I Need to be a Missionary Now
Posted by Michelle on May 8th, 2008I’m finally getting to a post I have been wanting to write since General Conference. There were many thoughts running through my head as I decompressed from the wonderful messages that we received, many threads that I saw in the counsel. One of those threads was missionary work.
I found Elder Bednar’s talk so powerful, and so fascinating at the same time. While talking about faith and prayer, he also gave us really direct counsel about doing missionary work. It felt to me like he was saying that we aren’t doing nearly enough.
We properly pray for the safety and success of the full-time missionaries throughout the world. And a common element in many of our prayers is a request that the missionaries will be led to individuals and families who are prepared to receive the message of the Restoration. But ultimately it is my responsibility and your responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach. Missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders. And you and I as lifelong missionaries should not be praying for the full-time missionaries to do our work!
If you and I would truly pray and ask in faith, as did Joseph Smith—if we would pray with the expectation to act and not just to express—then the work of proclaiming the gospel would move forward in a remarkable way.
… I testify that prayer becomes meaningful as we ask in faith and act.
Add to that Elder Oaks’ counsel, and I’ve been feeling like this is something specific I need to be doing more of, thinking more about, praying more about. (Of course, it’s always been that important, but I just forget!)
Those who have a testimony of the restored gospel also have a duty [that’s a strong word!] to share it. The Book of Mormon teaches that we should “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in” (Mosiah 18:9). …
“To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
“To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful” (vv. 13–14; see also John 20:29).
Those who have the gift to know have an obvious duty to bear their witness so that those who have the gift to believe on their words might also have eternal life.
There has never been a greater need for us to profess our faith, privately and publicly (see D&C 60:2).
So, I wanted to do a post asking what y’all do to profess your faith. I think the internet gives us opportunities to do this, but I feel there is so much more I could be doing in my flesh-and-blood life. When I was a missionary, I was facing my fears constantly, opening my mouth all of the time. I may not have that nametag anymore, but I still have covenanted to take the Savior’s name upon myself. I should be opening my mouth more.
Elder Bednar gives a list of things we can pray about, to include in our efforts, to prepare us for action.
- Thanking Heavenly Father for the doctrines and ordinances of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, which bring hope and happiness into our lives.
- Asking for courage and boldness to open our mouths and share the gospel with our family and friends.
- Entreating Heavenly Father to help us identify individuals and families who will be receptive to our invitation to be taught by the missionaries in our homes.
- Pledging to do our part this day and this week and petitioning for help to overcome anxiety, fear, and hesitation.
- Seeking for the gift of discernment—for eyes to see and ears to hear missionary opportunities as they occur.
- Praying fervently for the strength to act as we know we should.
This is a great list. I see how deliberate I can and should be about this. I know that when I have put my mind to it (and there have been a couple of times in my life when I have been that deliberate), and prayed for and worked toward opportunities to share the gospel (like buying 10 Books of Mormon to give away during my internship, for example), I have been blessed with people in my path who were at least willing to receive something and/or listen to what I had to say.
But that is what is sobering to me. It’s so easy in my day-to-day life to forget, to get caught up in all that I have to get done for my family and my calling and everything else. And yet…if it’s a matter of me exercising my faith (asking AND acting) that could influence someone else’s eternal life, isn’t that important enough to ‘always remember’? Isn’t that part of my covenant? And yet…how easily I forget. I imagine I’m not alone.
Bookslinger is an example of someone who is always, always looking for opportunities to share the gospel. He has some great ideas on his blog. If any of you have any other ideas, let’s share them, and help each other remember!
I think the greatest way to do missionary work is to invite the missionaries over and give them some real referrals. Every few months when I lived in the U.S. I would have my kids and wife sit down and think of one or two people we could refer the missionaries to. Since we were not as bold as Bookslinger we would write a brief note introducing the missionaries. They would take the note or just go and tell the person that we had referred the missionaries from which ever one of us recommended them to the missionaries. In seventy percent of the cases they let them in and talked to them. Over a ten year period four people joined the Church. We knew that our friends expected us to do that. It is an expectation that Mormons all try to convert their friends. None of our friends thought us strange for sicing the missionaries on them. Some actually enjoyed the experience. My kids at first had a hard time but after a while they just offered up their friends to the missionaries when we asked them for referrals. My favorite thing was to take the missionaries with me to home teaching families that weren’t active. Some of the best contacts for the missionaries come from part member and inactive families who know lots of potential people. I never had a less active member not give the missionaries some decent referrals. The truth is that it is not easy no matter if you do it personally or you give referrals. Many of us have fears that our friends will be annoyed but mostly they don’t associate the missionaries with us completely. If they are interested they will have a discussion with the missionaries. If not they forget it and still talk to us. Some never even associate the missionaries coming to us later or they tell us why the missionaries are strange. Either way you can’t lose since only a minority are really angry when we send the missionaries over. A lot of times they ask us questions since they thought the missionaries were too young to know much. It is a way to create gospel discussions. It is surprising how few referrals the missionaries get from members who think they don’t know too many non-members.
Comment # 1 left by Dr. B. on May 9th, 2008
I have not had very many meaningful missionary experiences since my mission. I have only been instrumental in one individual and one family joining the church. We have given several referrals to missionaries over the years, but things just do not work out most of the time.
I have long thought that members were much better at preparing people, and were terrible inviters. And that missionaries were much better at inviting, but were terrible preparers. I think the two groupls working together bring the best benefit.
Comment # 2 left by Eric Nielson on May 9th, 2008
My son-in-law is taking the discussions. I am less than impressed with the missionaries teaching him. One needs a shave badly. The other won’t talk. I told my SIL that there was a promise that if he read the BoM, he would gain a witness of it’s truthfulness. We then read the promise in Moroni. He said that he had read that with the missionaries, but that they hadn’t explained what it meant.
We (my lovely wife and I) spent several hours answering his questions. I wish we lived closer so that we could take and active role in teaching him.
My SIL attended Gospel Principles this last week. The teacher said several times that he would expound on a topic, BUT there was an investigator there (my SIL). Sure makes it sound like we’re hiding things from investigators.
IF he joins the church inspite of the missionaries and the members, it will be a miracle.
Comment # 3 left by Floyd the Wonderdog on May 10th, 2008
There is an old saying that if the church wasn’t true, the missionaries would have destroyed it long ago. I think there is some truth to that. Hopefully your SIL will be touched by the spirit and know what he should do.
Comment # 4 left by Eric Nielson on May 12th, 2008
Three months ago I experienced the mighty miracle spoken of in the Book of Mormon. From being lost in the wilderness for 15 yrs. I became a new person and sharing the gospel has become a big part of the new me. Every day I am asking heavenly father to guide me and to have the holy ghost there to confirm the truth upon anyone that I may share my testimony with that they may know the truth. Every single day I have an oppurtunity to share the gospel with someone, its become a part of my lifestyle something that comes naturally and not something that I am scared to share. Living the gospel has made it easy for me to share it.
Comment # 5 left by SoulSurfah on May 26th, 2008