A missionary people

Have you ever wondered why members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [Mormons] place such a heavy emphasis on missionary work? One reason is captured in a hymn frequently associated with missionary work titled, "Called to Serve". The second verse begins,

"Called to know the richness of His blessing-Sons and daughters, children of a King. Glad of heart, His holy name confessing Praises unto him we bring."

Missionary work is sharing the joy and happiness we have in our lives with others. A prophet named Heber J. Grant once said, "...it is our duty above all other to go forth and proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the restoration again to the earth of the plan of life and salvation...We have in very deed the pearl of great price. We have that which is of more value than all the wealth and the scientific information which the world possess. We have the plan of life and salvation... The best way in the world to show our love for our neighbor is to go forth and proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,"
These revised Junior mint boxes were handed out to some of our missionaries during a preparedness fair [the major emphasis of the event focuses on emergency preparedness, 72 hour kits, first aid...]. Fun idea, but great sentiment. The atonement of Jesus Christ was never meant to bless only a select group of people, but is intended and offered to all of God's children.

Everyone that is blessed with gospel knowledge then has the wonderful privilege and responsibility to share it with others. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Doctrine and Covenants section 88 verse 81 which reads in part, "it becometh everyman who hath been warned to warn his neighbor." When I read this scripture, I often change the word 'warn' to 'bless' as that reflects my feelings about the knowledge I have about God's plan of salvation for His children.

If a member of our faith invites you to meet with the missionaries to learn more about Jesus Christ, what a compliment! That invitation is a reflection of their great esteem for you and the overcoming of their own fears of how you might receive it. If your friend hasn't asked you to learn more, be brave and ask them! They're probably wondering if you're interested. As much as the world sees our faith as aggressive about missionary work, many members of the church are shy about sharing what they know with others. They understand how important the message is and so are intimidated about saying the wrong thing or coming across as less than sincere and blowing your chance to hear about it! Slowly, surely, we're doing better. Another prophet named David O McKay said "True Christianity is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow men. This is the spirit of missionary work." As we individually do better at becoming more like the Savior Jesus Christ that we follow, more and more,...hopefully, you'll have an invitation to learn more.