More Urgency - and a Challenge
More Urgency – and a Challenge
President Quinn’s Weekly Message
California Santa Rosa Mission
September 23rd, 2024
The topic for my message to you this week is urgency. In preparation for MLC last week, I summed up our baptismal numbers for this year. I was disappointed to find that our baptisms YTD match the same number as a year ago. Over the last two months, our 20% growth in baptisms has evaporated. As an MLC, we discussed what could be causing our decline in baptisms. One of the reasons we identified was a lack of urgency across the mission to find friends to teach and baptize.
For the last few months, I have been concerned that we are not demonstrating the appropriate level of urgency in our work as missionaries. Please remember the commandment given to us by the Savior:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
I testify the Lord is with us in this work. We need to do our part to enjoy the miracle of finding and helping our friends feel and be converted by the Spirit. Please remember this promise from the Lord:
“For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; …and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.” (2 Nephi 27:23)
Our CASRM Core Values Quadrant illustrates that serving in the Savior’s way requires us to hold high expectations for ourselves and each other. We need to take personal responsibility for the way we spend our time. Our weekly and daily planning should demonstrate urgency to share the gospel with others. I hear much too often that there are companionships with large gaps in their daily schedules. I believe we need improve the urgency across CASRM to find friends to share the gospel with.
We still have three months left in this year to exceed the number of baptisms from a year ago. I challenge each companionship, district, and zone to increase your urgency to do missionary work. Plan your weekly and daily schedules to reflect the appropriate urgency for this work. I issue the same challenge to you that Captain Moroni wrote to Pahoran, “be up and doing.” This work is too important not to give it our best effort. We can do better.
We are entering the time of year when people’s hearts will be turning to the Savior. Let’s share the joyful message that His Church is again on the earth and that peace and happiness can be found in His gospel.
In closing, I challenge each companionship to have a minimum of one baptism between now and December 31st. If we achieve this goal, we will see 66 individuals enter the waters of baptism. I know this goal is obtainable as we each are urgent, diligent, obedient, and exercise faith. I ask each companionship to develop a plan to achieve this goal. I invite mission, zone, and district leadership to work with each companionship in developing inspired strategies to achieve this goal. I testify we can do this with the blessing of the Lord. I will report our progress each week in this letter to you. We got this!!
Love,
President Quinn
(630) 881-4030
