I Can Be A Member Missionary By...

This is the first talk I gave as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was given on January 29, 2012. I had been a member for 36 days! I was sooo nervous I thought I was going to fall over!

I Can Be a Member Missionary By.

          When Brother Bradley approached me a few Sundays ago and asked me to do a talk all that went through my mind was they want me to do what and not pass out! Then I read the topic, I can be a member missionary by.  Be a member missionary, I’ve only been a member for sixteen days!! I thought missionaries were those two people that have been coming to my house and teaching me the gospel for the last few months.  As I searched different resources the definition of member missionary became clear. I am a member missionary, we all are member missionaries.

In a talk given by Elder M. Russell Ballard entitled “THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK” he states that The Savior’s impassioned charge to “feed [His] sheep” continues in force today. Like Peter and his brethren of old, the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ today have the charge to take the gospel to all the world. This charge is seldom far from our minds. Every General Authority has the responsibility to be a missionary.

But the Savior was not just talking to the Apostles. He was also talking to every person who has been blessed to hear the gospel and is a member of His Church. In revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord puts it in very simple terms: “It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor” (D&C 88:81).

          So how can you be a member missionary, does it require you to go knocking on doors of people you don’t know and trying to get them to let you teach them about the gospel? No, you probably don’t realize it but you are a member missionary every day. When talking to friends and co-workers or just by being an example in the way you live. If you’ve ever asked a friend to come to church with you or a church activity you have been a member missionary.

          Later in Elder M. Russell Ballard’s talk he goes on to say member missionary work does not require the development of strategies or gimmicks. It does require faith—real faith and trust in the Lord. It also requires genuine love. The first great commandment is to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. … The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matt. 22:37, 39).

          Thinking back on my journey that led to my baptism I remembered a conversation I had with a close friend, really my second mom. I had told her I had stopped drinking, after a moment of silence where I believe she was picking her chin up off the ground she responded with “You what?” I laughed a little and said it again “I stopped drinking, in fact I got rid of all the alcohol in my house” still in shock she replied with “what on earth possessed you to stop drinking”. This is where I paused for a second trying to think of a reason other than religious reasons then I heard myself saying “religious reasons” to which she replied “religious, what religion”. I told her I had been being taught by some missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for a few months and had decided to get baptized and had made a lot of changes in my life and drinking was one of the major ones. This is where she shocked me and said “I have been thinking about stopping drinking as well and you doing so has given me more motivation to do so”. Our conversation went on for a while on things that I have been taught and what made me want to join the church. Although she has not attended church with me yet, I have planted the seed that may someday become a new life for her as well.

          In Alma 15 Alma and Amulek go to Sidom and establish a church—Alma heals Zeezrom, who joins the Church—Many are baptized, and the Church prospers versus 3-14 account for Zeezrom’s salvation 3 And also Zeezrom lay sick at Sidom, with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his awickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat. 4 Now, when he heard that Alma and Amulek were in the land of Sidom, his heart began to take courage; and he sent a message immediately unto them, desiring them to come unto him. 5 And it came to pass that they went immediately, obeying the message which he had sent unto them; and they went in unto the house unto Zeezrom; and they found him upon his bed, sick, being very low with a burning fever; and his mind also was exceedingly sore because of his iniquities; and when he saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him. 6 And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation? 7 And he answered and said: Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught. 8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed. 9 And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words. 10 And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ. 11 And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom. 12 And Alma baptized Zeezrom unto the Lord; and he began from that time forth to preach unto the people. 13 And Alma established a church in the land of Sidom, and consecrated priests and teachers in the land, to baptize unto the Lord whosoever were desirous to be baptized. 14 And it came to pass that they were many; for they did flock in from all the region round about Sidom, and were baptized.

          Being a member missionary will not always result in instant results or the results that you want. Everything happens in God’s time. My testimony is an example of this. I grew up in West Jordan, Utah being the only NON-member in my neighborhood. I knew of the church, I saw it every day it was at the end of my street, I had attended a few sacrament meetings and young women activities with my friends who were all members. However I never really learned about the church, I had been baptized in a Baptist church where my dad and I had been attending for years. So I knew God existed and he had sent his only son to take on the sins of the earth. My senior year in high school I joined the Army and shipped out to basic that August after finishing basic I went on to my job training where I received a phone call on Feburary 14^th 2005 saying that my unit had been activated and we would be deploying to Iraq in May. Upon graduating from my job training in March thinking I had time to spend with my family, I reported to my unit where I was then informed we would be leaving in two weeks. My roommate for my deployment was also a member of the church, being a unit from Ogden, Utah we had a lot of church members. While in Iraq I made the decision to move to Tennessee to go to school. In January 2007 I arrived in Tennessee homeless but determined to make it work. To make a long story short I found a house and four years, another deployment and a divorce later, my best friend a church member moved in with me and introduced me to the missionaries which resulted in the most amazing journey I have been on in my life and I’ve been around the world. This is where I would like to urge you to continue to invite your friends or co-workers to church with you, you never know what that seed you plant will grow into. It only took me 25 years, two deployments to Iraq and moving 2000 miles away from Utah to finally make the decision to become baptized and be a member of the church. I can only hope that the seeds I plant as a member missionary will grow into amazing new lives for them like it has for me. The gospel is true and has had an amazing impact on my life and I cannot wait to grow in the church. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.