Contributed by: Ann Scriptures
2 Tim. 3:15-17
15 And that from a
child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished
unto all good works.
D&C 11:21
21 Seek not to
declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed;
then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the
convincing of men.
D&C 90:11
11 For it shall come
to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own
tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the
administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Alma 4:19-20
19 And this he did
that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he
might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and
that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the
contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it
were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.
20 And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the
reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to
Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to
the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy.
Quotations
Quote 1
From a former
president of the Missionary Training Center:
"We ought to be real students—students like no one
else. … If we, in this lay Church, don’t become proficient in learning the
gospel of Jesus Christ, who on earth will? If the elders of Israel do not become profound
theologians, who on earth will? If you mothers and mothers-to-be don’t learn the
gospel sufficiently to teach your children, who on earth will? And, you missionaries, if
you don’t learn the message the Lord would have you teach, who on earth will? Many
painfully discover the obvious—you can’t teach well that which you do not
know!" (Joe J. Christensen, "Learning Is Everybody’s Business,"
Ensign, Feb. 1979, pp. 64-65).
Quote 2
"Any second
language study is valuable. … A third language is much easier to learn if you’ve
had training in a second language, because you’ve already learned concepts and
patterns of thinking that a person who speaks his native tongue still has to wrestle
with" (Steven L. Taylor, "To Every Man in His Own Tongue," New Era, Sept.
1978, p. 49).
Quote 3
Merrell Jenson, a
member of the Church and a musician, was asked, "What role has music played in your
opportunity to do missionary work?"
He replied, "I was 15 when I received my patriarchal
blessing, and it said that music would enable me to unlock doors that would otherwise
remain closed, and that I would have a great influence on the world through music. Within
a few years things began to happen to me that made its meaning more clear. I was called on
a full-time mission to Norway and played in a musical group for eight months while there.
I’ve been back from Norway 11 years now, and members from there still tell me of
youth who are going on missions because they were influenced by our group and of members
who went out and did missionary work after listening to us. …
"Since returning from my mission I have been …
able through my career to introduce the gospel to producers, musicians, and other people
in the industry. I give a Book of Mormon with a picture of our family and my testimony in
the front to the conductor of the orchestra I happen to be working with and also to people
I meet on planes while traveling" ("Music Man," New Era, Aug. 1980, p. 43).
Quote 4
"Perhaps you
have something to give that is as simple as love, or dedication, or hard work, or anything
else that may be missing in someone’s life. Try it. Share it. You’ll never know
what it may do for another" (H. Burke Peterson, "Your Life Has a Purpose,"
New Era, May 1979, pp. 4-5).
Quote 5
"Just as surely
as [a person] walks, his manner, his attitude, his clothing, his complete self will be
concrete evidence of what he is in his soul. He cannot conceal himself. Teach him, then,
that these things reveal his spirit and show what he really is" (S. Dilworth Young,
in Conference Report, Apr. 1972, p. 83; or Ensign, July 1972, p. 77).
Quote 6
One man met a Church
member at an airport and began talking to her. "Our conversation led into a
discussion on religion, and she imparted to me her testimony of the blessings that her
family received from joining the Mormon Church. At that time I wasn’t really
interested, but she had planted the seed, and when I met the elders some time later I was
ready."
Quote 7
Another convert wrote
of a conversation with a member who was a neighbor of her uncle: "He told me some
wonderful things I had never heard before about God and what He’d done for him and
about the wonderful things the Church did for his life. He told me that Joseph Smith was a
prophet and that our Heavenly Father is alive and plays a very important part in his life.
For some reason the greatest warm feeling just came and seemed to say, ‘It’s
true,’ and I just knew it was! I could just feel it all over" (Santiago Ofianga
and Karen Lowe, as quoted in Jay A. Parry, "Converts Tell … What Brought Me
In," Ensign, Feb. 1978, p. 41).
Stories
Story 1
We can take advantage
of natural ways to open gospel discussions. The members of one family consider it fun to
look each day for ways to tell their friends about the gospel. They just watch for natural
opportunities. By simply keeping their eyes, ears, and hearts open, they are able to teach
their friends about the gospel without forcing anything. (See George D. Durrant,
"Helping Your Children Be Missionaries," Ensign, Oct. 1977, p. 67.)
Story 2
Some students make
use of school assignments to introduce others to the Church or gospel principles. One
student, looking for a subject for a history project, decided to prepare a report on the
westward trek of the Latter-day Saint pioneers. Not many students in the class knew much
about the Church. This oral report provided an opportunity for much to be said about the
Church. Another student had an assignment for a science class. She decided to present a
report on the effects of smoking by dissecting a calf’s heart in class. She had
received instructions on how to do it from a medical student. This graphic presentation
not only earned her an "A" in the class but allowed her to teach a Word of
Wisdom lesson as well. (See Dee V. Jacobs, "Gospel Sharing the Easy Way," New
Era, Sept. 1980, p. 26.)
Skills
- Develop confidence.
- Learn other languages.
- Develop talents.
- Cultivate good manners
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