Share the Gospel

My oldest son just started his virtual MTC training from home this week, so my mind and heart were extra aware of the principles of missionary work that were shared in this weeks study of Come, Follow Me (D&C 71-75). The following are a list of principles related to sharing the gospel that I found in these sections...

• 71:1 The way to combat darkness is to introduce light. Share the good news of the gospel.
• 71:2 Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints need to be taught just as much as those who have not yet been baptized.
• 71:9 Truth will always prevail.
• 73:4 When your full-time mission service is over, continue to make room in your life for sharing the gospel. 
• 75:2 Take some personal initiative to get involved in sharing the gospel (see footnote a).
• 75:3, 29 Be diligent in our efforts to share the gospel.
• 75:10, 27 Always involve the Holy Ghost in our teaching and finding efforts.
• 75:11 Pray for courage.
• 75:24 As members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is our duty to support the efforts of missionary work in whatever ways we can.

As with all principles of the gospel, as we act on these principles we are promised blessings in return for our faithfulness. Here's a list of blessings that I found in Section 75 that relate to sharing the gospel...

• You shall be crowned with honor, glory and eternal life. (75:5)
• The Lord will be with you to the end. (75:11, 13)
• You shall be filled with joy and gladness. (75:21)
• You shall overcome all things and be lifted up at the last day. (75:22)

For some of us, sharing the gospel can be a daunting responsibility. Because I often feel that way, I found this article by President Uchtdorf (A Word for the Hesitant Missionary) very enlightening. He shares four suggestions that can help us fulfill the charge to preach the gospel to all the world. My favorite suggestion is to "Be a Light." He said: “A favorite saying of mine often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi reads, ‘Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.’” It is a comfort for me to know that just because I get tongue-tied when I'm trying to teach the gospel or share my testimony with someone, that doesn't mean that I'm a failure. We can share the gospel just by consistently living our standards. As people see our happiness and joy they will occasionally approach us with questions about where our happiness and positive attitude come from.

Pres. Uchtdorf concludes the article by saying "There is a way for everyone-even the hesitant missionary-to participate in this great work. We can each find a way to use our own particular talents and interests in support of the great work of filling the world with light and truth." What a blessing it is to know that there are many different ways to share the gospel. We don't need to compare our method of sharing the gospel to how someone else shares the gospel because the gifts and talents that we’ve each been blessed with will lead to different approaches to missionary work.