Dear Family of Elder Severtson,
I have enjoyed serving with your son here in the mission field. He is a dedicated servant of our Heavenly Father and is progressing well as a missionary. I am writing to let you know that he has been called to serve as a District Leader. This calling was given after careful pondering and much prayer. We commend your son for his faithfulness, worthiness, and desire to serve our Father in Heaven.
Included below is a copy of the letter we sent to Elder Severtson, which explains the duties that pertain to his new calling.
Thank you for the support and encouragement that you give your missionary and thank you for helping prepare him to be the great young man that he is.
Sincerely,
President Richard D. May
Chile Concepción South Mission
Dear Elder Severtson,
As your Mission President, I am happy to call you as a new District Leader in our beloved celestial mission, the Mission Chile Concepcion South. I have taken the decision to trust in you in this important responsibility after a process of prayer and reflection, and I trust that you will look for Divine guidance to be at the height that our Heavenly Father needs you to be at right now. Be a strong, positive influence over each one of the Elders and Sisters in your District.
As a District Leader, you should:
1. Be an example of obedience with exactness for each missionary in your district.
2. Baptize constantly and regularly.
3. Look after the temporal and spiritual well-being of each missionary in your district.
4. Gain the confidence of each missionary in your district.
5. Make goals and plans for the district.
6. Look for revelation to know how to help your district reach their goals.
7. Ask for opinions and suggestions of the missionaries in your district.
8. Represent the mission president to actualize the plans that he has for the mission.
9. Clearly transmit information and guidelines of the mission president in a timely manner.
10. Inspire others to have a spirit of love, union, obedience, and hard work.
11. Motivate the missionaries to live in a high level of obedience, especially through the application in your life of the first principles of the Gospel.
12. Help the missionaries be powerful and fruitful in each phase of the mission work, including finding and teaching investigators and working with members.
13. Teach other missionaries during the companionship studies on exchanges, district reunions, and other times of teaching.
14. Analyze the progress of the missionaries in the companionship study sessions, district reunions, and during phone calls, and in their interaction with other missionaries.
15. Look after the progress of the investigators of your sector and the district.
16. Share information with the mission president and other leaders (when appropriate) about the progress and needs of the missionaries. Leaders should be especially sensitive to the needs of each situation that can be dangerous to the spiritual and physical well-being of a missionary, and leaders, make sure that the mission president knows of these situations.
17. Correct the conduct of missionaries when necessary.
I love you and thank you for accepting this responsibility. I trust in your capacity and ability, and I promise you that the Lord will bless you if you trust him and commit to be obedient with exactness and faithful in all things. I pray that the Lord bless you in this great responsibility.
With great appreciation,
President Richard D. May
