President Mckay President Moyle President Brown President...

President McKay, President Moyle, President Brown, President Smith, and all of you wonderful brothers and sisters and friends, I approach this responsibility and assignment with a humble heart, and I pray that our Father in heaven will bless me with his Spirit that I might be able to say something that will be helpful in building the kingdom of God. ¶

At the last conference, I spoke to you about the amazing growth and development of the Church. At that time I suggested that each of you accept President McKay's challenge that every member be a missionary. To do this I proposed that we ask our friends and neighbors the two golden questions, "What do you know about the Mormon Church?" and "Would you like to know more?" ¶

It is apparent that many have been asking these questions. Are you one of them? ¶

As a supervisor of the eight eastern American missions, I have spent a large part of the time since the last conference in those missions, and I bring to you the affectionate greetings and love of the mission presidents, the missionaries, and the Saints. I am happy to make this brief report: ¶

First, that convert baptisms are nearly three times those of a year ago, that means approximately 1,100 each month, or as translated into new stakes, roughly six new stakes each year. ¶

Secondly, chapels and church buildings are being built in large numbers. ¶

Just as an example, Sister Richards and I came back a short time ago from the Canadian Mission, and in that mission during the first seven months of this year, six chapels have been completed and are occupied, and seven more are either under construction or in the late planning stage. ¶

Third, new stakes are being organized. ¶

Two have recently been organized in North Carolina and within the area covered by the eight eastern American missions, it is likely that eight more stakes will be ready for organization during the next twelve months. ¶

This pattern of accelerated growth and development of the Church, as you can see, is going on throughout the entire world. Many have asked why this growth is taking place. Prophecy is being fulfilled, my brothers and sisters, and the Lord is pouring out his Spirit upon all flesh. I can notice the difference in just the last few months. ¶

In a vision manifested to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery, the heavens were opened, and Moses appeared and committed unto them the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four quarters of the earth. I bear witness to you that this, the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, is indeed the time of gathering. ¶

When the Angel Moroni first visited the Prophet Joseph, he quoted from the second chapter of Joel: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh." (See Joseph Smith 2:41; Joel 2:28.) Moroni told the Prophet that this was not yet fulfilled but would be soon. I am confident, my brothers and sisters, that this prophecy is now being fulfilled. ¶

The Lord has told us, "And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts." (D&C 29:7.) As the Savior instructed: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ¶

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16.) So we in this dispensation have also been instructed. These prophecies are being fulfilled in this great growth of the Church. Baptism is necessary to enter the kingdom of God, and to us of this dispensation the Lord has given the assignment to baptize his elect. Today we have the counsel of our President and Prophet David O. McKay that "every member should be a missionary," ¶

in order to bring more souls into the kingdom of God. We sustained our President wholeheartedly and seek to follow his counsel. ¶

So every man, woman, and child wants to know how they can fulfill their assignment to be a missionary. ¶

First, each one of us must live the gospel; then we should invite our nonmember friends to attend our Church meetings and functions with us; also, find people who want to know more about the Church and the best way to do this is to ask the "golden questions," ¶

— 'What do you know about the Mormon Church?" and "Would you like to know more?" ¶

Those that say "Yes," should be invited into group meetings in the members' homes to hear the missionaries discuss the principles of the gospel. ¶

Where this is not possible, the person should be referred to the missionaries to contact. ¶

Asking these two questions is a sifting process, finding the elect, those that want to know more about the Church. ¶

In Charlottesville, Virginia, as an example, one of our good sisters who worked at a bakery decided to ask the five women she was working with the golden questions, and all of them said they would like to know more about the Church. She invited them to a series of group meetings in her home to hear the missionaries, and four of the five women gained a testimony and were baptized into the Church. ¶

The full-time, stake, and district missionaries will work with you, with the special assignment to teach the gospel. ¶

All the missionaries throughout the Church are using the simple, uniform plan. This program assists them in developing greater spirituality, the attitude of success, and a good knowledge of the gospel and the teaching plan. ¶

Through this preparation, missionaries are endowed with great power. ¶

Heretofore a large part of the missionary's time has been spent in finding people to teach. Now more of the missionary's time is being spent in teaching because the members are finding those that are interested and in many instances bringing them together into groups to be taught by the missionary. This method is bringing into the Church many more converts. ¶

Everything is being done to make the work of the missionaries more efficient and effective. The use of the telephone in tracting and to follow up referrals is a real effective, modern proselyting device. The use of cars, in many instances, is also a great time-saver. Home nights to permit groups to get acquainted with the Church and for missionaries to make contacts with nonmembers is likewise an effective tool. ¶

We are just starting on a comparatively new approach. This involves an advertising and direct mail program, a new type of tracting, so to speak. Our advertisements and letters will provide a coupon or a card to be returned to us, requesting missionaries to call or a home-study course to be sent. ¶

We have adapted the uniform missionary teaching plan to a home-study course. Many who study the gospel in this manner will undoubtedly later want missionary visits. Through advertisements and through the mail, we will reach many that we are not able to reach by our present methods. Baptisms from this source of referrals are already being reported. ¶

Many people refer to our present missionary plan as a "new plan," but it really is not Examining the proselyting methods of the apostles and the disciples at the time of Christ and in the early days of the Church in our time, we find that the methods used today are very similar. One of the most remarkable examples was Peter's sermon to the people on the day of Pentecost, the result of which is recorded in the second chapter of Acts, and the 41st verse as follows: ¶

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41.) The autobiography of Parley P. Pratt tells us of his meeting John Taylor, whose name was given to him as a referral. Parley P. Pratt used group meetings most effectively. His experience in New York City is related as follows: ¶

"While I preached, a lady solicited me to preach in her house in Willett Street, for she said, 'I had a dream of you and of the new church the other night.' Another lady wished me to preach in her house in Grant Street. ¶

In the meantime I was invited by the Free Thinkers to preach or give a course of lectures in Tammany Hall. In short, it was not three weeks . . . till we had fifteen preaching places in the city, all of which were filled to overflowing. We preached about eleven times a week besides visiting from house to house. ¶

We soon commenced baptising and continued baptizing almost every day during the winter and spring." (P. 170 1950 Ed.) Our missionary program is based on declaring repentance and baptism. Our missionaries know that baptism is essential, and they are baptism conscious. ¶

The Lord has given us a list of qualifications necessary for baptism, and this is in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 20. Missionaries are instructed to see that these qualifications are met. This is not a day for compromising standards. ¶

After baptism our responsibility is to fellowship the new converts. There will be little falling away as we "love" these good people into the Church and give them an opportunity to serve. ¶

Brothers and sisters, God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ did appear to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to this earth. The Church of Jesus Christ with the authority to act in his name is on the earth. This is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We need a prophet today, and we have a prophet — President David O. McKay. ¶

I bear witness to you that these things are true. ¶

Remember the scriptures. "For behold, the field is white already to harvest; and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard." (D&C 33:3.) And remember President McKay's admonition, "Every member a missionary." The challenge is for each of us to be a missionary. ¶

This means for each of us to bring a convert into the Church this year. Let us make this our goal and may the Lord make us equal to the task, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. ¶