Missionary Conference — Sunday, August 4, 2019
Mission Conference, Sunday, August 4, 2019. The conference theme was the Plan of Salvation
1/ President and Sister Ralhf
- Our theme today is the Plan of Salvation. The word gospel means ‘good news’.
- The plan of salvation is God’s plan for the happiness of His children, and the plan is centered in the Atonement of Christ.
- This plan was prepared and presented in the pre-mortal world. See Moses 3:5.
- We all lived as spirit children with our Heavenly Father.
- This plan provides a way for us to become like Him. We must follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
- The plan of salvation is also called the plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, the great plan of restoration, and the plan of mercy.
- Aren’t we glad that our Heavenly Father is such a great Planner?
- Few of the people in today’s world know of this plan. They are aware of Act Two in the grand scheme of things, but are very unaware of Acts One and Three. We can answer the questions about where we came from and where are we going. See Doctrine and Covenants 123:11-14.
2/ President and Sister Titensor
- In the pre-mortal life we lived in heaven.
- Alma 30:44 tells us, “…all things denote there is a God, yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”
- Take this mystery and unfold it for your ‘friends’. Teach the plan of salvation clearly and simply.
- The gospel will have a familiar ring to it, for those who are spiritually prepared.
- One of our Primary songs tells us that we lived in heaven a long time ago.
- The Proclamation on the Family states: “In the pre-mortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.”
- We were not like God while in the pre-mortal sphere. We need to exercise our agency and come here to earth. See Job 28:7.
- Jesus rescues us. Ether 3:14 states: “Behold, I am He who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name, and they shall become my sons and my daughters.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 138:56 states: ” Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.”
- We participated in the grand council in the pre-mortal world. We were taught, and we progressed, but we progressed as far as we could. Abraham 3:24-25 states: “And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him, We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell, and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord the God shall command them.”
- Agency is a gift, and our progress depends upon us using that gift wisely. Doctrine and Covenants 101:78 says: “That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgement.”
3/ Sister LeSueur
- Our life on earth includes many opportunities and blessings, but there are also many challenges. Why is life so hard, why is there so much sorrow, why so much hatred?
- Alma 12:32 says, “Therefore God gave unto them commandments, AFTER having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.”
- Mosiah 3:19 says, “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”
- Redemption comes only through the Savior, and obedience is essential.
- Mosiah 3:13 says: “And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as as though he had already come among them.”
- Mosiah 2:41 says: “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.” We are sons and daughters of God with divine destinies.
- We need to follow God’s plan. Sister Wendy Nelson asked the question, “What was I born to do?” She then showed a picture of a straight tree trunk and a crooked tree trunk. Are we doing what we committed to do?
- Joseph Smith said that if we could gaze into heaven for just 5 minutes, we would learn more than by a lifetime of study. How valiant were we in the pre-mortal existence?
- We are away from home and all our experiences will be different.
- I am happy and I have peace in my life.
4/ President LeSueur
- I Nephi 1:1 — having had a knowledge of the mysteries of God. Alma 12:9 says, “It is given to many to know the mysteries of God, nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men…” What is a mystery? Something that can only be understood by and through revelation (not by science or debate). That which cometh from above is sacred.
- Teach the gospel plainly and simply, with great clarity. Adapt your lessons to individuals.
- I am amazed by the courage of Adam and Eve.
- Remember that the fall of Adam is also the fall of you and me.
- Mosiah 16:4 says, “Thus all mankind were lost, and behold, the would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state.”
- Vulnerabilities that became part of the mortal experience due to the Fall:
- Death
- Mortality
- Consequences of sin (both our own sins and the sins of others)
- Adversity (physical, emotional, poverty, war, etc.)
- The antidotes to the above-mentioned vulnerabilities due to the Atonement of Jesus:
- Resurrection (free gift, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” [1 Corinthians 15:22])
- Repentance
- Forgiveness (“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…” [Matthew 6:12])
- Alma 7:11-12 states: “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind, and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death, which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”
- Who are ‘his people’ (see above)? Those who follow the plan of salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Acts 2:32 states: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
- How do we access the Atonement? Through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel teaches us what we should know and how we should know it.
- The analogy of Nephi and building the ship to cross the ocean. The Lord could have said, “Nephi, because of your faithfulness for the last eight years, I now present you this ship which I have built for you, to aid you in crossing these waters!” No, the Lord then gave Nephi the opportunity to continue to grow and progress through further trials. We all need to pray to know what we can do to further improve and grow.
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