Alyssa and her zone, perform a musical number during zone conference (Alyssa on the Piano).
Hey guys!! I got to speak in church yesterday so my talk is now my email.
~Introduction~
While I was preparing for my mission, I had a conversation with a coworker. As I shared my enthusiasm for serving, this coworker began to question the motives behind missionary work. He didn’t believe it was right to go door-to-door or talk to people on the street about religion. In his own words, he said, “If someone wants to know Jesus Christ, they can bring themselves to Him. You shouldn’t assume they need Jesus.”
I was shocked. This coworker wasn’t anti-Christian or anti-Mormon; in fact, he was born into the church and had been sealed in the temple just weeks before this conversation. But he didn’t feel the need to share the truths, miracles, and blessings that the gospel has brought into his life with others.
And why is that? There are many reasons why we don’t feel the desire to preach the gospel today. Sometimes we don’t want to bother other people, even though our message will save them. Maybe we are shy or quiet, but aren’t we glad that someone wasn’t quiet when they shared the gospel with us? Or perhaps it’s a lack of time or difficult circumstances.
In these cases, I’m reminded of a quote from our Prophet President Russell M. Nelson: “Of course it’s hard. Everything to do with becoming more like the Savior is difficult. . . It takes effort, hard work, hard study, and it never ends. That’s good! It’s good because we are always making progress. . . The Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.”
Each of us knows someone who will not accept the gospel easily. Some of us were those people. But the Lord is not here to force anyone to accept it. He only invites, even the members of the Church. He will not force you to help in His work, but He will always invite you to do so.
So why do we work in God’s work? Why do we want to gather Israel? What are the blessings of missionary work?
I shouldn’t have to explain to you the blessings of missionary work. You know better than I do. You have had your own experiences with missionaries, learning about the Church, and making the decision to join. You know how it changed your lives and your eternities. Now you have the opportunity to do the same thing in someone else’s life.
Matthew 10:32-33 teaches, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
If we want Jesus Christ to be a witness of our works in the last day, we need to be witnesses of Jesus Christ today!
Speaking of the covenants we made on the day of our baptisms, Elder Denelson Silva explained, “When I decided to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, I had accepted the task of not only defending the truth but also proclaiming it.”
We made a promise that we would help our brothers and sisters come to know the Savior and come unto Christ. We can and should be examples of true disciples of Christ, but we must also be proactive in proclaiming the truths of the gospel. In a few cases, the elect find us, but more often than not, we are the ones who have to find them.
Christ taught that we have the duty and privilege of teaching about His atoning power to our own families and friends. There are millions of examples of this that we can use, but I want to focus on just one story found in the New Testament. In Luke 5, we read about the faith that healed the paralytic. Christ was inside a house, praying, teaching, and healing people suffering from all kinds of afflictions when he said, “And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.” (Luke 5: 18-19).
We know that Christ healed this man, but He also tested, built, and strengthened the faith of each person who was there. This man’s friends could have given up when they could not find an easy way into the house. They might not have gone to their friend’s house to get him because they thought the same thing as my colleague, “If he wants to know Jesus Christ, he can take himself to Him.” But no, they were faithful, loving, diligent, and persistent.
This is what our prophet always teaches. “True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world. They are undaunted, devoted, and courageous.” Brothers and sisters, everyone knows someone who is afflicted in some way. Many are spiritually paralyzed, and they need our help to come to Jesus Christ. Share what you have—talents, love, time, and your testimony of the restored gospel.
In closing, I would like to read the promise of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which is found in the missionary call: “Our Heavenly Father will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more joy than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective [missionary/member/or disciple].”
I promise that these blessings are real. Your joy will increase as you dedicate yourself to the Lord’s work. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and that He has saved us. I know that His true Church on earth is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I testify that all of our Heavenly Father’s children need Jesus Christ and the gospel He has given us. And I leave that testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Tchau Tchauuu
Com amor,
Sister Alyssa Grace
Ipojuca, Brasil
