Hello brothers and sisters. My name is Roland Wood; I have been in this ward since I was born, just a short 19 years ago. I have come to the point in my life where I have the opportunity to serve as a full time missionary for the church in McAllen, Texas. I leave in just a short week and a half, and I am grateful for the chance I have to speak to you today. And, since I will be spending the next two years of my life focused on missionary work, I figured that there would be no better topic than that to speak about to you today. I speak mostly to those younger than me, who may have a mission in their near futures, or have committed to themselves to serve the lord. However, the principles and values of laboring in the Lord’s vineyard apply to all of us.
After His Resurrection, the Lord commanded His disciples to "go . . . and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). This is the importance of missionary work. The chance and obligation that we have to share the gospel with those willing to hear it. To do all that we can build up the kingdom of Israel and bring God’s children closer to Him. This responsibility is extended to all able bodied young men and the opportunity extended to all who wish to make use of it. We all have the chance to strengthen our testimonies and the testimonies of others by proclaiming the truth of the gospel and the reality of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
We have all learned that every member is a missionary, and we can all be instruments in the hands of the Lord. I had a friend in high school, who, throughout the course of our years and classes together asked me a lot of questions about the church. I always answered his questions as best as I could, and I should give due credit to my youth leaders and parents who taught me the answers to those questions as I was growing up. Often I thought that my friend was just searching for the parts of our religion that seemed peculiar and different to the outside world, so that he could get a grasp on exactly what made Mormons so different. I figured that it was just a simple curiosity. That he didn’t really internalize or remember a lot of the things I said. However, after my year at BYU, I came back and had a quick visit with my friend. What he told me during that visit stuck with me a lot more than I think he thought it would. He told me how he was sure that one of his friends was dating a Mormon girl, even though she had never told him outright that she was one. He said that she didn’t drink coffee, alcohol or smoke, was more modest than 95% of the other girls at his college and made a point of going to church every Sunday. He put two and two together and figured that she was LDS. This surprised me because even though I thought that my friend hadn’t really been listening during all those short discussions we had, he really did remember our talks about the word of wisdom and other LDS things peculiar to the rest of the world. Sometimes people that we don’t think are listening really are, and are much more prepared to learn about and listen to the gospel that we think they are.
As a high school student having conversations during lunch, I was able to have a missionary experience, which stands as evidence that we can all be effective missionaries if we are willing to share what we know and believe. We can all apply to ourselves Mormon’s description of his calling as a missionary. In 3 Nephi 5:13 he says, “Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.” I love that verse because of its simplicity and truth. We can all be disciples of Jesus Christ, full time and if you will, part time missionaries. However, the difference between full time missionaries and part time member missionaries is in the occupation, not in the opportunity. It can be difficult to muster the time to get away from family, friends, work and other commitments in order to make room for missionary work. As busy adults with families and young adults with obligations like school, it is impossible to dedicate all of your time and be a full time missionary. But we all come across friends, colleagues and acquaintances that are curious about the gospel and they afford us the opportunity to teach someone about the word of the Lord.
Spreading the gospel is a sometimes difficult and strenuous task, but there is no more important work in the world. And as the messengers of that word, there is are many responsibilities we have, and things that we can do in order to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ even more quickly. Service is perhaps the most notable and effective way to get people to open up and talk about what they believe. By providing service, we are able to help and support our fellow men, serve God and establish bonds of fraternity and trust. Sharing the gospel is always easier with someone who you know and understand, and it helps to invite the spirit into whatever discussions you have.
There was a house across the street from ours in my neighborhood. The owner of the house was unable to care for the lawn adequately, much to the dismay of many in the neighborhood who found it an eyesore. However, on one of their p-days, the missionaries at the time came and spent the day helping my dad clean and care for the lawn. One of my neighbors up the street saw the two young men working and noticed that one of them was wearing a BYU t-shirt. Making the connection between the school and our faith, she figured out that he was a missionary. Word quickly spread through our neighborhood about the Mormons who worked to clean up the unkempt yard, and that single act of service has done more to advance the cause of the missionaries in our neighborhood, than anything my family has ever said about them.
Another story of service rendered was actually service provided to me that I will never forget. I had just gotten my license, and had a lot of things to learn about driving. Running errands one day, I noticed that the tank was dangerously close to empty, and I was worried that I might not be able to get home, or even much further, on what I had left. So I pulled into the closest gas station, only to realize, that I had never actually pumped gas myself. After working with the machine for a few minutes, I was stumped, and my confusion must have showed somehow, because the gas station attendant proceeded to come out, and teach me how to use the machine and fill up the tank. Afterwards, on my way out of the gas station, there was heavy traffic going one way, and, being a new driver, I couldn’t find a large enough opening for me to be comfortable making a left turn. After a little while of waiting, the gas station attendant came out again, marched into the street, and stopped traffic one-way for me, giving me the opening to leave. Although this encounter was fairly grandiose and uncommon, random acts of kindness can create a lasting impression on their benefactor. I know that I will never forget that experience, and that although I can’t remember the attendant’s name, if I ever run into him somehow, he will be sure to receive profuse thanks and probably a meal. By living as kind and compassionate disciples of Christ, those small things that we do to help others can often mean a lot to those that we are helping. And although we may not give them the first discussion afterwards, a friendly encounter can be remembered, appreciated and expanded upon for a long time.
As missionaries, we should keep our eyes open for those who may be ready to receive the gospel. It is our responsibility to bring people to Christ and to teach them about the atonement, the restoration, and that they will be able to return to their father in heaven. We should not be ashamed or bashful about the things that we know to be true. If we are comfortable and sure in our testimonies, then we have nothing to fear when the opportunity to explain our beliefs to others.
Another task that we all can help with is to support and connect with the members of the ward. Those who are new, just moving in or have just joined the church could always use a friend, and the community of the church is strengthened when we extend our friendship to any and all that we meet. In his recent Ensign article, “Faithful Friends”, President Henry B. Eyring stresses the importance of being a good friend to those that could use our companionship. He says, “Living prophets of God have asked us to be faithful friends to those who come into the church as converts, and to go to the rescue of those who have drifted away. We can do it, and we will do it if we always remember the Savior.” The savior is the perfect example of a true friend, and if we remember and strive to emulate him, we will show greater charity and love for our fellow men.
Also, as faithful latter-day saints, our commitment to live the tenants of the gospel can be an effective missionary tool in itself. Other people see us living our lives differently, apart from the standards of the rest of the world. Having a positive example gives some people a good impression of the church as well as giving some a buddy to help them rise above the morals of the world. As we live our everyday lives, people take notice of the things we say and do, and that is another way we are all representatives of the church of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter if you wear a white shirt and a nametag, as soon as someone knows that you’re Mormon, they can look to you for an example of what your faith is all about. This is an encouragement for us to live worthily, but also a motivating factor, knowing that your good deeds and high standards are being noticed and respected.
There are currently 344 missions with 51, 736 full time missionaries. These are both impressive figures, but there is a way to look at them that makes them much more astounding. There are currently 344 missions, but with members spread all over the world. There are currently 51,736 full time missionaries, and ideally 13,824,854 part time missionaries and members who are working to spread the gospel to all nations and all people through their faith, example, and willingness to share the joy of the word of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, I know that as we strive to share the gospel, as youth, members and missionaries we will be blessed for our work as well as our chance to bless the lives of others. We should be willing and ready to share the gospel, with the statement of Paul prepared in our minds. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…” (Romans 1:16). I am confident and sure that the powerful examples of our youth and members make a positive impression on those we come in contact with. And that as we strive to be friends to those in need, we will strengthen our testimonies as well as those we try to help.
