Sister Training Leader
Dear Sister HEATON,
Congratulations on your new assignment as a missionary leader! Please see the attached letter regarding your new assignment.
Sincerely,
The MTC Presidency
MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER
2005 North 900 East Provo, Utah 84604-1793 Phone: 1-801-422-2603
June 2, 2014
Sister Whitney Heaton
Dear Sister Heaton,
Congratulations on your assignment to serve as Sister Training Leader. Through your example of Christ-like living and appropriate missionary behavior, you will be an inspiration and role model for the sisters in your branch.
May you be guided by the spirit in your stewardship as you reach out to those who may need your attention and love.
Your Branch President has assigned you through inspiration. We know you will be blessed as you follow the counsel and direction he provides.
May the Lord’s blessings be with you in this assignment and throughout your mission. Please refer to your missionary leader guidebook for specific responsibilities.
Sincerely,
Lon B. Nally President
Congratulations on your new assignment as a missionary leader! Please see the attached letter regarding your new assignment.
Sincerely,
The MTC Presidency
MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER
2005 North 900 East Provo, Utah 84604-1793 Phone: 1-801-422-2603
June 2, 2014
Sister Whitney Heaton
Dear Sister Heaton,
Congratulations on your assignment to serve as Sister Training Leader. Through your example of Christ-like living and appropriate missionary behavior, you will be an inspiration and role model for the sisters in your branch.
May you be guided by the spirit in your stewardship as you reach out to those who may need your attention and love.
Your Branch President has assigned you through inspiration. We know you will be blessed as you follow the counsel and direction he provides.
May the Lord’s blessings be with you in this assignment and throughout your mission. Please refer to your missionary leader guidebook for specific responsibilities.
Sincerely,
Lon B. Nally President
Acceptance Letter
I gracefully accept this unbelievable opportunity to serve a mission in Vancouver Canada. I thought a lot about whether or not I wanted to go on a mission. Once I got my answer I was filled with love, happiness and such gratitude that He would choose me to serve and bring others unto Him. To have this wonderful chance at this time in my life means the world to me that my loving Heavenly Father would choose me to teach his children and help them start their own journey to eternal life. I am so excited to teach the wonderful people in Vancouver Canada awaiting to hear the message I have the privilege of sharing with them. I can't wait to serve in the destination that was chosen specifically for me by the Priesthood of the first presidency and my loving father in heaven. I know that serving a mission is hard work and isn't easy but I know as long as I do my best, He will attend my efforts and be there to help carry me through it. I can't wait to spread all the love and joy that I get from the gospel and share it with others.
Whitney Heaton
Whitney Heaton
Farewell Talk
My farewell talk was on May 11, 2014 which was also Mother's Day!!
My Purpose as a Missionary
First of all happy Mother's Day! I just wanted to say before I begin my talk how much I love and appreciate all the women in my life, especially my mom. I wouldn't be the same person I am today without all of your love, support and guidance.
Hi, for those who don't know me I’m Whitney Heaton. I was called to the Vancouver Canada mission and I am leaving on May 28.
I haven't always known that I wanted to go on a mission. Even after they changed the age in the October conference in 2013 I didn't really have the desire at the time but last December I started thinking more and more about serving a mission, so I started praying, reading my scriptures, going to the temple and fasting for an answer. After some of my friends began receiving their mission calls I started to get more and more anxious for an answer. One morning I woke up and said my morning prayers hoping that I would get an answer and that is when I had the impression to read my scriptures. So I grabbed them opened them to a random page. I ended up turning to Alma 5 so I started at the beginning of the chapter and kept reading. When I got to verse 44, which reads (read scripture), I knew I had gotten my answer and I was going on a mission. After I got all the excitement out I realized I needed to know what being a missionary really meant and what my purpose as a missionary for the church really would be.
So my talk is on the purpose of a missionary. In preach my gospel it says, “a missionary’s purpose is to 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.” I also found a definition of a missionary that I really liked that says “a missionary is someone who leaves their family for a short time, so that others may be with their families for eternity. Richard G. Scott said, “There are few things in life that bring as much joy as the joy that comes from assisting another improve his or her life.” Both of these quotes really touched me because they really explain the main reasons I wanted to serve, to bring others the same joy and happiness that I have received from the gospel and have the opportunity to share the one thing that that I have had the privilege of having in my life.
Many people are searching for a purpose in life and need the sense of belonging that comes from the knowledge that they are children of God, members of His eternal family. They want “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” but are kept from the truth because they don’t know where to find it. This gospel restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith will bless them and their families. It will also meet their spiritual needs and help them fulfill their deepest desires. They need to experience the joy of redemption by receiving forgiveness of their sins and have the opportunity to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know I was brought up with the gospel in my life so that I would have this opportunity to go on a mission and teach these people the truth with the power and authority that I will have as an authorized representative of Jesus Christ.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world for the calamity of its own self –destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness and salvation to the human family.”
As a missionary, I will be called to represent Jesus Christ in helping people become clean from their sins by inviting them to come unto Jesus Christ and become converted to his restored gospel. To come unto the Savior, they must have faith in Him and make the necessary changes to bring their life into agreement with his teachings through repentance. By keeping the commitment to live according to his teachings prepares them for the covenants of baptism and confirmation, and the precious gift of the Holy Ghost.
In 2 Nephi 33:1 it says (read scripture); the message of the gospel must be taught by the power of the Holy Ghost or the Spirit to teach and testify the truth. By teaching by the power, the Holy Ghost will carry the message to the hearts of the people. Through the Spirit, service and by showing love missionaries will be able to soften their hearts and bring them closer to Christ.
God will also put prepared people in the way of His prepared servants who want to or are called to share the gospel. I found a story from President Henry B Erying about a friend he had who prayed every day to meet someone who is prepared to receive the gospel and always carried with him a copy of the Book of Mormon just in case.
“The night before a short trip, he decided not to take a copy of the book of Mormon with him, instead took a pass-along card. But as he got ready to leave, a spiritual impression came to him: “Take a Book of Mormon with you.” He put one in his bag. When a woman he knew sat next to him on the trip, he wondered, “Is this the one?” She rode with him again on the return trip. He thought, “How should I bring up the gospel?” Instead, she said to him, “You pay tithing to your church, don’t you?” He said he did. She said she was supposed to pay tithing to her church but didn’t. Then she asked, “What can you tell me about the Book of Mormon?” He explained that the book is scripture, another witness of Jesus Christ, translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith. She seemed interested so he reached into his bag and said, “I was impressed to bring this book with me. I think it is for you.” She began to read it. As they parted, she said, “You and I are going to have more conversations about this.”
God knew she had watched President Erying’s friend and wondered why his church made him so happy. God knew she would ask him about the Book of Mormon and that she would be willing to be taught by him and later the missionaries. She was prepared and so was President Eryings friend. Being a missionary or even a member of the church, we need to always be prepared to share what is in our minds and in our hearts because you never know who might be prepared and ready to hear about the Book of Mormon and the Lords restored Church. God is continually preparing people to receive your testimony of restored truth. He requires your action to share fearlessly what has become so precious to you and to those you love. We can prepare to share by filling our minds everyday with the truths of the gospel by keeping the commandments and honoring our covenants. By doing so we will feel the testimony of the spirit and more of the Saviors love for us and for those we meet.
Missionaries are to go ‘in the power of the ordination they have been ordained, proclaiming glad tidings of great joy. As a missionary I will have the authority to preach the gospel. In Alma 17:2 and 3 it says (read scriptures) the sons of Mosiah waxed strong in the knowledge of truth, searched the scriptures diligently and fasted and prayed often so they could teach with the power and authority of God. When a missionary is set apart by the priesthood, they receive the right and privilege to represent the Lord. As a representative of the Lord a missionary is to be an example of the believers and should strive to live according to God’s commandments and keep the covenants made in the temple. All missionaries must know the scriptures, be courteous, on time and dependable, follow missionary standards, and love the people they serve. By doing these things a missionary is honoring Christ’s name by their actions. In addition to authority, missionaries will also exercise power in their work. The authority that is received can lead to power. Spiritual power is once evidence that a missionary’s authority is real and is also a gift that makes it possible for missionaries to do their work more effectively.
The gospel of Jesus Christ defines a missionary’s message and purpose. He came into this world to do His Father’s will, and His Father sent Him into the world to be lifted up on the cross. By His Atonement and Resurrection, all men will be lifted up to stand before Christ to be judged of their works, whether they are good or evil. Those who exercise faith in Christ, repent of their sins and are baptized in his name can be sanctified by the Holy Ghost. If they endure to the end, they will stand spotless before Christ at the last day and will enter into the presence of the Lord.
Along with teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, His atonement and resurrection another central purpose of a missionary is to baptize and confirm the people they teach. Baptism is for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost brings a host of blessings to those who live worthy of it. Through these ordinances people enter the gate and continue on the path to eternal life. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “we do not preach and teach in order to bring people into the Church or to increase the membership of the church. We don’t preach and teach just to persuade people to live better lives. We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of the celestial kingdom to the sons and daughters of God.”
Being a successful missionary is measured primarily by the commitment to find, teach, baptize and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost. By keeping Christ in our thoughts and always remembering him, soon all our actions will be influenced by Him. The Lord promises that if we keep our covenants, we will always have His spirit to be with us. A person guided by the spirit will have the knowledge, faith, power and righteousness to do the Lords work. By always doing our very best we can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we live so that we can receive and know how to follow the spirit, who will show you where to go, what to do and what to say.
I found a quote from Elder Bruce R. McConkie that really explains the purpose and commission of a missionary. It says, “I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and he has chosen me to represent him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, and my acts are his acts; my words are his words and my doctrine is his doctrine. My commission is to do what he wants done. To say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work.”
To have this wonderful chance at this time in my life means the world to me that my loving Heavenly Father would choose me to teach his children and help them start their own journey to eternal life. I am so excited to teach the wonderful people in Vancouver Canada waiting to hear the message I have the privilege of sharing with them. I can't wait to serve in the destination that was chosen specifically for me by the Priesthood of the first presidency and my loving Father in heaven. I know that serving a mission is hard work and isn't easy but I know as long as I do my best, He will attend my efforts and be there to help carry me through it. With Christ I can do what I need to do, because it’s through him I know who I am and who I can be. I can't wait to spread all the love and joy that I get from the gospel and share it with others. I know this church is true and that Joseph Smith was the first prophet and restored this church. I am so thankful for my Savior and his willingness to take upon him everyone’s sins so we can all have eternal life. I know the Book of Mormon is true and is waiting for each and everyone of you to pick it up and read the amazing words it holds to guide and help you through this life. I know that he is there listening to each everyone’s prayers and will always be there to guide and help us in time of need. I know he loves each and everyone of us and wants us to do our best so one day we can return to live with him again. I am so thankful for my family and all they have done for me to help me get ready for my mission. It has really meant a lot to me. I am so proud to call you my family and have the opportunity to spend eternity with each and every one of you. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
First of all happy Mother's Day! I just wanted to say before I begin my talk how much I love and appreciate all the women in my life, especially my mom. I wouldn't be the same person I am today without all of your love, support and guidance.
Hi, for those who don't know me I’m Whitney Heaton. I was called to the Vancouver Canada mission and I am leaving on May 28.
I haven't always known that I wanted to go on a mission. Even after they changed the age in the October conference in 2013 I didn't really have the desire at the time but last December I started thinking more and more about serving a mission, so I started praying, reading my scriptures, going to the temple and fasting for an answer. After some of my friends began receiving their mission calls I started to get more and more anxious for an answer. One morning I woke up and said my morning prayers hoping that I would get an answer and that is when I had the impression to read my scriptures. So I grabbed them opened them to a random page. I ended up turning to Alma 5 so I started at the beginning of the chapter and kept reading. When I got to verse 44, which reads (read scripture), I knew I had gotten my answer and I was going on a mission. After I got all the excitement out I realized I needed to know what being a missionary really meant and what my purpose as a missionary for the church really would be.
So my talk is on the purpose of a missionary. In preach my gospel it says, “a missionary’s purpose is to 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.” I also found a definition of a missionary that I really liked that says “a missionary is someone who leaves their family for a short time, so that others may be with their families for eternity. Richard G. Scott said, “There are few things in life that bring as much joy as the joy that comes from assisting another improve his or her life.” Both of these quotes really touched me because they really explain the main reasons I wanted to serve, to bring others the same joy and happiness that I have received from the gospel and have the opportunity to share the one thing that that I have had the privilege of having in my life.
Many people are searching for a purpose in life and need the sense of belonging that comes from the knowledge that they are children of God, members of His eternal family. They want “peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” but are kept from the truth because they don’t know where to find it. This gospel restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith will bless them and their families. It will also meet their spiritual needs and help them fulfill their deepest desires. They need to experience the joy of redemption by receiving forgiveness of their sins and have the opportunity to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know I was brought up with the gospel in my life so that I would have this opportunity to go on a mission and teach these people the truth with the power and authority that I will have as an authorized representative of Jesus Christ.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “We are commanded by God to take this gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today. Only the gospel will save the world for the calamity of its own self –destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness and salvation to the human family.”
As a missionary, I will be called to represent Jesus Christ in helping people become clean from their sins by inviting them to come unto Jesus Christ and become converted to his restored gospel. To come unto the Savior, they must have faith in Him and make the necessary changes to bring their life into agreement with his teachings through repentance. By keeping the commitment to live according to his teachings prepares them for the covenants of baptism and confirmation, and the precious gift of the Holy Ghost.
In 2 Nephi 33:1 it says (read scripture); the message of the gospel must be taught by the power of the Holy Ghost or the Spirit to teach and testify the truth. By teaching by the power, the Holy Ghost will carry the message to the hearts of the people. Through the Spirit, service and by showing love missionaries will be able to soften their hearts and bring them closer to Christ.
God will also put prepared people in the way of His prepared servants who want to or are called to share the gospel. I found a story from President Henry B Erying about a friend he had who prayed every day to meet someone who is prepared to receive the gospel and always carried with him a copy of the Book of Mormon just in case.
“The night before a short trip, he decided not to take a copy of the book of Mormon with him, instead took a pass-along card. But as he got ready to leave, a spiritual impression came to him: “Take a Book of Mormon with you.” He put one in his bag. When a woman he knew sat next to him on the trip, he wondered, “Is this the one?” She rode with him again on the return trip. He thought, “How should I bring up the gospel?” Instead, she said to him, “You pay tithing to your church, don’t you?” He said he did. She said she was supposed to pay tithing to her church but didn’t. Then she asked, “What can you tell me about the Book of Mormon?” He explained that the book is scripture, another witness of Jesus Christ, translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith. She seemed interested so he reached into his bag and said, “I was impressed to bring this book with me. I think it is for you.” She began to read it. As they parted, she said, “You and I are going to have more conversations about this.”
God knew she had watched President Erying’s friend and wondered why his church made him so happy. God knew she would ask him about the Book of Mormon and that she would be willing to be taught by him and later the missionaries. She was prepared and so was President Eryings friend. Being a missionary or even a member of the church, we need to always be prepared to share what is in our minds and in our hearts because you never know who might be prepared and ready to hear about the Book of Mormon and the Lords restored Church. God is continually preparing people to receive your testimony of restored truth. He requires your action to share fearlessly what has become so precious to you and to those you love. We can prepare to share by filling our minds everyday with the truths of the gospel by keeping the commandments and honoring our covenants. By doing so we will feel the testimony of the spirit and more of the Saviors love for us and for those we meet.
Missionaries are to go ‘in the power of the ordination they have been ordained, proclaiming glad tidings of great joy. As a missionary I will have the authority to preach the gospel. In Alma 17:2 and 3 it says (read scriptures) the sons of Mosiah waxed strong in the knowledge of truth, searched the scriptures diligently and fasted and prayed often so they could teach with the power and authority of God. When a missionary is set apart by the priesthood, they receive the right and privilege to represent the Lord. As a representative of the Lord a missionary is to be an example of the believers and should strive to live according to God’s commandments and keep the covenants made in the temple. All missionaries must know the scriptures, be courteous, on time and dependable, follow missionary standards, and love the people they serve. By doing these things a missionary is honoring Christ’s name by their actions. In addition to authority, missionaries will also exercise power in their work. The authority that is received can lead to power. Spiritual power is once evidence that a missionary’s authority is real and is also a gift that makes it possible for missionaries to do their work more effectively.
The gospel of Jesus Christ defines a missionary’s message and purpose. He came into this world to do His Father’s will, and His Father sent Him into the world to be lifted up on the cross. By His Atonement and Resurrection, all men will be lifted up to stand before Christ to be judged of their works, whether they are good or evil. Those who exercise faith in Christ, repent of their sins and are baptized in his name can be sanctified by the Holy Ghost. If they endure to the end, they will stand spotless before Christ at the last day and will enter into the presence of the Lord.
Along with teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, His atonement and resurrection another central purpose of a missionary is to baptize and confirm the people they teach. Baptism is for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost brings a host of blessings to those who live worthy of it. Through these ordinances people enter the gate and continue on the path to eternal life. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “we do not preach and teach in order to bring people into the Church or to increase the membership of the church. We don’t preach and teach just to persuade people to live better lives. We invite all to come unto Christ by repentance and baptism and confirmation in order to open the doors of the celestial kingdom to the sons and daughters of God.”
Being a successful missionary is measured primarily by the commitment to find, teach, baptize and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost. By keeping Christ in our thoughts and always remembering him, soon all our actions will be influenced by Him. The Lord promises that if we keep our covenants, we will always have His spirit to be with us. A person guided by the spirit will have the knowledge, faith, power and righteousness to do the Lords work. By always doing our very best we can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we live so that we can receive and know how to follow the spirit, who will show you where to go, what to do and what to say.
I found a quote from Elder Bruce R. McConkie that really explains the purpose and commission of a missionary. It says, “I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and he has chosen me to represent him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, and my acts are his acts; my words are his words and my doctrine is his doctrine. My commission is to do what he wants done. To say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work.”
To have this wonderful chance at this time in my life means the world to me that my loving Heavenly Father would choose me to teach his children and help them start their own journey to eternal life. I am so excited to teach the wonderful people in Vancouver Canada waiting to hear the message I have the privilege of sharing with them. I can't wait to serve in the destination that was chosen specifically for me by the Priesthood of the first presidency and my loving Father in heaven. I know that serving a mission is hard work and isn't easy but I know as long as I do my best, He will attend my efforts and be there to help carry me through it. With Christ I can do what I need to do, because it’s through him I know who I am and who I can be. I can't wait to spread all the love and joy that I get from the gospel and share it with others. I know this church is true and that Joseph Smith was the first prophet and restored this church. I am so thankful for my Savior and his willingness to take upon him everyone’s sins so we can all have eternal life. I know the Book of Mormon is true and is waiting for each and everyone of you to pick it up and read the amazing words it holds to guide and help you through this life. I know that he is there listening to each everyone’s prayers and will always be there to guide and help us in time of need. I know he loves each and everyone of us and wants us to do our best so one day we can return to live with him again. I am so thankful for my family and all they have done for me to help me get ready for my mission. It has really meant a lot to me. I am so proud to call you my family and have the opportunity to spend eternity with each and every one of you. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.