Member Missionary Work

Spencer W. Kimball Northern States Mission

It is generally understood that every member of the Church should be a missionary. He is probably not authorized to go from house to house, but he is authorized, by virtue of his membership, to set a proper example as a good neighbor. Neighbors are watching him. Neighbors are watching his children. He is a light, and it is his duty not to have that light hidden under a bushel, but it should be set on a hill that all men are guided thereby....

If you will live in accordance with those humble principles under the covenants you made at the water’s edge, and since that time in Sacrament meetings, and many of you in the House of God, you will fill a noble mission, and God will reward you.

May every member of the Church experience this transformation in this life, and so live that others, seeing his good deeds, may be led to glorify our Father in heaven. (David O. McKay, Conference Report, October 1958, pp. 93-94).

Bring people into the Church. Bring them in with love. Bring them in with kindness. Bring them in with the example of your lives. So live the gospel that they will see in you something of wonder and beauty and be encouraged to inquire, study the gospel and join the Church. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Stand A Little Taller. Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2001, p. 235).

From a retrospect of the requirements of the servants of God to preach the Gospel... if a Priest understands his duty, his calling, and ministry, and preaches by the Holy Ghost, his enjoyment is as great as if he were one of the Presidency; and his services are necessary in the body, as are also those of Teacher and Deacons. (Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1978, 2:478).

The Lord declared that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached … for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). Can it possibly be accomplished? I remember an insight that suggested how it can happen.

I met a woman in South America who had just joined the Church. Fired by a great love for that which she had found, she had gone about enthusiastically telling others.

During a period of only seven months since her baptism, she had referred three hundred acquaintances to the missionaries so that they might explain the gospel to them. At one point, sixty had come into the Church. More likely came in. In São Paulo, Brazil, I met the young missionary who first had taught her the gospel. He too had been a convert, had gone on a mission to represent the Church at considerable financial sacrifice. The woman of whom I speak was one of forty-three he had assisted in bringing into the Church to that point. This young man of Brazil had expanded himself more than one hundred times forty-three converts of his own and sixty through one of those he converted, with more from others of his converts to come. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “‘Be Not Afraid, Only Believe’,” Ensign, [February 1996]: 2).

And then, we are surrounded at home with many to whom it is our duty to preach, for it is just as necessary to preach at home as abroad. (Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake Herald Church and Farm, [15 June 1895]: 385).

You know the old saying that to arrive nowhere is to be going nowhere. That is where one arrives with utmost certainty without the use of road signs or guideposts. I hope that each of you will aim at something constructive during your vacation period.
I would like to make a few suggestions. I will start out with a little experience that I encountered just a few years ago while I was supervising the missions along the West Coast. I was up in the Alaskan-Canadian Mission when I heard this story.

While attending high school, the daughter of the mission president was successful in bringing one of her friends into the Church. When the summer vacation came along, she said, “Daddy, I want to spend my summer months in the mission field.” So he called her as a summer missionary and sent her up to Anchorage. He and I were there when the elders held a baptismal service. Eleven people were baptized, and nine of them were the converts of this girl and her companion. One was a man who looked as if he could grace any position in the Church. After the baptism the daughter of the mission president came up to me and, with the tears rolling down her cheeks, said, “Oh, President Richards, I have never been so happy in all my life.” Wasn’t it a wonderful ambition for that girl to want to spend her summer months in missionary work? And what a compensation if you want to lay away treasures in heaven!

Some years ago down in California, where I presided as a stake president, a bishop asked a young man in his ward if he would be willing to spend his summer months in doing missionary work. He was studying medicine, but he agreed that he would. Do you know what he did? He went around to the boys and girls he had attended high school with and said to them, “My Church has asked me to do some missionary work for it, and I am not very well prepared. How would you like to give me a few nights of your spare time and let me practice on you so that I will become prepared to do my missionary work?” With just that one little thought, he brought four of those high school friends into the Church during those summer months. Isn’t that better than sitting around twiddling your thumbs, wasting your time? There is opportunity all around us on every hand. (LeGrand Richards, “A Constructive Life,” New Era, [June 1976]: 4).

Last year there were approximately 300,000 convert baptisms throughout the Church. This is tremendously significant. This is the equivalent of 120 new stakes of 2,500 members each. Think of that: 120 new stakes in a single year! It is wonderful. But it is not enough. I am not being unrealistic when I say that with concerted effort, with recognition of the duty which falls upon each of us as members of the Church, and with sincere prayer to the Lord for help, we could double that number. The big initial task is first to find interested investigators. So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel.

The full-time missionaries may do the actual teaching, but the member, wherever possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert who is making a big and often difficult change.

The gospel is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something to be proud of. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,” wrote Paul to Timothy (2 Tim. 1:8).

Opportunities for sharing the gospel are everywhere.

Dr. William Ghormley served as president of the stake in Corpus Christi, Texas. He bought his gasoline at a particular station. Each time he filled his tank he would leave a piece of Church literature with the station owner. It might have been a tract or a Church magazine or the Church News, but he never went there without leaving something. The man who ran the station was converted by the power of the Spirit as he read that literature. When last I checked, he was serving as a bishop.

The process of bringing new people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source from which new investigators are found.

I would like to suggest that every bishop in the Church give as a motto to his people, “Let’s all work to grow the ward.” I am not sure the grammar is correct, but the idea is right.

Let there be cultivated an awareness in every member’s heart of his own potential for bringing others to a knowledge of the truth. Let him work at it. Let him pray with great earnestness about it. Let each member pray, as did Alma of old:

“O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing [others] again unto thee in Christ.

“Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee” (Alma 31:34–35).

My heart reaches out to you missionaries. You simply cannot do it alone and do it well. You must have the help of others. That power to help lies within each of us. But you must do all you can. You must be anxiously engaged. When you are not working on referrals of members, you must be developing those referrals yourselves through tracting and related means.

I spoke at the funeral of a dear friend the other day. Some years ago he served as a mission president. He felt totally inadequate when he arrived in the field. He was sent to succeed a very good man, a man of great ability, an excellent leader, and a very able president.

When this new man took over the mission and made his first tour of meetings with missionaries, he said to them: “I never served a mission as a young man, and so I don’t know what you are going through. But do your best, your very, very best. Say your prayers and work hard and leave the harvest to the Lord.”

With that kind of spirit and that outreach of love, a whole new attitude spread through the mission. Members got behind the missionaries. Within a year the number of converts had doubled.

And now this word from Moroni, both to the missionaries and to the converts: “See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out” (Mormon 9:29).

Speaking of worthiness in coming into the Church, President Joseph F. Smith once wrote: “People must be taught before they are fit candidates for baptism. Now, what shall they be taught? Why, faith in God, in Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost, faith in the efficacy of prayer, and in the ordinances and principles of the gospel which Jesus taught; faith in the restoration of this gospel and all its powers, to the Prophet Joseph Smith; faith in the Church which he was instrumental in establishing; faith in the priesthood, as authorized servants of the living God; faith in the revelations received in modern times; faith in the performance of the works required of a Latter-day Saint; faith in the principle of tithing, and in all other requirements, temporal and spiritual, mentioned in the law of God; and, finally, faith to live lives of righteousness before the Lord” (“Baptism,” Improvement Era, Jan. 1911, 267–68). (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,” Ensign, [May 1999]: 104).

Now, my brethren and sisters, we can let the missionaries try to do it alone, or we can help them. If they do it alone, they will knock on doors day after day and the harvest will be meager. Or as members we can assist them in finding and teaching investigators.

Whose responsibility is it? I begin with the stake presidents and their councils. A stake mission with a stake mission president is found in each stake. It is their responsibility, working under the general direction of the stake president, to work constantly at the task of finding and encouraging investigators. Those finders include every member of the Church.

Let there develop in every stake an awareness of the opportunity to find those who will listen to the gospel message. In this process we need not be offensive. We need not be arrogant. The most effective tract we will carry will be the goodness of our own lives and example. And as we engage in this service, our lives will improve, for we shall be alert to see that we do not do or say anything which might impede the progress of those we are trying to lead toward the truth.

I request each stake and district president to accept full responsibility and accountability for the finding and friendshipping of investigators within your stake or district. I request each bishop and branch president to accept the same responsibility within your ward or branch. You brethren have a sacred obligation before the Lord for this effort. You set the example for what others may do under your inspired leadership. We have full confidence in your capacity and willingness to do it.

There needs to be an infusion of enthusiasm at every level in the Church. Let this subject be dealt with occasionally in sacrament meeting. Let it be discussed by the priesthood and the Relief Society in their weekly meetings. Let the Young Men and the Young Women talk about and plan ways to help in this most important undertaking. Let even the Primary children think of ways to assist. Many a parent has come into the Church because of a child who was invited to Primary. I have a granddaughter who has a little nonmember friend. She takes her to Church. The girl’s mother, without any malice, said to her the other day, “You say grace just like the Mormons.”

Ward and stake council meetings should have on the agenda the status of investigators developed by the ward members and every convert who has recently come into the Church.

If this happens, then the missionaries will be busy. They will be happy. They will be productive. The revelation says to them:

“Ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, declaring my word like unto angels of God.

“And ye shall go forth baptizing with water, saying: Repent ye, … for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (D&C 42:6–7).

The Lord further said: “And any man that shall go and preach this gospel of the kingdom, and fail not to continue faithful in all things, shall not be weary in mind, … neither in body, limb, nor joint; and a hair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed. And they shall not go hungry, neither athirst” (D&C 84:80).

He continues: “Whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88). (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,” Ensign, [May 1999]: 104).

That is a powerful testimony of what can be done. However, missionaries do not need to neglect proselyting to assist in fellowshipping the members. The two efforts can go hand in hand. You have the Saints to help, all of them. You have bishops and their ward councils. You have stake presidents and their stake councils. Most particularly, you have the Member Missionary Coordinating Council, which meets periodically to consider missionary problems in the stakes and most particularly to keep track of and give an accounting of every new member who has come into the Church. Your own full-time mission president will frequently attend this meeting.

Under the direction of this council, another six lessons will be taught to more firmly ground new members in their faith.

Now, to you bishops who hold your ward council meetings, a discussion of the status of converts in that meeting may be the most important business you will conduct. You are not bound by rigid rules. You have unlimited flexibility. You are entitled to answers to your prayers, to inspiration and revelation from the Lord in dealing with this matter. I am appalled when I hear that a bishop is indifferent toward those who come into the Church. At that time, they may not be very attractive people. But if they are treated right, the gospel will refine them. Their very dress, their demeanor, their deportment will improve. All of us have seen miracles occur. How great is our opportunity, how tremendous our challenge.

My beloved brethren and sisters, it is our responsibility, the responsibility of each of us, of the stake presidency, of the high council, of the bishopric, of the Sunday School presidency, of the Primary presidency, of the Young Men presidency, of the Young Women presidency, of the Relief Society presidency, and of the priesthood quorum officers to see that every one who is baptized is encouraged and made to feel the wondrous warmth of this gospel of our Lord. I am pleased to report that we are making progress, but there is so very much more that remains to be done.

How glorious is this work. It is filled with miracles. We could talk about them all evening as we have witnessed them.

Brothers and sisters, all of you out in the wards and stakes and in the districts and branches, I invite you to become a vast army with enthusiasm for this work and a great overarching desire to assist the missionaries in the tremendous responsibility they have to carry the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. “The field is white [and] ready to harvest” (D&C 4:4). The Lord has repeatedly declared this. Shall we not take Him at His word?

Before the Church was organized, there was missionary work. It has continued ever since, notwithstanding the difficulties of many of the seasons through which our people have passed. Let us, every one, resolve within ourselves to arise to a new opportunity, a new sense of responsibility, a new shouldering of obligation to assist our Father in Heaven in His glorious work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters throughout the earth.

This is God’s holy work. This is His Church and kingdom. The vision that occurred in the Sacred Grove was just as Joseph said it was. We are building a new temple overlooking this hallowed ground to further testify to the reality of this most sacred event. As I recently stood in the snow to determine where this new temple will stand, there came into my heart a true understanding of the importance of what happened in the Sacred Grove. The Book of Mormon is true. It testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ. His priesthood has been restored and is among us. The keys of that priesthood, which have come from heavenly beings, are exercised for our eternal blessing. Such is our testimony—yours and mine—a testimony which we must share with others. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,” Ensign, [May 1999]: 104).

Missionaries may appropriately ask the members for referrals. We know that missionaries who ask for referrals are far more likely to receive them.

The number of member referrals has declined in many areas because the matter does not receive attention. For instance, in the United States and Canada 42 percent of investigators came from member referrals in 1987. By 1997 that number had dropped to 20 percent. A similar decline is found across the world.

Now, brothers and sisters, this downward trend must be reversed. We need again to give this important matter its proper priority. The Lord will bless those who assist in this all-important work.

“And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

“And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!” (D&C 18:15–16.)

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared: “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 113).

And again: “Let the Saints remember that great things depend on their individual exertion, and that they are called to be co-workers with us and the Holy Spirit in accomplishing the great work of the last days” (Teachings, 178).

Every one of the Presidents of the Church following Joseph Smith has spoken on this important matter.

Great is our work, tremendous is our responsibility in helping to find those to teach. The Lord has laid upon us a mandate to teach the gospel to every creature. This will take the very best efforts of every missionary—full-time and stake. It will take the very best efforts of every bishop, of every bishop’s counselor, of every member of the ward council. It will take the very best interests of every stake president and his council, and particularly the Member Missionary Coordinating Councils.

God bless you, my beloved brethren and sisters, in meeting the tremendous challenge that is ours. We cannot evade it. We cannot escape it. We must face up to it. The opportunities are tremendous. We are equal to it, and the Lord will bless us as we try. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,” Ensign, [May 1999]: 104).

There is neither man or woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live, and it is to do good, to promote righteousness, to teach the principles of truth, and to prevail upon themselves and everybody around them to live those principles that they may obtain eternal life. (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1941, p. 322).

We should accept every opportunity to bring the knowledge of the gospel to others—to our inactive Church member associates, to our nonmember friends in college, military service, and business, to our neighbors and friends.

The Lord gave this revelation to the Prophet: “For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.” (D&C 123:12.) (Harold B. Lee, Ye are the light of the world : selected sermons and writings of President Harold B. Lee, Salt Lake City : Deseret Book, 1974. pp. 24–25).

Today I invite you to relax and set aside your concerns and focus instead on your love for the Lord, your testimony of His eternal reality, and your gratitude for all He has done for you. If you are truly motivated by love and testimony and gratitude, you will quite naturally do all that you can to assist the Lord in "[bringing] to pass the immortality and eternal life" (Moses 1:39) of our Father's children. In fact, it would be impossible to keep you from doing it.

The Savior Himself showed us the way when He invited His disciples to "come and see . . . where he dwelt, and [they] abode with him that day" (John 1:39.) Why do you suppose He did that? The scriptural record does not explain His reasoning, but I am confident that it had nothing to do with comfort or convenience. As always, He was teaching. And what better way to teach His followers than to invite them to visit with Him so they could see and experience His magnificent message firsthand.

Similarly, our homes can be gospel-sharing homes as people we know and love come into our homes and experience the gospel firsthand in both word and action. We can share the gospel without holding a formal discussion. Our families can be our lesson, and the spirit that emanates from our homes can be our message.

Having a gospel-sharing home will not only be a blessing for those we bring into our homes but for those who live within it. By living in a gospel-sharing home, our testimonies become stronger and our understanding of the gospel improves. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that we can be forgiven of our sins when we help someone else repent (see D&C 62:3). We find joy in helping others come unto Christ and feel the redemptive power of His love (see D&C 18:14–16). Our families are blessed as the testimonies and faith of both parents and children increase.
In gospel-sharing homes we pray for guidance for ourselves, and we pray for the physical and spiritual well-being of others. We pray for the people the missionaries are teaching, for our acquaintances, and for those not of our faith. In the gospel-sharing homes of Alma's time, the people would "join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God" (Alma 6:6).

Creating a gospel-sharing home is the easiest and most effective way that we can share the gospel with others. And we're not just talking about traditional homes with families consisting of two parents living with their children. College students can create a gospel-sharing home when they adorn the walls of their apartments with pictures that reflect spiritual pursuits instead of the things of the world. Older couples and single members exemplify a gospel-sharing home when they welcome new neighbors and invite them to attend church and visit them in their homes.

A gospel-sharing home is one in which neighborhood children love to play, making it natural to invite them and their family to attend church, a family home evening, or some other activity. Teenagers visiting a gospel-sharing home feel comfortable asking questions or participating with the family in prayer.

Gospel-sharing homes are very ordinary. They may not always be spotlessly clean nor the children perfectly behaved. But they are a place in which family members clearly love each other, and the Spirit of the Lord is felt by those who visit. (M. Russell Ballard, “Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home,” Conference Report, April 2006).

As we talk about what a gospel-sharing home is, perhaps it would also be helpful to identify some things that a gospel-sharing home is not.

A gospel-sharing home is not a program. It is a way of life. Creating a gospel-sharing home means inviting our friends and neighbors into the ongoing flow of family and Church activities. As we invite our friends to join us for these activities, they will also feel the Spirit.

Creating a gospel-sharing home does not mean that we are going to have to dedicate large amounts of time to meeting and cultivating friends with whom to share the gospel. These friends will come naturally into our lives, and if we are open about our membership in the Church from the very beginning, we can easily bring gospel discussions into the relationship with very little risk of being misunderstood.

Friends and acquaintances will accept that this is part of who we are, and they will feel free to ask questions.

A gospel-sharing home is not defined by whether or not people join the Church as a result of our contact with them. Our opportunity and responsibility are to care, to share, to testify, to invite, and then to allow individuals to decide for themselves. We are blessed when we have invited them to consider the Restoration, regardless of the outcome. At the very least, we have a rewarding relationship with someone from another faith, and we can continue to enjoy their friendship.

In a gospel-sharing home we do not just pray for the health, safety, and success of our missionaries throughout the world. We also pray for our own missionary experiences and opportunities and to be prepared to act on those impressions as they come our way. And I promise you, they will come. (M. Russell Ballard, “Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home,” Conference Report, April 2006).

More than 20 years ago I suggested that the key to successful member missionary work is the exercise of faith. One way to show your faith in the Lord and His promises is to prayerfully set a date to have someone prepared to meet with the missionaries. I have received hundreds of letters from members who have exercised their faith in this simple way. Even though families had no one in mind with whom they could share the gospel, they set a date, prayed, and then talked to many more people. The Lord is the Good Shepherd, and He knows His sheep who have been prepared to hear His voice. He will guide us as we seek His divine help in sharing His gospel.

A sister in France was asked about the secret of her success. She said, "I simply share my joy. I treat everyone as if they were already a member of the Church. If I'm standing by someone in line and strike up a conversation, I share with them how much I enjoyed my Church meetings on Sunday. When co-workers ask, 'What did you do this weekend?' I do not skip from Saturday night to Monday morning. I share with them that I went to church, what was said, and my experiences with the Saints. I talk about how I live, think, and feel."

In a gospel-sharing home, our personal missionary effort is a topic of family councils and discussions. One faithful family counseled together on the need for each family member to be an example. Later, the son's high school coach, who was not a member, sent a donation to the Church. Why? Because this young man had impressed him with his courage in speaking up and telling his teammates to clean up their language. There are thousands of experiences that could be shared where people have joined the Church because of the spirit and attitude they observe in the lives of those who come from gospel-sharing homes.

Church literature or DVDs can introduce new friends to the Church. Invitations to hear a family member speak in sacrament meeting or to attend the baptismal service of a family member or to tour a meetinghouse have also been appreciated by those who are not members. From every indicator we have, there is nothing more effective that any of us can do for our friends than to say "come and see" by joining with us in sacrament meeting. Far too many do not know they are welcome to worship with us.
Of course, all of us support the ward leaders and assist in making the ward mission plan effective. Whatever our Church calling may be, we help priesthood and auxiliary leaders assist missionaries, welcome and involve visitors, and fellowship new members. You can ask the missionaries to show you their daily planners so you can see how you can best help them accomplish their goals. As we work together, the spirit of our gospel-sharing homes will overflow in our chapels, our classrooms, and our cultural halls.

I bear testimony that if we will just do some of these simple things, the Lord will lead us to find tens of thousands of Heavenly Father's children who are ready to be taught the gospel. Our love for the Lord, our appreciation for His atoning sacrifice, and His mission to have all come unto Him should provide all the motivation we need to be successful in sharing the gospel. (M. Russell Ballard, “Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home,” Conference Report, April 2006).

We have such an obligation to those who are baptized into the Church. We cannot neglect them. We cannot leave them to stand alone. They need help as they become accustomed to the ways and culture of this Church. And it is our great blessing and opportunity to afford that help....A warm smile, a friendly handshake, an encouraging word will do wonders. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign,/Rose Park, Regional Conference, Utah, 28 February 1999).

Father, you are to take the lead. By working together as families, much great work can be accomplished. With your family, prayerfully select one or two families to friendship. Decide whom of your relatives or friends you will introduce to the Church. Perhaps you could plan a family home evening with them...or participate together in any number of ways. Then, when these families show interest, arrange through your ward or branch mission leader to invite them and the missionaries into your home to share the message of the Restoration. If you will follow this simple procedure, you will bring a number of fine families into the Church. (Spencer W. Kimball, Sharing the Gospel through Priesthood Missionary Service [filmstrip, 1975]).

The best way in the world to make men interested in the gospel is to live the ideals and the standards which we expect of those who profess membership in the Church. That is the first thing that strikes home to a stranger. How do we, who profess to be members, deport ourselves as members of the Church? ...

No man or woman can teach the gospel if he doesn’t live it. The first act to qualify yourself to be a missionary is to live the principles which you teach. Did you ever think that a sinner would be a very good teacher of repentance? Do you think that anyone would be very effective teaching others to keep the Sabbath day holy if he did not keep the Sabbath day holy himself? Do you think you could teach any of the other principles of the gospel if you do not believe it sufficiently to implant it in your own lives? (Harold B. Lee, Brigham Young University stake conference missionary session, 19 October 1957, Historical Department Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2, 5).

A choice counselor in the Samoa Mission presidency typifies the spirit of obedience. He is handsome in appearance, sincere in his testimony, and responds to each call with seldom-equaled enthusiasm. A convert to the Church, he formerly studied for the ministry of another faith. Intelligent, educated, keen thinking and fearless, his actions demonstrate his love for the newly found truth that is his very life. Since his baptism in 1961, he has taught the gospel to many hundreds of persons and has himself baptized 174 as they have entered the kingdom of God.

Ridiculed by the unbelievers for lifting his voice in testimony, stoned for his teaching of the truth, mocked for his adherence to a rigid code of conduct, he courageously tells others of an apostasy from the Church that followed the death of the Lord and his apostles, and of the restoration of the gospel in this dispensation through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

I asked, “What provides your incentive, your strength to carry on such a missionary crusade amidst such a storm of protest?”

He replied: “Our prophet, God’s mouthpiece, has asked that every member be a missionary. My desire is to be obedient to the prophet.” (Thomas S. Monson, Pathways to Perfection, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1980, pp. 21-22.).

There are few things in life that bring as much joy as the joy that comes from assisting another improve his or her life. That joy is increased when those efforts help someone understand the teachings of the Savior and that person decides to obey them, is converted, and joins His Church. There follows great happiness as that new convert is strengthened during the transition to a new life, is solidly grounded in truth, and obtains all of the ordinances of the temple with the promise of all the blessings of eternal life. President McKay showed us how to obtain such joy with his profound clarification of our responsibility to share the gospel: “Every member a missionary.” I know many more would follow that charge were they to realize that there are many different ways to fulfill that responsibility. I will describe some of them. But first, why has each of us been asked to be a missionary?

The Savior emphasized the vital importance of sharing the gospel when He said to His disciples: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” He charged His servants to “seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God.” Lehi taught his son Jacob: “Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah. . . .

“. . . He offereth himself a sacrifice for sin...unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
“Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.”

Joseph Smith understood the charge of God to share truth with the world. During the most difficult times of his life, he sent forth his loyal supporters to proclaim the gospel when they were urgently needed to support him. In the midst of the trial and deprivation of Liberty Jail he said: “For there are many yet on the earth...who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, … who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.. . .

“Therefore, . . .let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may
we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.” (Richard G. Scott, “Why Every Member a Missionary?” Ensign, [November 1997]: 35).

We all need to be reminded to share the gospel with our associates. I emphasize the word share. I like it. I depreciate the use of what might be perceived as force and pressure upon those who live among us. I think it unnecessary. Neighborliness and exemplary living of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with an awareness of opportunity to quietly and graciously lead them in the direction of the Church, will accomplish much more, and will be resisted less and appreciated more by those we seek to help. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Miracle Made Possible by Faith,” Ensign, [May 1984]: 46).

There are many ways to encourage members to become more involved in missionary work. Consider the following ideas:

• Seek the guidance of the bishop and other ward leaders.

• Teach Church leaders and members the message of the Restoration and other lessons.

• Encourage them to fast and pray for missionary opportunities.

• Encourage them to visit acquaintances who have recently experienced a life-changing event (birth, death in the family, marriage, or recently moved).

• Invite them to help you teach. The ideal situation is to have a Church member with you who formerly belonged to the same church as the investigator.

• Help them set dates when they will invite their friends to learn about the message of the Restoration.

• Show them items they can give others, such as copies of the Book of Mormon, videos, and pass-along cards.

• Encourage them to invite their friends to attend church or family home evening, to view a Church-produced video, or to participate in a gospel conversation.

• Help them practice what they could say to their friends.

• Teach them why it is valuable to share the gospel regardless of the result.

There are many ways to help members get more involved. Seek to add to this list throughout your mission. Share your ideas with other missionaries. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service, Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, p. 162).

There is a ... group of missionaries whose names do not appear in the missionary roster, whose hours of service are not counted and whose beneficent efforts are not reported...They are the missionary hosts and hostesses—-men and women who are ministers indeed, who in denying themselves for the comfort and happiness of others are true servants of the Christ. As their Master of Old, they 'go about doing good.' These unreported missionaries are designated variously 'missionary mothers,' and 'missionary homes'...God bless the unreported missionaries in the world over whose self-denial and generous devotion to the work contribute so much to the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (David O. McKay, Pathways to Happiness, Comp. by Llewelyn R. McKay, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1957, p. 176).

Too many missionaries are neutralized and occasionally lost (excommunicated) because of over-solicitous members, member sisters who 'mother' the missionaries, and socializing occurring between missionaries and members. Because of the importance of members and missionaries working effectively together on the member missionary program, it is vital that missionaries maintain the proper missionary image and have the reputation as great proselyting elders and not simply 'good guys'. The greatest help members can be to a missionary is not to feed him, but to give the names of their friends so that he can teach them with the spirit in their homes and challenge them, with the wonderful members helping to fellowship. (Ezra Taft Benson, Mission Presidents' Seminar, 21 June 1975).

Work with members of the Church to find people to teach. The ideal situation is when members invite others to be taught and are present for the teaching. When members do this, more people are baptized and remain active in the Church. Association with members is important because it softens people’s hearts and often leads them to investigate the restored gospel. This often means that they are brought into the circle of friends of Church members, including active and less-active members, recent converts, and part-member families.

President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: “So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel.

“The full-time missionaries may do the actual teaching, but the member, wherever possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert who is making a big and often difficult change. . . .The process of bringing new people into the Church is not the responsibility alone of the missionaries. They succeed best when members become the source from which new investigators are found” (Ensign, May 1999, 105-6). . . .

Many members of the Church have fears about doing missionary work. Many are unsure where to begin or what to say. Many fear that they will lose close friends if they try to share the gospel with them. There are many ways to help the members. For example, help build their faith by teaching them the message of the Restoration and other doctrines of the lessons. Help them feel the Spirit and power of our message. Strengthening their understanding of the doctrine of Christ will more to increase their trust in you and to build their excitement to do missionary work than anything else you can do. Help them understand that offering the restored gospel will flow more naturally out of relationships where they are seeking to love and serve their family members and friends. . . .Encourage members to “join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who [know] not God” (Alma 6:6). In all you do with members, seek to lift and build their faith to help them do missionary work.

In addition to working with active members, seek to find people through prospective elders, less-active members, and new members. These members are likely to have many friends of other faiths and be blessed as they share the restored gospel with their family members and friends.

In every visit with members, do all you can to encourage them to:

• Pray and follow the Spirit.

• Give service.

• Develop friendships.

• Open their mouths to share the restored gospel.

• Invite others to do things to increase their faith in Christ.

Every referral you receive from a member should be treated as something precious. When a member gives you the name of a friend to call or visit, respond quickly and report the results back to the member. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, pp. 161-162).

A word to you leaders about extending responsibilities to members and especially to recent converts. President Hinckley said that every new member of the Church needs a responsibility. Whatever responsibility may be extended should not overwhelm new members but should give them ample opportunity to become comfortable in the Church by learning its doctrine and by rubbing shoulders with friendly members. It should anchor them to the restored gospel through increasing their testimony and giving meaningful service. (M. Russell Ballard, “O Be Wise,” Conference Report, October 2006).

Every member is a missionary. He or she has the responsibility of bringing somebody: a mother, a father, a neighbor, a fellow worker, an associate, somebody in touch with the messengers of the gospel. If every member will carry that responsibility and if the arrangement to have that mother or that father or somebody meet the authorized representatives of the Church, no power on earth can stop this church from growing. And personal contact is what will influence those investigators. That personal contact, the nature of it, its effect depends upon you. And that’s one thing that I wish to emphasize. There’s one responsibility which no man can evade, that’s the responsibility of personal influence. … It’s what you are, not what you pretend to be that will bring people to investigate. (David O. McKay, “Talk by President David O. McKay Given to the North British Mission 1 March 1961,” Family and Church History Department Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2–3).

Every time a new member comes into the Church, something happens. There is an infusion of strength and faith and testimony that is wonderful. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Stand A Little Taller, Salt Lake City: Eagle Gate, 2001, p. 309).

Now, you are already wonderful missionaries, better than you think you are, and there is more where that comes from! The 12-hour-a-day, heavy-duty effort we’ll leave to the full-time missionaries, but why should they have all the fun? We are entitled to a seat at the abundant table of testimony as well, and fortunately a place has been reserved there for each member of the Church.

Indeed, one of the axioms of our day is that no mission or missionaries can ultimately succeed without the loving participation and spiritual support of the local members working with them in a balanced effort. If today you are taking notes on a stone tablet, chisel that one in deeply. I promise you won’t ever have to erase it. Initial investigators may come from many different sources, but those who are actually baptized and who are firmly retained in activity in the Church come overwhelmingly from friends and acquaintances known to members of the Church. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Witnesses unto Me,” Ensign, [May 2001]: 14).

Member involvement in missionary work is more important than the number of full-time missionaries. Generally, the number or converts in a geographical area is more related to the number of Church members than to the number of full-time missionaries. Of all the things we can do to lift dramatically the number of convert baptisms, more effective involvement of Church members in missionary work tops the list. (Howard W. Hunter, Ensign, [May 1979]: 104).

Brothers and sisters, we must ever keep in mind that missionary work throughout the world requires great sacrifice, and all of this sacrifice, effort, and exhaustive preparation of missionaries may be in vain if those who accept the gospel do not receive a loving and warm welcome by the members of the Church.

We know from years of experience that the first contacts new converts have with members in wards or branches are critical to the conversion process. Recently, several of the Brethren were discussing how we accept and welcome newcomers. Two of them shared experiences with me.

Elder Devere Harris of the First Quorum of the Seventy told me of a recent visit he made to a long-established ward in Utah. He said, “I entered there as a stranger and tried every way that I knew to strike up a conversation, or to say hello, or to be kind, or to be greeted, or to be known. Everyone ignored me; nobody would speak to me—no one!

“Finally, a man recognized me. He said, ‘Oh, Elder Harris.’ The bishop turned around and said, ‘What did you say?’ The brother said, ‘This is Elder Harris of the First Quorum of the Seventy.’

“Well, things changed. It wasn’t long before I was asked to sit on the stand; they wondered if I wouldn’t like to bear my testimony. After the meeting, many people shook my hand. As I left, I thought, ‘What a tragedy! A gray-haired man who was unknown walks into a meeting. Nobody recognizes him, nobody says hello, nobody is kind. Then, because of his Church position, everybody changes and wants to be friendly.’ ”

The second story involves two sisters who live two thousand miles from each other. Each was taught the missionary discussions by the full-time missionaries. Each felt the confirming witness of the Spirit and was baptized. Both were single adults in their early twenties. One sister attended church meetings, met the bishop, developed friendships with members who invited her into their homes. Ward members made her feel welcome and wanted. She was given a Church calling immediately after her baptism, and she continued to learn and live gospel principles while associating with ward and stake members. She participated continually, serving in various ward, stake, and general Church callings. In time, she married in the temple, and she maintains her standing as a member in full fellowship.

The other sister, after receiving the witness of the Spirit, never met her bishop personally. She received no visits by home teachers or visiting teachers and was given no Church calling. For several weeks she attended Sunday ward meetings, but she was mostly ignored. In due course, the missionaries who had taught her left the area, and her interest in the gospel waned without the support of members. She was not “remembered and nourished.” (Moro. 6:4.) Soon she stopped attending church services, resumed her old friendships and life-style, and married a nonmember. Today she is a fine, productive, contributing citizen in her community and a loving, conscientious wife and mother. But she does not enjoy the rich blessings that come from full fellowship in the Church.

Recently, the Church News, featured two older sister missionaries who exemplify the attributes of love and caring for others while serving on their missions in Duchesne, Utah. The stake president credited these sisters with bringing a spirit of warmth and friendship to his stake. In fact, the teaching and fellowshipping efforts of these sisters have helped change the attitude of the whole stake. The work of the Lord is more effectively coming together and influencing everyone, including the less active as well as nonmembers. The stake president said that in small farming communities, the activation of a less-active family has a big effect on others. He expects twelve to fifteen families to become active and go through the temple this year. (M. Russell Ballard, “The Hand of Fellowship,” Ensign, [November 1988]: 28).

I am convinced that there are many, many thousands. . . who, with warmth and welcome, can be led to the eternal truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They are looking better than they have. They must be friendshipped. They must be fellowshipped. They must be made to feel comfortable and at home, so they can observe in the lives of the members of the Church those virtues they wish for themselves. . .

The world is our responsibility. We cannot evade it. I think of the words of Jacob in the Book of Mormon, who with his brother Joseph had been consecrated a priest and teacher unto the people:

“And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence.” (Jacob 1:19.) (Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Question of a Mission,” Ensign, [May 1986]: 42).

Whenever possible invite members, preferably recent converts, to help you teach. The ideal situation is to include Church members who formerly belonged to the same church as the investigators. Show the members a copy of the lesson, and discuss what you want them to teach. Discuss how to work together. For example, have the members, as appropriate share how they were able to learn, accept, and live a particular principle in the lesson. Have them explain how they made the decision to join the Church. When members join in teaching, they will have the opportunity to feel the joy of missionary work. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, p. 179).

Successful activation of others involves the recognition of need and of our becoming personally involved. It requires efforts beyond concern for one’s own comfort. (David B. Haight, Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 5 April 1985).

Missionary work begins with each of us at home. It ought to be motivated more by fresh faith and conviction than obligation. It involves quiet living. Missionary work is a natural manifestation of the pure love of Christ. (James E. Faust, Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 5 April 1985).

The work of proclaiming the gospel will move forward more powerfully when full-time missionaries and members coordinate their efforts and work in unity together. You may often be invited to attend ward council and priesthood executive committee meetings. Your first priority is to make sure that your investigators are at Church. Frequently this will mean that you will accompany them. If there is a conflict between attending ward council meeting and getting someone to church, do the latter. In this case, provide a copy of the Progress Record to the ward mission leader and ensure that he has all the information need for ward council or priesthood executive committee.
President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “Every convert needs three things:

1. A friend in the Church to whom he can constantly turn, who will walk beside him, who will answer his questions, who will understand his problems.

2. An assignment. Activity is the genius of this Church. It is the process by which we grow. Faith and love for the Lord are like the muscle of my arm. If I use them, they grow stronger. If I put them in a sling, they become weaker, Every convert deserves a responsibility. . . .

3. Every convert must be ‘nourished by the good word of God’ (Moroni 6:4). It is imperative that he or she become affiliated with a priesthood quorum or the Relief Society, the Young Women, the Young Men, the Sunday School, or the Primary. He or she must be encouraged to come to sacrament meeting to partake of the sacrament, to renew the covenants made at the time of baptism” (Ensign,, May 1999, 106).

The ward council will take the lead in providing a friend, responsibility, and spiritual nourishment for new converts. You will help them as requested. Priesthood leaders and members will do the fellowshipping, with your assistance. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, pp. 215-216).

When attending church meetings, you and your companion should sit with your investigators or members you have been fellowshipping to support and strengthen them. You should not sit in a group with other missionaries.

A vital part of your mission is to establish the Church and strengthen the unit in which you serve. You do this in part by helping new converts remain active and by helping less-active members return to activity. One of your duties is to join with ward missionaries to teach again the first four lessons and to teach lesson 5. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, p. 214).

Missionaries should sit with investigators or new members and not sit as a group of missionaries. (Thomas S. Monson, Church News, 26 June 1999).

During the teaching process investigators can be benefited by the strength of a member couple’s testimony who have in recent years made the step to baptism and membership. In the Canadian Mission in Ontario and Quebec, where our family lived when I presided over the mission, we found that the majority of the population belonged to perhaps three dominant faiths: Roman Catholic, Anglican, and the United Church of Canada. In every city of the mission we arranged for a newly baptized family from each of these faiths to be available to the missionaries who were in the process of teaching new investigators so that such a member couple could accompany the missionary team on perhaps the second or third visit.

Can you appreciate, for example, when missionaries are working with those from the United Church of Canada, the strength of testimony of Brother and Sister William Stoneman, who had come from the United Church of Canada. Brother Stoneman, a printer, would say, “When I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I was the lead printer for the United Church. I lost my job. But I found a better job. Even more, I found the truth in its entirety. You too can make the adjustment. You too can make the same decision. In fact, let us pick you up on Sunday morning so that we can sit together in church. Then you can hear and feel for yourself. We’ll be right by your side.”

Anthony and Edith Belfiglio became such a fellowshipping couple to those who had Roman Catholic roots. The result was the same. It can be done. And such converts stay converted. In addition, the couples chosen to fulfill this assignment put their own roots even deeper in the rich soil of the gospel. Both Brother Stoneman and Brother Belfiglio became ordained patriarchs. The combined efforts of members and missionaries in such specific cooperation yield an abundant gathering of precious souls. (Thomas S. Monson, Missionary Training Satellite Broadcast, 25 April 2003). (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, p. 179).

Brothers and sisters, we must ever keep in mind the time, effort, and other resources that missionaries and others spend to find and teach one of our Father’s children. Surely, every one of us ought to be alert, looking for ways to be of service to the newcomer. We might ask ourselves how the newcomers in our wards would be treated if we were the only ones they ever met. Every member of the Church should foster the attributes of warmth, sincerity, and love for the newcomers, as the missionaries are taught to do.

Brothers and sisters, we members must help with the conversion process by making our wards and branches friendly places, with no exclusivity, where all people feel welcome and comfortable. You bishops have been given many who can help you foster fellowship. Teach the children, youth, and adults that being warm and friendly are Christ-like qualities. In your ward council meetings, consider ways to improve the feeling of fellowship in your ward. Be sure the missionaries introduce you to every investigator before he or she is baptized.

Assign someone to greet at the doors, paying special attention to newcomers and guests. On occasion, use priesthood and Relief Society meetings to teach home and visiting teachers how to fellowship all who live within the ward. Take advantage of the flexibility you have in using high priests and stake and full-time missionaries to lead the less active and new converts into full fellowship. In the true spirit of shepherding, bishoprics can help create a friendly atmosphere by mingling with members when they are gathering together. (M. Russell Ballard, “The Hand of Fellowship,” Ensign, [November 1988]: 28).

Members should use every honorable means to find people who are willing to listen to the message of the Restoration. They should emphasize finding fathers, mothers, and children who will come into the Church as families. Following are some suggestions to consider in developing a mission plan.

• Pray that the Lord will prepare the hearts of specific people to hear the gospel. Pray also to be sensitive to those whom He is preparing (see Alma 6:6). “It will be a great day,” taught President Gordon B. Hinckley, “when our people not only pray for the missionaries throughout the world, but ask the Lord to assist the missionaries who are laboring in their own wards” (“Missionary Service,” First World Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 2003, 19).

• Be aware of opportunities to reach out to others. Be neighborly and reach out in love to all people.

• Ask friends and neighbors to serve alongside members in such things as providing community service, providing meals to those in need, teaching mini-classes in Relief Society enrichment meetings, helping with ward activities, helping people move, working in Scouting, and helping with family history or welfare projects.

• Invite nonmember relatives, friends, and neighbors to baptisms, confirmations, and priesthood ordinations.

• Make ward meetings, activities, firesides, and open houses of such quality and interest that members feel eager to invite acquaintances to attend.

• Invite people to family home evenings.

• Visit people who are experiencing changes in their lives, such as marriages, births, or deaths.

• Visit and help people who are moving into the neighborhood. Share information about the community, neighborhood, and the Church.

• Take every opportunity to talk about the gospel. Discuss such topics as the Savior, the Book of Mormon, the Bible, the purpose of life, the family, and family history.

• Encourage youth to befriend other youth and invite them to Church meetings and activities.

• Work with part-member families.

• Plan spiritually uplifting sacrament meetings. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, p. 220).

We have a calling, not merely to build the Church of Christ, and to save ourselves therein, but also a commission to save the whole world. We are, as it were, set apart, consecrated for that great purpose. All of Israel must remember, every man or woman who enters the waters of baptism must keep in mind, and every child that comes into the Church must be taught that by the ordinance of baptism we accept the great and divine commission to serve the Lord in building his Church. It will then be easy to keep the commandments of God, to lay aside or meet courageously the temptations that face us. To stand alone, saying selfishly, "I have received the gospel; it is good to be a Latter-day Saint" will not be doing our duty; but, when we say, "Now, I have received this great blessing. I shall pass it on to others"; there comes the flowering in the hearts of men of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. (John A. Widtsoe, Conference Report, October 1946, p. 14).

In addition to welcoming and accepting recent converts and less-active members, we need to reach out and extend our friendship to others regardless of whether they are interested in the gospel or not. We must not be too selective in identifying those we feel are worthy or appreciative of our attention. The spirit of true Christian fellowship must include everyone. Our understanding of the gospel should help us see clearly that all people are our brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father. Perhaps more of us could emulate this example.

Years ago while walking up Main Street with his father, Elder LeGrand Richards, then the Presiding Bishop of the Church, tipped his hat and greeted everyone. Upon arrival at their destination, President George F. Richards, then the President of the Council of the Twelve, said, “Son, do you know all those people?” Bishop Richards responded, “Yes, Daddy, I know them all—all but their names.”

During his earthly ministry, Jesus posed this challenging question: “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matt. 5:46.) This teaching is clear. We should extend our love far beyond family, close friends, and fellow members of the Church. Our hearts should be open to everyone.
We can share the love of Christ in simple acts. For example, the warmth of a radiant smile and friendly greeting can go far in smoothing the way for good neighborly relations. Jesus posed another question: “And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matthew 5:47.)

Some years ago, a friend of mine was doing some work one morning on his garage roof. He looked down and saw a load of cement being delivered to his nonmember neighbor. He could see that the neighbor could use some help. My friend came down from his roof and, without being asked, carried his own cement finishing tools across the street and began helping with the job. Having had experience doing cement work, he and his help turned out to be most welcome. Although the neighbor had expressed a dislike for members of the Church, he showed genuine appreciation for this one by the end of the day. This was the beginning of a long and lasting friendship.

Jesus gave us a new commandment and said it would identify his disciples:

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34–35). (M. Russell Ballard, “The Hand of Fellowship,” Ensign, [November 1988]: 28).

There isn’t anything else more important than taking the gospel to the world. (Spencer W. Kimball, Manchester England Area Conference Report, 1971, p. 22).

We have so much to do in this world to spread the influence of this gospel. Let us go forth on our assigned mission. We feel the compulsion of the Lord’s mandate to teach the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. (See D&C 133:37.) We hope that in so doing we shall not offend, but rather that we shall do so with graciousness and in that spirit of love which was of the very essence of him of whom we testify. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Reach Out in Love and Kindness,” Ensign, [November 1982]: 77).

That there are living among us many people who need what we have to offer—the gospel message—there can be no question from the fact that they are being converted in great numbers within the stakes and wards of the Church. The souls of these inactive members and nonmembers among us are as precious as the souls of people in foreign countries and in the islands of the seas where our missionaries are laboring. (George F. Richards, Conference Report, April 1950, p. 5).

People who drift away from the true doctrine usually know in their hearts something is missing. The kernel of truth, though small, remains—never to be replaced with fame or money or worldly pleasures. (David B. Haight, Ensign, [November 1981]: 59).

Some years ago I was assigned to attend a stake conference in Idaho. When I arrived there, the stake president said, “Brother Ballard, do you trust me?”
I replied, “Well, I like to think that we trust all of our stake presidents. Why do you ask?”

I would like to have two people speak tomorrow and take part of the time you have assigned me,” he said. “They have a marvelous missionary story you will enjoy.”
How could I pass up an intriguing suggestion like that? I told him I would trust him to share his time as he saw fit. I’ll never forget what I heard from the pulpit the next day when the stake president introduced a nine-year-old girl as a speaker in the conference. They had a platform for her to climb up on so she could tell her story.
“One of the stake high councilors came to our ward Primary and called all of the children to be Primary missionaries,” she said in her strong little voice. “So I went home and told my daddy and mommy that I had been called to be a Primary missionary.”
Though her father was bishop of her ward, he didn’t know what that meant. But she did. She knew that she was supposed to go out and find somebody and bring them into the Church. So she said, “Daddy, I want you to go with me, and we will go meet some people in our ward who aren’t members of the Church.”

As bishop, her father knew that there were only two families living within the ward boundaries who were not Latter-day Saints, and both of those families had been given ample opportunity to hear the gospel message. The bishop tried to prepare his daughter for rejection, and then he went with her to visit the families. At the home of one family, the mother answered the door. This brave little missionary said, “I am a Primary missionary, and I have come here with my father to ask you to come and have family home evening with our family.”

If you could have seen the beautiful, trusting eyes of the little Primary missionary, then you would know why this mother could not resist what was happening and agreed to come.

The nonmember family joined the bishop’s family in a family home evening. It was a lovely evening, but it did not prompt any progression toward baptism. Two weeks later our little missionary came home from school just as her mother was taking some banana nut bread from the oven.

“Mommy,” she asked, “could I have a loaf of that bread.”

“Well, sure, sweetheart,” her mother said. “But what do you want it for?”

“I want to take it to my missionary family,” she said.

“I think that’s a great idea,” her mother said, and she wrapped the loaf, preparing it to be taken to their neighbors. Once again, our Primary missionary took the lead at the doorstep. “I have a present for you,” she said when the mother came to the door.

“Oh, that’s nice, sweetheart,” she said.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“That you let the missionaries teach you the gospel.”

Touched by the girl’s bold sincerity, the mother of the nonmember family accepted the challenge. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that just a short time later, as a result of the efforts of this dynamic little Primary missionary, the entire family—-including father, mother, and three sons—-was baptized.

In fact, the newly baptized mother was the second speaker to take some of the stake president’s time during the stake conference. She had difficulty speaking because of the emotion she felt as she was expressing her love for her missionary. That was a great teaching moment for a General Authority. One year later, I had the privilege of performing the sealing for that great family in the Idaho Falls Temple. It was a joyous occasion, and a most memorable part of that whole experience occurred after the ceremony in the waiting area of the temple, when father and mother embraced and thanked that special little girl.

If you ask members of this convert family, they will uniformly agree that sharing the gospel is among the greatest acts of service we can perform as disciples of the Savior. (M. Russell Ballard, When Thou Art Converted, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2001, pp. 136-138).

A great indicator of one's personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others. For this reason the Lord gave an obligation to every member of the Church to be a missionary. (Howard W. Hunter, "President Hunter, President Monson Address New Mission Leaders," Church News, [25 June 1994]: 3).

Let’s talk just a little bit about the member.

When I was a mission president in Toronto, Canada, we knew that investigators worry about the changes that are going to come into their lives. We had a practice of supplying teams of members to help the missionaries. For example, the missionaries are working with a Catholic family (and that was the majority faith in our area). About midway through the set of discussions they could call on Brother and Sister Anthony Belfiglio. They had been Catholics. They’d joined the Church and were a great help to the missionaries. When the missionaries had borne their testimony, Brother and Sister Belfiglio would say, “We know what you’re going through. We were in the same position, but when we heard the truth and realized that a prophet was on the earth at this time, there was no question what we must do, and we never looked back and we’ve never been sorry.” It buttressed the testimony of the missionaries.

Brother Stoneman from up in the north area had been a member of the United Church of Canada. He’d been employed by the United Church of Canada. He lost his job. He was their printer. He found another, a better one. He and his wife would go to the investigator who has been a member of the United Church of Canada and bear their testimony. He said, “I lost my job. I lost many of my friends, but I found a wealth of new friends, and I found the truth. You will not regret it.”

We had others who had been members of the Anglican Church. In fact, we had three teams in every area where missionaries were laboring. And what did it do for those new members? It strengthened them. What did it do for the investigator? It helped convince him. It was a proselyting method: it was a fellowshipping method. It worked both ways. (Thomas S. Monson, “The Five M’s of Missionary Work,” New Era [March 2007]: 44-45).

I wish to invite members of the Church to consider anew the great mandate given by the Lord to all who desire to be known as his disciples. It is a mandate we cannot dodge, and one from which we cannot shrink. That mandate is to teach the gospel to the nations and peoples of the earth.

This was the final charge given by the Lord following is resurrection and before his ascension. It was repeated at the opening of this dispensation. Following the organization of the first Quorum of the Twelve in 1835, Oliver Cowdery, Counselor in the First Presidency, delivered a “charge” to these men. That statement has become something of a charter for all members of the Twelve who have succeeded that first group. In that charge is the following counsel:

“Be zealous to save souls. The soul of one man is as precious as the soul of another. . . . The Gospel must roll forth, and it will until it fills the whole earth. . . . You have a work to do that no other men can do; you must proclaim the Gospel in its simplicity and purity; and we commend you to God and the word of His grace.” (History of the Church, 2:196-198).

Subsequent to that counsel, the Lord gave the revelation known as Doctrine and Covenants section 112, which was directed to the Twelve. In it are these words:

“Contend thou, therefore, morning by morning; and day after day let they warning voice go forth; and when the night cometh let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber, because of thy speech. . . .

“And I will be with you; and in whatsoever place ye shall proclaim my name an effectual door shall be opened unto you, that they may receive my word.” (D&C 112:5, 19.) (Gordon B. Hinckley, “We Have a Work to Do,” Ensign, [February 1988]: 2).

How seriously have you personally taken the Lord’s charge to share His gospel? It is a lifelong responsibility. It is to be addressed differently according to the various seasons of your life. Not everyone can be a full-time missionary. If you can, do it. If not, seek other ways to serve that meet your present circumstances.

As you ponder how to serve, consider where you can best participate in the steps that must unfold for a family or an individual to receive enduring conversion and full gospel blessings. First, the family or individual needs to be identified and prepared to receive the gospel. There follows a doctrinal conversion. That is, an understanding of new doctrines and prayer for confirmation of their truthfulness. As the teachings are practiced and the commandments lived, a testimony is gained, and conversion and baptism result. This effort is best performed by full-time missionaries working with stake missionaries supported by caring members. They systematically present doctrinal principles and are carefully trained to teach and testify of these truths.

Simultaneously with doctrinal conversion there must be a social transition. Friends, habits, customs, and traditions not in harmony with the life of a Latter-day Saint are abandoned, replaced by new friends and activities that support a new life. Of the two important changes that must occur in a convert’s life—the gaining of a testimony, or doctrinal conversion, and learning how to live as a Latter-day Saint, or the social transition—the latter is the most difficult to achieve. It is best accomplished with the love and support of members. Your worthy example and caring support can lead them through each step required to learn to live as a Latter-day Saint.

This social transition requires careful nurturing and help to teach new patterns of life, to introduce new friends, and to assist the new converts to be obedient and begin to serve in the Church. In his last conference message, as the representative of the Lord, President Hinckley stressed this vital role of members and leaders to help each new convert feel comfortable and be sustained in living the requirements of a new life. He said, “With the ever-increasing number of converts, we must make an increasingly substantial effort to assist them as they find their way.” (Richard G. Scott, “Why Every Member a Missionary?” Ensign, [November 1997]: 35).

Just over 24 months ago President Gordon B. Hinckley said in a Church-wide broadcast: “My heart reaches out to you missionaries. You simply cannot do it alone and do it well. You must have the help of others. That power to help lies within each of us. . . .
“Now, my brethren and sisters, we can let the missionaries try to do it alone, or we can help them. If they do it alone, they will knock on doors day after day and the harvest will be meager. Or as members we can assist them in finding and teaching investigators. . . .

“Brothers and sisters, all of you out in the wards and stakes and in the districts and branches, I invite you to become a vast army with enthusiasm for this work and a great overarching desire to assist the missionaries in the tremendous responsibility they have to carry the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” (“Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,” Ensign,, May 1999, 106, 107, 110.)

I like the ring of those phrases “a vast army with enthusiasm for this work” and “a great overarching desire to assist the missionaries.” Let me note a number of things we can do to respond to that call. You will recognize how many of them you are already doing.

Above all else we can live the gospel. Surely there is no more powerful missionary message we can send to this world than the example of a loving and happy Latter-day Saint life. The manner and bearing, the smile and kindness of a faithful member of the Church brings a warmth and an outreach which no missionary tract or videotape can convey. People do not join the Church because of what they know. They join because of what they feel, what they see and want spiritually. Our spirit of testimony and happiness in that regard will come through to others if we let it. As the Lord said to Alma and the sons of Mosiah, “Go forth … that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.” (Alma 17:11.)

A young returned missionary sister from Hong Kong told me recently that when she and her companion asked an investigator if she believed in God, the woman replied, “I didn’t until I met a member of your church and observed how she lived.” What exemplary missionary work! Asking every member to be a missionary is not nearly as crucial as asking every member to be a member! Thank you for living the gospel. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Witnesses unto Me,” Ensign, [May 2001]: 14).

Since baptism is essential there must be an urgent concern to carry the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. That came as a commandment from Him.

His true servants will be out to convert all who will hear to the principles of the gospel and they will offer them that one baptism which He proclaimed as essential...

The powerful missionary spirit and the vigorous missionary activity in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints becomes a very significant witness that the true gospel and that the authority are possessed here in the Church. We accept the responsibility to preach the gospel to every person on the earth. And if the question is asked, “You mean you are out to convert the entire world?” the answer is, “Yes, we will try to reach every living soul.”

Some who measure that challenge quickly say, “Why, that’s impossible! It cannot be done!

To that we simply say, “Perhaps, but we shall do it anyway. (Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report, October 1975, p. 145).

I wish we could more effectively and faithfully establish in the hearts of all members of the Church the understanding that if a person is old enough to be a member, he is old enough to be a missionary; and he doesn't need to be set apart especially for that calling. Every member has the obligation and the calling to take the gospel to those around him. We want every man, woman, and child to assume his rightful responsibility. It is very important. For this is the message of the gospel: We receive blessings from the gospel, and then we go out and share those blessings with others. (Spencer W. Kimball, "Are We Doing All We Can?,” Ensign, [February 1983]: 3).

Thank you also for praying for the missionaries. Everyone prays for the missionaries. May it ever be so. In that same spirit, we should also pray for those who are (or who need to be) meeting the missionaries. In Zarahemla, members were commanded to “join in fasting and mighty prayer” (Alma 6:6) for those who had not yet joined the Church of God. We can do the same.

We can also pray daily for our own personal missionary experiences. Pray that under the divine management of such things, the missionary opportunity you want is already being prepared in the heart of someone who longs for and looks for what you have. “There are many yet on the earth … who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.” (D&C 123:12.) Pray that they will find you! And then be alert, because there are multitudes in your world who feel a famine in their lives, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. (See Amos 8:11.) (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Witnesses unto Me,” Ensign, [May 2001]: 14).

As you prayerfully seek and cultivate missionary opportunities in your daily activities, you will find many ways to serve. They include helping to find, convert, and retain new members. The stake or full-time missionaries can teach you how to do that.

You can help the full-time and stake missionaries bring new investigators to church and make them feel comfortable. Let them know that they have a new friend. Strengthen that friendship by inviting them to your home or to Church activities with you. You can support them in obeying the commandments. Such valuable missionary service is not difficult because it can be carried out in the normal routine of your daily life. (Richard G. Scott, “Why Every Member a Missionary?” Ensign, [November 1997]: 35).

When the Lord delivers this person to your view, just chat—about anything. You can’t miss. You don’t have to have a prescribed missionary message. Your faith, your happiness, the very look on your face is enough to quicken the honest in heart. Haven’t you ever heard a grandmother talk about her grandchildren? That’s what I mean—minus the photographs! The gospel will just tumble out. You won’t be able to contain yourself!

But perhaps even more important than speaking is listening. These people are not lifeless objects disguised as a baptismal statistic. They are children of God, our brothers and sisters, and they need what we have. Be genuine. Reach out sincerely. Ask these friends what matters most to them. What do they cherish, and what do they hold dear? And then listen. If the setting is right you might ask what their fears are, what they yearn for, or what they feel is missing in their lives. I promise you that something in what they say will always highlight a truth of the gospel about which you can bear testimony and about which you can then offer more. Elder Russell Nelson told me once that one of the first rules of medical inquiry is “Ask the patient where it hurts. The patient,” he said, “will be your best guide to a correct diagnosis and eventual remedy.” If we listen with love, we won’t need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us—by the Spirit and by our friends.

For those who find it difficult to initiate missionary conversations—and many do—the Church’s newly produced pass-along cards are a lovely, effortless way to let others know some of your basic beliefs and how they may learn more. For example, this is the easiest way I personally have yet found to offer people a copy of the Book of Mormon without my needing to carry a knapsack full of books as I travel. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Witnesses unto Me,” Ensign, [May 2001]: 14).

At the conclusion of each teaching visit, provide the investigator with something to read and ponder in preparation for the next meeting. You might assign them chapters from the Book of Mormon. You might give them a brochure addressing what has been taught or what you are going to teach in your next visit, or it may be other literature or an audiovisual presentation. If they have access to the Internet, encourage them to go to http://www.mormon.org/. They should always be given something to think about, to ponder, and to pray about. This can become an opening topic of discussion the next time you meet. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, p. 190).

The best means of preaching the gospel is by personal contact. (David O. McKay, Conference Report, October 1969).

[Everyone] has the responsibility of bringing someone: a mother, a father, a neighbor, a fellow worker, an associate, somebody in touch with the messengers of the gospel. If every member will carry that responsibility and if the arrangements to have that mother or that father or somebody meet the authorized representatives of the church, no power on earth can stop this church from growing. And personal contact is what will influence those investigators. That personal contact, the nature of it, its effect depends on you. And that’s one thing that I wish to emphasize. There’s one responsibility which no man can evade, and that’s the responsibility of personal influence. “What you are,” says one of the truly wisest of Americans, “What you are thunders loud in my ears, I cannot hear what you say.” And what you are is the result of a silent, subtle radiation of your personality. The effect of your words and acts is tremendous in this world. Every moment of life you are changing to a degree the life of the whole world. (David O. McKay, “Every Member a Missionary,” North British Mission, March 1961 quoted in The Teachings of David O. McKay, ed. by Mary Jane Woodger, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004, pp. 165-166).

The missionary work is basically for the Twelve Apostles, but it is evident that Twelve Apostles could not cover the earth, so they call the seventies and the elders, also the high priests and the women and the girls and all to do this service. Some go into the mission field on long-term, regular missions. Then there are all of us at home. All of us should be missionaries, every man and woman and child. The prophet David O. McKay said, "Every member a missionary" (Conference Report, Apr. 1959, p. 122), and that became our watchword. So every member should be engaged in preaching the gospel. Of all the things we can do to lift dramatically the number of convert baptisms, more effective involvement of Church members in missionary work tops the list. (Howard W. Hunter, Ensign, [May 1979]:104).

Priesthood bearers concern themselves with several aspects of missionary service: (1) They serve full-time missions; (2) they friendship nonmembers so that they will want to hear the gospel; (3) they prepare their children--especially sons--for missions; and (4) they give financial support to missionary work.

The responsibility to do missionary work rests with every member of the Church. (See D&C 88:81). Priesthood bearers and priesthood quorums have a particular charge to lead out in this work. Seventies, high priests, and elders share the responsibility and are to organize ways to help quorum members fulfill this sacred responsibility.
President Chang Suen Kim of the Seoul Korea West Stake has been especially anxious to have the Melchizedek Priesthood quorum leaders carry their share of the missionary work. he has concentrated on the role of the stake Melchizedek Priesthood committee to train the quorum leaders and see that they are well organized and functioning effectively. The seventies of the stake have been able to establish a good liaison with the full-time missionaries by holding regular meetings with them and have brought many new converts into the Church. Missionary preparation activities have also been carefully organized by the quorums of the stake. Through specific training classes and consistent emphasis, they have prepared a high number of young men to be called as full-time missionaries.

Under the direction of stake president Evert W. Percivall and stake mission president Haken Palm, the Melchizedek Priesthood quorum leaders and other members of the Stockholm Sweden Stake organized a unique missionary project in the Exhibition Hall in downtown Stockholm. They created an outstanding exhibit entitled "Sweden's Future Is Formed in the Home." The exhibit included guided tours and professionally prepared visual displays telling the gospel message. Members staffed the exhibit from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. each day for a month. They estimate that more than twelve thousand people visited the exhibit, resulting in many referrals and teaching opportunities. (Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Work of Our Priesthood Quorums," Ensign, [August 1984]: 11-12).

One day in Uruguay, I went to visit a ward up in the north. The mission president said to a young lady we met on the street, "Sister Maria, tell Brother Kimball how many people have come into the Church through you." She said, "Oh, I don't want to tell him. I haven't done very much. I've only brought thirty-two people into the Church." What if every woman and girl in the whole area were to bring in thirty people each?

We came into another settlement and there was an older woman. The mission president said, "Senora, tell Brother Kimball how many people you have brought into the Church." She said, "I haven't done very much. Eighty-two people are in the Church because I brought the missionaries to them." Is there any man or woman in this area who could not do something of that order?

You remember that it was the Lord who said, "They who have been warned must warn their neighbor" (see D&C 88:81). If you found the pearl of great price, would you just hold it in your pocket and not divide it with anyone? Far more than all the money or the jewels of the earth are the gospel of Jesus Christ, so we divide it with our neighbors and our friends and our relatives. Now, we all have relatives who are precious, wonderful people. May sometimes they think we are eccentric, but if we live righteously that they cannot help but respect us, that will make a lot of difference.
As to our relatives, we will not push or force them. We try to live our lives so that we will show them that we are extremely happy.

Now, we had about eight thousand people at the conference yesterday. Think of what six or eight thousand people could do if they exerted themselves to bring the gospel into other homes.

Now, these young missionaries are equipped to teach the gospel, and if you do not understand all the doctrines, you can call on the missionaries. So we have a program that is for everybody.

We hope you fathers are training your boys to save their money so that just as soon as the day comes they will have funds to take them on their missions. The Church does have some funds that are contributed by interested people, but not enough to send all the missionaries. It is necessary that every missionary do as much as he can, and then some of them can be helped by the Church. (Spencer W. Kimball, Santiago Chile Area Conference, 1 March 1977, p. 33).

The Lord has given unto us our agency. We may act for ourselves, we may choose to do good or we may choose to do evil. The Lord said that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Yet our mission, I say, so far as it is within our power, is to regenerate, to bring to repentance, just as many of the children of our Father in Heaven as it is possible for us to do. That is one of our debts; that is an obligation the Lord has placed upon the Church. It is the duty of every member of this Church to preach the gospel by precept and by example. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Take Heed to Yourselves, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1966, p. 72).

I know that there is no other name under heaven whereby we may hope to gain exaltation, but the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. There is no other gospel of salvation, and we, my brethren who bear the holy priesthood, have the responsibility of carrying that message, not only to the nations of the earth, but of exemplifying it in our lives and teaching it to those who are our neighbors, not of our faith. I warn you this day that the Lord holds us responsible to call his children to repentance and for the promulgation of his truth. If we fail to take advantage of our opportunities to teach the sons and daughters of God, who are not of our faith, who dwell in our midst, this gospel of our Lord, he will require at our hands on the other side of the veil what we have failed to do, so let us not be recreant. (George Albert Smith, Conference Report, April 1916, p. 48).

If every member of this Church would accept the call of our prophet today and live the gospel and keep the commandments of our Heavenly Father and become missionaries in very deed, and we could contribute more to the cause of peace than all the power that might be gathered together by all the governments and all the men in uniform. (N. Eldon Tanner, Conference Report, October 1962, p. 69).

We preach the gospel by action. What we are in our homes will influence our neighbors. How we deal in business will cause our business associates to change, too.
We shall be judged by our actions wherever we are, not only in church, but also on the golf course, on the ball field; in a boat, or out for a summer vacation. Everywhere we are the representatives of the Church.

Every member is a missionary. We cannot escape any more than Paul or Silas or Peter escaped. They, too, were transformed and became immortal because they obeyed the first principles of the gospel and bore witness that Jesus the Christ lived, was crucified for the sins of the world, and rose again on the third day, and were willing to give all they possessed for that testimony. (David O. McKay, “You Tell What You Are,” Improvement Era, [June 1961]: 275).

I feel the Lord has placed, in a very natural way within our circles of friends and acquaintances, many persons who are ready to enter into his Church. We ask that you prayerfully identify those persons and then ask the Lord's assistance in helping you introduce them to the gospel. And in your conversations, if you can't think of anything you feel is important, you can say, "I know that God lives." That is the greatest testimony in the world. A conversation telling how you acquired such knowledge and what it means to you and what it might mean to someone else is a powerful witness for the Lord.

Some of your acquaintances will be chance ones and others will be persons warmed and cultivated by you because of your sincere friendship and interest in them. (Spencer W. Kimball, "Are We Doing All We Can?" Ensign, [February 1983]: 4).

In the Church, we use the word fellowship──to describe our efforts (1) to encourage less-active members to return to full activity and (2) to help new converts make the transition into the Church following baptism. I believe those meanings are valid, but to me the word fellowship──has a much broader connotation. I believe we members do not have the option to extend the hand of fellowship only to relatives, close friends, certain Church members, and those selected nonmembers who express an interest in the Church. Limiting or withholding our fellowship seems to me to be contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Savior offered the effects of his atoning sacrifice to all mankind. He said, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." (D&C 18:10). Can we justify doing less? (M. Russell Ballard, CR O’88, Ensign, (November 1988): 28).

Our goal should be to identify as soon as possible which of our Father's children are spiritually prepared to proceed all the way to baptism into the kingdom. One of the best ways to find out is to expose your friends, relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances to the full-time missionaries as soon as possible. Don't wait for long fellowshipping nor for the precise, perfect moment. What you need to do is find out if they are the elect. "[My] elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts." [D&C 29:7.] If they hear and have hearts open to the gospel, it will be evident immediately. If they won't listen and their hearts are hardened with skepticism or negative comments, they are not ready. In this case, keep loving them and fellowshipping them and wait for the next opportunity to find out if they are ready. You will not lose their friendship. They will still respect you. (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 6).

We need to reach out and extend our friendship to others regardless of whether they are interested in the gospel or not. We must not be too selective in identifying those we feel are worthy or appreciative of our attention. The spirit of true Christian fellowship must include everyone. Our understanding of the gospel should help us see clearly that all people are our brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'88, Ensign, [November 1988]: 29).

If you be converted and are true Latter-day Saints, we want you to convert your neighbors--and convert them by your living. No stronger testimony can be borne in regard to the principles of honesty, temperance, justice, mercy, truth and morality, than for a man to live those principles and doctrines. No testimony is stronger. People may question what we say and what testimony we bear, but they cannot question our lives. If a man lives an honest life, meets his obligations, if he is a true man and lives a godly and upright life, dealing with his fellow men as he would that men should deal with him, if he is true and faithful in every line, no man can say nay to what that man does, for it is unquestionable. (Francis M. Lyman, Conference Report, April 1908, pp. 18-19).

We must ever keep in mind the time, effort, and other resources that missionaries and others spend to find and teach one of our Father's children. Surely, every one of us ought to be alert, looking for ways to be of service to the newcomer. We might ask ourselves how the newcomers in our wards would be treated if we were the only ones they ever met. Every member of the Church should foster the attributes of warmth, sincerity, and love for the newcomers, as the missionaries are taught to do. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'88, Ensign, [November 1988]: 29).

It behooves every man and every woman and every child who has been warned to warn his neighbors. We can do this in two ways. We can live the gospel completely, live it religiously. I had a missionary in Denmark asks a question. He said, "I am striving for perfection. Some of the other missionaries said, 'You are foolish; you can't really be perfect.' What do you believe." I said I believe the scriptures. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48). Then I humbly admitted that I was perfect when it comes to never touching tobacco, never; alcohol, never; tea and coffee, never. I am perfect there. Now there are many things where I am not perfect yet, but I am perfect if it comes to committing murder. I have never done that. I will never do that. We can be perfect, a little bit at a time, always perfecting ourselves, becoming Latter-day Saints. In living that way, we warn our neighbors. Then we can strive for perfection in being missionaries. If we are not perfect in all things, at least we can seriously heed the warnings that are given. (Boyd K. Packer, Dortmund Germany Area Conference, 7 August 1976, p. 8).

I wish we could more effectively and faithfully establish in the hearts of all members of the Church the understanding that if a person is old enough to be a missionary, he doesn't need to be set apart especially for that calling. Every member has the obligation and the calling to take the gospel to those around him. We want every man, woman, and child to assume his rightful responsibility. It is very important. For this is the message of the gospel: We receive blessings from the gospel, and then we go out and share those blessings with others. (Spencer W. Kimball, "Are We Doing All We Can?" Ensign, [February 1983]: 3).

We wish the brethren to understand the facts just as they are; that is, there is neither man nor woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live, and it is to do good, to promote righteousness, to teach the principles of truth, and to prevail upon themselves and everybody around them to live those principles that they may obtain eternal life. This is the mission of every Latter-day Saint. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, London: Latter-Day Saints Book Depot, 1855-1886, 12:19).

Every man and every woman that comes into the Church, every convert, is expected of the Lord to be a missionary for him, whether he be called to labor at home or abroad, or having no calling whatever specially given unto him. (George F. Richards, Conference Report, October 1933, p. 115).

In our pre-existent state, in the day of the great council, we made a certain agreement with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan, conceived by him. We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we become parties to the salvation of every person under the plan. We agreed, right then and there, to be not only saviors for ourselves, but measurably saviors for the whole human family. We went into partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation. (John A. Widtsoe, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, October 1934).

I want to emphasize that we as a people have one supreme thing to do, and that is to call upon the world to repent of sin, to come to God. And it is our duty above all others 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 so much to look after, so many business interests, so many important things, so far as dollars and cents are concerned, that we are neglecting the one great thing of all; namely, the proclaiming the gospel, and making what people call sacrifice but what actually are the exact opposite. We have that which is of more value than all the wealth and the scientific information which the world possesses. We have the plan of life and salvation. The first great commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, might, mind and strength; and the second like unto it, to love our neighbor as ourselves. And 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, of which he has given us an absolute knowledge concerning its divinity. (Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, April 1927, pp. 175-176).

The God of Israel has set his hand to gather his elect and prepare the world for the sanctifying reign of his righteousness. He will accomplish what he has undertaken, using for that purpose every means consistent and available. Christ died to save the souls of men, and save them He will—by mild measures whenever these will avail; but by stern methods, if necessary, after the mild have proved ineffectual. First, the “fisher,” with gentle, kind persuasion. Then the “hunters”—war, commotion, and destruction. Such is the divine program. (Orson F. Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1921, p. 199).

We are asking all of you to pray in your family prayers and in your personal prayers that the nations may be touched in their hearts and that they may open their doors for the preaching of the gospel. When you have supplied your part of the missionaries, and when we have done all that we can, the Lord will open the doors. (Spencer W. Kimball, Dortmund Germany Area Conference, 8 August 1976, p. 22).

The obligation of saving souls rests upon every man and woman in this Church--if not with equal weight, at least proportionately, according to their strength, their time, their opportunities, their abilities; and they cannot get out from under this responsibility on the plea that it belongs only to such and such persons. Did not the Lord say, through Joseph the Seer, at the beginning of this work, "Behold, it is a day of warning, and not of many words: Therefore, let every soul that is warned, warn its neighbors?" [See D&C 63:58, 88:81.] (Orson F. Whitney, Conference Report, October 1913, p. 99).

I am sure there are listening those who did not serve a mission. Perhaps you did not really understand. Perhaps your decision for one reason or another was that you could not go. Perhaps you were not in the Church at that age. Some missed their missions because of military service.

What ever the reason, there is no time to brood over that now. Every member is a missionary. Devote attention to encouraging and financing and preparing your children and others to serve on missions. Many dreams are realized through our children. The time may come when you may go as a missionary couple. Look forward, not backward. Magnify your priesthood. (Boyd K. Packer, "Come, All Ye Sons of God," Ensign, [August 1983]: 71).

Too often, when we speak of missionary work we think only of "faraway places with strange sounding names" and thereby overlook the opportunities to be found in our own backyards. (Thomas S. Monson, Deseret News, [2 October 1965]: 7).

Missionary work is but home teaching to those who are not now members of the Church, and home teaching is nothing more or less than missionary work to Church members (Harold B. Lee, Improvement Era, [December 1964]: 1078).

We, as members of the Church, have the fullness of the gospel. Every conceivable manner of spiritual nourishment is ours. Every part of the spiritual menu is included. It provides an unending supply of spiritual strength. Like the widow's cruse of oil, it is replenished as we use it and shall never fail. (See 1 Kings 17:8-16).

And yet, there are people across the world and about us--our neighbors, our friends, some in our own families--who spiritually speaking, are undernourished. Some of them are starving to death!

If we keep all this to ourselves, it is not unlike feasting before those who are hungry. We are to go out to them, and to invite them to join us. We are to be missionaries. (Boyd K. Packer, "Feed My Sheep," Ensign, [May 1984]: 43).

Home teaching is part of today’s plan to rescue. When it was introduced by President David O. McKay to all of the General Authorities, he counseled: “Home teaching is one of our most urgent and most rewarding opportunities to nurture and inspire, to counsel and direct our Father’s children....[It] is a divine service, a divine call. It is our duty as Home Teachers to carry the divine spirit into every home and heart.”

In certain areas where adequate Melchizedek Priesthood strength is missing, stake presidents and bishops, coordinating with the mission president, may use full-time missionaries to visit less-active and part-member families. Not only does this rekindle the missionary spirit in the home, but it also provides an ideal opportunity for quality referrals to be obtained. (Thomas S. Monson, “Stand in Your Appointed Place,” Liahona, [May 2003]: 54).

President Rhee Ho Nam in the Korea Pusan Mission, with the help of the regional Representatives and the executive administrator...has given a strong emphasis to member-missionary work. He has only five districts and no stakes in his mission, but has instituted a program between missionaries and district and branch Presidents and members. They've had special workshops to train members on how to be member missionaries. Baptisms in that mission when President Rhee got there were about 16 a month. Now they are around 120 a month. The Korean members are bringing friends to their homes and providing referrals and the priesthood leaders are not asking members to do any missionary work which the district and branch Presidents are not doing themselves. Further, President Rhee stresses that those who come into the Church through tracting often must leave their old friends behind and hope to make new ones in the Church, but when members bring their friends into the Church, these new members automatically have ready-made friends within the Church. President Rhee says that the priesthood leaders and members not only help bring their friends into the Church, but they watch over them once they are in the Church with specific affection and concern. (Spencer W. Kimball, Mission Presidents’ Seminar, 22 June 1979).

What is the missionary duty of the elders quorum president? What should an elders quorum president do to be sure that every young elder is prepared for his missionary call? Young men can be taught the gospel with special reference to moral worthiness. They can be encouraged to continue to build up their mission savings account, to read the Book of Mormon and strengthen their testimonies, to learn the proselyting discussions (and perhaps be given opportunity to give them in the homes of their inactive brethren), to find investigators, to breathe and feel the spirit of missionary work; and all this should be guided and encouraged by the elders quorum president. (Bruce R. McConkie, "Only an Elder," Ensign, [June 1975]: 69).

Local Church leaders and members are your best allies. Respect them and strive to build good relationships with them. As you work with these leaders, remember that they have other responsibilities associated with their callings. Seek to be a blessing, not a burden, to the leaders of your stake and ward. Your attitude should be one of “How can we help?” Counsel with the bishop and ward mission leader concerning your plans and activities. Make sure that what you do supports the ward mission plan.

The stake president oversees bishops in their missionary retention, and activation responsibilities. In his monthly interview with bishops, he discusses plans and the progress of specific investigators and members. He ensures that the doctrine relating to missionary work are taught regularly in stake and ward meetings and that priesthood leaders and others are trained in their missionary responsibilities.
The stake president also meets regularly with the mission president to coordinate missionary efforts, including the training of leaders and members, use and placement of full-time missionaries, and assistance in activation efforts.

A high councilor is assigned by the stake presidency to promote missionary, retention, and activation work in the stake. He regularly reports the progress of his work to the stake presidency. He also ensures that ward mission leaders are properly trained in their duties, including the preparation of a ward mission plan.

The bishop is responsible for missionary, retention, and activation efforts in his ward. His personal participation and leadership are essential. To help accomplish this work, the bishop calls a worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holder to serve as a ward mission leader. He also calls a sufficient number of ward missionaries to meet the needs in the ward.

The bishop uses the priesthood executive committee and the ward council to coordinate missionary, retention, and activation efforts. He gives direction to developing and carrying out a ward mission plan. (Preach my Gospel: A guide to missionary service. Salt Lake City: Intellectual Reserve, 2004, pp. 217-218).

The president likewise becomes a second screen in determining the worthiness of those who go out to represent the Church in the mission field. He too interviews the candidate, and only when he is satisfied of his or her worthiness does he endorse the recommendation. He likewise has been given authority to set apart those called on missions and to extend releases when they have completed their service. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, 1 April 2000 in Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Volume 2: 2000-2004, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005, pp. 13).

Here is a great key to reactivation of many of those who have fallen by the wayside. Each has a talent that can be employed. It is the task of leaders to match those talents with needs, and then to offer a challenge. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, [November 1982]: 8).

With the ever-increasing number of converts, we must make an increasingly substantial effort to assist them as they find their way. Every one of them needs three things: a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with the 'good word of God' (Moroni 6:4). It is our duty and opportunity to provide these things. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, April 1997 ).

A convert is a 'precious person. He or she will make a tremendous decision in coming into the Church. Retention will primarily be the work of the local wards and branches. However, you have a very, very important part in this. Your missionaries must be sure that conversion is real, that it is life-changing, that it is something that is to last forever and go on through generations...There is no point in baptizing people if they do not become solid members of the Church.' Actual harm, he said, may be done to those who leave old friendships and old ways of doing things only to be allowed to slip into inactivity. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News, [4 July 1998]; ).

He said missionaries should keep in touch with those who have been baptized. 'Any individual who has been worthy of baptism is worthy of saving, now and for as long as he lives and the generations who follow. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News, [4 July 1998]; ).

I believe it is totally unnecessary that we lose [any of] those who are baptized. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News, [4 July 1998]; ).

It is an absolute imperative that we look after those who have become a part of us. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, April 1997 ).

Nobody gains when there is baptism without retention, The missionary loses, and while the Church gains statistically, the membership suffers, really, and the enthusiasm of the convert turns to ashes. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News, [4 July 1998]; ).

Every one of us has an obligation to fellowship those (converts), to put our arms around them, to bring them into the Church in full activity. It is not enough just to go to Church on Sundays; we must reach out each day. I wish with all my heart that in Costa Rica every man, woman, and child who was baptized would remain faithful and active. And that can happen if all of you make up your minds to reach out and help the new convert. There is no point in the missionaries baptizing people only to have them come into the Church for a little while and then drift off. You have remained faithful, and I thank you for that, but again urge that you make an extra effort to reach out to those who have recently been baptized...They need your help. God bless you to fellowship the new convert. That is so very, very important. That is a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only as we reach out to help others are we truly Latter-day Saints. (Gordon B. Hinckley, San Jose, Costa Rica, Member Fireside, 20 January 1997).

They [the missionaries] still have an obligation to nurture and help those they have baptized—to befriend them, to write to them, to give them encouragement. But greater than that is your responsibility, my brethren, as bishops, as stake presidents, as elders quorum presidents, to put your arms around these people and make them feel comfortable and at home and warm and happy. It is an imperative. What does it profit the missionary to baptize someone who leaves the Church within six months? Nothing is accomplished, in fact, damage is done. We have pulled them away from their old moorings and brought them into the Church, only to have them drift away. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Woods Cross Utah Regional Conference, 10 January 1998 ).

Those who have come into the Church made a great sacrifice, many of them, when they were baptized. They are precious. They are the same kind of people that you are and their generations will become the same kind of people as will your generations if they are nurtured and brought along in the Church. I don't know how to say it more strongly. This is a matter about which I feel so deeply as I go about this Church across the world. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Woods Cross Utah Regional Conference, 10 January 1998).

President Hinckley's strong, continuing challenge to us is retention, which requires full cooperation between the missionary, the leaders and members. (James E. Faust, Church News, [26 June 1999] ).

Will you please see that every convert who comes into the Church while you are here on this mission is so taught that he or she will grow in faith and that a year after baptism he or she will be ready to get a temple recommend, and as soon as the temple is completed will be eligible to go to the house of the Lord? (Gordon B. Hinckley, Bolivia Cochabamba Missionary Meeting, November 10, 1996).

Member missionary work is the key to the future growth of the Church, and it is one of the great keys to the individual growth of our members.

Leaders and members alike need in their lives the special renewal and enthusiasm which comes from regular personal involvement in missionary work. If personal missionary work is something someone has always been meaning to do, but has never gotten around to, then something very important and rewarding is missing in that person's life.

Good neighbors are best suited to bringing to others the good news of the gospel, just as righteous members, living the gospel by example, as well as by precept, are the Church's best advertisement. (Spencer W. Kimball, Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 3 October 1980, p. 3).

The role of missionaries has expanded in recent years to include convert retention and activation. . . . The salvation of souls is not compartmentalized. One soul is as precious as another. We are as interested in less-active members as we are a non-member. (Richard G. Scott, Church News, [3 July 1993] ).

You are His messengers. You are ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. Never forget that. You do not have the responsibility only to go out and give missionary lessons—that is, you do not have that alone. You are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. He has given you His right, His power, His authority to teach people the truth that will save them, that will turn their lives around and give them opportunity and growth. Will you please see that every convert who comes into the Church while you are here on this mission is so taught that he or she will grow in faith and that a year after baptism he or she will be ready to get a temple recommend, and as soon as the temple is completed will be eligible to go to the house of the Lord? (Gordon B. Hinckley, Bolivia Cochabamba Missionary Meeting, 10 November 1996).

May every brother and sister (in every ward and stake), every branch and mission, put forth earnest effort toward the realization of the unity and love that should and does characterize the Church of Christ.

This condition obtained, there still remains the pleasure, duty, and obligation of preaching the gospel to those who know not the truth. This may be done by every member in three ways: By what he is, by what he says, by what he does.

May we think, speak, and act in such a manner as to have our nonmember friends and neighbors acknowledge the uplifting and ennobling power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. (David O. McKay, Millennial Star [7 December 1922]: 777).

Fifty-two years ago, I baptized a promising and wonderful young man. He was gifted and educated. He was sincere and prayerful. My companion and I taught him over a long period of time. We both left to return home after he had been baptized.

Our convert was a shy and sensitive young man. While still in the infancy of his membership, he was criticized for a small mistake that he had made in the responsibility he carried in the branch. His critic had a salty and a short temper.
When the young man left the meeting that night, he never returned. He had been hurt and wounded by the thoughtless, cutting remark of a man his senior who should have known better.

I tried to keep track of this new convert through correspondence. But World War II came along. He entered the military service. After the war he married, and a while later his wife passed away, bringing a greater tragedy into his life. He rose in his vocation to become an executive of recognized capacity. He might have made a tremendous contribution to the Church, but an ugly scar remained from that wound suffered in a branch meeting many years earlier.

My companion, with whom I taught this good man, has passed away. I have done everything I know how to do to try to revive our friend's faith. Thus far, it has been fruitless.

I occasionally reflect on the remarkable way in which we found him. I reflect on the many hours we spent teaching him, I reflect on the struggle he had within himself to make the right decision to be baptized. I reflect on his joy in having found the Church. And then I reflect on his loss. It need never have happened. It should never have happened. (Gordon B. Hinckley, "There Must be Messengers," Ensign, [October 1987]: 4-5).

When we baptize somebody it is a crime to let them just slide slowly back out of the Church and out of the gospel because of the lack of fellowship. Fellowshipping is an important responsibility. We should be able to fellowship everybody that comes in. That is the reason we want the members to do the missionary work as well as to get help from the missionaries. We want the people, the high priests, the seventies, and the elders to go out and do this work because they are still the neighbors after the person is baptized. They can still fellowship them; they can still call for them and take them to priesthood meeting; they can still encourage them and help them in their home evenings and so on. (Spencer W. Kimball, Edward Kimball, ed., The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, p. 258).

Every member is a missionary. He or she has the responsibility of bringing somebody; a mother, a father, a neighbor, a fellow worker, an associate, somebody in touch with the messengers of the gospel. If every member will carry that responsibility, and if the arrangement to have that mother, or that father, or somebody to meet the authorized Representatives of the Church, no power on earth can stop this Church from growing. (David O. McKay, North British Mission Address, 1961).

The real goal for effective proselyting is that the members do the finding and the full-time missionaries do the teaching. This tends to solve many of the old missionary problems. When members do the finding they have a personal interest in fellowshipping, there are fewer investigators lost before baptism, and those who are baptized tend to remain active. Another by-product is that when a member is involved, even if only from a casual relationship, the investigator seems to sense much more quickly that Mormons have a special health code (the Word of Wisdom comes as no surprise), that Mormons spend Sunday in Church and not fishing or playing golf (keeping the Sabbath Day holy comes as no surprise), and that Mormons contribute readily to the Church programs (tithing, fast offerings, budget, building fund, missionary funds, etc. are more readily understood).. When there is little or no surprise, the reluctance to be baptized is more easily overcome. (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 6).

According to our philosophy in the Church, every person in the Church is or should be a missionary. No matter what his profession or vocation, he should be attempting to spread the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ wherever he goes and to touch every life with that message. Your job and mine is to assist the Lord. He needs your help in His avowed purpose to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Hugh B. Brown, The Abundant Life, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965, p. 86).

Do you realize, brethren and sisters that in this city, the headquarters of the Church, there are approximately fifty thousand people who know very little about the gospel of Jesus Christ? They are identified with the other churches, or else they do not belong to any church, but I think I am safe in saying that ninety percent of them have no idea what the gospel of Jesus Christ really is. I believe that the greatest mission field in all the world is in the valleys of these great mountains...

It is not necessary for you to be called to go into the mission field in order to proclaim the truth. Begin on the man who lives next door by inspiring confidence in him, by inspiring love in him for you because of your righteousness, and your missionary work has already begun. (George Albert Smith, Conference Report, October 1916, pp. 48-49).

The capacity lies within our young people by the tens of tens of thousands to bring their friends into the fold of the Church. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, April 1961, p. 89).

It is my firm conviction...that unless we stir ourselves more than we are doing, that when we go to the other side of the veil we will meet there men and women who have been our neighbors and associates and lived among us that will condemn us because we have been so inconsiderate of them in not telling them of the truth of the gospel of our Lord. (George Albert Smith, Conference Report, October 1916, pp. 49-50).

We will attain our exaltation in the celestial kingdom only on the condition that we divide with our Father's other children the blessings of the gospel of our Lord and observe the commandments that will enrich our lives here and hereafter. (George Albert Smith, Conference Report, October 1938, p. 31).

It is impractical for us to expect that [the] missionaries alone can warn the millions in the world. Members must be finders. The valuable time of our teaching missionaries is too often spent in "finding".

Members should shoulder this responsibility. Every member knows of nonmembers he or she can refer to the missionaries. Every father, mother and youth in the Church should share the gospel by giving a Book of Mormon, telling the account of the Prophet Joseph Smith, or inviting our acquaintances to a special meeting. If we are in tune, the Spirit of the Lord will speak to us and guide us to those whom we should share the gospel. The Lord will help us if we will but listen.

It is the responsibility of the members to provide the stake and full-time missionaries with the names of individuals and families to teach. Sometimes we forget that it is better to risk a little ruffling in the relationship of a friend than it is to deprive him of eternal life by keeping silent. (Spencer W. Kimball, Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 3 April 1975, p. 6).

It should be clear to us that usually we must warm our neighbors before we can warn them properly. Our neighbors must experience our genuine friendship and fellowship. We want members to entreat neighbors, not to scold them or scare them. (Spencer W. Kimball, Regional Representatives’ Seminar, Sept. 1976.)

We should not worry because someone chides us a little for directing the missionaries to them. What a small price to pay for such a glorious blessing!

Sometimes we forget that it is better to risk a little ruffling in the relationship of a friend than it is to deprive them of eternal life by leaving them silent.

Besides, our missionaries generally follow the counsel in the Book of Mormon: "Use boldness, but not overbearance." (Alma 18:12.)

President John Taylor reminded us that "God will hold [us] responsible for those whom [we] might have saved had [we] done [our] duty." (Journal of Discourses, 20:23). Will you put that into your hearts and minds and never forget it? If you could have done and did not, then the Lord will hold you responsible. (Spencer W. Kimball, Stockholm Sweden Area Conference, 1974, pp. 142-143).

All of this means...that we cannot share the gospel with every nation, kindred, tongue, and people [using only full-time] missionaries (as wonderful as they are), but we must have several million more to help them. We must, therefore, involve the members of the Church more effectively in missionary work. Member-missionary work is the key to the future growth of the Church. (Spencer W. Kimball, Regional Representatives’ Seminar, October 1980.)

As President of the Twelve, I feel the need of our again hearing the word and the will of the Lord on missionary work from our living prophet, President Spencer W. Kimball. I testify to you of the truthfulness of these four great points of emphasis on missionary work. May I reiterate these points.

First, the sacredness of saving souls and the importance of greatly increasing the number of convert baptisms.

Second, the necessity of increasing our own personal faith in order that convert baptisms will increase in a significant and dramatic way.

Third, the importance of missionaries prayerfully and with the Spirit setting personal convert baptismal goals.

Fourth, the urgency of being actively and productively engaged in member-missionary work in order that the Lord’s harvest may be accomplished.

With all of my heart I pray that these four great points from a living prophet may be fully understood, that we may catch the prophetic vision of missionary work of our beloved president, and that his words and spirit may be fully implemented in our own lives. God bless us, brothers and sisters, with expanded understanding and greater determination to fulfill the vision of our prophet-leader.

I close by quoting from a petition of President Kimball to the Lord in humble prayer: “Our Father, may we move forward with Jesus Christ as our advocate to establish the Church among the inhabitants of the earth. … May we merit the promise that the Lord will do things that we can hardly believe. May we improve the efficiency of our missionaries, each bringing thousands of converts into the Church. Please, Father, open the doors of the nations.” (Regional Representatives’ Seminar, Apr. 1975.) (Ezra Taft Benson, “President Kimball’s Vision of Missionary Work,” Ensign, [July 1985]: 6).

I thank the Lord that the ardor for the service has not dulled with the passing of time. On every hand I see evidences which convince me that the members of the Church love to proclaim the gospel. Men who cannot go themselves send their sons and daughters. Widows toil and scrimp to keep a missionary. Girls work to provide the necessary expense for their brothers, young husbands, and for themselves. Quorums, wards, and societies contribute, and occasionally a rich man opens a generous heart and maintains a half dozen in the mission field. (Stephen L. Richards, Conference Report, October 1945, pp. 54-55).

Another way in which we may "warn our neighbors" is that in our own families we so live and teach the gospel that our children will be fully converted as they grow up. There is no better mission field than our own homes. There are no better "converts" than our own children. (Mark E. Petersen, "Every Member a Missionary," Patterns For Living, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1962, p. 113).

We members must help with the conversion process by making our wards and branches friendly places, with no exclusivity, where all people feel welcome and comfortable. You bishops have been given many who can help you foster fellowship. Teach the children, youth, and adults that being warm and friendly are Christ-like qualities. In your ward council meetings, consider ways to improve the feeling of fellowship in your ward. Be sure the missionaries introduce you to every investigator before he or she is baptized.

Assign someone to greet at the doors, paying special attention to newcomers and guests. On occasion, use priesthood and Relief Society meetings to teach home and visiting teachers how to fellowship all who live within the ward. Take advantage of the flexibility you have in using high priests and stake and full-time missionaries to lead the less active and new converts into full fellowship. In the true spirit of shepherding, bishoprics can help create a friendly atmosphere by mingling with members when they are gathering together. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'88, Ensign, (November 1988): 29).

There is a growing number without benefit of a mission or college disappearing into the military. The Selective Service has been discontinued. However, the armed forces are successful in recruiting. Your stake reports indicate we now have more in the military than in the mission field. Nearly 20,000 of your sons--and some daughters--are in the military service. President Kimball is asking for more full-time missionaries. Why shouldn't parents, bishops, and elders Presidents treat these 20,000 in the military as missionaries? You know they are--whether for good or not. You are their Church leaders and should be continually encouraging them. What glorious opportunity. But you might say, "Oh, there is a difference!" Do you recall a modern prophet saying, "Every member a missionary"? Shouldn't you give your son in the military this same attention? You have the obligation. Many thrilling missionary stories have involved our men in the military. At a base in Thailand, out of 18 members at our meeting, 11 had recently joined the Church, and two had converted their wives back home. These stories go on and on. Unfortunately, there are two sides. (David B. Haight, CR A'75, Ensign, [May 1975]: 11).

We can approach the ideals set out by President David O. McKay: "Every member a missionary." That was inspired!

I know this message is not new, and we have talked about it before, but I believe the time has come when we must shoulder arms. I think we must again change our sights and raise our goals.

I pray the blessings of the Lord will be upon us as we approach our great responsibilities. (Spencer W. Kimball, "When the World will be Converted," Ensign, [April 1984]: 6).

I know this message [every member a missionary] is not new, and we have talked about it before; but I believe the time has come when we must shoulder arms. I think we must change our sights and raise our goals. (Spencer W. Kimball, "When the World Will Be Converted," Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 4 April 1974).

Goals are good. Laboring with a distant aim sets the mind in a higher key and puts us at our best. (Spencer W. Kimball, Regional Representatives' Seminar, 3April 1974).

I want to talk to my young friends of the Aaronic Priesthood. And I begin with a parable; and then I have a test for you.

Imagine that our bishop has appointed you and me to plan a picnic for all of the ward members. It is to be the finest social in the history of the ward, and we are to spare no expense.

We reserve a beautiful picnic ground in the country. We are to have it all to ourselves; no outsiders will interfere with us.

The arrangements go very well, and when the day comes, the weather is perfect. All is beautifully ready. The tables are in one long row. We even have tablecloths and china. You have never seen such a feast. The Relief Society and Young Women have outdone themselves. The tables are laden with every kind of delicious food: cantaloupes, watermelon, corn on the cob, fried chicken, hamburgers, cakes, pies--you get the picture?

We are seated, and the bishop calls upon the patriarch to bless the food. Every hungry youngster secretly hopes it will be a short prayer.

Then, just at that moment there is an interruption. A noisy old car jerks into the picnic grounds and sputters to a stop close to us. We are upset. Didn't they see the "reserved" signs?

A worried-looking man lifts the hood; a spout of steam comes out. One of our brethren, a mechanic, says, "That car isn't going anywhere until it is fixed."

Several children spill from the car. They are ragged and dirty and noisy. And then an anxious mother takes a box to that extra table nearby. It is mealtime. Their children are hungry. She puts a few leftovers on the table. Then she nervously moves them about, trying to make it look like a meal for her hungry brood. But there is not enough.

We wait impatiently for them to quiet down so that we can have the blessing and enjoy our feast.

Then one of their little girls spies our table. She pulls her runny-nosed little brother over to us and pushes her head between you and me. We cringe aside because they are very dirty. Then the little girl says, "Ummmm, look at that. Ummm, ummm, I wonder what that tastes like."

Everyone is waiting. What did they arrive just at that moment? Such an inconvenient time. Why must we interrupt what we are doing to bother with outsiders? Why couldn't they have stopped somewhere else? They are not clean! They are not like us. They just don't fit in.

Since the bishop has put us in charge, he expects us to handle these intruders. What should we do? Of course, this is only a parable. But now for the test. If it really happened, my young friends, what would you do?

I will give you three choices.

First, you could insist the intruders keep their children quiet while we have the blessings. Thereafter we ignore them. After all, we reserved the place.
I doubt that you would do that. Could you choke down a feast before hungry children? Surely we are better than that. That is not the answer.

The next choice. There is that extra table. And we do have too much of some things. We could take a little of this and a little of that and lure the children back to their own table. Then we could enjoy our feast without interruption. After all, we earned what we have. Did we not "obtain it by [our own] industry," as the Book of Mormon says? (See Alma 4:6.)

I hope you would not do that. There is a better answer. You already know what it is.
We should go out to them and invite them to come and join us. You could slide that way, and I could slide this way, and the little girl could sit between us. They could all fit in somewhere to share our feast. Afterwards, we will fix their car and provide something for their journey.

Could there be more pure enjoyment than seeing how much we would get those hungry children to eat? Could there be more satisfaction than to interrupt our festivities to help our mechanic fix their car?

Is that what you would do? Surely it is what you should do. But forgive me if I have a little doubt; let me explain.

We, as members of the Church, have the fullness of the gospel. Every conceivable manner of spiritual nourishment is ours. Every part of the spiritual menu is included. It provides an unending supply of spiritual strength. Like the widow's cruse of oil, it is replenished as we use it and shall never fail. (See 1 Kings 17:8-16).

And yet, there are people across the world and about us--our neighbors, our friends, some in our own families--who, spiritually speaking, are undernourished. Some of them are starving to death!

If we keep all this to ourselves, it is not unlike feasting before those who are hungry.

We are to go out to them, and to invite them to join us. We are to be missionaries. (Boyd K. Packer, CR A'84, Ensign, [May 1984]: 41-42).

I am aware that most members of the Church understand that they should take an active part in proclaiming the gospel. Some have been quite successful, but others have not yet tried. I believe that far too many Church members do not understand the underlying doctrine that governs our Heavenly Father's work.

Joseph Smith taught, "Baptism is a sign to God, to angels, and to heaven that we do the will of God, and there is no other way beneath the heavens whereby God hath ordained for man to come to Him to be saved, and enter into the kingdom of God, except faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins...; then you have the promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost." (History of the Church, 4:555). When they are baptized, men and women receive a remission of their sins and become numbered among the Saints to receive the blessings and happiness that membership in the Church can give. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'84, Ensign, [November 1984]: 15).

Let us adhere to the counsel of the Apostle Paul and be “no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19.)

Despite some well-publicized criticism to the contrary, I believe Church members want to be good friends and neighbors wherever they live, but some are shy and overly cautious. This can appear to be clannish. We must not reserve our kindness and affection only for our fellow members. We must be sensitive and not oblivious to the feelings of those whose views may differ from ours. Considering the early history of the Church in these latter days, unkindness or indifference toward others should be abhorrent to members of the Church.

I bear my testimony that “God is no respecter of persons”; we should follow his example in all of our associations with our fellowmen. (M. Russell Ballard, “The Hand of Fellowship,” Ensign, [Nov 1988]: 28).

We have so much to do in this world to spread the influence of this gospel. Let us go forth on our assigned mission. We feel the compulsion of the Lord's mandate to teach the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. We hope that in so doing we shall not offend, but rather that we shall do so with graciousness and in the spirit of love which was the very essence of him of whom we testify. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, October 1982).

When we partake of the sacrament, we covenant that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and that we will always remember Him and keep His commandments. (See D&C 20:77). Is there any better way that you and I can demonstrate to the Lord our love for Him than to share His gospel? We need not be sent to far-flung cities or set our feet on distant lands to be missionaries. Our next-door neighbors, friends, acquaintances, family members, relatives, and the stranger down the street are all part of the world with whom we should be sharing the gospel message. No member of the Church needs to wait for the ward, stake, mission, or any Church organization, to lead them in doing this work. Each one of us should be actively involved in sharing the gospel because we love the Lord with all of our hearts and because we desire to serve Him. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'84, Ensign, [November 1984]: 16).

Because we love the Lord, we should be spiritually sensitive to moments when the powerful and important truths of the gospel can be shared with others. Perhaps more importantly, however, we should seek at all times to purify ourselves and to lead such worthy lives that the Light of Christ emanates from us in all that we say and do. Our day-to-day lives should stand as immutable witness of our faith in Christ. (M. Russell Ballard, Conference Report, April 2000).

The Lord declared: "For all men must repent and be baptized....

"And by your hands I will work among the children of men, unto the convincing of many of their sins, that they may come unto repentance, and...may come unto the kingdom of my Father." (D&C 18:42-44).

If you will involve your whole family--pray as a family for success; select a family to fellowship; set goals and dates for accomplishment; commit yourselves to do whatever is appropriate; then fast and pray, and then pray and fast--I promise you that your warning voice will be heard. This is the day when the harvest is ripe, the press is full. The Lord will bless your efforts. You will witness friends enter the waters of baptism. (David B. Haight, CR O'76, Ensign, [November 1976]: 22).

May I suggest a simple way in which each one of us can exercise our faith and start our personal missionary service. Write down a date in the near future on which you will have someone ready to be taught the gospel. Do not worry that you do not have someone already in mind. Let the Lord help you as you pray diligently for guidance. Fast and pray, seeking guidance and direction from our Heavenly Father.

Many, if not all, of you will have special spiritual experiences as the Lord inspires you. I know from my own personal and family missionary experience that the Lord will enlighten your mind. He will sharpen your vision of this work by bringing names of nonmembers to your mind that you have never before regarded as potential members of the Church. As you continue, you will be blessed to know what you should say and how you should approach each person.

Brothers and sisters, you will notice that I did not suggest that you write down a name, but rather that you write down a specific date. The key to our success will be to ask for divine guidance that we might be directed to those who will accept the gospel.

Because living the gospel is essential to the remission of sins, and because giving missionary service is essential to living the gospel, I believe each one of us must set a definite date at least once each year to have an individual or a family ready to be taught the gospel. We should expect to have wonderful success. We in the Missionary Department would like to hear of your success as you follow this counsel. No joy equals that of bringing the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ in to the life of one of Heavenly Father's children. Missionary experiences can bring to every member of the Church the calm reassurance that his sins are in very deed being forgiven. Our Heavenly Father will love us for proclaiming the gospel of his Son, Jesus Christ, to all of his children on earth.

Please do not wait for anyone but the Lord to help you. He will help you. Our individual efforts can produce a great increase in building the kingdom of God. If just 30 percent of the active adult members of the Church would follow this simple procedure at least once each year, we would add 200,000 additional converts to those we are already baptizing. Compounded, this would mean in ten years an increase of at least 5.4 million more converts than we would have had at our present level of member effort. If 100 percent of the active adults would participate, we would soon start to see that every living soul can receive the message.

May God bless all of us that we will have the courage to commit ourselves to a specific date for having someone ready to hear the gospel message. Then may we proceed to call upon the Lord to guide our efforts so that thousands of our Heavenly Father's children will receive the gospel of Jesus Christ. May we all look upon this not as a duty but rather as a great privilege. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'84, Ensign, [November 1984]: 16-17).

All of us who are under the baptismal covenant have promised to offer the gospel to others (See D&C 88:81; Mosiah 18:9). Sometimes, fear of rejection or of giving offense looms before us like an impassable obstacle. Yet some members clear that barrier with ease. I have observed them carefully in my travels. I can picture some of them now.

Saturday is a market day across the world. In the countryside of Ghana, in Ecuador, and in the Philippine Islands, countless people bring the produce of their farms and their handicrafts to a town to sell. They talk with those they meet on the road. And they visit with those near them as they wait for someone to buy. Much of the talk is about the struggles of existence, of breaking out of poverty, and sometimes about danger.

Among those on the roads and in the markets are Latter-day Saints. Much of their talk with those they meet would be the same as you would hear anywhere in the world. “Where are you from?” “Is that your son with you?” “How many children do you have?” But there will be a difference in the Latter-day Saints. It would be noticeable in their eyes as much as in their words. They listen carefully with the look of someone who cares about the answers to questions and who cares about the person.

If the conversation lasts more than a few minutes, it would turn to things that matter deeply to both of them. They would talk of what they believe brings happiness and what brings sadness. And the talk would turn to hopes for this life and the next. The Latter-day Saint would express quiet assurance. Not every time, but sometimes, the Latter-day Saint would be asked, “Why are you so much at peace?” “How do you know these things you say you know?”

And then there would come a quiet answer. Perhaps it would be about Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appearing to the young boy Joseph Smith. It might be about the resurrected Savior’s loving ministry, as described in the Book of Mormon, to common people who had faith in Him and who loved Him as we do.

If you could hear such a conversation, which reaches spiritual things in a marketplace or on a street, you might ask: “How could I do that? How could I become better at sharing my faith with those who do not yet feel what I feel?” It is a question for each of us who are members. That same question is on the mind of every bishop and branch president in the Church who now has the charge to lead missionary work among his people. The answer to that question is at the heart of the harvest which will come.

I’ve studied carefully and prayerfully some who are remarkably faithful and effective witnesses of the Savior and His Church. Their stories are inspiring. One humble man was called as the president of a tiny branch. There were so few members he could not see how the branch could function. He walked into a grove of trees to pray. He asked God what he should do. An answer came. He and the few members began inviting friends to join with them. In a year, hundreds had come into the waters of baptism and become fellow citizens in the Lord’s Church.

I know a man who travels almost every week in his work. On any day there are missionaries somewhere in the world teaching someone he met. There is another man who seems undeterred by how many he must speak to before any of them wish to be taught by the missionaries. He doesn’t count the cost in his effort but only the happiness of those whose lives are changed.

There is no single pattern in what they do. There is no common technique. Some always carry a Book of Mormon to give away. Others set a date to find someone for the missionaries to teach. Another has found questions which draw out feelings about what matters most in life to a person. Each has prayed to know what to do. They each seem to get a different answer, suited especially to them and to the people they meet.
But in one way they are all alike. It is this: they have a common way of seeing who they are. They can do what they have been inspired to do because of who they are. To do what we are to do, we will have to become like them in at least two ways. First, they feel that they are the beloved children of a loving Heavenly Father. Because of that they turn to Him easily and often in prayer. They expect to receive His personal direction. They obey in meekness and humility, as the children of a perfect parent. He is close to them. (Henry B. Eyring, “A Child and a Disciple,” Liahona, [May 2003]: 29–32).

We have paused on some plateaus long enough. Think, brothers and sisters, what would happen if each active family were to bring another family or individual into the Church; … we would be joined by several hundred thousand [new] members of the Church. (Spencer W. Kimball, Mission Presidents’ Seminar, June 1979).

Missionary work will never be what it might be without the help of the members. Stake presidents need to feel some responsibility and ownership of missionary work. The stake president is the one who has the presiding priesthood keys over both the members and nonmembers in his stake. The missionaries are his helpers. (James E. Faust, “First Presidency Trains Mission Presidents,” Ensign, [September 1999]: 76).

It seems clear to me--indeed, this impression weighs upon me--that the Church is at a point in its growth and maturity when we are at last ready to move forward in a major way. Some decisions have been made and others are pending which will clear the way, organizationally. But the basic decisions needed for us to move forward, as a people, must be made by the individual members of the Church. The major strides which must be made by the Church will follow upon the major strides to be made by us as individuals.

We have paused on some plateaus long enough. Let us resume our journey forward and upward. Let us quietly put an end to our reluctance to reach out to others--whether in our own families, wards, or neighborhoods. We have been diverted, at times, from fundamentals on which we must now focus in order to move forward as a person or as a people.

Seemingly small efforts in the life of each member could do so much to move the Church forward as never before. Think, brothers and sisters, what would happen if each active family were to bring another family or individual into the Church before next April conference. (Spencer W. Kimball, "Let Us Move Forward and Upward," Conference Report, April 1979, p. 82).

As a Church, we have not yet caught that vision. Members are not bringing several hundred thousand members into the Church each year. We have not yet met this challenge of a living prophet. We are still on some of these same plateaus. As far as convert baptisms are concerned, we have only been converting some 200,000 people a year for the last six years. What has President Kimball’s response been to our “low rate” of convert baptisms? I quote again, “We must have more converts. They must be well converted. No gimmicks to get baptisms. They must be real converts, and we emphasize that to you brethren, but we do want more converts. (Spencer W. Kimball, Mission Presidents’ Seminar, June 1974.)

No mission will rise to its greatest potential unless the members and the missionaries work cooperatively together. Missionary problems almost vanish when every missionary is successful. (Thomas S. Monson, [Mission Presidents’ Seminar], Church News, (30 June 1990): 3).

What would happen if we could actually understand that every member is a missionary and every missionary is a member? The concept in the minds of everyone is that the missionaries teach, and after they baptize converts, we, the members take over. [When this concept is followed, a wall has been built between members and missionaries that hinder the work.] This wall must be removed.

The way we retain converts and have real growth is to have no walls--to have stake missionaries and full-time missionaries working as one. The combination of stake and full-time missionaries bringing sheaves into the garner together is the picture we must have locked in our minds. After all, the temple is the great garner.
We prepare the converts for the great day when we can stand together with them in the kingdom of our Father and rejoice in their salvation. (M. Russell Ballard, [Mission Presidents’ Seminar], Church News, (30 June 1990): 4).

Every man should give to the people his testimony. Every one of you should be a missionary in addition to what else you are doing. You have neighbors, you have friends, you have fellow workers; it's your responsibility. You cannot go into eternity and look the Lord in the face if you've done nothing toward teaching the gospel to others. Have your wives do the same. Have your children do the same. (Spencer W. Kimball, Sao Paulo Area Conference, 1975, p. 52).

Let me share with you the counsel of the prophet Brigham Young. He said, "Go on until we are perfect. Loving our neighbors more than we love ourselves." The Prophet Joseph Smith also left words which we can ponder. Said he, "A man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone. But ranges through the whole world anxious to bless the whole human race."

This shall be our opportunity with our friends and our neighbors. Not only is it an opportunity, it is a solemn duty to share the gospel. . . .The Lord said, "Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence." (D&C 107:99). (Thomas S. Monson, Dortmund Germany Area Conference, 8 August 1976, p. 31).

Nothing is so much calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand, and watch over them with tenderness. When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what power it has over my mind, while the opposite course has a tendency to harrow up all the harsh feelings and depress the human mind. (Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976, p. 24).

We must exercise our abilities and our testimonies and take the gospel to our neighbors. Suppose one million of us would take the gospel to a neighbor every year, and that is well within the realm of possibility. Can you see how the Church would grow tremendously? There is great urgency in this matter. We must not leave it until tomorrow. Today is the day, and we cannot wait. Those of our numbers who have already died will be called to positions of missionary activity in the spirit world, and they will work with those who have already died. You and I have a tremendous responsibility personally to see that every person who lives near to us hears the gospel. You will remember that President David O. McKay established the slogan, "Every member a missionary." That means every man and every woman and every grandfather and every grandmother and every youth and every child. A child can hardly be too young to pass the gospel on to his playmates.

You will recall that in one of the revelations, the Lord said this: "Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads" (D&C 88:81-82). This places the responsibility upon everyone in this audience and all those who are not here. It is amazing how many young boys and girls have brought their companions into the Church. (Spencer W. Kimball, Dortmund Germany Area Conference, 7 August 1976, p. 21).

We have such an obligation to those who are baptized into the Church. We cannot neglect them. We cannot leave them to stand alone. They need help as they become accustomed to the ways and culture of this Church. And it is our great blessing and opportunity to afford that help....A warm smile, a friendly handshake, an encouraging word will do wonders. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign,/Rose Park, Utah, Regional Conference, 28 February 1999).

We invite members of the Church to assist financially in sustaining the missionary cause and to contribute liberally of their means for the spread of the gospel. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Conference Report, October 1970).

Let me explain to you the challenge we face in the Church. Many of our worthy young men who desire to serve missions are in other countries of the world. Most of these elders and sisters do not have the resources to support themselves for two years on a mission and therefore must receive supplementary assistance. We have a general missionary fund in the Church to which we ask all members to contribute. Those who have received bounteously from the Lord can afford to give generously to support this program. Most adult members could contribute some each month and, by doing so; help prosper the missionary efforts throughout the world. (Ezra Taft Benson, CR A'85, Ensign, 15 [May 1985]: 7-8).

Every one of you can be a missionary. Every one of you can befriend somebody, lead him to the Church, stay with him, help him, be a friend to him as he grows in faith and faithfulness as a member of the Church. You don’t have to go across the world, really, when all is said and done. You can do it right here. What a significant and wonderful thing that is. This is a great harvest field of the Church, my brethren and sisters. I believe that. There is nothing that will bring you greater satisfaction than to be responsible for someone being led to this Church, standing with him or her, befriending him or her, watching him or her grow in faith and faithfulness. Miraculous is the conversion process of this Church. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Washington, Utah, Buena Vista Stake Conference, 20 January 2002 quoted in Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, Volume 2: 2000-2004, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005, pp. 323-324.

Every convert needs a friend in the Church, someone who will be close to him, someone who will answer his questions, someone who will look after him and keep him coming. He needs a responsibility. He needs something to do. He won’t grow without responsibility. He must have a responsibility. We must take care of those who come into the Church as converts. They need constant nurturing in the gospel. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Woods Cross, Utah, Regional Conference,10 January 1998).

Our members need to understand their responsibility to do missionary work and then do it. I fully endorse the words of President Spencer W. Kimball: "Do we really believe in revelation? Then why cannot we accept fully as the revealed word of God the revelation of the Prophet-President David O. McKay, wherein he brought to the Church and to the world this valuable Church slogan, `Every member a missionary.' How else could the Lord expect to perform His work except through the Saints who have covenanted to serve Him? You and I have made such a covenant. Will we honor our sacred covenant?" (Spencer W. Kimball, Regional Representatives’ Seminar, September 1977).

How long has it been since you have invited a neighbor to sacrament meeting or to a stake conference, to come into your home for a home evening? How long has it been since you had a real gospel conversation? These are choice experiences. Members of the Church, stake missionaries, full-time missionaries working together is a thrilling experience. (Ezra Taft Benson, Grantsville Utah Stake Conference, 1 September 1974).

Some years ago down in California, where I presided as a stake president, the bishop asked a young man in the ward if he would be willing to spend his summer months in doing missionary work. He was studying medicine, but he agreed that he would. Do you know what he did? He went around to the boys and girls that he attended high school with and said to them, "My Church has asked me to do some missionary work for it, and I am not very well prepared. How would you like to give me a few nights of your spare time, and let me practice on you so that I will become prepared to do my missionary work? With just that one little thought, he brought four of those high school students into the Church during those summer months. Isn't that better than sitting around twiddling your thumbs, wasting your time? There is opportunity all around us on every hand. (LeGrand Richards, "A Profitable Homecoming, Speeches of the Year, 1971, Provo: Brigham Young University, 1972, pp. 1-2).

This Church expects something of people. It has high standards. It has strong doctrine. It expects great service from people. They don’t just idly go along. We expect them to do things. People respond to that. They welcome the opportunity to be of service, and as they do so, they grow in their capacity, in their understanding, and in their qualifications to do things and do them well. (Gordon B. Hinckley, ORF [Austrian] television Interview, 6 November 2001).

We shall continue to encourage all members to fulfill their missionary responsibilities. We shall do missionary work only in those nations that permit it. We urge our members everywhere to respect the laws of the lands in which they live. (Ezra Taft Benson, Statement upon Becoming President of the Church, 11 November 1985).

Let us all realize that this work belongs to each and every one of us, and let us do all in our power for its advancement. (Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, April 1931, p. 131).

It is time to raise our sights, to get a vision of the magnitude of this great work. The Lord expects it of us. It is not enough just to be members in the Church and go to sacrament meeting, pay our tithing, support the welfare program. That is all good--but that is not enough. The Lord expects us to be missionaries, to live the gospel--yes, wholly, and to help to build up His kingdom. (Ezra Taft Benson, Grantsville Utah Stake Conference, 1 September 1974).

I remember an experience I had with our second son, Mark. They were living in Dallas, Texas. It was about the time that President David O. McKay reiterated that great statement, "Every member a missionary." When they arrived at their new location in Dallas from Utah, they had their home evening. Their children never miss a home evening, all six of them. It was in that home evening where they taught missionary work. At one of their first ones with the family of six children together, they said, "Now the prophet of the Lord has asked that every member be a missionary. Let us set a goal as a family. We are surrounded by nonmembers here in Richardson, a suburb of Dallas. Let's set our goal." And so they talked about goals, and they set a goal to bring in one family, a complete family, every year as long as they lived in that area. All were to help, the little children in Primary and Sunday School, and the older ones as well.

I was coming through Dallas from Florida and I stopped over night with them. I hadn't been in the home thirty minutes until the father said, "Dad, would you mind if we brought our families in to meet you?" They had been in Dallas four and one-half years. I am sure they had it all planned in advance, but in thirty minutes they had five families in their living room, five complete families. This was the work of one Latter-day Saint family.

I wish you could have been there with me. They didn't have enough chairs to seat these thirty people. I wish you could have heard the testimonies of those fathers and the comments of the teenagers. The teenage girls, speaking to me said, "Brother Benson, why couldn't we have known of this fifteen years ago. We could have been reared in the Church." The fathers said, "Why couldn't we have known of it? There have been Mormons in this area a long time. Why couldn't we have known it? We could have reared our families in the Church." The comments from mothers, as tears rolled down their cheeks, "We have the pearl of great price. The message we have is priceless, absolutely priceless." (Ezra Taft Benson, Glasgow Scotland Area Conference, 21 June 1976).

Let us exhort each other to fulfill our missionary responsibility. Let us do it with love--not criticism. Let us do it with understanding--not berating. But let us do it, and do it with urgency. Let us catch the vision and the inspiration of President Spencer W. Kimball. We need to understand that member-missionary work is literally the key to the future growth of the Church and that we have covenanted with our Father in Heaven to do this work. (Ezra Taft Benson, "President Kimball's Vision of Missionary Work," Ensign, 15 [July 1985]: 11).

Our full-time missionaries are having increasing success in all parts of the world in bringing souls into the waters of baptism. But their success could be multiplied many times if they had the enthusiastic cooperation of the members of the Church. It would seem most members of the Church have a built-in reluctance to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors. Many of us take pride in referring to the growth of the Church or the success of the worldwide missionary effort but have never fellowshipped an acquaintance or a neighbor. When returning mission Presidents” are asked, "How could you have had more conversions in you mission," We hear the same reply: "If only we could get the members to assist the missionaries by preparing their friends and neighbors to receive the elders."

Have we forgotten our obligation? Have we forgotten what the Lord said?

"Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor. Therefore, they are left without excuse." (D&C 88:81-82).

"I give unto you a commandment, that every man, both elder, priest, teacher, and also member, go to with his might....to prepare and accomplish the things which I have commanded.

"And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor." (D&C 38:40-41).

Your missionary sons and daughters are trained to teach the gospel, to teach in an orderly, inspired manner, which hopefully leads to baptism. To a missionary, every hour is precious and must be productive. Do you realize missionaries baptize about one person for every 1,000 homes they tract? These same missionaries will baptize 600 people for every 1,000 who are taught in the homes of members--600 times more converts when members participate with conviction. (David B. Haight, CR O'76, Ensign, [November 1976]: 20).

More of these exciting young servants of the Lord are in your wards and branches than ever before. Missionaries are going out better trained, better prepared, with higher hopes and aspirations. Every family that has accepted the gospel is obligated to share it with its neighbor. We can interest people in the gospel by just being natural and sincerely showing our love for them. Emily Dickinson wrote: "We never know how high we are/Till we are called to rise/And then if we are true to plan/Our statures touch the skies." (Familiar Quotations, comp. John Bartlett, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1968, p. 737). (David B. Haight, CR O'76, Ensign, [November 1976]: 20-21).

On an airplane flight a few weeks ago, a friend of mine engaged a lady in a conversation. He told her about his trip to Anderson, South Carolina, to visit a fourth cousin because he was seeking information concerning some of his ancestors. He asked this lady sitting next to him, "Would you like to know why I am interested in my ancestors who died long ago?"

"Yes, I would," she replied.

"I was trying to find information about my forebears so I could perform certain work for them in the temple. Do you know where the Savior was during the three days His body lay in the tomb following the crucifixion?"

"No. We now have altogether some 5,300 retired men and women serving in a meaningful missionary capacity for this Church throughout the world. The number is growing. They go where they are called. They serve where they are needed. Friendships are established; skills are shared; opportunities are opened for those who will never forget the men and women who have come among them in a spirit of entire unselfishness to teach and do good. They receive no money. They go at their own expense. The measure of their devotion is unlimited. The fruits of their efforts are beyond calculation. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Los Angeles World Affairs Council, 12 June 2002 quoted in Discourses of President Gordon B. Hinckley Volume 2: 2000-2004 Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005, pp. 517-518).

He continued, "Peter, the apostle, said Christ preached to the spirits in prison who were disobedient in the days of Noah." And then he said, "Now, do you think the Savior of the world would spend three days preaching to such people if they could not do anything about it?"

"No, I don't. I have never thought of that," she said.

He proceeded to explain baptism for the dead and the resurrection. He quoted Paul: "Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" (1 Corinthians 15:29).

"Do you remember the phrase 'until death do you part' being used when you were married? Your marriage contract ends when either of you dies."

She replied, "I guess that's right, but I had never thought of it that way."

He continued, "My wife died the forepart of last month, but she is my wife eternally.

We were married by one having the priesthood authority to bind in heaven that marriage performed here on earth. We belong to each other eternally; and furthermore, our children belong to us forever."

Just before landing he asked to her, "Do you know why we met? It is so you too can learn about the gospel and be sealed to your husband, your children, and your progenitors for eternity--to become an eternal family."

Soon after this incident, he mailed a copy of Elder LeGrand Richards's book A Marvelous and a Wonder to this lady and her family and tucked his name card inside. The name of this woman eventually found its way to some full-time lady missionaries laboring in her city in Pennsylvania. After the missionaries' first contact with her, they wrote, "Mrs. Davis was extremely gracious. You should have seen the light in her eyes when she met us. Brother Cummings had planted a most fertile seed with his testimony and confidence that he and his loved ones would be together after this life. As missionaries we felt at peace. We were impressed that the Lord would attend our efforts because this family was prepared. (David B. Haight, CR O'76, Ensign, [November 1976]: 21).

"For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the lord, am not to be mocked in the last days." (D&C 63:58.)

"And thou shalt declare glad tidings, yea, publish it upon the mountains...

"And thou shalt do it with all humility, trusting in me." (D&C 19:29-30).

Last January in an effort to stimulate missionary activity, our Ohio stakes presented a program on the Word of Wisdom entitled "What Makes Mormons Run?" Church leaders encouraged members to bring many friends and neighbors to this meeting. A stake high councilor was sure his neighbors would refuse; and thought he felt obligated to invite his next-door neighbor, he kept putting it off, knowing they would not accept.
Finally, somewhat embarrassed, he decided not to postpone the challenge any longer; and after praying that his approach and words would not be misunderstood by his neighbor, and holding the hand of his eight-year-old daughter, he went next door. They knocked on the door, were warmly greeted, and invited in. An invitation was extended to this neighbor family to come and hear a world leader and a prophet of God. The family agreed to attend.

Now it was much easier to ask other neighbors, friends, associates, his daughter's piano teacher, and many others. His newly found courage led to more success and a comfortable feeling. Over forty people responded to his invitation. They had to charter a bus to transport their guests to the meeting.

And what about the first neighbor he invited? They are now members of the Church, a potential "forever family." Before this family was baptized, this high councilor wrote, "I tremble to think that because of my reluctance to share the gospel with my neighbors, this choice family would have lost the blessings of the gospel. Oh, that every Church member could feel this wonderful experience!"

And why did his neighbor decide to investigate the Church? The neighbor said: If any other neighbor had come to my door to invite me to investigate religion, I would have declined; but we were so impressed with your family, your cleanliness, and your actions. You are always friendly and smiling. Your yard looks so neat and clean, and you are up working in your yard before anyone else is out of bed in the morning. We wanted to learn more about you and your church." (David B. Haight, CR O'76, Ensign, [November 1976]: 21-22).

Our great potential is to prepare the world for eternal living in the presence of our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ, and to do this we must teach the gospel to all the people of the earth. To you, our nonmember friends, please stop and take a moment to ask yourself: "Where did I come from? Why am I here on this earth? Where will I go when I die?" Today I have suggested to the members and missionaries of the Church that we all strive harder to prepare ourselves to be better able to share and to teach to you what we know to be true. We love you, and ask you to please listen to our message, for we teach the true gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of the only divinely recognized priesthood on this earth today. We can answer your questions, and we will place before you the evidence that the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, so you can decide for yourself if we teach to you the truth. We will give to you the Book of Mormon, that you might read for yourself to know that this second witness of the Lord Jesus Christ is in very deed the word of God like unto the Bible, and it testifies to the truthfulness of our message. (M. Russell Ballard, Jr., CR O'76, Ensign, [November 1976]: 88).

The first and great commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, might, mind, and strength; and the second was like unto it, to love our neighbors as ourselves. And the best way in the world to show our love for our neighbors is to go forth and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, of which He has given us an absolute knowledge concerning its divinity. (Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, April 1927).

It should be clear to us, that usually we must warm our neighbors before we can warn them properly. Our neighbors must experience our genuine friendship and fellowship. We want members to entreat neighbors, not to scold them or to scare them. What we need are not more quotas, but fewer qualms about sharing the gospel. We hope our members will not simply go through the motions, but will truly keep this requirement of sharing the gospel. (Spencer W. Kimball, "Report of the Regional Representatives’ Seminar," Ensign, [November 1976]: 140).

Fellow presiding officers in missions, stakes, wards, and quorums, make your quorums more effective in regard to brotherhood and service. The quorums are units which should effectively hold the priesthood in sacred bonds and in helpfulness.
One of your members has a son on a mission, and his funds are getting low. Just ask if you can be of help to him. Your thoughtfulness he will never forget. Such acts as these are what the Savior had in mind when he said, 'Inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these my brethren, ye do it unto me.' (See Matthew 25:40.) (David O. McKay, Conference Report, October 1955, p. 129).

No person who has been converted to the gospel should shirk his responsibility to teach the truth to others. This is our privilege. This is our duty. This is a command from the Lord....

I was asked a few years ago, "Should every young man who is a member of the Church fill a mission?" And I responded with the answer the Lord has given: "Yes, every worthy young man should fill a mission." The Lord expects it of him. And if he is not now worthy to fill a mission, then he should start at once to qualify himself. . . .

Someone might also ask, "Should every young woman, should every father and mother, should every member of the Church serve a mission?" Again, the Lord has given the answer: Yes, every man, woman, and child--every young person and every little boy and girl--should serve a mission. This does not mean that they must serve abroad or even be formally called and set apart as full-time missionaries. But it does mean that each of us is responsible to bear witness of the gospel truths that we have been given. We all have relatives, neighbors, friends, and fellow workmen, and it is our responsibility to pass the truths of the gospel on to them, by example as well as by precept.

The scriptures are abundantly clear in stating that all members of the Church are responsible to do missionary work: "It becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor" (D&C 88:81). (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 3).

Every young man should...have an ambition to qualify himself for labor to the full extent of his ability, so that he will be able to accomplish all that is possible for him to do in planting the standard of truth firmly on the earth. (Heber J. Grant, “Work, and Keep Your Promises,” Improvement Era, [January 1900]: 197).

The Lord has given no greater charge to His people than sharing the gospel with our Heavenly Father’s children. Missionaries take people out of the darkness of the world and lead them to the safety and light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To find and teach and baptize and confirm someone who has never paid much attention to God or to Christ and His great atoning sacrifice is one of the greatest services a priesthood holder can provide.

We know the purpose of life. The rest of the world doesn’t. It rests on the shoulders of every young man to prepare himself to declare the message to the world. It is exciting work. (M. Russell Ballard, “How to Prepare to Be a Good Missionary,” New Era, [March 2007]: 6).

Last year there were approximately 300,000 convert baptisms throughout the Church. This is tremendously significant. This is the equivalent of 120 new stakes of 2,500 members each. Think of that: 120 new stakes in a single year! It is wonderful. But it is not enough. I am not being unrealistic when I say that with concerted effort, with recognition of the duty which falls upon each of us as members of the Church, and with sincere prayer to the Lord for help, we could double that number. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, [May 1999]: 104.)

What a thrilling thing it is, my dear brothers and sisters who are fellow members of the kingdom of God, to be entrusted by the Lord to serve as messengers of His word to our brothers and sisters who are not members of the Church. Let us assume for a moment that the roles were reversed--that you were not a member of the Church but that your present nonmember neighbor was a Latter-day Saint. Would you want him or her to share the gospel with you? Would you then rejoice in the new truths you had learned? Would your love and respect increase for your neighbor who had shared these truths with you? Of course, the answer to all of these questions would be: Yes! (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 3).

We should remember that the Lord has told us that it is our duty to warn our neighbors and to preach this Gospel—-that duty is upon all of us—we should be missionaries. (Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, October 1922, p. 10).

In missionary service, members of the Church are having experiences similar to this: A member asked a salesman on impulse, "Would you like to know more about the Mormon Church? I am a Mormon." The answer brought knowing tears of the Spirit. "Yes, I really would. You know, when I was young I seemed to know the difference between right and wrong, but now I have a problem with my son. He doesn't seem to sense the difference. Do you have something that will help me teach my son?" The affirmative answer by the member led to a date with the missionaries the next day. The testimony of the member during the discussions and the frequent fellowshipping led to a family baptism. (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 5-6).

Every gospel teaching experience is a spiritual experience for all parties, regardless of whether it leads to baptism or not. Our goal should be to identify as soon as possible which of our Father's children are spiritually prepared to proceed all the way to baptism into the kingdom. One of the best ways to find out is to expose your friends, relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances to the full-time missionaries as soon as possible. Don't wait for long fellowshipping nor for the precise, perfect moment. What you need to do is find out if they are the elect. "[My] elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts." (D&C 29:7.) If they hear and have hearts open to the gospel, it will be evident immediately. If they won't listen and their hearts are hardened with skepticism or negative comments, they are not ready. In this case, keep loving them and fellowshipping them and wait for the next opportunity to find out if they are ready. You will not lose their friendship. They will still respect you. (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 6).

Of course, there are discouragements, but nothing is ever lost. No one ever loses a friend just because he doesn't want to continue with the visits from the missionaries. The member can continue from the missionaries. The member can continue the association with no threat to his friendship or special relationship with that family. Sometimes it takes more time for some to come into the Church than for others. The member should continue to fellowship and try again at a later date for conversion. Don't be discouraged just because of a temporary lack of progress. There are hundreds of stories about the value of perseverance in missionary service. (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 6).

The real goal for effective proselyting is that the members do the finding and the full-time missionaries do the teaching. This tends to solve many of the old missionary problems. The members do the finding they have a personal interest in fellowshipping, there are fewer investigators lost before baptism, and those who are baptized tend to remain active. Another by-product is that when a member is involved, even if only from a casual relationship, the investigator seems to sense much more quickly that Mormons have a special health code (the Word of Wisdom comes as no surprise), that Mormons spend Sunday in church and not fishing or playing golf (keeping the Sabbath Day holy comes as no surprise), and that Mormons contribute readily to the Church programs (tithing, fast offerings, budget, building fund, missionary funds, etc. are more readily understood). When there is little or no surprise, the reluctance to be baptized is more easily overcome. (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 6).

Some members say, 'I'm afraid to share the gospel because I might offend someone.' Experience has shown that people are not offended when the sharing is motivated by the spirit of love and concern. How could anyone be offended when we say something like this: 'I love the way my church helps me,' and then add whatever the Spirit directs. It's when we appear only to be fulfilling an assignment and we fail to express real interest and love that we offend others. (M. Russell. Ballard, "The Essential Role of Member Missionary Work." Ensign, [May 2003]: 37).

All fellow members in this most important work--we must not slacken our hands in this work. Not only is our eternal welfare at stake, but also the eternal welfare of many of our brothers and sisters who are not now members of this church. Let us be faithful in discharging our responsibilities and obligations to ourselves and to them. (Spencer W. Kimball, "It Becometh Every Man," Ensign, [October 1977]: 7).

We should all be missionaries. What a wonderful thing it will be when the work is carried throughout the world, and the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ taken to all people. We should devote ourselves to missionary effort and not be content to let the missionaries carry the banner alone. As members of the Church, it is incumbent upon each one of us to teach the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone with whom we associate, by example and righteous living. . . . Shouldn’t we be willing to devote ourselves, our time, and our energy in the Lord’s work? (Howard W. Hunter, The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997, p. 248).

As disciples of Christ, we need to feel genuine charity for one another. As we do, new light will come into our own lives. This charity is essential in missionary work, but we must never allow ourselves to treat our neighbors only as potential converts. We have had the sad experience of seeing members of the Church who attempted to convert their neighbors and friends and, when they did not respond, withdrew their friendship and neighborliness. We must not be so anxious to share the gospel that we become insensitive to the feelings of others.

I encourage you to build personal, meaningful relationships with your nonmember friends and acquaintances. Interest in the gospel may come later as a natural extension of a good friendship. Invitations to participate in gospel-related activities often will strengthen relationships with acquaintances. If they are not interested in the gospel, we should show unconditional love through acts of service and kindness, and never imply that we see an acquaintance only as a potential convert. Members must understand that when a nonmember declines one invitation to investigate the gospel, he has not necessarily rejected the gospel. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'88, Ensign, (November 1988): 29).

I have relearned many times that our missionary experiences have to be current. It is not enough to sit back and ponder former experiences. To be fulfilled, you have to continue to naturally and normally share the gospel. This holds true for General Authorities as well. I always enjoy hearing from the Brethren who on their weekend assignments give the gospel message to someone sitting next to them on the plane. ("Status Report on Missionary Work: A Conversation with Thomas S. Monson," Ensign, [October 1977]: 14).

The preparation I am describing is not oriented only toward your missionary service as a 19- or 20- or 21-year-old young man. Brethren, you are preparing for a lifetime of missionary work. As holders of the priesthood, we are missionaries always. If you truly progress in the process of becoming a missionary, both before going on a mission and in the mission field, then when the day arrives for your honorable release as a full-time missionary, you will depart from your field of labor and return to your family—-but you will never cease your missionary service. A priesthood holder is a missionary at all times and in all places. A missionary is who and what we are as bearers of the priesthood and as the seed of Abraham. (David A. Bednar, “On Becoming a Missionary,” Conference Report, October 2005).

Let me say that the Lord in his wisdom, I am sure, has brought these multitudes of people to our door. Many times we have a receptive person in our next door neighbor. It is just as important, if not more so to bless him than to go out into the world and seek someone whom the Lord may not have specially prepared for this message. I think we should strengthen the feeling within us that people who come in our midst have not come blindly. They may not have known why, but I am sure our Father in Heaven has had a purpose in directing their lives into our midst. We should never let one of them come and go without hearing in an effective manner our message. (Henry D. Moyle, Conference Report, April 1960, p. 18).

A few years ago I spoke to the missionaries in the training center in Japan. I promised them then that a great day would dawn in that nation. I said that there would be a great increase in the members speaking eagerly to those they met of their testimony of the restored gospel. My thought then was that the courage to speak would come from an increased admiration for the Church in that land. I know now that the great miracle, a mighty change, will come inside the members, not in the world around them.

They and members across the earth will love and listen and talk and testify out of changed hearts. Bishops and branch presidents will lead them by example. The harvest of souls will be great, and it will be safe in the Lord’s hands (See D&C 50:41–42).

To be part of that miracle, you must not wait until you feel closer to Heavenly Father or until you are sure that you have been purified through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Pray for the chance to encounter people who sense there could be something better in their lives. Pray to know what you should do to help them. Your prayers will be answered. You will meet people prepared by the Lord. You will find yourself feeling and saying things beyond your past experience. And then in time you will feel yourself drawing closer to your Heavenly Father, and you will feel the cleansing and the forgiveness the Savior promises His faithful witnesses. And you will feel His approval, knowing you have done what He asked of you, because He loves you and trusts you.

I am grateful to live in such a time. I am grateful to know that you and I are loved children of a glorified Heavenly Father. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, that He is my Savior and yours and the Savior of all the people you will ever meet. The Father and the Son came to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The keys of the priesthood were restored, and the last, great gathering has begun. I know that is true. (Henry B. Eyring, “A Child and a Disciple,” Liahona, [May 2003]: 29–32).

Let us make use of our own homes. What is more wonderful than to invite a neighbor and his family into our home, and have our own family into our home, and have our own family join with them in hearing missionaries. Teach the gospel to your family in the most direct way, as well as give to your friends knowledge of the gospel. This will be satisfying to you and give you the feeling that you have done your duty in large measure toward these friends and neighbors who might otherwise live and die in our midst without the benefit of having heard the gospel. (Henry D. Moyle, Conference Report, April 1960, pp. 17-18).

In behalf of the missionaries,...I want to plead with the Saints to do all that you possibly can to provide referrals [of people] whom they might teach. You will be happy if you do so. Everyone that you see come into the Church because of your effort will bring happiness into your lives. I make that as a promise to each of you” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Pusan, Korea Fireside, 21 May 1996).

How long has it been since you have invited a neighbor to sacrament meeting or to a stake conference, to come into your home for a home evening? How long has it been since you had a real gospel conversation? These are choice experiences. Members of the Church, stake missionaries, full-time missionaries working together is a thrilling experience. We have so much of it running now in states like California and Idaho and someday we are going to have it here, if I have my way, because it is right, because he wants the gospel brought to the people. And he wants the Latter-day Saints to have had a hand in it, something to do with it. (Ezra Taft Benson, Grantsville Utah Stake Conference, 1 September 1974).

We traveled to Ghana in West Africa. There the Church is growing rapidly and is on very solid footing. We traveled along the beautiful coast to a chapel that recently had been completed. After holding a meeting there, we traveled though the village of Cape Coast with President and Sister Ernest J. Miller.

As the sun was setting, we saw a large crowd of villagers. Young, old, and middle-aged all were pulling on a huge net and drawing it out of the water. We stopped and inquired about what they were doing. They were pulling in the fish caught that day. In the net were large and small fish of many kinds. Each villager put his hands to the net to help bring in the catch. The thought ran through my mind of the gathering of Israel in the last days as referred to in Jeremiah. The Lord said, "I will send for many fisher... and they shall fish them" (Jeremiah 16:16).

That, brethren and sisters, is the mission of all of us as members of the Church: to put our hands on the net and pull in thousands of fine men and women who are searching for the truth. (Joseph B. Wirthlin, CR O'86, Ensign, [November 1986]: 61).

I think I can best demonstrate the significance of member involvement in preparing nonmembers for the missionaries by simply giving some facts. On the average, a pair of missionaries knocks on 1,000 doors in straight tracting to find one convert. If a member prepares a person or family and then, with the nonmember's approval, refers him to the missionaries, we baptize one out of twelve. But if the member prepares a person or family and invites him to Church or to an open house where perhaps the film "Man's Search for Happiness" is shown, and then invites the person or family to hear the gospel taught in his home where the member can bear his testimony to the friend, we baptize one out of three. When you compare three-to-one with a thousand-to-one, you can see why we pray for energetic member involvement in this kind of member missionary activity.

And all of us can do it! I remember a fine young couple who were contacted by the missionaries when I was presiding over a mission in eastern Canada. Prior to their baptism the young woman wrote her nonmember parents in western Canada to tell them what was taking place in her life and that of her husband and to ask them to consider welcoming the missionaries. A day after she wrote and before her letter arrived, her parents wrote her a letter telling her that they had been visited by the missionaries and were contemplating baptism and asked that she and her husband consider welcoming the missionaries. You can imagine the joy when each received the letter and subsequent telephone calls! But the point here is that both were preparing, hoping, and asking someone else to receive the missionaries. ("Status Report on Missionary Work: A Conversation with Thomas S. Monson," Ensign, [October 1977]: 10-11).

But while recognizing the fundamental need of mankind for the message of the Restoration, and in utilizing every available and honorable means known to human ingenuity or technological advance, the Priesthood activates the missionary activity of the Church under the careful restraints imposed upon the individual and social natures of the very men and women in whom the need for the Gospel is recognized—and to whom those who receive the message are obligated, not only by divine command to “warn every man his neighbor,” but by the ageless agreement made before this world was organized, that those who were privileged to seek and find the Gospel during its earthly career would do all in their power to bring it to the attention of others. Modern scripture makes this clear to the extent noting the majority of the pre-existent beings were bound thus by contract, so precious was the formula for advancement held. (John A. Widtsoe, Priesthood and Church Government, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1950, pp. 318-319).

Again I have a caution and a promise. The caution is that sorrow will come from failure either to love or to bear witness. If we fail to feel and show honest concern for those we approach with the gospel, they will reasonably distrust our message. But if out of fear of rejection we fail to tell them what the gospel has meant in our lives and could mean in theirs, we will someday share their sorrow. Either in this life or in the life to come, they will know that we failed to share with them the priceless gift of the gospel. They will know that accepting the gospel was the only way for them to inherit eternal life. And they will know that we received the gospel with a promise that we would share it.

I can make two promises to those who offer the gospel to others. The first is that even those who reject it will someday thank us...My second promise is that as you offer the gospel to others it will go down more deeply into your heart. It becomes the well of water springing up into eternal life for us as we offer it to others (Henry B. Eyring, “Witnesses for God.” Ensign, [November 1996]: 30).

The First Presidency has said that one of the threefold missions of the Church is to proclaim the gospel. If we accept this mission, we should be willing to center our efforts on bringing souls unto the Lord on condition of repentance.

Two years ago I spoke on this subject, and I continue to feel an urgent need that we must constantly remind and help each other in our responsibilities to share the message of the Restoration with others.

We often hear members say, "I know I should share the gospel, but I don't know how to do it." Perhaps the following success stories that have come to me may help you. These experiences resulted when members of the Church exercised their faith and followed some simple steps, such as setting a date to have someone prepare to be taught by the missionaries.

From England:

"In my calling as branch president, I decided one day to invite our whole community to join us in fasting [and giving fast offering] for the people of Ethiopia. I had 4,000 leaflets produced, which we distributed to homes in our area.

"One of the leaflets was delivered to a nonmember, and he and his wife felt impressed to take part. It was the name of the Church on the leaflet which first impressed them.

"The husband came to the chapel with the fast offering as invited, and I met him there. I gave him a tour of our small building, shared my testimony with him, and invited him to come to church Sunday. He came, and I introduced him to our missionaries, who arranged to call on the home.

"I was privileged to join with the missionaries on several joint teaching visits, and I developed a close relationship with the family.

"On the evening of March 2, the night before the date I had set, I baptized the wife. Her husband will follow soon, and their daughter.

"We have now met other families through this one, who are being taught. As for my wife and me, we have set another date!"

From Oregon:

"I set a date of just under two months and proceeded to ask for divine guidance in all of my daily prayers, and to fast for strength not to lose sight of my goal.
"My date came and went, with a few pangs of guilt. However, I received a message one week later that an old friend of mine that I had gone to school with wanted me to call. I gave him a call and invited him over that night. My friend went with me to pick up some pizza. As we drove into town, I told him that I was a member of the LDS church. He was interested, so I related some of the many blessings I had received. I then asked him to attend church with me that next Sunday, which he did.

"From the beginning, he accepted it all. We invited him to be baptized. He said he didn't want to be rushed into anything. At this time, I was impressed to read to him from the Book of Mormon, using the words that Alma used at the waters of Mormon. As I read those verses from Mosiah 18 to him, I paused at each question that Alma asked and asked him if he were willing to do it also. He said yes to all of it. Then I read him verse 10 and asked him, 'What have you against being baptized?'

"He looked at me and said, 'You're right, I have nothing to wait for.' so the date was set, and I baptized and confirmed him a member of the Church."

From Florida:

"As I knelt in prayer, I expressed a sincere desire to share the gospel with someone and asked my Heavenly Father to please send someone to me.

"The very next morning there was a knock on my door, and it was a neighbor wanting to borrow a pan. Although she had lived by us for some time, we had not had much contact. Two days later both she and her husband came over to visit with us. During our conversation she mentioned that they had been looking for a church. I told her how my husband and I were once in that very same position and how our church filled that very special need we had. We invited them to church that Sunday, and they eagerly accepted. Afterward, we asked them if they would be interested in learning more by having the missionary lessons in our home. They told us that, indeed, they would be interested.

"On Christmas Day, my husband baptized and confirmed them members of the Church. They have grown so strong, and they set a shining example to all. They are looking forward to the day when they and their new baby girl can be sealed in the temple for time and eternity."

Then, from far-off Buenos Aires:

"In our family prayers we began to include the names of nonmembers who had not yet joined the Church. My children prayed for them. Our prayers were different. We were changing our attitude toward missionary work from waiting for opportunities to share the gospel to asking the Lord to prepare specific people, by name, to receive the lessons.

"We have seen one person come into the church who is now fully active. Three other families, chosen with the Lord's help, have received the third discussion. All have been to church at least twice. All have been in our home for friendshipping and encouragement. They are receiving the opportunity to accept or reject the gospel message."

My brothers and sisters, from the experiences of these people and many more like them, we learn that we can give the saving ordinances of the gospel to others when we allow the Lord to help us with someone we know and love. Sharing our feelings about God and religion should be easy since most latter-day Saints are loving, sharing, and trusting people. With a relationship of trust established and with help from the Lord, we generally can feel comfortable moving beyond the realm of friendship and can invite our friends to learn more about the Church. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'86, Ensign, [November 1986]: 32-33).

There are many ways to share the gospel. I know that the following four simple steps will help you in your effort to find and to share the gospel with others because many members have used them and have successful missionary experiences.

Step one: Prayerfully set a date by which you will have someone prepared to hear the gospel. We must start somewhere, and this simple act of faith on our part will serve to motivate us. Do not worry if you do not have someone already in mind. Let the Lord help you.

Step two: Prayerfully choose a friend or someone you already know, someone with whom you may have already discussed the gospel, or given a Book of Mormon or other Church literature, or taken to church.

Step three: Share your date and your plans with your bishopric, ward mission leader, and the full time missionaries. They will help you.

The most important step is step four: With the help of the Spirit, invite your nonmember friend to hear the missionary discussions. This step, extending an invitation to hear the gospel, requires the most faith--faith to do as you are prompted by the Holy Ghost.

In talking of faith and saving souls, you should understand that when the Spirit is present, people are not offended when you share your feelings about the gospel. By prayerfully following these steps, you are putting a plan into effect that translates your faith into action. (M. Russell Ballard, CR O'86, Ensign, [November 1986]: 33).

Why every member a missionary? Because that is what the Lord has asked us to do. Prayerfully consider it. There are those who would forever call you the angel of understanding and compassion that led them to the truth, fortified them in their faith, or helped them learn to serve the Lord. Do it. Talk to your bishop. Let him help you see the possibilities for joy unbounded in some aspect of “every member a missionary.” You will find a renewal of life, excitement, and a deep feeling of personal fulfillment from having the courage to accept a call as a missionary. I know that the Savior will help you proclaim His word. (Richard G. Scott, “Why Every Member a Missionary?” Ensign, [November 1997]: 35).

I will say for myself—-and when I say it for myself I think I speak for a great many others—-there is no joy that I have ever had that has been greater than that which has come to me in having sons receive the Holy Priesthood and go forth and administer among the nations of the earth the ordinances of life and salvation. It is a glorious gift to the sons of men. It is what men have not enjoyed before us for the last eighteen hundred years almost. Then should we not prize these things? Yes, we should. The Lord, in the dispensation of His providences, has given to us an army of sons and daughters, and our sons are called to go to the nations of the earth. We want to instill into their minds the importance of these blessings to the inhabitants of the earth and the saving of souls from sin. You give unto any soul the principles of life and salvation and administer these ordinances to him, and you become an instrument in the hands of God in the salvation of that soul. There is nothing given to the children of men that is equal to that. (Wilford Woodruff, Conference Report, 5 April 1896; Deseret Weekly, [5 April 1896]: 528-529).

We should be grateful for the opportunity to teach the gospel. There has never been a period in the history of the Church when missionaries were not called and set apart to fulfill missions somewhere in the world. Each one of us who is here today has been introduced to the Church directly or indirectly through the efforts of some humble missionary. We should be grateful for this—for the part our forefathers played in it and for the opportunity we have today in teaching the gospel to others. . . .A great opportunity is ours to pass on to others the message of the gospel which has come into our lives. The Lord has said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 2):35). We feel real joy and pleasure when we have the privilege of giving to someone else. This principle is exemplified when we to the baptismal service on the Saturday preceding Fast Sunday and see converts to the Church, who have been taught by stake missionaries or others, go into the waters of baptism. Great is the joy and satisfaction of the person who first gave them an understanding of the gospel. Many opportunities are ours, each day we live, to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Howard W. Hunter, The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997, p. 247).

Now, do you [understand] the formula by which you may teach with the power and authority of God? Wax strong in a knowledge of the truth, be men of sound understanding, search the scriptures diligently that we might know the word of God. But that is not all. We have to pray, and we have to fast, and we have to get the spirit of prophecy; and having done all those things, then we teach by power and authority of God. (Harold B. Lee, Address to institute of religion faculty, 3 February 1962, Historical Department Archives, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7–8).

In an eastern city a woman member of the Church worked in a bakery. She explained the gospel to five women who worked with her, and all five were baptized into the Church. A Relief Society of twenty-three members got busy. They converted, with the help of the missionaries, twenty-four other women, one for each. A prominent high priest and his wife entertained seventy-eight people in their home and preached the gospel to them. The missionaries baptized twenty-five of the seventy-eight, and the others were friendly. A brother in the hospital spoke to his nurses, and they listened and joined the Church. One ward in California stimulated the members to this work, and they held seventy-six meetings and baptized thirty-four of the people who attended. (Spencer W. Kimball, Stockholm Sweden Area General Conference, 17 August 1974).

The perception of us as a Church and a people will improve in direct proportion to the degree to which we mirror the Master in our lives. No media effort can do as much good over the sweep of time as can believing, behaving, and serving members of the Church. (Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, [September 1983]: 75).

How does the Atonement relate to missionary work? What does the Atonement have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of our brethren.
Examples abound in the Book of Mormon that illustrate this principle. When Lehi partook of the fruit of the tree, symbolic of partaking of the Atonement, he said, “I began to be desirous that my family should partake” (1 Nephi 8:12). When Enos experienced his conversion and received a forgiveness of his sins, because of his faith in Jesus Christ he said, “I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites” (Enos 1:9). Then he prayed for the Lamanites, the implacable enemies to the Nephites. Then there is the example of the four sons of Mosiah—Ammon, Aaron, Omner, and Himni—who received a forgiveness of sins through the Atonement and then labored for years among the Lamanites to bring them to Christ. The record states that they could not bear the thought that any soul should perish (see Mosiah 28:3).
This supernal example of the covenanted one desiring to share the gospel with others is best illustrated by the example of Alma the Younger:

“But I was racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins.

Yea, I did remember all my sins and iniquities, for which I was tormented with the pains of hell; yea, I saw that I had rebelled against my God, and that I had not kept his holy commandments.

Yea, and I had murdered many of his children, or rather led them away unto destruction; yea, and in fine so great had been my iniquities, that the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror.
Oh, thought I, that I could be banished and become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.
And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.

And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.

And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Alma 36:12-24).

A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others. For this reason the Lord gave an obligation to every member of the Church to be missionaries. (Howard W. Hunter, The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997, p. 248).

They are the grateful disciples of the resurrected Jesus Christ. They know for themselves that the Atonement is real and necessary for all. They have felt cleansed through baptism by those in authority and the receipt of the Holy Ghost for themselves. And because of the peace they have experienced, they are like the sons of Mosiah, “desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble” (Mosiah 28:3).
Those who speak easily and often of the restored gospel prize what it has meant to them. They think of that great blessing often. It is the memory of the gift they have received which makes them eager for others to receive it. They have felt the love of the Savior. For them these words are their daily, hourly reality:

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

“We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:18–19.)

Even having felt that love, the true disciple sometimes feels anxiety. The Apostle John was clear about that: fear will be gone when we are made perfect in love. We can pray for that gift of perfect love. We can pray with confidence that we can feel the Savior’s love for us and for all we meet. He loved us and them enough to pay the price of all our sins. It is one thing to believe that. It is something far more to have our hearts changed to feel it every moment. The command to pray to feel the Savior’s love is also a promise. Listen:

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—-

“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.” (Moroni 7:46–48.)

The Lord trusts His true disciples. He sends prepared people to His prepared servants. You have had the experience, as have I, of meeting people where you were sure the meeting could not have been by chance. (Henry B. Eyring, “A Child and a Disciple,” Liahona, [May 2003]: 29–32).

Now then, the Lord has been desirous, in this age, as he has in other ages, to gather to himself a people who would do his will, keep his commandments, listen to his counsel and carry out his behests. … The Lord, in this age as on former occasions, sends by whom he will send; he selects his own messengers and sends them among the people. And when the elders of Israel went forth, he said to them in a certain revelation—“Go forth, and mine angels shall go before you, and my spirit shall accompany you.” [See D&C 84:88.] And they went forth, and God was true to his word, and many of you, at that time in distant nations, listened to the words of life, and when you heard them you knew and understood then, just as Jesus said—“My sheep hear my voice and know me, and they follow me, but a stranger will they not follow, because they know not the voice of a stranger.” [See John 10:5, 27.] You heard the voice of truth accompanied by the spirit of God, and that caused a chord to vibrate within your own bosoms and you yielded obedience....

Now, then, we are gathered together to help, what to do? To look after our own individual interest? No. To accumulate wealth? No. To possess and wallow in the good things of this life? No, but to do the will of God and devote ourselves, our talents and abilities, our intelligence and influence in every possible way to carry out the designs of Jehovah and help to establish peace and righteousness upon the earth. This, as I understand it, is what we are here for, and not to attend to our own individual affairs and let God and his kingdom do as they please. We are all interested in the great latter-day work of God, and we all ought to be co-workers therein. (John Taylor, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, [9 May 1876]: 1).

This means that since Adam the Lord has taught us correct doctrines and we may accept or reject them, but the responsibility is ours. It means that, having the Holy Ghost which we receive at baptism time, we all know good from evil. The conscience whispers to us what is right and what is wrong. We cannot blame others or circumstances. We know what is right.

Every person has free agency. He may steal or curse or drink; he may defile himself with pornographic material; he may lazy away his life, fail to do his duty, commit sexual sins, or even take life. There is no force, but he must know that sin brings its proper punishment, sooner or later and in total, so that one is stupid indeed to choose to do the wrong things.

Every person can fail to attend his meetings, fail to pay his tithing, fail to fill a mission, ignore his temple obligations and privileges, but if he is smart, he must know that he is the deprived one.

Again the Lord answers the question: "And that every man should take righteousness in his hands and faithfulness upon his loins, and lift a warning voice unto the inhabitants of the earth; and declare both by word and by flight that desolation shall come upon the wicked." (D&C 63:37.)

Did you note that said "every man," and every boy that is becoming a man? Of course, we do not send a young man steeped in uncleanness and sexual or other sins. Certainly such a one would need to be cleansed by deep repentance before he could be considered. And so we repeat it: Every LDS male who is worthy and able should fill a mission. (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, 6 April 1974, p. 126).

Missionary work is one way to take upon us the Savior’s name. We are to stand as witnesses of God at all times in all places, even until death [see Mosiah 18:8-9]. We renew that covenant during the sacrament when we covenant to take the name of Christ upon us.

Missionary service is one important way we take upon ourselves his name. The Savior has said if we desire to take upon us his name, with full purpose of heart, we are called to go into all the world and preach his gospel to every creature (see D&C 18:28). . . .Those of us who have partaken of the Atonement are under obligation to bear faithful testimony of our Lord and Savior. For he hath said, “I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in the solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you” (D&C 84:61). (Howard W. Hunter, The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997, p. 248).

Brethren and sisters of the Church, in the work of the Lord. There must be friendship. There must be love unfeigned. There must be appreciation and thanks expressed. There must be constant nurturing with the good word of God. All of these are small things, so easy to do, and they make so great a difference.

I have come to feel that the greatest tragedy in the Church is the loss of those who join the Church and then fall away. With very few exceptions it need not happen. I am convinced that almost universally those who are baptized by the missionaries have been taught sufficiently to have received knowledge and testimony enough to warrant their baptism. But it is not an easy thing to make the transition incident to joining this Church. It means cutting old ties. It means leaving friends. It may mean setting aside cherished beliefs. It may require a change of habits and a suppression of appetites. In so many cases it means loneliness and even fear of the unknown. There must be nurturing and strengthening during this difficult season of a convert's life.

A tremendous price has been paid for his or her presence in the Church. The long efforts of the missionaries and the cost of their service, the separation from old relationships and the trauma associated with all of this make it imperative that these precious souls be welcomed, reassured, helped in their times of weakness, given responsibility under which they may grow strong, and encouraged and thanked for all they do.

Who can question this great program of teaching the gospel to the world? It is the work of God. It results--or can result--in happiness for all who become the beneficiaries of its selfless service. It is as Paul said it would be when he wrote to Timothy, that young man of faith and works:

"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands....

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." (1 Tim. 4:14, 16.)

Note the words, "Thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." Is not this the story of missionary work? He who goes forth as a servant of the Lord saves himself. He grows in faith. He grows in capacity. He grows in understanding. He grows in love for the Lord.

He likewise blesses those who hear him. Every person in this Church, with rare exception, is a member because of missionaries who taught him or taught his forebears. Every person could stand and bear testimony and express appreciation for those who were the means of bringing to him or his forebears this work of salvation and eternal life. (Gordon B. Hinckley, "There Must be Messengers," Ensign, [October 1987]: 5).

After a convert’s baptism, stake missionaries are responsible for teaching the fellowshipping lessons to assist converts in making the tremendous adjustment that usually comes with baptism into the Church. That adjustment involves leaving old friends, old associates, and old ways. It involves repentance and commitment to better behavior. If we lose only one new convert, it is too great a loss. That loss can be avoided with well-organized stake missions whose missionaries and members work with the converts to assist them in becoming well-grounded in the faith.

Fifty-two years ago, I baptized a promising and wonderful young man in London, England. He was gifted and educated. He was sincere and prayerful. My companion and I taught him over a long period of time. We both left to return home after he had been baptized.

Our convert was a shy and sensitive young man. While still in the infancy of his membership, he was criticized for a small mistake that he had made in the responsibility he carried in the branch.

When the young man left the meeting that night, he never returned. He had been hurt and wounded by the thoughtless remark of a man his senior who should have known better.

I tried to keep track of this new convert through correspondence. But World War II came along. He entered the military service. After the war he married, and a while later his wife passed away, bringing a greater tragedy into his life. He rose in his vocation to become an executive of recognized capacity in the business world of England. He might have made a tremendous contribution to the Church, but an ugly scar remained from that wound suffered in a branch meeting many years earlier.

Eventually, I learned of his whereabouts. He had remarried and was retired and living in Europe. I visited him once. I write to him and send him books and other materials. He writes to me, and we are friends. My companion, with whom I taught this good man, has passed away. I have done everything I know how to do to try to revive our friend’s faith. Thus far, it has been fruitless.

I occasionally reflect on the remarkable way in which we found him. I reflect on the many hours we spent teaching him. I reflect on the struggle he had within himself to make the right decision to be baptized. I reflect on his joy in having found the Church. And then I reflect on his loss. It need never have happened. It should never have happened. (Gordon B. Hinckley, "There Must be Messengers," Ensign, [October 1987]: 4).

You young people share the responsibility of proclaiming the truth of the restored gospel. You will be effective in doing this only if you try to do right in your individual lives. To do this you will need an understanding and testimony of the basic doctrines of the Church. These fundamental absolutes of our faith are: first, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Redeemer of the world; second, that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, actually appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, restoring the fulness of the gospel and the true Church.

From this follows the purpose of the Church: first, to prepare its members for the perfect life. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Second, to foster and encourage its members to become a body of Saints, united in faith and works. Third, to proclaim the message of restored truth to the world. Fourth, to save our dead.

Some of you young brothers and sisters may be preparing to serve as full-time missionaries. To be called to serve as a missionary for this Church is not a right but a privilege. Missionary service is joyful, but it is not fun and games; it is hard work. The Lord's admonition to missionaries is contained in section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants: "O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day" (D&C 4:2).

All missionary service presumes personal worthiness. The Lord said, "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord" (D&C 38:42). Some of you are worthy, but because of health problems may not be able to stand the rigors of proselyting in the mission field. You may find alternative service opportunities that will be a great blessing to you. (James E. Faust, “Come Out of the Darkness into the Light,’ CES Fireside for Young Adults, 8 September 2002).

We have been greatly blessed with the material means, the technology, and an inspired message to bring the gospel to all men. More is expected of us than any previous generation. Where "much is given much is required" (D&C 82:3). (Ezra Taft Benson, CR A'85, Ensign, 15 [May 1985]: 6).

I believe. . . with all my heart that the field is white ready to harvest.. . . I think the answer to an increased number of converts does not lie particularly in our methods—-effective as those are. Rather, I think we are living in the day of the fulfillment of the word of the Lord given through the Prophet Joel, and repeated by Moroni in his first visitation to the Prophet Joseph.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all
flesh. . . “ (Joel 2:28.)

Great and magnificent as is the work of the . . . missionaries who have been set apart, I am convinced that we have a far greater force for teaching the gospel to the world in the membership of the Church—-“every man a missionary”—-as has been said here so convincingly tonight. “Every man a missionary.” (Gordon B. Hinckley, Conference Report, April 1961, pp. 87-88).