Monday, December 16, 2013

MLC and Baptismal Interviews - November 11, 2013

Nearer, My God, to Thee
 
Highlights from the week. Missionary Leadership Council (MLC) is a council made up of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders where they discuss their zones and items for the mission. They also receive training. This last week, Brother Jarman, head of the training at the MTC, and his companion Brother Steinagle, director of 8 of the 14 international MTCs, visited the Iowa Des Moines Mission. They invited the district leaders to attend, so I got to be at a full day of training! I saw many missionary friends I've made over the last 15 months and made many more friends! They trained on us really INVITING people to come unto Christ and HELPING them to receive the restored gospel. Emphasis is placed on HELPING people (not just hoping them) 1) to pray, 2) read the Book of Mormon, and 3) attend Church (especially Sacrament meeting).  This emphasis on HELPING people rather than HOPING they will respond will increase our ability to bring souls unto Christ as we are guided by the Holy Ghost. It reminded me of much of my MTC training. Those of you who will be entering the MTC shortly. Take great notes and take advantage of what you will learn!
 
One of the responsibilities of a district leader is to interview candidates for baptism. I had the opportunity to conduct my first baptismal interview on Saturday. It was fantastic as the man I interviewed, Richard, is very ready to be baptized!
 
At our Zone Training Meeting on Saturday, the Zone Leaders showed a video slideshow of pictures of baptisms that have happened this year to get us excited for reaching our goal of 550. We are at 409 right now! Once of the songs they had as background was Vocal Point's arrangement of "Nearer, My God, To Thee." That arrangement is one of my favorite songs ever, and to hear it in such a spiritual setting for the first time in 15.5 months was an incredible blessing. I also played an original arrangement of "Nearer, My God, To Thee" as a special musical number in our Story City Branch Conference yesterday. I was going to accompany another missionary serving in the branch as he sang Come Thou Fount, but he wasn't up to it.
 
Come nearer to God this week. Some questions to evaluate where you are at now:
  • How are your personal prayers going?
  • How is your Book of Mormon reading and studying going?
  • How seriously do you take the Sacrament as you partake of it at church each week?
Love you all!
Elder Zachary R McKenzie
Iowa Des Moines Mission
D&C 6:34, 36
  Doubt Not, Fear Not.

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