November 2013 Liahona

SATURDAY MORNING SESSION | October 5, 2013By President Thomas S. MonsonWelcometo ConferenceIt is my prayer that we may be filled with the Spiritof the Lord as we listen and learn.How good it is, my beloved brothersand sisters, to meet togetheronce again. It has been just over183 years since the Church was organizedby the Prophet Joseph Smith,under the direction of the Lord. At thatmeeting on April 6, 1830, there weresix members of the Church present. 1I am happy to announce that twoweeks ago, the membership of theChurch reached 15 million. The Churchcontinues to grow steadily and tochange the lives of more and more peopleevery year. It is spreading across theearth as our missionary force seeks outthose who are searching for the truth.It has scarcely been one year sinceI announced the lowering of the ageof missionary service. Since that timethe number of full-time missionariesserving has increased from 58,500 inOctober 2012 to 80,333 today. Whata tremendous and inspiring responsewe have witnessed!The holy scriptures contain noproclamation more relevant, no responsibilitymore binding, no instructionmore direct than the injunctiongiven by the resurrected Lord as He4appeared in Galilee to the elevendisciples. Said He, “Go ye therefore,and teach all nations, baptizing themin the name of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy Ghost.” 2 TheProphet Joseph Smith declared, “Afterall that has been said, the greatestand most important duty is to preachthe Gospel.” 3 Some of you heretoday will yet remember the wordsof President David O. McKay, whophrased the familiar “Every member amissionary!” 4To their words I add my own. Nowis the time for members and missionariesto come together, to worktogether, to labor in the Lord’s vineyardto bring souls unto Him. He hasprepared the means for us to share thegospel in a multitude of ways, and Hewill assist us in our labors if we willact in faith to fulfill His work.To help maintain our ever-increasingmissionary force, I have asked ourmembers in the past to contribute, asthey are able, to their ward missionaryfund or to the General MissionaryFund of the Church. The responseto that request has been gratifyingand has helped support thousands ofmissionaries whose circumstances donot allow them to support themselves.I thank you for your generous contributions.The need for help is ongoing,that we might continue to assist thosewhose desire to serve is great but whodo not, by themselves, have the meansto do so.