The family should be a training ground for missionaries, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve said. "Experience has shown that the best teaching situations develop when our members participate in the finding and teaching process . . . Having a gospel-sharing home will not only be a blessing for those we bring into our homes, but for those who live within it."

Elder Richard G. Scott, also of the Quorum of the Twelve, echoed the need for well-prepared missionaries and urged that church members worldwide study and apply the concepts in "Preach My Gospel," a missionary guideline for teaching gospel truths. Parents should use the guide in teaching children, he said. Such early training is the best opportunity to qualify a young person to become a teacher at the right time, he said.

The teachings of the text are also useful to young women who may become wives and mothers rather than missionaries in the traditional sense, Elder Scott said. He praised the mission experience as one of the most rewarding possible and the foundation of a Christ-centered life.

Capping the two-day gathering, President Gordon B. Hinckley urged church members to incorporate the teachings they had heard into their lives during the six months until the semiannual conference in October is convened.

"Now, as we return to our homes and our vocational labors, may we remember and constantly express in our lives the counsel we have received. May we remain fortified against the wiles of the adversary. May our labors and many church responsibilities be not burdensome, but may they bring joy and satisfaction," he said.

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