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missioneccles042317 (April 2017 ** )

Ecclesiastical Training — Provo Missionary Training Center — April 23, 2017

Training for ecclesiastical leaders


Training for ecclesiastical leaders, April 23, 2017

Sister Weidman:

  • Ecclesiastical leaders are to be missionaries to missionaries, one by one, to help them understand how to be more like the Savior.
  • They should strive to become like Him as they seek to fulfill their purpose.
  • Mark Palmer in General Conference said that as a mission president, he sought for greater love to help his missionaries.  He studied the story of the rich young ruler, in which it says, “And then, Jesus, beholding him, loved him.” We need to behold and love.  If I didn’t love you so much, then I wouldn’t care, but I do CARE, and I do LOVE you. I love you enough that I want you to reach your full potential as a missionary.
  • Elder Holland:  The Savior invites us to come unto Him, but He is also saying, “Come as you are, but don’t expect to stay as you are.”
  • Numerous general conference speakers referred to “becoming as He is”.

President Weidman:

  • We are in awe of you.
  • Many of you have expressed the thought that you would like to have more time with the missionaries.  Your wish is about to be granted.
  • We need to make disciples, not just preach.  (Matthew 28:19)
  • The missionaries will now prepare 5 talks during their MTC stay, not 3 (Faith in Jesus, the Atonement of Jesus, Baptism, Repentance, and the Holy Ghost). 
  • Facts about the new buildings:
    • The classrooms are twice as big
    • Floor to ceiling windows in each room
    • Zone rooms for Sacrament meetings and other meetings
    • Ponder rooms and ponder rings
    • Interviewing rooms are bigger
    • All Sunday meetings will be concluded by 11:30 am for all branches
    • We will have all Sunday afternoon for training (11:30 to 4 pm).
  • Suggestions for things to teach on Sunday afternoons — language of prayer, doctrine, district meeting lessons, teaching in the Savior’s way, how to use a video in teaching.

Sister Martino

  • 2 Nephi 25:27 speaks of choosing death or everlasting life.
  • Agency can be referred to as the power to become.
  • Make small course corrections.
  • Be our first converts.
  • Know this, that every soul is free.

President Martino:

  • Missionaries do not know how to teach the Creation and the Fall.  It should be simple and basic.
  • Our loving Heavenly Father created man in His image.
  • Adam and Eve were given their agency to choose between mortality and staying in the Garden.
  • Adam decided to “fall” that men might be.
  • Mortality brought on spiritual death and physical death.
  • Christ’s atonement gives us the opportunity to overcome both deaths.  He becomes our Savior.
  • Resurrection is guaranteed,  but salvation requires obedience.
  • Judgement will occur at the PLEASING bar of God.
  • They should not talk about sin versus transgression in the garden, or the actual meaning of “infinite” atonement, or the different phases of the resurrection. 
  • The fall had to happen, but it brought a message of hope. 

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