Yesterday my son Gregory was baptized. He is the oldest of my four children. What an awesome blessing it was to watch him take such a major step in his life. He chose to be baptized, was eager and excited to do so. While sitting at the chapel the thoughts came to my mind of how often we loose that excitement about life and the gospel. He is young and this is new. Many times in our lives I think that we allow other things to bring us down, or distract us and we lose the excitement and the joy that the gospel plain and simple brings to our lives.
While serving my mission in Brazil my American companion and I decided that we would make snicker doodles for all of our investigators, and neighboring members. I really wanted to make chocolate chip cookies but we didn't have brown sugar or chocolate chips accessible. So we went to the next best thing we could. We worked hard in the kitchen during our P-day, then later that evening we went out and delivered them. Everyone was so excited to receive their little plate of home made cookies, something many of them had never had. I only imagined how much more they would have liked the chocolate chip cookies.
The sun had started to go down on us and we were heading out to our last home, when from off in the distance we heard footsteps running faster towards us, and a voice calling louder "sisters, sisters wait." A young boy caught up to us.
He asked "Sisters what are you giving to all the people."
"Cookies." We told him.
"Can I please have just one?" We looked at our last little plate with just six cookies on it for our last family. We knew there wouldn't be enough for them, but who could resist the asking of this young boy, who was so eager to have what we were giving to others.
We handed him the cookie and off he ran. No we didn't ever teach him or his family the gospel but it taught me a valuable lesson.
I have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life, I have the full chocolate chip cookie! I have the blessings of being baptized, of having gone through the temple, having been sealed to my family for all eternity. I have a testimony and know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ and through his atonement and the plan of our Father, I have happiness. Every day I should be filled with this excitement of having the gospel. And with that I have the responsibility to teach and share with those around me, members of my faith and those who are not.
I had planned to only share those cookies to those that I knew, those that I had planned to share the cookies with. I had no idea that I had to share with that young boy. I could have chosen to not give him the cookies and told them they were for someone else, but I didn't. He was excited about the cookies and wanted them, just as those around us are wanting and needing the joy in their lives that the gospel brings.
We never really know who is watching us and waiting for us to share with them the gospel.
At that time I had the full time responsibility of sharing the gospel to the people of Fortaleza and now my responsibility has changed some but is still there.
Each of us as baptized members of the church are required to share the gospel.
In Mark 16:15 the Savior commands us
And how do we share the gospel? How are we as members of the church to be a missionary, especially when we seem to be surrounded by already baptized members?
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We start in our homes, through daily scripture study, prayers and kind acts. Also with a formal weekly family home evening. President Hinkley said:
"We have a family home evening program once a week [Monday night] across the Church in which parents sit down with their children. They study the scriptures. They talk about family problems. They plan family activities and things of that kind. I don't hesitate to say if every family in the world practiced that one thing, you'd see a very great difference in the solidarity of the families of the world" (interview, Boston Globe, 14 Aug. 2000).
"[The Lord] expects us to have family home evening—one night a week to gather our children together and teach them the gospel. Isaiah said, 'And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.' That is the commandment: 'All thy children shall be taught of the Lord.' And the blessing: 'And great,' he said, 'shall be the peace of thy children' [Isa. 54:13]" (meeting, Nouméa, New Caledonia, 17 June 2000).
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Being a friend to those around us, regardless of their faith, race, nationality, economic status, is another great way of being a missionary. I think many times we correlate missionary work to conversion through baptism. Many times those around us will not become baptized into the church, or appear to change their ways, and that is ok. The most important thing we can do is love them and be their friend regardless. In True to the Faith it states: "
Our expressions of love for others may include being kind to them, listening to them, mourning with them, comforting them, serving them, praying for them, sharing the gospel with them, and being their friend.
Our love for those around us increases when we remember that we are all children of God—that we are spirit brothers and sisters. The love that results from this realization has the power to transcend all boundaries of nation, creed, and color.
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Another way to be a missionary is by serving those around us. Whether it is offering a ride to a neighbor walking home, or bringing dinner to a family, or going to visit elderly in the retirement home, or just calling up someone when their name pops into our head. Service brings us closer to others, it brings us closer to the spirit. It also shares with others the true love of Christ. The story of the good Samaritan reminds us of true charity and service. In a lesson in the Gospel Principles about Charity it states:
The parable of the good Samaritan teaches us that we should give to those in need, regardless of whether they are our friends or not (see Luke 10:30–37; see also James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp. 430–32). In the parable, the Savior said that a man was traveling to another city. On the road he was attacked by bandits. They stole his clothes and money and beat him, leaving him half dead. A priest came along, saw him, and passed him by. Then a temple attendant walked over, looked at him, and went on. However, a Samaritan, who was despised by the Jews, came along, and when he saw the man he felt compassion. Kneeling beside him, the good Samaritan bandaged his wounds and took him on a donkey to an inn. He paid the innkeeper to take care of the man until he recovered.
Jesus taught that we should give food to the hungry, shelter to those who have none, and clothes to the poor. When we visit the sick and those who are in prison, it is as if we were doing these things to him instead. He promises that as we do these things, we will inherit his kingdom. (See Matthew 25:34–46.)
We should not try to decide whether someone really deserves our help or not (see Mosiah 4:16–24). If we have taken care of our own family's needs first, then we should help all who need help. In this way we will be like our Father in Heaven, who causes rain to fall on the just and on the unjust alike (see Matthew 5:44–45).
President Harold B. Lee reminded us that there are those who need more than material goods: "It is well to remember that there are broken hearts and wounded souls among us that need the tender care of a brother who has an understanding heart and is kind" (Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 228).
We need to serve those around us regardless if they are our friends or not.
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The last way and I feel the most important way to be a missionary is being an example through our own conversion, our own way we live, through our daily lives. This reminds me of when on an airplane, and they explain the air bags and how we are to put our own mask on first before helping those that need assistance. If we aren't receiving oxygen, we will be unable to help those around us. Same goes for the gospel and missionary work. If we aren't teaching and sharing the gospel to ourselves through our daily scripture study, prayers, church attendance, home and visiting teaching, service, we will not be able to share the gospel with others.
We have been blessed to have the restored gospel in our lives. We have the fullness of the gospel that is meant to bring a fullness of joy into our lives.... we have the brown sugar and the chocolate chips to make a tasty cookie. And we have the ability to share it with those around us.
As we go through out our lives, and strengthen our own testimonies through the studying and living of the gospel, I pray that we can remember the simple and plain truths so that we can be missionaries to those around us. I know the Gospel is true. I know God lives and loves us. And am so grateful for the atonement of Christ and the blessing it is in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
