Thursday, April 30, 2015

Called to Serve: I Accept

Dear Sister Reid:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months. 
You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, August 26, 2015. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Tongan language. You assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.
You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.
The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.
You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president. Please go to missionary.lds.org promptly to acknowledge your acceptance of this call.
Sincerely,
Thomas S. Monson
President

<3 * <3 * <3  * <3  * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3 * <3

Dear Brethren
With humility and gratitude, I accept my call to serve in the Tonga Nuku’alofa Mission. Words can’t describe the peace, love, joy and responsibility I feel from receiving this call. The gospel has blessed my life significantly, in every aspect, and the privilege of sharing these precious truths with our brothers and sisters in Tonga truly humbles me. I know I will learn much about charity, compassion, and service from the Tongans—attributes that will help me come closer to Christ. As I have prepared for my mission, I have come to recognize the “greatness of God, and [my] own nothingness” (Mosiah 4: 11) and feel the importance of submitting to God’s will, using the atonement, exercising faith, and practicing patience. Although I am weak, I know that as I strive with diligence and prayer and serve with all my “heart, might, mind, and strength” (D&C 4:2) God will qualify me to bless the lives of those I am called to serve in meaningful, beneficial, and eternal ways. I know that as I live worthy of the Holy Ghost—listen to and act on His promptings—I will be taught from on high and guided to those who hunger for gospel truths and blessings. I look forward to the friendships that will develop and continue beyond this life. Thank you for your confidence in me and for your inspiring testimonies and faith.

Sister Tiffany Reid