John 21:15-17 says
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
In these verses it says if we love God and Jesus Christ then we are to feed his sheep. Those sheep are us, the people we associat with everyday, the ones that don't know about his gospel, and even the ones that do. We as members of the church are to help build this gospel along side the full time missionarys. In revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, the lord puts it simply "it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbour." If there was a big storm or something coming your way and you didn't know about it wouldn't you like someone to tell you about it? We are to warn everyone we know, and help them make the necessary steps to help them become ready.
Throughout the church they have worked hard to help the missionaries to increase their spiritual maturity. This effort has been referred to as "raising the bar." As the church raises the expectation for the missionaries, we as members must also raise the level of expectations in fulfilling our missionary duties. You are needed for support and assisting missionarys in finding and baptizing new converts. To watch over, protect, and inspire the missionarys in your areas. If the standard is raised, it is raised for all of us.
We must prepare ourselves to help the missionaries in finding those who are prepared, and will embrace the message of the restoration.
Memeber are the full time finders. Missionaries are the full time teachers.
When we work together in unity we will have so much more success in finding those lost sheep.
There are a few steps we need to take to help become the best memeber missionarys possible.
First is we should exercise our faith and pray individually and as families, asking for help in finding ways to share this gospel. Ask the lord to open the way. Prayerfully set a date with your family to have someone in your home for the missionaries to teach. Remember, this is the lords church. Let him guide you through constant prayer. With a prayer in your heart, talk to everyone you can. Don't prejudge. Don't withhold the good news from anyone. Not everyone you talk to will except what you say and that's okay. If we expect everyone we talked to to get baptized and become a member of the church we will have failed. We are here to invite and it is up to the person to except or reject what we share. We succeed when we invite.
President Hinckley said " it will be a great day when our people not only pray for the missionaries throughout the world, but ask the lord to help them to assist the missionaries who are laboring in their own ward."
Second, leaders must lead by example. The spirit will prompt and guide you in finding those interested in our message. Your personaly worthiness will give you the courage and the spiritual power to inspire your members to actively help the missionaries.
Third, memeber missionary work doesn't require the development of strategies or gimmicks. It does require faith-real faith and trust in the lord. It also requires genuine love. This is the first and great commandment. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Most all of us want to enjoy peace and happiness in this life. That is a natural human desire. We all want to find answers to problems we face. This is increasingly true in the world we live in.
Some members might say "I'm afraid to share the gospel because I might offend someone." people are not offended when the sharing is motivated by the spirit of love and concern. How could someone be offended when you say something like this " I love the way my church helps me." and then go from there. It's when we appear to be making them and an assignment and fail to express real interest and love for them that we offend them.
Be watchful and reach out to one another. As you do this I know that the gospel we live will show its self to those we are helping. It will show them the blessing the gospel has to offer.
I know as we share this gospel with everyone that we will fine success. We will not convert everyone we talk to, but we will touch their lives is a way that they will always remeber. "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 18:15-16
There are people all around us that are searching for the truth and happiness that comes from living this gospel, we just need to find them. Act on those prompting that come from the spirit and 9/10 you'll always be right.
We succeed when we invite.
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