Elder and Sister Claudio R. M. Costa of the Seventy
Tuesday devotional, March 19, 2019
Tuesday devotional, Elder and Sister Claudio R. M. Costa of the Seventy, March 19, 2019
Sister Costa:
- I am going to speak to you as if I were your mother, as you are preparing to leave for the MTC to begin your mission. I am so happy you are worthy to serve.
- Be great! Be a real servant of the Lord. Be 100% obedient.
- Work hard. Get up on time and go to bed on time.
- The Lord is on your side. Be clean, be orderly, keep your apartment neat and organized.
- Be the kind of companion that you want your companions to be.
- Be better each day, improve each day. Serve with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.
- How do you want to remember your mission? Serve in the way you want to remember and be remembered. You can always do better!
- Love the people. Enjoy the pure love of Christ.
- Your children will want to hear your mission stories. Make sure they are wonderful stories.
- People will be praying for you every day.
Elder Costa:
- His wife told him that he was “super handsome” earlier in their marriage. He suggested that she go see an eye doctor. The doctor told her she needed glasses. She has never again said that I was “super handsome” now that her vision has improved. I love my wife. She is perfect.
- I am a convert. I joined when I was 28 years old. I have never had a bad day since being baptized. Have I had challenges? Yes, but this is a plan of HAPPINESS, and I am happy every day. I love the church, the gospel, the prophet, Jesus, and my wife.
- I suggest that you review my wife’s message to you regularly.
- Your purpose can be capsulized as: 1) find the elect 2) teach repentance 3) baptize converts 4) plan for these actions.
- Finding:
- Many people are searching
- You are the great and noble spirits that have been reserved to come to earth at this important time
- Nothing can or does happen until you find people to teach. Have faith – they will recognize you.
- Utilize members, especially on Sunday. Every Sunday, pick two families and issue them the challenge to take a written invitation to their neighbors, inviting the neighbors to come and have an evening social that includes the missionaries.
- Teach repentance:
- Teach by the spirit with love
- Teach people, not lessons
- Commit them to meet with you 5 times on your first visit — write the dates down.
- Listen a lot — speak little. Get to know the families as friends, show your true interest in their lives.
- Receive specific revelation for each family. Repentance is positive, joyous.
- Baptizing converts:
- Missionaries, you are heroes, you are my heroes. I am a convert. I am eternally grateful for the two faithful sisters that introduced me to the gospel.
- I know with a perfect knowledge that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that he saw the Father and the Son. I no longer have faith concerning these truths because I KNOW. God has told me specifically that Russell M. Nelson is his prophet, and I know personally that he is MY prophet!
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