1 Nephi 20:6
Sharing the Restored
Gospel
What
6 Thou
hast seen and heard all this; and will ye anot
declare them?
And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden
things, and thou didst not know them.
I
have shown you all this evidence of things that you could not
possibly known that prove that that I exist and you ignore it. You
will not share the gospel.
Why
Because
they are past feeling. Blinded to the truth.
Pattern
1 Cor.
9:16
16
For though I preach the gospel,
I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is
laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not
the gospel!
1
Cor.9:12-
12 If
others be partakers of this power
over you, are
not
we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power;
but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13 Do
ye not know that they which aminister about
holy things blive of
the things of
the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the
altar?
15 But
I have used none of these things: neither have I written these
things, that it should be so done unto me: for it
were better
for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
16 For
though I preach the agospel,
I have nothing to glory of: for bnecessity is
laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I cpreach not
the gospel!
17 For
if I do this thing awillingly,
I have a b reward:
but if against my will, a cdispensation of
the gospel is
committed unto me.
Christ
He
showed the prophecies to the people and they would not believe Him.
He is the source and the subject of prophecies.
Conference
10/16
Oaks
Sharing
The Restored Gospel
Nearing
the end of His earthly ministry, our Savior, Jesus Christ, commanded
His disciples: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew
28:19)
and “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature” (Mark
16:15).
All Christians are under these commands to share the gospel with
everyone. Many call this the “great commission.”
As
Elder Neil L. Andersen described in the morning session, Latter-day
Saints are surely among those most committed to this great
responsibility. We should be because we know that God loves all of
His children and that in these last days He has restored vital
additional knowledge and power to bless all of them. The Savior
taught us to love all as our brothers and sisters, and we honor that
teaching by sharing the witness and message of the restored gospel
“among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people” (D&C
112:1).
This is a vital part of what it means to be a Latter-day Saint. We
look on this as a joyful privilege. What could be more joyful than
sharing the truths of eternity with God’s children?
Today
we have many resources to share the gospel that were not available in
earlier generations. We have TV, the internet, and social media
channels. We have many valuable messages to introduce the restored
gospel. We have the prominence of the Church in many nations. We have
a greatly increased number of missionaries. But are we using all
these resources to maximum effect? I believe most of us would say no.
We desire to be more effective in fulfilling our divinely appointed
responsibility to proclaim the restored gospel in all the world.
...We
all know that member participation in missionary work is vital to
achieving both conversion and retention. President Thomas S.
Monson has said: “Now is the time for members and missionaries to
come together … [and] labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls
unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a
multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act
in faith to fulfill His work.”1
There
are three things all members can do to help share the gospel,
regardless of the circumstances in which they live and work. All of
us should do all of these.
First, we
can all pray for desire to help with this vital part of the work of
salvation. All efforts begin with desire.
Second, we
can keep the commandments ourselves. Faithful, obedient members are
the most persuasive witnesses of the truth and value of the restored
gospel. Even more important, faithful members will always have the
Savior’s Spirit to be with them to guide them as they seek to
participate in the great work of sharing the restored gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Third, we
can pray for inspiration on what we can
do in our individual circumstances to share the gospel with others.
This is different than praying for the missionaries or
praying for whatothers can
do. We should pray for what we can
do personally. When we pray, we should remember that prayers for this
kind of inspiration will be answered if accompanied by a
commitment—something the scriptures call “real intent” or “full
purpose of heart.” Pray with a commitment to act upon the
inspiration you receive, promising the Lord that if He will inspire
you to speak to someone about the gospel, you will do it.
1-We
need to remember “that people learn when they’re ready to learn,
not when we’re ready to teach them.”5 What we are
interested in, like the important additional doctrinal teachings in
the restored Church, usually isn’t what others are
interested in. Others typically want the results of
the doctrine, not the doctrine. As they observe or experience the
effects of the
2-As
we speak to others, we need to remember that an invitation to learn
more about Jesus Christ and His gospel is preferable to an invitation
to learn more about our Church.7 We
want people to be converted to the gospel. That is the great role of
the Book of Mormon. Feelings about our Church follow conversion to
Jesus Christ; they do not precede it. Many who are suspicious of
churches nevertheless have a love for the Savior. Put first things
first.
3-
When
we seek to introduce people to the restored gospel, we should do this
in ways that are authentic and in loving concern for the individual.
This happens when we are trying to help others with problems they
have identified or when we are working with them in community service
activities, such as relieving suffering, caring for the poor and
needy, or enhancing the quality of life of others.
4-Our
efforts to share the gospel should not be limited to our circle of
friends and associates. During the Olympics we learned of an LDS taxi
driver in Rio de Janeiro who carried copies of the Book of Mormon in
seven different languages and gave one to whoever would receive them.
He called himself the “cab driving missionary.” He said, “The
streets of Rio de Janeiro … are [my] mission field.”8
5-
Ward
bishoprics can plan a special sacrament meeting to which members are
urged to bring interested persons. Ward members
6
There
are many other opportunities to share the gospel. For example, just
this summer I received a happy letter from a new member who learned
about the restored gospel when an old classmate phoned her to inquire
about an illness she was experiencing. She wrote: “I was
enlightened by the way he presented himself to me. After [a] few
months of learning from the missionaries, I was baptized. My life has
improved since then.”10 We
all know many whose lives would be improved by
Sharing
the gospel is not a burden but a joy. What we call “member
missionary work” is not a program but an attitude of love and
outreach to help those around us. It is also an opportunity to
witness how we feel about the restored gospel of our Savior. As Elder
Ballard has taught, “A most significant evidence of our conversion
and of how we feel about the gospel in our own lives is our
willingness to share it with others.”11
[these
are just excepts from the talk] It would help to read the whole talk.
Apply
This
scripture is saying to us that we have received the fullness of the
gospel with all the prophecies and blessings and we should be sharing
it. We should be prepared and willing to share the gospel with
others. I like what Elder Oaks said “Sharing
the gospel is not a burden but a joy. What we call “member
missionary work” is not a program but an attitude of love and
outreach to help those around us”
How
blessed we are as a people to have the restored gospel on the earth
today and the blessing to share it with others.
Hymns
219-Because
I Have Been Given Much
249-Called
to Serve
Primary
169-I
Hope They Call Me On A Mission
172-
We'll Bring The World His Truth
168-I
Want To Be a Missionary Now
...We
all know that member participation in missionary work is vital to
achieving both conversion and retention. President Thomas S.
Monson has said: “Now is the time for
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