At the Last
Supper, Jesus taught his disciples, to prepare them for his imminent sacrifice.
And he told Peter “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when
thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32).
Peter was
offended. He insisted that his faith was strong enough that he’d happily follow
Christ anywhere, even to the grave. Yet, not many hours later, when faced with accusations
from the murderous mob, Peter denied any association with Jesus Christ. His
faith wasn’t as strong as he thought it was, but this experience gave him the
push he needed to allow his faith to grow, until he was ready to live as an
example of Christ.
As a member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I’ve been taught over and over
again to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with friends and family members who
haven’t yet heard the good news, or those who may have wandered away from the
truth. In fact, David O. McKay, the 9th president of the church, declared
“Every member a missionary!” Nearly every week at church, I’ve heard my
teachers, leaders and friends talk about the importance of missionary work. And
over the course of a lifetime, that’s a lot of weeks!
To be honest, for
many years I was more than a little bit uncomfortable with this charge.
Did I believe
wholeheartedly that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would bring peace and joy to the
hearts of all who embrace His teachings?
Yes, without a doubt.
Did I want my
friends and family members to be happy?
Of course I did.
So I should be
out in the world, preaching the Gospel to everyone who would listen, calling
friends and family members to repentance, right?
Well… :-/
When Jesus Christ
was on the earth, He taught His followers that unconditional love was always
the answer. He invited all to come follow him, but He didn’t pressure anyone or
condemn those that didn’t immediately jump at His invitation. As a follower of
Christ, I wanted to emulate his example of unconditional love for everyone, and
I took the charge, found in Matthew 7:1 to “Judge not, that ye be not judged”
very seriously.
Here is where my
problem with the “every member a missionary” charge arose. If I pointed out the
truths my friends and family were missing in their lives, wouldn’t that mean I
was judging them? How could I reconcile the need to share the Gospel with the
charge to love unconditionally, without judging?
I told myself
that I didn’t have to “be a missionary,” because loving others was the most
important thing, and if my friends were ready to hear the Gospel, they’d
remember my example and seek Him without any prodding from me.
But then, several
years ago, I attended a scrapbooking party with a friend. As I talked and
laughed with the other ladies at the party, one of the ladies I didn’t yet know
asked a question about what Mormons believe.
I honestly don’t
remember what her question was, but I remember the uncomfortable silence that
filled the room, as all of the Mormons in the group waited for someone else,
maybe someone who knew her better, or someone who had served a mission and was
more qualified, to answer her question. We’d been having so much fun, and no
one wanted to turn the focus to our potential differences. We didn’t want to
risk alienating this woman, if she didn’t understand our perspective or didn’t
agree with the doctrine.
Finally, I found
the courage to speak up and answer her question. That led to more questions, and
we talked until well-past two in the morning. That first conversation led to
many others. And soon, Tracy was one of my closest friends.
A few years
later, when both of us had moved from the military base where we initially met,
Tracy and I met up again at a conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The location
of the conference naturally led to more “What do Mormons believe?”
conversations, and when Tracy introduced me to her group of friends, she
informed them, “Veronica isn’t afraid to answer your questions, so feel free to
ask her anything you need to know about Mormons.”
And she was
right. I wasn’t afraid anymore. Because the more I learned about the love Jesus
has for me, the more I wanted everyone around me to feel that same love and
peace.
Like Peter, I had
to be truly converted before I understood how to strengthen those around me.
The thought of “being
a missionary” still terrifies me. Yet, when a conversation with a friend
reveals that they’re struggling with an issue for which I’ve found an answer in
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s easy for me to assure them that the answer is
there for them as well. When the Lord advised Peter to strengthen those around
him “when thou art converted,” He wasn’t questioning Peter’s loyalty or faith.
He was reminding Peter that it’s easy to share the love of Christ with others,
when we feel that love within ourselves.
I’m still
painfully shy in large groups, and I’m not likely to be the one to go knocking
on doors, offering to share God’s message with total strangers, but I’m no
longer afraid to share my faith with others. (Seriously. If you have questions
about Mormons, please ask me. I’d love to answer your questions for you!) And when
a Gospel principle that I’ve been struggling with clicks in my mind and I
finally understand, I’m excited to tell my friends about the new and exciting
truth I’ve discovered. Because I love them and want them to feel the joy and
peace I feel.
That is what “being
a missionary” is all about.
