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missionmlp (Brother Pace ** )

Brother and Sister Mark L. Pace, General Sunday School President

Tuesday devotional,  December 17, 2019


Tuesday devotional, Brother Mark L. Pace, General Sunday School President, December 17, 2019

Sister Pace:

  • You can have both authority and power in your callings.
  • When people hear your message, they will FEEL it!
  • Act on your promptings!  One of the missionaries in our mission was prompted to tap on the shoulder of a man walking in front of him on a busy sidewalk.  This brother was a recent immigrant to Spain and he was lost spiritually and emotionally.  He had been praying to God to help him find his way.  He and his wife joined the Church because a faithful missionary acted on a prompting.
  • Catalina was forbidden to see the missionaries by a domineering husband.  She hid a copy of the Book of Mormon under her mattress and read it often.  Years later she divorced this tyrant.  Not long thereafter she saw two missionaries at a gymnasium.  She sought them out.  She joined the Church and raised her children in faith.
  • God knows you, He loves you, He understands you.  Reach up and take His hand.

Brother Pace:

  • You look wonderful.  Your mission presidents will be happy to have you in the mission field.
  • Your authority comes from being set apart.  Your power comes from living a righteous, obedient life.
  • Oliver Cowdery described the early days of the Church as days “never to be forgotten”.  Make your mission a time “never to be forgotten”.
  • I want to talk about companions and getting along with companions
    • I want to encourage all of you to be good companions.  We focus too much on changing others – we need to focus on changing ourselves.
    • Getting along with a companion takes work!  Satan will seek to undermine your companionship.
    • Disharmony will force the spirit to leave your companionship.
    • The Lord commanded you to go out two by two.  Having a companion gives your protection and company.
    • One of Brother Pace’s missionary companions from decades ago was in the congregation.  He expressed gratitude to him and had him bear his testimony.
    • Bad things can happen to good people.  If you have a crisis, you might be tempted to ask, “Why hast thou forsaken me…”  The Lord will not forsake you or your companionship.
    • Drill your wells deep!  Don’t stop drilling when you hit water, metaphorically speaking.  Drill deeper.
    • Support each other, respect each other, never say a disparaging word about your companion.  Speak positive things to him and about him.
    • Stay together.  This will protect you from false accusations, as you will always have a witness.  Never be alone.
    • Doctrine and Covenants 38:27 states that if you are not one you are not God’s.
    • Doctrine and Covenants 64 talks of Jesus’ disciples sought accusations one against another, and the Savior chastised them for this.
    • Differences between you can be strengths, not weaknesses.  Work together!
    • During inventories, seek for ways that you can change, not how your companion can change.  Seek for divine help to change into the companion the Lord would want you to be.
    • Both companions should have a say in decision making.  The Lord called both of you.
    • Look for opportunities to serve your companion.  Elder Howard W. Hunter shined the shoes of Elder Holland during a trip together.
    • One of his early companions filled the glasses for all the other missionaries before filling his own.  He never forgot that act of service.
    • Give your companion at least three compliments every day!  You will find what you look for!
    • When you write home to your family, tell them at least one good thing about your companion.
    • Support each other and stay together.
    • “By this shall men know that ye are my disciples.”

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