President Uchtdorf Tells New Mission Leaders to “Fear Not”
PROVO, UTAH,
June 24, 2014
President Deiter F. Uchtdorf invited new
mission presidents—as they begin a new and exciting journey as disciples of
Christ—“to consider the example of the Apostle Peter, who overcame his fears
and became a courageous missionary and leader of the Church.”
“We can learn not only from Peter, we can
learn from all missionaries who have the same kind of commitment and dedication—missionaries
like the many you find in all missions around the globe—missionaries like those
who will serve with you,” said President Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the
First Presidency. “Each day, let us remind ourselves that we are disciples of the
Savior Jesus Christ. And because He is with us, we do not fear.”
Speaking at the 2014 Seminar for New
Mission Presidents in Provo, Utah, on June 24, President Uchtdorf addressed the
topic “Fear Not, I Am with Thee.”
“My dear friends, my beloved brothers and
sisters, I am grateful to be with you as you embark on this great and marvelous
journey to proclaim the Savior’s message to the nations of the world,” he told
the mission leaders.
President Uchtdorf said as he prepared an
Easter message earlier this year, the question arose of why the Church doesn’t
celebrate more openly the events surrounding Easter.
“As members of the Church we actually
celebrate Easter week every Sunday by partaking of the sacrament,” he said. “It
was on the Thursday before Easter Sunday when the sacrament was established. As
we partake of the sacrament, we recommit ourselves to remember the Savior’s
sacrifice and to keep His commandments. At the same time, we are promised to
have His Spirit to be with us at all times and at all places.”
President Uchtdorf asked the mission
leaders to think about what happened during the week following Palm Sunday and
culminating in Easter Sunday—when Jesus Christ rose triumphant from the tomb.
“He broke the bonds of death and made it possible for all mankind to be
resurrected,” he explained.
“For us as missionaries, as servants of
the Lord, this is the core message we take to the world. Make sure that your
missionaries never forget this. Keep this in mind when you and your
missionaries partake of the sacrament on Sundays and when you invite people to
attend sacrament services with you. Partaking of the sacrament is a very sacred
act. If you explain to those who seek truth what the gospel and the sacrament
can be to them, you will touch their hearts.
“Because of Christ’s sinless life and
through the profound miracle of the Atonement, He created a way for us to be
purified and glorious—a way for us to return to our Heavenly Father and to
receive eternal life.”
But it is also interesting what else
happened as a result of His rising from the tomb, said President Uchtdorf.
“This act of love transformed a band of frightened, worried disciples into a
dynamic group of fearless missionaries who changed the world.”
He told the new mission leaders that the
events of that day have the potential and power to do the same for every
servant of the Lord, “for every one of you who is proclaiming and teaching the
gospel of Jesus Christ.”
After His Resurrection, the Savior
appeared to His disciples and invited them to touch Him and see for themselves
that He lived, noted President Uchtdorf.
“It is remarkable to me how things
changed after that day. Before His death, Jesus’s disciples were mostly in the
role of witnesses and followers. They observed and learned, and they witnessed
the Savior’s acts and teachings.
“But everything changed for them after
Christ rose from the tomb.”
President Uchtdorf said Peter, the great
senior Apostle, is of particular interest.
“Here was a man who was no stranger to
adversity—he was a man’s man. How often had he steadied the rudder of his small
fishing vessel during a threatening storm? How often had he bartered with
shrewd merchants for the price of his fish?
“And yet, what do we see in this ‘rock’
of a man prior to the Resurrection? Among other things, we see fear!”
But from the moment Peter saw the risen
Christ, he was transformed, said President Uchtdorf. “He was a different man.
Along with James and John, he was a true leader. No longer was he afraid.”
Peter fearlessly spoke in public places—even
the temple itself, President Uchtdorf said.
“From that Easter Sunday morning on,
Peter was a new man. He had been born again. For the rest of his life, Peter
faced threats, ridicule, hatred, and humiliation. But he did not back down. He
feared no man. Nothing kept him from fulfilling his mission to raise his voice
as a witness of his Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Then President Uchtdorf asked the mission
presidents: “What does this have to do with your sacred callings to proclaim
the gospel of Jesus Christ? What does this have to do with your
responsibilities to lead [missions]?
“My dear brothers and sisters, it has
everything to do with you. This is at the core of your calling. Each day you
put on your name tag, your badge of honor, you declare to the world that you
are disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Peter, you have taken upon
yourselves the name of the Lord and the great responsibility to spread the
happy and glorious news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
He told the mission leaders that every
day of their mission they will be faced with choices similar to what Peter had
to make.
“Among the 86,000 missionaries serving
today there are many who, like Peter, are fearless in proclaiming the truth.
They approach each day with renewed vigor. Even in the face of ridicule,
apathy, and hatred they raise their pure and joyful voices to proclaim the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Of course, there are also some who are
afraid, as Peter once was.
“But in a sense, we are all like Peter.
We each can see the fruits of Christ’s life, Atonement, and Resurrection in our
discipleship.”
President Uchtdorf promised the mission
presidents and their wives that as they incline their hearts and minds to the
Savior, He will lift them and strengthen them. “He will visit you with knowledge,
peace, and courage. He will lighten your sorrows. He will bless your family at
home, even your extended families. He will take care of you and the things you
worry about. He will prepare the way for you and send His angels to surround
and uphold you.
“He will help you to overcome fear … and
rise up and become even greater men and women of God.
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