We're facing a difficult time in this day and age.
Secularism is taking over, and Christianity is falling away
from the people.
But the Lord has given us the keys,
so we have missionary work preparing
the Church for the new, rapid growth of missionary effort
that's occurring right now.
All you have to do is look at the past
to know what's happening in our Father in Heaven's kingdom.
I love New York.
It was a wonderful place to witness
what happens when the Church grows.
The Church in New York in those days was relatively unknown.
I thought I'd lost my mind by going there.
Shortly after I arrived, I was asked
to be on the World's Fair committee.
And when it came to the World's Fair, as I remember,
he wanted that to be exactly perfect and correct.
I fell in love with the training of the missionaries
and getting them ready to teach the gospel.
Missionary work had become more difficult.
I mean, you can't walk up and down the street
and not be distracted by a magazine
stand or an advertisement.
The Lord placed us in the right spot
to do a marvelous work while we were there.
Ours became the key pavilion as they
would come off the subway entering the World's Fair.
For two wonderful years, the Mormon pavilion
served millions of people coming to the fair who listened
to these great missionaries.
The result of the World's Fair caused a rash of baptisms
like I had never seen.
And it totally revolutionized what
everyone thought of our Church.
It was a very exceptional time.
But what was happening in New York was different than today
because we're in a different era than we've ever been before.
How then can we fulfill this calling from the Lord
to preach the gospel?
With the lowering of the age to call missionaries,
it ushers in a new era for missionary work in the Church.
The very nature of missionary work,
therefore, must change if the Lord is to accomplish His work.
The missionaries are now authorized
to use Internet in their proselytizing efforts.
Just as missionaries must adapt to a changing world,
members must also change.
We can let the missionaries try to do it alone,
or we can help them.
If they do it alone, they will knock on doors day
after day and the harvest will be meager.
Or as members, we can assist them in finding and teaching.
The greatest responsibility of us,
no matter our calling or station in the Church,
is to preach the gospel.
The Lord's work moves forward when each of us
understand and fulfill our purposes,
and we will experience profound success in missionary work.
May we, both members and missionaries,
ever be united in fulfilling our missionary purpose--to help
others come unto Christ.