The Life and Teachings of Elder Melvin Russell Ballard

The Biography of Elder Melvin Russell Ballard

            One of the first things that stuck out to me about Elder Ballard was that he served as a counselor in the mission presidency while he was still a missionary. Given his most recent conference talk, “Following Up” was about the importance of following up on inviting people to church, I can see why his mission president may have wanted him as a counselor in the mission presidency. The next thing that stuck out to me was that he served as a bishop twice. Recently during stake conference, one of the members of the stake presidency mentioned at his grandfather served as a bishop for 18 years. I think having such a huge responsibility placed upon you twice would definitely help you to know that it would only be through the help of our Savior that you would be able to accomplish such a task. I loved how it also stated that “much of his ministry has been focused on missionary work.” Being that my dad is a convert to the church, I know just how important missionary work really is, especially when it comes to referrals from the members.

The Testimony of Elder Melvin Russell Ballard

            The very first thing that stuck out to me about Elder Ballard’s testimony was that he bore his testimony on missionary work. Missionary work is so important, but at the same time can be a very daunting task. For me, giving referrals to the missionaries is something very difficult for me to do because of past bad experiences, one of which resulted in the loss of a very close friend after the missionaries became pushy with her. Despite knowing the importance of missionary work, I find I am reluctant to give referrals to the missionaries because I am afraid of things turning out badly. It is at times like these that I must remember that if I do lose my friends in the process of doing missionary work, I will be able to know that I at least did something instead of nothing.

Recent Teachings

Elder Melvin Russell Ballard, Following Up, April 2014 General Conference, Sunday Morning Session

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         The Importance of Following Up

·         Member Missionaries

·         Missionary Work

·         Name of the Church

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “As it says in the missionary guide Preach My Gospel, “extending an invitation without following up is like beginning a journey without finishing it or buying a ticket to a concert without going into the theater. Without the completed action, the commitment is hollow.” Preach My Gospel teaches everyone not only how to invite but also how to follow up on our invitations. The purpose of missionary work is defined as inviting “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.” Inviting is certainly part of the process. But notice that there is much more to missionary work for members than simply extending invitations to people to listen to the missionaries. It also includes follow-up with the missionaries in the cultivation of faith, the motivation to repentance, the preparation for making covenants, and enduring to the end. … May I suggest that we can all be more consistently involved in missionary work by replacing our fear with real faith, inviting someone at least once a quarter—or four times every year—to be taught by the full-time missionaries. They are prepared to teach by the Spirit, with sincere and heartfelt inspiration from the Lord. Together we can follow up on our invitations, take others by the hand, lift them up, and walk with them on their spiritual journey. To help you in this process, I invite all members, regardless of your current calling or level of activity in the Church, to obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel. It is available through our distribution centers and also online. The online version can be read or downloaded at no cost. It is a guidebook for missionary work—which means it is a guidebook for all of us. Read it, study it, and then apply what you learn to help you understand how to bring souls to Christ through invitation and follow-up. As President Thomas S. Monson has said, ‘Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him.’”

o    I loved this quote because recently we had the elders over to our house for dinner and they asked my family to study Preach My Gospel for our personal study once a week, as well as for our family study once a week. From this invitation, I have started to really get into reading Preach My Gospel and have loved going over the “Christ-like Attributes” section. Also with the help of the missionaries in my ward, we are going to once a month we have them over for family home evening and I plan to invite non-member friends over on those nights.

·          “There are practical ways for members to help and support our remarkable missionaries. For example, you can tell the missionaries that you are studying Preach My Gospel and ask them to show you what they are learning in their studies. As you share with each other, increased confidence between members and full-time missionaries will surely develop.”

o    I loved this quote because I recently asked the elders in my ward if they could give me some suggestions on using Preach My Gospel for a family home evening lesson. Being able to navigate Preach My Gospel effectively is important and being able to ask the missionaries about things from Preach My Gospel is essential for me to feel confident enough to start referring my friends to the missionaries again.

Past Teachings

Elder Melvin Russell Ballard, The Truth of God Shall Go Forth, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2008 (General Conference October 2008, Sunday Morning Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Missionary Work

·         Challenges and Trials

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         This is God’s work, and God’s work will not be frustrated. But there is still much to be done before the Great Jehovah can announce that the work is done. While we praise and honor those faithful Saints who have brought us to this point of public prominence, we cannot afford, my brothers and sisters, to be comfortable or content. We are all needed to finish the work that was begun by those pioneering Saints over 175 years ago and carried out through the subsequent decades by faithful Saints of every generation. We need to believe as they believed. We need to work as they worked. We need to serve as they served. And we need to overcome as they overcame.

o    I loved this quote because of how Elder Ballard states that “we cannot afford to be comfortable or content” in doing missionary work. I have seen this in myself where I have become apprehensive about referring my friends to the missionaries, even if those missionaries are sister missionaries. I need to be able to look past the bad experiences that I have had, and recognize that the missionaries that I had those bad experiences with are gone, and I need to give the new missionaries a chance instead of hiding behind those past experiences.

·         Of course, our challenges are different today, but they are no less demanding. Instead of angry mobs, we face those who constantly try to defame. Instead of extreme exposure and hardship, we face alcohol and drug abuse, pornography, all kinds of filth, sleaze, greed, dishonesty, and spiritual apathy. Instead of families being uprooted and torn from their homes, we see the institution of the family, including the divine institution of marriage, under attack as groups and individuals seek to define away the prominent and divine role of the family in society. This is not to suggest that our challenges today are more severe than the challenges faced by those who have gone before us. They are just different. The Lord isn’t asking us to load up a handcart; He’s asking us to fortify our faith. He isn’t asking us to walk across a continent; He’s asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbor. He isn’t asking us to give all of our worldly possessions to build a temple; He’s asking us to give of our means and our time despite the pressures of modern living to continue to build temples and then to attend regularly the temples already built. He isn’t asking us to die a martyr’s death; He’s asking us to live a disciple’s life.

o    I loved this quote because of how Elder Ballard lists some of the challenges we will face in doing missionary work. I also loved how he also states that our challenges are not more severe than those of the early Latter-day Saints, but rather different. I also loved it because he tell us what the Lord isn’t asking us to do or endure that the early Latter-day Saints were asked to endure, while at the same time telling us what the Lord is asking us to do or to endure.