Study to Know God’s Character, Sister Spannaus Says During MTC Devotional

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By Kaitlyn Bancroft, Church News

Missionaries are like lights shining through a tube.

They’re not the light itself — that’s Jesus Christ. Rather, missionaries are the conduit by which light reaches other people.

Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, Second Counselor in the Young Women general presidency, made the comparison during a Tuesday, November 14, devotional at the Provo Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.

She discussed choosing Christ during the premortal existence and during mortality, encouraging missionaries to “study and know the character of God” so they can help others understand who He is.

Sister Spannaus opened her message by reminding missionaries that every person who comes into the world and becomes accountable for his or her choices is capable of discerning light and truth.

“This is because we knew it in the beginning when we were in the presence of the Father before we came to Earth,” she said. “We were all in that moment of decision. ... Yes, in that war of conflicting ideas, we sustained Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, and we supported the plan of the Father.”

Because each person on Earth chose the Father’s plan, they will each experience, at some point in their lives, the same decision between light and darkness that they faced in the premortal existence, Sister Spannaus said.

For instance, as missionaries, they’ll teach people who don’t know answers to eternal questions like whether life continues after death.

“When you teach them the doctrine of Christ, they will be able to recognize the truth through the Holy Ghost,” she said. “And then, they will have their opportunity to decide — one more time — as we all did before coming to Earth.”

Sister Spannaus also shared the importance of staying focused on the purpose of missionary work. In just her fourth month as a member of the Young Women General Presidency, she has sometimes felt overwhelmed by many new responsibilities; but slowing down and remembering her purpose has helped her during difficult days.

She recalled how, as a young missionary in Argentina, her teaching appointments never went well if she and her companion were arguing or were distanced from each other.

Conversely, when she apologized to her companion and sought the Lord’s forgiveness, her missionary efforts were full of the Spirit’s guidance.

“God is full of mercy and patience,” Sister Spannaus said. “His arms are always outstretched toward us, again and again.”

She also remembered a high school math teacher who provided answers to every exercise he assigned. Sister Spannaus said she learned by doing the exercises over and over until she reached the provided right answer.

Ultimately, her teacher didn’t care how many times she erased her work and tried again, she said. The point was her learning.

“The Savior is not counting how many times we repent. He is happy when we use His gift to change our hearts,” Sister Spannaus said.

She continued that missionaries become increasingly pure and qualified for the Holy Ghost’s companionship as they practice obedience to God’s commandments. A missionary’s success, she said, is not in the number of people they baptize, but in how well they obey the Holy Ghost’s guidance.

“Christ Himself walked that path and overcame, willingly surrendering His will to the Father,” she said, adding, “The Lord requires our hearts; our works are essential but they are not enough, even when we do our best. He requires our heart, our will, our desires, our being.”

Sister Spannaus reminded missionaries that they’re “divinely equipped” to gather Israel through their inclusive natures and other gifts. Now, they can show love to people by sharing gospel truths with them, she said.

“So we are together in this cause, trying to help save the Father’s children so that each one can partake of the fruit that is sweeter than all that is sweet,” she said. “The Father’s love has always been and will always be the engine that drives us to do the right thing. And you are not alone or helpless, because the Lord will give you light and knowledge through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“The Father’s work is still ongoing, and nothing will stop it.”

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