The following is a talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting today (9/18/2011). It is a study on the importance of lifelong missionary work.
Early in my mission, I recall a first discussion we gave to a man and his wife. We had met them tracting, and they had generously invited us to come back to their home later in the evening where they would feed us, and allow us to teach them the first discussion. This was an exciting prospect for me, and if I remember correctly, my first opportunity to do real teaching for a real investigator. The discussion did not go quite as planned, questions asked by our investigator forced me to fall off the script that I had spent so much time memorizing in the MTC. As my senior companion jumped in, attempting to resuscitate the poor lifeless discussion that I had left in the wake of my jumble of words and disjointed comments about the restoration, I was left to muse at how quickly this seemingly great situation had derailed. Suddenly, my self reflection was interrupted by the sound of my companion. Despite the wreckage I had left for him to clean up, he must have thought it was best for me to teach about Joseph Smith and the first vision. Although I had not heard what he had been saying to the investigators before I was drug back into this mess, I DID hear him say “Elder Bushman has a story he would like to share with you about [a young man who was confused about religion and truth]” the account in my journal is as follows,
“I really didn’t know what he was doing, so I just played along…I told the [investigators] about my own conversion story instead of the Joseph Smith story”
Everyone sat very kindly through my personal story of perceived trial and ultimate conversion, and no sooner had I finished my remarks then Elder Downey, my patient companion, launched into the Joseph Smith story by saying, “there is another young man who I would like to speak about, and his name was Joseph Smith”.
In March of 2007, Quintin L. Cook, who was then a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, delivered a devotional address at BYU entitled “Be a Missionary All Your Life”. In Elder Cook’s Address, he named 4 things that we can do to be effective missionaries.
1. Be a missionary all your life
2. Overcome feelings of hesitancy or inadequacy
3. Do not be discouraged because missionary work is hard
4. Be a good example and take every opportunity to share the gospel
First: Be a missionary all your life
In D&C 88 the Lord asks us to do some very important things. “organize yourselves…prepare yourselves…sanctify yourselves; yea purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet…continue in prayer and in fasting…teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom…that ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you. Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” (D&C 88:74, 76-77, 80-81)
We all have a duty, yea even a commandment to share the light of the gospel to all we come into contact with. We are commanded to hold up this light as an ensign to all nations, kindred, tongues, and people. Of the progression that is to be expected of this work, the prophet Joseph Smith boldly declared that only the hallowed hand of God himself could stop it...
“ persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 4:540)
How is it that these things are going to happen, the going forth boldly, the penetration of the continents, the visiting of the climbs, sweeping of the countries, and the sounding into the ears of the people? The Lord makes it clear that he expects us to be the ones to take his gospel to the far reaches of the earth.
"I give unto you a commandment, that every man, both elder, priest, teacher, and also member, go to with his might, with the labor of his hands, to prepare and accomplish the things which I have commanded. And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness. (D&C 38:40-41.)
"Ye are the salt of the earth. . . . Ye are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:13-14, 16.)
Similarly in the Book of Mormon the Savior says…
“Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do.” (3rd Nephi 18:24)
“For they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men” (D&C 103:9-10).
And finally from Liberty Jail, the suffering prophet Joseph Smith wrote down these inspired words,
“And also it is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation, and to all the pure in heart-for there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it-therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven” (D&C 123:11-13).
Second: Overcome feelings of hesitancy or inadequacy.
Although we can read or hear the words I quoted previously, and are often inspired by them, still we repeatedly find ourselves doing little throughout our day to be missionaries. This could be for a variety of reasons, but the fact remains that we have a duty to perform while in this mortal state.
We read of prophets in all standard works like Moses or Enoch, who claimed to be “slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Ex 4:10), Enoch went so far as to tell the Lord “all the people hate me” (Moses 6:31), thus showing serious feelings of inadequacy! Paul said to the Corinthians that he came unto them “not with excellency of speech or of wisdom”, he stated that he was with them “in weakness, and in fear, and much trembling” (1st Cor 2:1, 3). Mighty Nephi laments in 2nd Nephi 4 about some unknown inadequacy saying, “Oh wretched man that I am”. Later Nephi has concerns over the mightiness of his writing when he says, “I am not mighty in writing, like unto speaking” (2nd Nephi 33:1). Along those same lines, Moroni has concerns over his writing as well stating, “Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him…” (Mormon 9:31).
What impresses me the most about people such as Moses, Nephi, Paul, or Moroni is that although they had weaknesses, they still pushed through the weakness, trusting in the Lord. Each of these great men overcame near insurmountable problems in their lifetimes. However, as evidenced by their writings, each also stood up and moved forward. They did not allow their own weaknesses cripple them spiritually. They did not take council from their fears. They each might well have worn a shirt with the motto of Job, “though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15).
Third: Do not be discouraged because missionary work is hard.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve, said the following about the difficulty of missionary work,
“I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?” Jeffrey R. Holland, “Missionary Work and the Atonement,” Ensign, March 2001, 15; emphases added.
Most of us, at some point in our lives will be called upon to do hard things. Some things that are hard for us now, are only so because they are unfamiliar to use. The more we practice doing hard things, the less difficult they become.
We can all benefit from the insightful words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.”
Fourth: Be a good example and take every opportunity to share the gospel.
Our example may be the greatest and most effective missionary tool we have. Our example can teach righteousness, without words, and in perfect humility. President Hinckley spoke about the importance of our example in the April 2005 First Presidency Message entitled “The Symbol of Our Faith”, he said:
"Following the renovation of the Mesa Arizona Temple some years ago, clergy of other religions were invited to tour it on the first day of the open house period. Hundreds responded. In speaking to them, I said we would be pleased to answer any queries they might have. Among these was one from a Protestant minister. Said he: “I’ve been all through this building, this temple which carries on its face the name of Jesus Christ, but nowhere have I seen any representation of the cross, the symbol of Christianity. I have noted your buildings elsewhere and likewise find an absence of the cross. Why is this when you say you believe in Jesus Christ?”
I responded: “I do not wish to give offense to any of my Christian colleagues who use the cross on the steeples of their cathedrals and at the altars of their chapels, who wear it on their vestments, and imprint it on their books and other literature. But for us, the cross is the symbol of the dying Christ, while our message is a declaration of the Living Christ.”
He then asked: “If you do not use the cross, what is the symbol of your religion?”
I replied that the lives of our people must become the most meaningful expression of our faith and, in fact, therefore, the symbol of our worship."
The reality of President Hinckley’s comments can be seen all around us, for the good and for the bad. Council given to Timothy by Paul is useful to all of us in our efforts to be exemplary in our living of the gospel, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1st Tim 4:12) He could have finished his council up with the words, “because people are watching you”.
Never in the History of man has the Lord’s Church been more visible than it is now. The church has taken great strides in order to bring itself out of obscurity and into the homes and lives of people all over the earth. There are few places on this planet where the word “Mormon”, or “LDS” has not been uttered. This opens up the lives of faithful Saints everywhere to close observation by those not of our faith. While God the Father waits in Heaven to see if we “will do all things, whatsoever [he] shall command [us]” (Abr 3:25), so too those of the world watch intently to see if we will do all things whatsoever we claim to be commanded.
Remember the two great commandments upon which the whole law rests are to “Love God”, and to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Our example will be a reflection of how well we live these two great commandments.
