Missionary Work in the Digital Age

Elder Nielsen, head of the Church Missionary Department and Brother Heaton who is head of training at the MTC were in Roseburg to do the training for our conference yesterday. Elder Nielsen told us that our purpose in meeting was to open the heavens. Missionaries are to become " Disciples in the Digital Age".  Our mission has been one of 28 missions in a test program using iPads in their missionary work.  By June there will be 60 of the 488 missions using them.  There are new iPads coming out for this serge.

The First Presidency and the Twelve decided that we are not going to let Satan control the electronic world.  The first few years of the internet anti-Mormon stuff would pop up anytime people looked for the Church but now it is far down on the list.  .  Any time a new device comes out we think it is incredible but God has already known all of this.  "Do you think that God isn't smarter than Steve Jobs?" The difference is that we have to charge the electronic ones every day. ^0^

The first GPS was called a Liahona.  "Don't you think God knows?"
We were told that 1/4 of all people that missionaries visit research the church on line before the visit.  56% of those baptized are positively influenced by Mormon.org before baptism. 

There were 39,000,000 views of He is the Gift.  Other churches were using it.  There were 34,000 self-referrals from it. 

There is an Easter one coming up that is just as professional and moving.  It isn't quite finished but we were able to see it.  It is called, "Because He Lives". 

From 1830-1930 the first 300,000 members joined the church.  We baptized that many in last year alone. 

The Church is sending out special iPads with special filters to govern some of what can be done of the iPads that will be given to each of the 60,000 test missionaries.  The First Presidency said, "We trust them when concerns were expressed.  All missionaries will be trained on how to use them appropriately and this should be a blessing to those missionaries all of their lives.  Tons of wonderful videos, conference talks, study tools, planning things and other missionary helps will already be downloaded on their new computers. 

We were given two booklets in draft form that will be used in the training.  One is Safegards for Using Technology and the other is Missionary Work In the Digital Age.   They are suggesting that a single missionary will be able to make three times the contact that he/she can today.  There are so many gated communities, working couples, disconnected home phones that traditional missionary work needs to catch up with the world. 

Elder Nielsen gave a beautiful talk about agency.  He explained that he used to be a lawyer and he acted for the owner of companies.  He explained that missionaries are the Father's agents.  They act for the Lord, the person who "hired" them. 

He taught us about Elder Bednar teaching that all creation except man is to be acted upon.  Man is the only one of God's creations to be the actor. When a person joins the church, is baptized and goes to the temple they have spent their agency. They acted.  They have made agreements and covenanted. Their "spending power" is gone.  Now the decision is to do what you agreed to do or else break the covenant.  When God gives you your agency you are accountable to Him.  When you break your covenant you go in the hole.  You are in a deficit position.  Repentance and the atonement allow you to get it back. 

In President Russell's closing remarks he said "We are going to take the gospel into hyper speed." The Lord said, "I will hasten my work."