Zone Conference: Putting Christ at the Center

On February 27th, 28th, and 29th we had another great round of zone conferences. We have two important areas of focus this transfer:

1. Put the Savior and our Missionary Purpose at the center of everything we do.
2. Get all lines in the water.

Our Missionary Purpose is:

“Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”

Preach My Gospel

Preach My Gospel teaches us:

“The gospel of Jesus Christ defines both your message and your purpose. It provides both the “what” and the “why” of your missionary service…

The gospel message is that we can access the saving, redeeming power of Jesus Christ by exercising faith in Him, repenting, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end (see 3 Nephi 27:13–22). This is also known as the doctrine of Christ…

Your purpose is to help people come unto Christ by helping them live His doctrine.”

Preach My Gospel

As we focus on our missionary purpose, or the doctrine of Christ, it puts the Savior at the center of everything that we do. President Russell M. Nelson has taught:

“The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission—the more we understand His doctrine and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives.”

“There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought. But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.”

President Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives“, April 2017 General Conference

Our goal this transfer, especially as we prepare to celebrate Easter, is to be more focused on Jesus Christ and our Missionary Purpose. As we do, we can realize this great promise from President Nelson:

“In a coming day, you will present yourself before the Savior. You will be overwhelmed to the point of tears to be in His holy presence. You will struggle to find words to thank Him for paying for your sins, for forgiving you of any unkindness toward others, for healing you from the injuries and injustices of this life.

You will thank Him for strengthening you to do the impossible, for turning your weaknesses into strengths, and for making it possible for you to live with Him and your family forever. His identity, His Atonement, and His attributes will become personal and real to you.

But you don’t have to wait until then. Choose to be one of His true disciples now. Be one who truly loves Him, who truly wants to serve and lead as He did.

President Russell M. Nelson, January 2017 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults

Our desire as a mission is to be one of His true disciples today.

Sister Barlow invited us to watch her favorite video on Jesus Christ. This video is full of one-liners. Watch it and consider what statements stand out to you.

What can you do to put the Savior more at the center of your life?

At this zone conference, we also had workshops on Facebook finding, “Teach When You Find” (teach people right now anytime you can), and “Find When You Teach” (develop the habit of always asking for referrals).

Chattanooga, Cleveland, and Cookeville Zones

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Cumberland and Knoxville Zones

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Asheville and Kingsport Zones

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The Living Christ

Lastly, we spent time filming all missionaries reciting “The Living Christ“, which we’ve been working to memorize over the last few months. In each meeting, we begin first by stating our Missionary Purpose, and then ask someone to share a line from The Living Christ that has been powerful for them. It’s been remarkable to hear the insights our missionaries have shared as they have been memorizing this document.

We’ll look forward to sharing that video on a future post. In the meantime, below you can find the cards we’ve used to create a flip book to help all of us memorize this great statement about the Savior. Feel free to create your own and join us in memorizing The Living Christ.

We’ll look forward to sharing our video on The Living Christ in a future post.