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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. President Heber J. Grant said: “The first 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 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.” (Conference Report, April 1927, p. 176.) Spencer W. Kimball, “It Becometh Every Man,” Ensign, Oct. 1977, 3

What was true in 1927, is still true today, as members of the Church it is our duty to share the gospel with those around us. We need to be Member Missionaries. Any full-time missionary will tell you that the members are what “make or break” a new convert. Below are some ideas on how you can become a better member missionary.

Going On Splits with your ward/stake missionaries is a great way that you can help to share the gospel. Have your husband watch the kids 1 night a month and offer to go on splits with the Sister Missionaries. If their aren’t Sisters in your ward, there are probably Sister Missionaries in your stake. Contact your Ward Mission Leader to find out how you can do splits. Stake Missionaries generally teach “New Member Discussions”. Splits with the Stake Missionaries will help you to get to know and fellowship the new members in your area.

Visiting Teaching is another way you can be a member missionary. Do all you can to become friends with the less active sisters on your route. Many people fall away from the church because they never felt they fit in, or they have made mistakes and feel like they can’t go back. Become your sisters friends, help them to feel that they belong and to know how much their Savior loves them and that they can come back to church.

Pray, maybe you are a stay at home mom and all the people you associate with are members of the church; pray that you will be able to have missionary opportunities. Sometimes it can be frustrating to hear talks about being member missionaries and sharing the gospel with your associates, and you think “everyone I know is a member already!” Pray that you will be put in situations where you can share the gospel.

Be a Good Example don’t be afraid to let people know you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Your example can teach people what words can’t. Your good example can go way beyond just you, many employers like to hire return missionaries because one R.M. set a good example, paving the way for others.

Temple Work is a great way to be a missionary. You are helping to give the gospel to those who have passed on. If you don’t have a Temple near you, do your genealogy and submit those names to the nearest Temple. Submitting names and doing the actual Temple work are of equal importance, the one could not be done with out the other.

Fellowship New Members “I plead with you … that you will put your arms around those who come into the Church and be friends to them and make them feel welcome and comfort them and we will see wonderful results. The Lord will bless you to aid in this great process of retention of converts. You know what it has been like. Most of you here are converts to the Church. You know something of the loneliness that you felt when you came into this Church. Now will you please accept that challenge to warm up and be friendly to every man, woman and child who is baptized into the Church? It all depends on you” (quoted in “Pres. Hinckley urges more missionary effort in Venezuela,” Church News, 14 August 1999, 7).

Open Your Mouth, don’t be afraid to share the gospel with the people you associate with. When appropriate topics in conversation arise, don’t be afraid to share your beliefs and values. If you are taking the afternoon off work to go to the Temple, don’t be ashamed to tell your boss that you need the afternoon off to go to the Temple. This allows him/her to ask questions and you are sharing the gospel. Remember, sharing the gospel does not always mean that you are attempting to convert someone, just get the message out. Maybe your words will be planting the seeds for future cultivation by another.

“Because all of you have some influence in building and strengthening your local units, I would like you to envision the future of your ward and stake. Look out two or three years from now. What do you want your ward and stake to be like? Would you like to see some of your less-active friends and relatives serving as Sunday School teachers or in the elders quorum or Relief Society presidency? What will today’s recent converts be doing? What about your nonmember friends and neighbors? Can you envision any of them worshiping with you at sacrament meeting and the great joy you will feel as you participate with them and the ward members? What the future will look like in your ward and stake will depend on the effectiveness of your combined efforts in making the Church a spiritually enriching, robust community of Saints.” M. Russell Ballard, “Members Are the Key,” Liahona, Sept. 2000, 12

I challenge you to follow Elder Ballard’s council, to look to the future of your ward, and then ask your self “What can I do to be of service to others?”.

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