Ninety years ago, on the sixth of April, 1853, three missionaries were called to go to China to carry the gospel message to the people of that country. One of those young men was Hosea Stout, then a Regent of the University of Deseret. They were to go to San Francisco, and there take a sailing ship bound for Asiatic ports. The history of that missionary endeavor is among the most thrilling in the history of the Church. During that same year, Elder Lorenzo Snow laboring in Italy edited and printed the Book of Mormon in Italian, and Elder John Taylor supervised the printing of the same book in French, in the city of Paris. What a far-reaching work was done in those early days by the missionaries of the Church!

IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL MISSIONARY WORK

When the First Presidency issued their decision in 1936 that every stake of Zion should maintain an organized mission, the message was received by all the stake presidents as a clarion call. Within a few months, every stake had its local organization, and hundreds of missionaries had begun their work. The splendor of their spirit and the nobility of their achievements have already become known, for by their efforts hundreds of souls have been brought to a knowledge of the gospel.

The call of these local missionaries is just as important and sacred as the call of the missionaries to go into foreign countries. While it comes through the stake presidents, it is none the less important and divine, for the First Presidency has delegated the stake presidents to attend to this important work. The mission is for two years, and when a brother or sister accepts the call, it is a sacred promise to God that he or she will go forth with joy and faith to explain the message of eternal life. They may have felt at times something of fear, but they recall the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy:

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind  2 Tim. 1:6-7

ADVICE GIVEN TO MISSIONARIES

As you go to your work, remember that the value of your teaching depends upon the spirit in which it is done. With your gifts and opportunities you converse with people of all classes, and you show them how they may glorify their lives through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The call you have accepted is much larger than can be met by any ethical code or teaching of philosophy. You put into your work your best thought, and that dignifies your lives. You are capable of doing better work than ever before, for you are to give every minute of your spare time to filling your minds with knowledge, for to be missionaries, you must be good teachers. Plan your work and devote your lives to it. You missionaries are not to do any other Church work than that of the true missionary, and no gifts of God can make good unless you give your spare hours to quiet and devoted study. Your success will depend upon the spirit of genuineness, of faith, and of humility, which characterize your words. Thousands of people have come recently to live in Utah. Remember that the world is full of good people everywhere, and it is for you to stir up the gift of God within them. It is not only the matter but the manner; not only the doctrine, but the man that count. Read the Church works with deep intent and purpose, and with prayerful hearts. You will appreciate the growing strength of your own powers. A noted scholar of Oxford University spent thirty-eight years in studying the book of Exodus, and think of the many scholars who have given their lives to the study of the book of Job. If you will read carefully the first chapter of the first book of Nephi in the Book of Mormon, you will see why one student has spent months in analyzing its fine content. The greatest and most enduring satisfaction comes from your studies and in your influence on individuals; in guiding them, helping them, saving them.

There is something noble, something ineffably rich and magnificent about your work. All that is expected of you besides your labors in the field and your hours of study is your attendance at sacrament meetings as well as your regular quorum and Priesthood meetings. Fulfill your missions with all your hearts and may God bless you in your noble work. Look to the future. Build upon the past, but look to better days. Strive for more knowledge and a better understanding of the "spirit of true religion." Glorify your Father in heaven by glorifying the divine gifts that He has given you. Then you will have power and strength, and people will sense your sincere purposes and your deep and abiding testimonies of the glory of the Lord.

If you missionaries will accept your call as a divine purpose, then you shall walk unafraid every day and enjoy your hours with the people whom you meet. You will trust instinctively and naturally the guidance of the Holy Spirit on which you learned to rely in the days of your strength. May the Lord bless you in your sacred endeavors, I ask in His name. Amen.