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Introduction
1. Jesus taught: "Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:15).
2. "Every member a
missionary" (David O. McKay, April 1959 General Conference).
Q Why has the Lord
asked us to share the gospel?
Q What blessings have
you seen come to others when they accept the gospel?
Q What blessings come
to us as we share the gospel?
3. "For there are
many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations... who are
only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it" (D&C
123:12).
4. "Remember the
worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your
Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all
men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from
the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And
how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! Wherefore, you are called to
cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your
days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto
me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now,
if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the
kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls
unto me!" (D&C 18:10-16).
5. "Those who work
for the salvation of others will have their sins forgiven and will bring
salvation to their own souls (see D&C 4:4, 31:5, 84:61)" (Gospel
Principles, Missionary Work).
Our
Message
6. "Be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in
you" (1 Peter 3:15).
· God: God is our loving Heavenly Father. He has a plan for us to return to live with Him
and receive every blessing He has, including an eternal family.
·
Jesus
Christ: Jesus Christ is our Savior and performed the Atonement for us.
· Gospel of Jesus Christ: Living
the Gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to receive all of the blessings of
Christ's Atonement.
·
Restoration: The
Gospel, church, and authority of Jesus Christ were restored by the Lord through
Joseph Smith after being corrupted or lost after the deaths of Christ's
original apostles.
·
Prophets: The
Lord guides us today through apostles and prophets.
·
Book of Mormon: The
Book of Mormon is evidence of the restoration of the gospel and of living prophets.
We can know by the power of the Holy Ghost that this book is true.
Alternately,
Elder Ballard suggested we can simplify our message in four categories (October
2007 General Conference):
·
Faith
- what we believe
·
Facts
- church history and statistics
·
Fruits
- blessings
·
Families
- how the gospel blesses families now and eternally
7. "Preach my gospel by
the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth. He that
receiveth the word of truth, doth he receive it by the Spirit of truth or some
other way? If it be some other way it is not of God" (D&C 50:14, 19-20).
Q What can we do to
invite the Spirit as we share the gospel with others?
·
Have
the Holy Ghost in our lives. Pray for the Spirit and live the gospel.
·
Bear
testimony how we know these things are true
·
Share
blessings we have received and they can receive
·
Give
invitations and follow up
Q How do you know that
our message is true?
Q What blessings have
you received from it?
Q What invitations can
we give to others to help them know the truth for themselves and be blessed by
it?
(visit
mormon.org, serve with us, come to church activity, come to church, pray with
them, read the Book of Mormon, share church movies and Mormon messages, share a
general conference talk, come to family home evening, invite to meet with the
missionaries, etc.)
Q How can we use the
internet to share the gospel?
Q What other tools has
the Lord given to help us share the gospel?
(Preach
My Gospel manual, pass along cards, missionary pamphlets, For the Strength of
Youth pamphlet, True to the Faith reference book, full time missionaries, etc.)
Creating
Gospel Sharing Homes
8.
"The
Savior Himself showed us the way when He invited His disciples to “come and see
… where he dwelt, and [they] abode with him that day” (John 1:39)....
Similarly, our homes can be gospel-sharing homes as people we know and love
come into our homes and experience the gospel firsthand in both word and
action. We can share the gospel without holding a formal discussion. Our
families can be our lesson, and the spirit that emanates from our homes can be
our message....
"A gospel-sharing home is one in which
neighborhood children love to play, making it natural to invite them and their
family to attend church, a family home evening, or some other activity.... Gospel-sharing
homes are very ordinary. They may not always be spotlessly clean nor the
children perfectly behaved. But they are a place in which family members
clearly love each other, and the Spirit of the Lord is felt by those who
visit" (M. Russell Ballard, April 2006 General Conference).
Q How can "Our
families can be our lesson, and the spirit that emanates from our homes can be
our message"?
9.
"[New]
friends will come... into our lives, and if we are open about our membership in
the Church from the very beginning, we can easily bring gospel discussions into
the relationship with very little risk of being misunderstood. Friends and
acquaintances will accept that this is part of who we are, and they will feel
free to ask questions....
"A sister in France was asked about the
secret of her success. She said, “I simply share my joy. I treat everyone as if
they were already a member of the Church. If I’m standing by someone in line
and strike up a conversation, I share with them how much I enjoyed my Church
meetings on Sunday. When co-workers ask, ‘What did you do this weekend?’ I do
not skip from Saturday night to Monday morning. I share with them that I went
to church, what was said, and my experiences with the Saints. I talk about how
I live, think, and feel.” " (M. Russell Ballard, April 2006 General
Conference).
Q Why is it important
to let others know that we are members of the church and that the gospel is a
part of who we are?
Q How can we get better
at doing this?
10.
"In
gospel-sharing homes we pray for guidance for ourselves, and we pray for the
physical and spiritual well-being of others. We pray for the people the
missionaries are teaching, for our acquaintances, and for those not of our
faith.... In a gospel-sharing home we do not just pray for the health, safety,
and success of our missionaries throughout the world. We also pray for our own
missionary experiences and opportunities and to be prepared to act on those
impressions as they come our way. And I promise you, they will come....
"One way to show your faith in the Lord
and His promises is to prayerfully set a date to have someone prepared to meet
with the missionaries. I have received hundreds of letters from members who
have exercised their faith in this simple way. Even though families had no one
in mind with whom they could share the gospel, they set a date, prayed, and
then talked to many more people. The Lord is the Good Shepherd, and He knows
His sheep who have been prepared to hear His voice. He will guide us as we seek
His divine help in sharing His gospel" (M. Russell Ballard, April 2006
General Conference).
Q What experiences have
you had as a result of praying for missionary experiences?
11. "In a gospel-sharing
home, our personal missionary effort is a topic of family councils and
discussions.... Church literature or DVDs can introduce new friends to the
Church. Invitations to hear a family member speak in sacrament meeting or to
attend the baptismal service of a family member or to tour a meetinghouse have
also been appreciated by those who are not members. From every indicator we
have, there is nothing more effective that any of us can do for our friends
than to say “come and see” by joining with us in sacrament meeting. Far too
many do not know they are welcome to worship with us.....
"A gospel-sharing home is not defined by
whether or not people join the Church as a result of our contact with them. Our
opportunity and responsibility are to care, to share, to testify, to invite,
and then to allow individuals to decide for themselves. We are blessed when we
have invited them to consider the Restoration, regardless of the outcome. At
the very least, we have a rewarding relationship with someone from another
faith, and we can continue to enjoy their friendship. " (M. Russell
Ballard, April 2006 General Conference).
Conclusion
12. "As a member of the
Lord’s Church, you can, by the goodness of your life and the strength of your
testimony, help prepare your family members, friends, and other acquaintances
to meet with the full-time missionaries. The most powerful missionary message
you can send is your own example of living a happy Latter-day Saint life"
(True to the Faith, Missionary Work).
Missionary
Work = Ministering = Helping people as the Savior would if He was in your
position
Key talks about Sharing the Gospel can be found at
Key talks about Missionary Preparation can be found at
Key talks about the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ
can be found at
Key talks about the Service can be found at
Key talks about Strengthening Families can be found at
