My dear Ward Missionaries. It’s my hope and prayers that this past week was was filled, with peace and love and happiness for you and your family. I hope that you have felt the love of Jesus Christ increase in your heart and homes.

Please mark your calendars. Monday May 20. 6 pm at Craig and Kathy Hiatts home, 513 S 1050 W. Pot Luck BBQ. Bring your own meat and something to share, a salad, desert etc. Most importantly please invite a family or individual on your missionary assignment list. Please RSVP the Hiatts or myself and give us an idea of how many people to expect. We hope and pray each of you will be able to attend.

We don’t want anyone to feel like they are a “project”. But, we want to build friendships.

“Our goal is to achieve eternal life. That is the greatest goal in the world. We are not opposed to goals. We do not want stake and full-time mission presidents to establish quotas for the missionaries. Rather, we expect them to inspire missionaries to set their own goals, and make them high enough to challenge their very best efforts, and work to achieve them. … We look to you to teach these principles and follow up.”

Spencer W. Kimball  |  President Kimball’s Vision of Missionary Work

“Sometimes we need a personal crisis to reinforce in our minds what we really value and cherish. The scriptures are filled with examples of people facing crises before learning how to better serve God and others. Perhaps if you, too, search your hearts and courageously assess the priorities in your life, you may discover, as I did, that you need a better balance among your priorities.”

Elder M. Russell Ballard  |  Conference Report, Apr. 1987, 14–15; or Ensign, May 1987, 13

I’m grateful for each of you and your willingness to try to develop these friendships. Only 30 minutes a week and great are the rewards. Plant those seeds. As you plant in others, the Lord will plant new seeds in you also. God bless each of you. 

Thank you to Don Christiansen. He reported back that he had taken bags of chips and visiited with many of his assigned families. Look for ways to make contact. Ask the Lord for direction, then act.

I think it very appropriate to ponder the following verse from the Book Of Mormon.

1 NE 4:6. And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.

Please let me know either personally, by individual text or email or phone call, know of your efforts. To make it easier on each of you this can be our HUDDLE.  But, I need so much to receive feedback from each of you. 

I really appreciate those of you who have communicated with me.  It is very helpful in letting the Bishop, Relief Society President, and the Elders Quorum President, and Primary and Sunday School Presidents know of the flock they each have stewardship over. If there is  anything I can do to help you or your families with, please do not hesitate to let me know. 

As always, below is a picture of a tree that over a period of most likely years overcame the strength and hardness of a rock to eventually break through and flourish. It has such a wonderful message for each of us. That is what this life is all about. Planting seeds, it is our decision if we are planting good or bad, What seeds are we planting with our own personal family? What seeds are we planting with our assigned families? Are we trying to over time develop a genuine friendship? Are we allowing our Heavenly Father to plant seed in our hearts? Is our heart soft for easy planting, or is it a hard heart like the stone below? Either way, let your Heavenly Father plant those seeds and over time HE as the gardner will cause them to grow and flourish like seeds or evil seeds throughout our lives.

I love each of you. I witness to each of you that your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you. They will assist you in your efforts to simply plant seeds. They will bless you with the gift of Charity, even the Pure Love of Christ.

May the good Lord bless each of you in your personal lives. May he bring peace, charity, health, revelations and the righteous desires of your hearts. In Jesus name Amen.

Steve Larsen

801-380-8307

sglarsen@gmail.com

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