelling things at me as they got closer. Soon they were so close it was evident I would have to run or fight. I prayed for super human strength or at least super human speed so they would not be able to catch me.

As I stood my ground and they continued to tease me, I saw something that not only surprised me, but brought great relief to my situation. Just up the street behind the bullies I saw our old brown Dodge station wagon slowly turn the corner and start to make its way towards us. It was my mother. I gained that super human strength and told the boys they should leave me alone! When they saw the car and it was apparent that my rescue had arrived, the bullies quickly ran off back towards their house.

 My prayer was answered!

The funny thing is my mother had never come to pick me up before and I wasn't late. There was no real reason for her to come looking for me. When I asked her why she was had come, she simply said she felt like she should come and see where I was. It was then I knew. The Holy Ghost answered my prayer by speaking in a still small voice to my mother. I was never alone facing those bullies. Father had heard my prayer and His Spirit was with me and protecting me. And my mother was able to hear and act upon His prompting.

I learned that day that the God does hear and answer prayers. I learned he does not always answer them in the way we expect him to or sometimes want him to, but he does answer.  I also learned that he often answers our prayers through someone else. While I expected to have something happen to me, like great sudden human strength, the Spirit quietly answered my prayer by speaking to one who would listen, one in tune who could help me.  And she came to my rescue. How grateful I am for a mother who was able to hear the still small voice and have the courage to act on that prompting.

Since that day, I have never doubted that God is there. I have never questioned if he hears my prayers. I have also tried to act upon the promptings I feel from time to time in hopes that in some way, I might be able to be the answer to someone’s prayer like my mother was to mine that day I faced the bullies and she came to my rescue.

Yes, God is there and he hears and answers the humble and sincere prayer.

日本語

数年前、私の母は他界しました。これは、母の思い出話の一つとして私の好きなものです。この小さな出来事が、私の人生に大きなインパクトを与えました。これが私の祈りに対する証の始まりとなったからです。これは約１９７２年、カリフォルニア州、バイセリア市で起こりました。　　　　（ウイリアム・マッキタイヤー）

私は幼くして、天の御父が　本当に私たちの祈りにこたえてくださることを学びました。当時８歳、９歳くらいの私は、家の裏手にある友達の家に自転車で遊びに出かけていました。家の裏手には大きな木の実の畑があり、その畑を超え、道を超えたところに友達の家がありました。その家まで、距離にすれば大したものではなかったと思うのですが、子供の頃はこの畑の脇の道を通り、友達の家にたどり着くのがとても長く感じられました。また、この道のりに加え、家の裏手から先に進んだ一つ目の角に住む数人の男子の事で、さらに気が重くなっていました。彼らは近所のいじめっ子たちで、彼らの家の前を通るのはとても怖いことでした。毎回、彼らの家の前を見つからないように、また捕まらないように急いでその角を曲がったのを覚えています。

ある日、友達の家で遊んだ後、不安を感じながら家に向かい自転車をこぎ始めると、その先には何とあのいじめっ子たちがいたのです。彼らはまるで私を待ち構えているかのように見えました。彼らは典型的ないじめっ子で、彼らからすると年下の私はからかうには丁度良い相手に見えたでしょう。彼らは近所の角はまるで自分たちが管理してる場所とでも言うように、だれでもそこを通る子供をいじめていました。私は彼らを目にするなり自転車を止めました。彼らから数百メートルは離れていたでしょう。私は自転車にまたがったまま、その場に立ちすくんでしまいました。怖くて仕方がなかったからです。彼らが私を何もなく通らせるわけがないとわかっていました。

私は初めに彼らが私に気づかないようにと望みました。しかし、彼らは私の方に向かって歩き出したのです。何かすぐに対処しなければと思いました。自転車を降りて急いで近所の家に助けを求めることを考えました。しかし、もしそこの住人が留守だとしたら、私は死んだも同然です！

私は自分が何もできない、一人だと感じていました。その時私が思いついたのはただ祈ることです。私は彼らが私をいじめることなく、どうにかして私がこの場から逃げられるように心の中で祈りました。私はこの状態からどのようにして抜け出せるか考えることができませんでした。ただ私は天の御父に私を助けを求め、どうすればよいのかと強く祈りました。

実際、彼らが近づいてくるのには数分だけだったと思うのですが、自分がそこに長くたっていたように感じられました。彼らは近づくにつれ私に向かって何か叫んでいます。すでに彼らは私が走って逃げるか、喧嘩するかという選択をしなければならないほどの距離ほどに近づいてきました。私はスーパー人間の力かスーパー人間の速さで、彼らが私を捕まえないようにと祈りました。

私はその場に立ったまま、彼らが私をからかい始めた時です。私は驚くばかりではなく、その場を逃れられる安堵感を感じる何かを見たのです。それは、いじめっ子たちの住む道から茶色の古いステーションワゴンが角を曲がってこちらに向かってきたからです。それは私の母でした。私はスーパー人間の力を得たかのように、そのいじめっ子たちに、私に構わないでくれ！と言ったのです。彼らは、その車と救いに来た母を見ると急いで家に戻っていきました。

私の祈りはこたえられました！

おかしなことに、私の母は、一度でも私を友達の家に迎えに来たことはありませんでした。また私の帰宅が遅れたわけでもありません。私を探しに来る理由などなかったのです。私が母になぜ迎えに来たのか聞くと、彼女はただ私が何をしてるのか行ってみるべきだと感じたからと答えてくれました。その時私はわかったのです。聖霊が私の祈りを聞き、母に小さな声で囁いたのだと。いじめっ子達を相手に私は一人ではなかったのです。天の御父は私の祈りを聞き、聖霊が私と共にいて守ってくれていたのです。そして私の母はその聖霊の囁きを聞いてくれたのです。

その日、私は天の御父が私たちの祈りを聞き、こたえてくださることを学んだのです。私は天のお父様は、彼にしてほしい事や、私たちが望むようなこたえ等にいつもこたえてくれるわけではないことも学びました。そして多くの場合、彼は他の人を通してこたえてくれることも学びました。あの日私が自分に何か起こると感じ、人間が出し切れるすべての力により求めた時、聖霊がそれにこたえ、私と同様に囁きに耳を傾けられる人に伝えたのです。そして彼女が助けに来たのです。小さな囁きを聞き、行動を起こした母にとても感謝しています。

あの日以来、私は神様の存在を疑ったことはありません。また彼が私の祈りを聞いているだろうかと思ったこともありません。また私自身、あの日、聖霊の囁きに耳を傾け、私を助けに来てくれた母のように　誰かの祈りにこたえられるように備えようとしてきました。

そうです。神様は存在し、私たちの謙遜で心からの祈りを聞いてくださいます。

Exercising Righteous Authority in Our Callings and in Our Homes - Leadership and the Priesthood

Talks and Lessons October 2007-  William A. McIntyre

Throughout my life I have served in various leadership roles, both within and outside of the church. I have also been led by many different people. At work I often have the opportunity to teach other leaders or managers about how to be more effective leaders. Through my studies and experiences, I have concluded that there are two main types of leadership authority. They can be distinguished by the way the authority of the leader is obtained and maintained.

There are two main kinds of authority (I am going to focus on this word a lot) exercised in any form of leadership or leadership role. One might be called formal authority.

Formal authority is defined by the position one holds. It may be an elected position or an appointed position. It may also be a calling held such as a bishop or a quorum leader, a class president or even one’s role as a father. The point being that one is in charge or has authority by virtue of one’s title or position in society or within an organizational unit. Formal leadership is important. It is usually respected, and should be so.

The other kind of authority is what some might call moral authority. Moral authority may or may not be held or related to an official position, calling or rank. Those with moral authority have earned the respect, and in fact command it, by virtue of their character as reflected in their actions and the example they set.

Both are important. When both are possessed, a leader can positively influence the lives of those he leads. Men usually aspire for formal authority, often not understanding the importance of moral authority. Leadership, by virtue of formal authority alone, will be short lived and ultimately yield unfavorable results. And to be a great leader, sometimes formal authority is not even necessary.

Let’s take minute and reflect on some historic figures to better clarify the meaning and importance of these two kinds of authority. First, can you think of someone who had formal authority, but lacked moral authority? You might think of the various dictators who have altered our world’s history by unrighteous use of their formal authority and insufficient character to uphold moral truths and freedoms granted to man by God. The Nazi leader Adolf Hitler would fall into this category. On the contrary, the great Indian leader Gandhi, never held a political position, yet led a nation out of repression to freedom based on his character and moral leadership. Moral authority without formal authority can be very influential and powerful.

There are some historical figures that Americans would be familiar with that had both moral and formal authority. George Washington comes to mind. He helped give birth to a nation while he held several formal positions. He was loved by the people. He was a man of high character and integrity. He possessed both formal and moral authority.

Perhaps the best example is the Savior, Jesus Christ. While here on earth, he did not hold formal political position, but Christ’s authority, to those that believe on him represents both formal and moral authority. By his exemplary life he proved his perfect character and by virtue of his divine origin and mission he holds formal authority as the Savior, Creator and literal Son of God, our Priest and King.

For us members of the church and those called to serve as leaders in the church, and those of us who are fathers, there is some valuable doctrine here for us to understand.

When ordained to the priesthood, we are formally given the power and authority to act in God’s name here on earth, to conduct and administer sacred ordinances in the name of the Lord. In effect, we have been given formal authority. When a calling and/or keys are given to preside or act in a leadership calling within that priesthood, it is still the formal authority that is given to us to act or preside here on earth in the name of, or in behalf of, the Lord.

Our moral authority is earned over time as we prove ourselves worthy through our actions and behavior and honor that priesthood we have been given. Unlike leaders here on earth, the Lord has made it clear that when we act in a way inconsistent with the formal authority of the priesthood that has been given us, He will revoke that authority and power from us.

D&C 121

We read in verse 35, …because their hearts are set so much on the things of the world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson.
36. That the rights (authority) of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37. They can be conferred upon us (formal authority), it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or gratify our pride, our vain ambition, OR to EXERCISE CONTROL or DOMINION or COMPULSION upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, amen to the priesthood or AUTHORITY of that man.

We honor our priesthood and strengthen our moral authority by striving to model the behavior of the Savior. In general, members of the church will initially give any leader the benefit of the doubt. Bishops are respected because of the office they hold. As are other leaders in the church. But the truly effective leader, one who can call upon the powers of heaven to bless the lives of those he or she serves, is one who works to earn moral authority by living a Christ like life.

The Lord further counsels us in D&C 121 on how to live so that we can maintain and magnify the power of the priesthood and increase the moral authority associated with the callings we have.

41. No power of influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood (the formal authority), only be persuasion, long suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and love unfeigned (Moral Authroity).
42. By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile
43. Reproving betimes with sharpness, WHEN MOVED UPON by the HOLY GHOST; (not when emotional and angry) and then showing forth afterwards an INCREASE of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy.
44. That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
45. Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; THEN shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of GOD and the DOCTRINE of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul (MORAL authority comes) as the dews from heaven.

Then with that moral and formal authority come the following blessing and promise. Verse 46.

The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter and unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

Now lastly, I want to relate this to the most important leadership role we will ever have in time and eternity. That is our role as a parent and spouse. And I speak primarily to the husbands and fathers. Our role as priesthood holders extends to, and in fact defines, our role and responsibilities as a husband and father.

The Proclamation on the Family states:

By divine design, fathers are to preside over families (our formal role) in love and righteousness (moral leadership) and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children…Fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.

Satan desires to destroy our moral authority as it pertains to our role as fathers and husbands. The quickest way to destroy the family is for, by his actions, a father to lose the respect or CONFIDENCE of his wife and children. When our actions are not consistent with the example of the Savior and the teachings of the gospel, then amen to the priesthood and authority of that man.

As priesthood holders, men who love their children and wives, we must not give in to temptation and engage in unchaste activity in any manner, including viewing inappropriate material on the INTERNET. We must not be quick to react and lose our tempers in the home, lest our children and wives esteem us to be their enemies. We must never do anything to cause our children or wives to doubt our commitment to them and our commitment to the Lord. (See JACOB 2:35)

If we have fallen down, or when we do make a mistake, quick and complete repentance is necessary to ensure or restore the lost trust, authority and confidence of your loved ones.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. (Ephesians 5:25)

May we all exercise righteous leadership in our callings and in our homes. And by doing so, bless the lives of those we lead and love by the power and the authority of the holy priesthood.

Good vs. Great - Service, Sacrifice and Example - Treasures in Heaven

The difference between good and great is very subtle. And the world’s definitions of greatness vary. Let me explain some of the attributes of true greatness as I see it by sharing some examples. Think about these two great historical individuals from modern society, Mother Theresa and Ghandi. Both these individuals are considered great by most people who are familiar with their lives. Why? What sets them apart from other people? As I thought about this, I realized they are not considered great for what they did or accomplished per se, but for what they did for others and the examples they set. Neither held positions of formal power or authority nor sought for such recognition. The legacy they left was the impact they had on millions of people through their service, sacrifice and examples.

This kind of greatness is not the same as the greatness that may be achieved by an athlete that scores the most points or wins the most championships. That kind of greatness is based on what they accomplished largely for themselves. In a sense, it was for personal glory, satisfaction or even for money. Don't get me wrong, I respect great athletes, but that kind of greatness is not lasting and will eventually fade or even be forgotten. It is not the true greatness I am talking about or personally striving for.

Now think of the Savior, Jesus Christ, the greatest of all. The great sacrifice he made for each of us individually and all mankind, the infinite atonement. It is what the Savior did for each of us that defines His greatness. It was in His doing the will of the Father and not himself. It was His great example of a perfect life. Service, Sacrifice and Example!

True greatness does not fade with time. It is remembered and endures. It is an infinite atonement!

True greatness comes from sacrifice. It is achieved when one does something that merely good people choose not to do. The Savior said, not my will, but thine. To those who choose greatness it is not really a sacrifice to do so, it is simply choosing the right thing when faced with tough personal choices. It is submitting your own will and desires to a greater good, one that will benefit others. True greatness comes from consistency. It is being grounded in true principles and not wavering even when the wind seems to blow against you. It is achieved when you become a light and example to others, not because of your position or status in the world, but because of your character and the standard you have set for others.

I have come to the conclusion that the most important thing we can do in this life is to become more like the greatest of all, Jesus Christ. He is our example. We come to be more like Him when we follow his example and strive to develop the same attributes He possessed and exhibited throughout His mortal ministry. These attributes of Christ are a key to achieving greatness in this life and they are the Treasures He spoke of when He admonished us to Lay Up Treasures in Heaven. Attributes like Charity, Kindness, Love, Service, Sacrifice, Faith, Hope, Diligence, Virtue and Humility are some of the Treasures we must acquire on earth and lay up in Heaven. These aspects of greatness are enduring and the only things (besides our eternal families) we can personally take with us into the next life.

For our missionaries:

The difference between being a good missionary and a great missionary may be found in your attitude and motivation. Your desire to serve, your willingness to sacrifice and what kind of example you set will certainly define what kind of missionary you become and how you will be remembered when you complete your mission. That will be your legacy. Are you here to score a lot of points or compete with others? Or are you here to serve the Lord and help others come unto Christ through your service, sacrifice and example. Are you here to do your will or out of obligation to fulfill your duty or someone else’s expectations? Or are you here to do the will of the Father because you love Him and your fellowman? You can follow the program and go through the motions and be a good missionary. Or you can be great missionaries by doing the will of the Father in all things, as did the Savior.

Through our service, sacrifice, and example we will help people come unto Christ. Each of you has the potential to influence the lives of hundreds, even thousands, of people through your work as a missionary. We help people come unto Christ by inviting them to make and keep commitments. As we teach true doctrine, testify and show a good example, people will begin to have faith in Christ and the courage to keep commitments and obey the commandments. These commitments prepare people to make and keep covenants. The first covenant people need to make to prepare to return to our Father in Heaven is done through the ordinance of baptism. Be bold in your efforts to invite people to change and keep commitments. It is how they repent and come unto Christ. It is how you will play a role in helping them come unto Christ. It is how you will influence the lives of people as a missionary and how you will become a Great Missionary. Don't settle for good, when you have the potential to be great.

President and Sister McIntyre

The Doctrine and Experience of Conversion

May 2010 - Sister McIntyre and I attended a wonderful baptism this past week. The man who was baptized commented in his testimony that when he came to church the first time, he was warmly greeted by the members and he felt a wonderful spirit. He said everyone was so kind and friendly. He said those feelings he had at that time helped him exercise the faith to commit to be baptized. He said he did not know everything about the gospel yet, but he knew it must be good. I believe that when he was baptized that day, he did not necessarily “know” the church is true. However, he certainly felt something good and had hope that it is true, and those feelings and that hope led him to exercise his faith in Christ and accept baptism.

I visited some with him at the baptism. I am confident that if he continues to study the gospel, and is properly nourished and fellowshipped by the members, he will someday have a burning testimony of the gospel and even become a leader in the church here in Japan. But for now he has simply planted the seed of the gospel in his heart, hoping it is a good seed. He is doing all this based on the good feelings he had when he listened to the missionary lessons, read, prayed, and met the members. Those good feelings are from the Spirit. And the Spirit is the KEY to conversion. This is the process or experience people have when they are converted to the gospel.

Alma taught, “Now, as I said concerning faith – that it was not a perfect knowledge-even so is it with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.” (Alma 32:26)

And so it is with our investigators. I am confident that when most people accept baptism, it is exactly as Alma describes it in Alma 32 and as the man whose baptism we attended. Our job as missionaries is to help people plant the seed. To help them exercise that particle of faith to an experiment upon the words of Christ.

Alma says “…yea even if ye can no more than a desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.” (Alma 32:27)

As Alma continues and compares the conversion process unto a seed he says that after planting that seed (the gospel) in your heart “…if it be a true seed, or a good seed…behold, it will begin to swell within your breast; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves, it must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea it beginneth to be delicious unto me.” (Alma 32:28) Finally in verse 29 Alma says these feelings will cause your faith to grow, but he continues that even with increased faith, you will not have a perfect knowledge.

As missionaries we must understand the Doctrine of Conversion. Likewise we must understand the Experience of Conversion. When we teach we must help our investigators know when the Spirit is giving them an answer to their humble prayer about the gospel and baptism. Time and time again, I hear about investigators who are “waiting” to get an answer. In many cases, after talking with them directly or the missionaries teaching them, it usually becomes apparent to me that they have probably already received an answer. The problem is they have failed to recognize it or acknowledge it and we, as missionaries, have failed to help them realize this.

Helping People Become Converted:

For people to be converted to the gospel and receive baptism they need to understand the doctrines of Christ (as we teach in our lessons) and they need to feel the Spirit.  The understanding of true doctrine and the feeling of the Spirit will build faith and help people make and keep commitments that lead them to baptism. President Boyd K. Packer has taught that true doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. When people understand the teachings and then feel in their heart through the Spirit that these teachings are good, they will then begin to have the courage and will to change. For an investigator or new convert, it is probably better to say that they feel the gospel is true, rather than they know the gospel is true in the early stages of there conversion.

The Doctrine and Experience of Conversion:

The Spirit is the Key to conversion. Elder M. Russell Ballard has taught: “True conversion comes through the power of the Spirit. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. When individuals…feel the Spirit working within them, or when they see evidence of the Lord’s love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually and their faith in Him increases. These experiences with the Spirit follow naturally when a person is willing to experiment upon the word. This is how we come to FEEL the gospel is true.” (PMG p.93) We must help our investigators feel the Spirit and experiment upon the word. This means helping them make and keep commitments, including the commitment to be baptized.

As missionaries, we must teach with the SpiritNephi 33:1) If the recipient of the word truly has a desire to know the truth, he will open his heart and give place for a portion of those words. And the Spirit will enter his heart and he will FEEL the message is good or true. We must not shy away from testifying at that moment. We must acknowledge and tell people when the Spirit is present in a lesson. We should let people know those good feelings they are having when they read, pray or attend church are from the Spirit and the answer they are looking for.

The conversion experience requires people to change. People will usually not change unless they are invited to do so. Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ. People come unto Christ through baptism. People prepare for baptism by making and keeping commitments that help them repent and prepare to receive that saving ordinance. “As people choose to keep commitments, they will feel the power of the Holy Ghost more strongly and will develop the faith to obey Christ. Thus you should help the people you work with grow in faith by inviting them to repent and to make and keep commitments.” (PMG P. 93)

Preach My Gospel Missionaries are bold, but not overbearing. They are not afraid to ask people, through the Spirit, to repent. This means talking about baptism often and inviting people to come unto Christ by receiving that saving ordinance. It is my prayer that we will go forward with boldness, declaring the doctrines of Christ through the power of the Spirit. We should never be afraid to invite someone to keep a commitment or be baptized. This is what we have been called to do. It is our purpose and how people come unto Christ. Further, we should not hesitate to invite people to change and be baptized because we worry that they may not be able to endure to the end. We must have faith in them and in the atonement of Christ. Remember Saul (who became Paul) and Alma the younger. People can and will change more than we can imagine. Enduring to the end can be difficult. Some fall down along the way. Most get up and eventually back on the right path. Likewise, we should not hesitate to baptize people when they “feel” the gospel is true, but think they need to wait until they “know” everything. They will never know everything. And that line of thinking contradicts the principle of faith. When people have a desire to change and feel what we are teaching is good, and they understand the basic doctrines taught in the missionary lessons, they are ready for baptism. Of course they will need to be interviewed, and commit to follow the commandments and desire to take upon themselves the name of Christ. They will also need continued support and to be nourished by the members with the good word of God. But we should do all within our power to help them enter that gate and begin their journey on the path to eternal life and exaltation. That gate is baptism.

 I pray we all can come to better understand the Doctrine and Experience of Conversion. To do so, prayerfully read Alma 32 again. Spend some time in Chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel. Then boldly go out with the power of the Spirit and invite people to come unto Christ! For that is our purpose and it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

“…My Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me…” (3 Nephi 27:14)

May the great missionaries of the Japan Kobe Mission never shy away from or shrink in their duty to assist the Savior in this glorious purpose!

President and Sister McIntyre

The Spirit is the Key - Remarks from Feb. 2009

These remarks were originally for my missionaries, but they certainly can be applied to all of us as we strive to have the Spirit guide our lives.

President Benson taught that “The Spirit is the most important single element in this work. With the Spirit you can do miracles for the Lord in the mission field.” The Spirit will help you draw upon the knowledge and skills you have developed to help you teach more powerfully. (See PMG p. 176)

The Spirit will give you confidence to open your mouth. A bold missionary is not rude or annoying. Rather he is not afraid to testify of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel. He is confident in, and understands his purpose, and therefore is not afraid to ask others to make and keep commitments. His power comes from his faith in Christ and he knows that the Spirit is the key. So he strives to be worthy to have the Spirit with him always.

As missionaries, the need for the spirit is two-fold. First, we must have the Spirit ourselves and second, we must help those we teach feel and recognize the Spirit as part of their conversion process. The first always precedes the second. In other words, we must first obtain the Spirit ourselves, so we can teach and testify in a manner that the Spirit can work through us to allow those we teach feel and recognize it and be converted.

“Seek not to declare my word, but first to obtain my word, then shall your tongue be loosed; then if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.” (D&C 11:21)

How can we ensure that we are worthy to have the Spirit with us so we can be successful missionaries?

The first criterion for having the Spirit is personal worthiness. Obedience is the price. Obedience to all the commandments and the mission rules and guidelines is essential. Sincere repentance can bring the Spirit back if you do not feel the Spirit and need to make changes in your life or mission.

Second, we must invite the Spirit and ask for guidance and strength from our Father in Heaven. As a missionary (or anyone for that matter), we invite the Spirit into our lives and daily activities when we start out the day with Prayer and Scripture Study. The missionary morning and evening schedule is designed to help you invite and keep the Spirit with you always. Obedience is the price. Obedience to the schedule (morning and nightly study and planning) qualify you for the guidance of the Spirit. Pray with faith morning and evening and throughout the day as you seek out and teach people. Effective prayer invites the Spirit and takes great effort. (see PMG p. 94)

As a missionary the Spirit will help you know where to go? What to do? What to say and how to teach more effectively. The Spirit will lead you to scriptures to help you learn and to help you teach others about the restored gospel. The Spirit is the Key.

As you teach people the gospel, testify boldly, use scriptures and share personal spiritual experiences. All these things will help you bring the Spirit you have with you, unto the hearts of those you teach. (see 2 Nephi 33:1) As you teach with the Spirit and those you teach feel the power of that Spirit, they will be able to make and keep commitments and become converted to the gospel of Christ.

May we all live worthy and strive to have the Spirit with us always. And just as important, may we listen to His promptings.

President and Sister McIntyre