“Wherever you are on this earth, there are plenty of opportunities to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
I believe this isn’t just referring to geographical locations. It’s true, the fields are ripe on every continent. But they are also ripe in every situation within that continent. I believe we have missionary opportunities with our friends, our families, and with complete strangers.
Revelations 14:15 …Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come early for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
“There are roughly seven and a half billion people in the world, compared to some 16 million members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—a very small flock indeed.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
There’s a lot of work to be done right in our towns. Think about the population in relation to the members. We can’t be hesitant just because hearts have not been opened thus far…God is in control, and his word softens hearts, we just have to get the Lord’s words out, that have been preserved from generation to generation, for a wise purpose. He has preserved them for this purpose to change hearts, and help people come to Him.
Alma 37:4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. 5 And now behold, if they are kept they must retain their brightness;yea, and they will retain their brightness; yea, and also shall all the plates which do contain that which is holy writ 6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.8 And now, it has hitherto been wisdom in God that these things should be preserved; for behold, they have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls. 9 Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer. 10 And who knoweth but what they will be the means of bringing many thousands of them, yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer?
Dieter F. Uchtdorf has asked us to ponder this question:“How can we, as members and disciples of Christ, best fulfill that great commission in our daily lives?”
We can share the joy we feel from knowing that God loves us and knowing who we are and where we are going after this life. Find ways to share the marvelous Plan of Salvation. We must study the Book of Mormon so that we the sweetness oozes from us, and we have a burning desire to share it with everyone, so they can also know the truths contained within its covers.
“The Lord has never required expert, flawless missionary efforts. Instead, “the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
If we desire to share the gospel, and pray for opportunities, we will have them. The Lord will guide us to those who are ready, or whom he knows will be ready at a later date.
“Five guilt-free things anyone can do to participate in the Savior’s great commission to help gather Israel?”-Dieter F. Uchtdorf
First, draw close to God.
As we draw close to God our hearts are filled with joy and peace, two characteristics that the world seeks. Nothing replaces the love God gives us.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren,” pleads Moroni, “pray unto the Father with all the energy of [your] heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him” (Moro. 7:48).
Second, fill your heart with love for others.
“Set aside all pride and turn your life and your heart to Him. Ask to be filled with the power of Christ’s pure love. You may have to do this many times, but I testify to you that your body, mind, and spirit can be transformed, cleansed, and made whole, and you will be freed. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).” -M.Russell Ballard
“Fill your minds with truth.
Fill your hearts with love.
Fill your lives with service.” – Thomas S. Monson
Third, strive to walk the path of discipleship
“The world often uses a feeling of discontent as an excuse for self-absorption, for turning our thoughts inward and backward and dwelling individually on who I am, who I am not, and what I want. Divine discontent motivates us to follow the example of the Savior, “who went about doing good.” As we walk the path of discipleship, we will receive spiritual nudges to reach out to others.
A story I heard years ago has helped me recognize and then act on promptings from the Holy Ghost. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, former Relief Society General President, shared the following:
“Susan … was a wonderful seamstress. President [Spencer W.] Kimball lived in [her] ward. One Sunday, Susan noticed that he had a new suit. Her father had recently … brought her some exquisite silk fabric. Susan thought that fabric would make a handsome tie to go with President Kimball’s new suit. So on Monday she made the tie. She wrapped it in tissue paper and walked up the block to President Kimball’s home.
“On her way to the front door, she suddenly stopped and thought, ‘Who am I to make a tie for the prophet? He probably has plenty of them.’ Deciding she had made a mistake, she turned to leave.
“Just then Sister Kimball opened the front door and said, ‘Oh, Susan!’
“Stumbling all over herself, Susan said, ‘I saw President Kimball in his new suit on Sunday. Dad just brought me some silk from New York … and so I made him a tie.’
“Before Susan could continue, Sister Kimball stopped her, took hold of her shoulders, and said: ‘Susan, never suppress a generous thought.’”
I love that! “Never suppress a generous thought.” Sometimes when I have an impression to do something for someone, I wonder if it was a prompting or just my own thoughts. But I am reminded that “that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.”
Whether they are direct promptings or just impulses to help, a good deed is never wasted, for “charity never faileth”—and is never the wrong response.
Often the timing is inconvenient, and we seldom know the impact of our small acts of service. But every now and then, we will recognize that we have been instruments in the hands of God and we will be grateful to know that the Holy Ghost working through us is a manifestation of God’s approval.
Sisters, you and I can plead for the Holy Ghost to show us “all things what [we] should do,” even when our to-do list already looks full. When prompted, we can leave dishes in the sink or an in-box full of challenges demanding attention in order to read to a child, visit with a friend, babysit a neighbor’s children, or serve in the temple. Don’t get me wrong—I am a list maker; I love checking things off. But peace comes in knowing that being more does not necessarily equate to doing more. Responding to discontent by resolving to follow promptings changes the way I think about “my time,” and I see people not as interruptions but as the purpose of my life.” -Michelle D. Craig
Fourth, share what is in your heart
“Members of the Church of Jesus Christ—both in past times as well as in ours—have enthusiastically and joyfully shared the gospel with friends and acquaintances. Their hearts are aflame with the testimony of Jesus Christ, and they sincerely want others to experience the same joy they have found in the Savior’s gospel.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“Our family members will grow in their desire to share the gospel as they feel the joy of forgiveness. That can come even as they renew covenants when they partake of the sacrament. The missionary spirit will grow in our homes as children and parents feel the joy of forgiveness in the sacrament service. By their example of reverence, both parents and children can help each other feel that joy. That joy can go far in turning our homes into missionary training centers. All might not serve missions, but all will feel the desire to share the gospel, which has brought them to feel forgiveness and peace. And whether currently serving full-time or not, all can feel joy in offering the gospel to others.” – Henry B, Eyring
“We can lift the lives of others through the words of Christ. Just as Enos had his own time and place where the words of Christ touched his heart, the Lord will do His part to touch the hearts of those with whom we wish to share the gospel. Many of us may have felt discouraged when we tried to invite someone to hear the gospel because our desired result did not follow. Regardless of the outcome, the Lord invites us to open our mouth and share the gospel message with others.” -Takashi Wada
Fifth, trust the Lord to work His miracles.
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man: It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” (Ps. 118:8–9.) Recognize that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.”
“let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly. …” (D&C 121:45.) This counsel from the Lord will provide staying power in the race we run.”
“Courage becomes a living and attractive virtue when it is regarded not as a willingness to die manfully, but the determination to live decently. Have the courage”—
“To dream the impossible dream;
To fight the unbeatable foe;
To bear with unbearable sorrow:
To run where the brave dare not go.
“To right the unrightable wrong;
To love, pure and chaste, from afar;
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star.”
—and you will thus become a finisher.
-Thomas S. Monson
Part of the divine nature is to trust in the Lord enough to “be still and know that [he is] God” (D&C 101:16).
“But,” you might ask, “what if I do all this and people react poorly? What if they are critical about the Church? What if they unfriend me?”
Our job is to plant the seed, the Lord will do the rest. We usually won’t see the tree grow, but those seeds we plant will sprout and goodness will come of them. Sometimes the ones who are the most resilient are later the most receptive. Brooke had a friend who strongly opposed the church. She made sure that everyone knew what she “knew” about the church. However, as she came better friends with Brooke, and got to know a few of Brooke’s member friends, she started to stand up for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We must not let opposition stop us from spreading God’s light and love.
Here is a great poem written for the full time missionary, but helps us understand the simplicity of Missionary Work, so that we too can start making Missionary Work fully part of our lives.
Remember the ABC’s of Missionary Work
Maintain a positive ATTITUDE
Stick to the gospel BASICS.
Strengthen and lift CONVERTS.
DISCOVER the best in yourself and others.
EMBRACE mission rules.
FACE your fears and conquer them.
GIVE 100% of your effort
Be HAPPY knowing you’re engaged in a marvelous work.
INSPIRE others without hesitation.
Turn every day into a JOURNEY of service and compassion.
Share your KNOWLEDGE, testimony, and spirit.
LET go of discouragement
MAKE your MISSION the best.
NEVER give up and never give in to failures.
ORGANIZE your day.
Bring PEACE and comfort to everyone you meet.
Spend QUIET time pondering the truths of what you study.
Be READY and willing to go the extra mile.
SEK answers and direction from the Lord.
TESTIFY of truth.
Seek to UNDERSTAND the Gospel more fully.
VALUE every moment.
Increase your WILLINGNESS to serve
Practice EXCELLENCE in all that you do.
YEARN to be the best you can be.
Develop a new ZEST for participating in the Lord’s work!
“When our time in mortality is complete, what experiences will we be able to share about our own contribution to this significant period of our lives and to the furthering of the Lord’s work? Will we be able to say that we rolled up our sleeves and labored with all our heart, might, mind, and strength? Or will we have to admit that our role was mostly that of an observer?” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Here is the original talk:https://www.lds.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/14uchtdorf?lang=eng
-Sherri Jorgensen
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