DAY 126 -- Perfecting the Saints, Proclaim the Gospel

As I started to read through our mission papers, another thought crossed my mind.  Of the three fold mission of the church, most would assume that a mission is part of the "Proclaim the Gospel."   As I ponder about the "Redeem the Dead" I am pleased to report that our ward is doing work for Elsie Schaubel Partridge.  She died in 1960 and a few months ago touched my sister's mind and told her to do the Schaubel line.  She did and sent the nearly 200 names to me.  I talked with my bishop and now the ward is working on her line. 

Now we get back to the 'Proclaim the Gospel" part of the church.  When reading the mission papers we are starting to fill out, the brethren explain in those papers often a mission for the seniors is more for "Perfect the Saints" rather than proclaiming the gospel.  The young missionaries are involved with proclaiming while the seniors are often more involved in perfecting the members, showing them how to serve, love, and strengthen other members.

Senior missionaries are not required to learn a language.  They are not required to proselyte nor teach lessons.  They are not involved in the proclaiming of the truths we all love.  They are more often called to activate, strengthen, teach other members, etc. 

When I was called as bishop many years ago, I had the desire to translate our ward.  I could see, feel the beauties of Zion and unity. (In case you were wondering, I didn't quite achieve that goal, but it was a good one.)   And now since we will be soon involved with perfecting the saints all over the world, isn't preparing a people for Zion part of perfecting the saints.  What does perfecting the saints involved?  Is it taking the testimonies that someone already has and helping them endure well and become perfected?

That can happen in our wards today as well as in the mission field all across the globe.  I have always loved the concept of establishing Zion.  I love the scriptures involving Zion and pursuing it.  As the world turns more wicked and Satan's grasp gets stronger, there is a urgent need to know Zion and work toward it.  I would assume that we will be doing so when the Lord calls us to a location, perfecting the saints as well as "calling" on a peculiar people to know, understand, and work towards becoming a Zion..

The whole concept that rings through my mind is using the talents and visions, and dreams and pre-earth preparation to serve our Father in His work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man in all three missions of the church.  Perhaps we will find out that our mission will involve all three missions rather than just one or even two.