Called to Serve

This post is about missionary opportunities, although not directly related to experiences Travis has had.


When Brad served a mission back in 2003-2005 (I believe...), I became a lot more gung-ho about missionary work. Every day I would pray for a missionary opportunity, and every day I would be blessed with one or more experiences. It was incredible! I had two friends come close to embracing the gospel, which made me so happy and excited, as well as devastated and heart sick when they didn't accept it: not for myself, but for them because the gospel is so wonderful and would have continued to add a lot to their lives.
I have yet been the instrument in helping someone join the church. I have often wondered what makes it so hard for people to become members of our church. To me, the gospel is the most wonderful blessing in the world! To me, the principles taught are light and truth that feed my soul. To me, it is freedom and hope. To me, the gospel radiates goodness. That's why it is so hard for me to understand the negative slur our church has, as well as people's hesitancy to join.
I am sure I would understand better if I wasn't a life-long member what people don't understand about our religion. I am sure I would see their stumbling blocks better, and be able to teach more clearly. The group of friends I hung out with in high school were incredible. We all had a lot of fun together. Six of them have served full time missions. Not all of the friends in our little "group" were members of the church. I remember talking with one of my non-member best friends about what she thought about our guy friends serving missions. She expressed that she didn't really like them trying to teach her about the gospel because she felt like they didn't think she already had good truth. I have since thought about that a lot. I think that is a lot of what makes people hesitant about the Mormon church; they feel comfortable with the truth they already have, and don't necessarily feel like they are missing out on anything. I think it also comes across as an insult, in some situations, to them when they are taught that they need things like proper authority for marriage because they believe they already have something good, as well as authority from their church. If this is often the case, I wonder how to share the gospel without being offensive but adding to the good people already have? (I have had several, what I felt prompted, experiences in sharing my testimony that have not gone so well... So you can see my concern in wanting missionary experiences to be uplifting rather than contentious).
Despite me not knowing clearly how to be a good missionary without hurting people's feelings, I want to be better again at praying for and receiving missionary opportunities especially because Travis is serving a mission. This go around will be a little different though because I'm no longer a high school student interacting with my peers all day, but I am a wife and
mother interacting with my family every day. But I think I can still have positive missionary experiences a long the way. For instance, last Saturday we ran to the park as a family for some good exercise. While we were there splashing around on the splash pad, we met a woman with a little boy close to Will's age. She told us how she and her husband are moving to Montreal (her hubby is from there), and we excitedly told her that Travis will be moving there too! We explained that he'll be serving a mission for our church. While we were chatting, her little boy dropped her key down the hole in the center of a park table. It fell all the way to the bottom! We spent the next hour getting it out for her (Rich was a super hero with his tool box!) At the end, we exchanged numbers and names, and she told us she would have to get together with our brother. Instances like this make me hope that a good seed has been planted! They are also the ways I think I'll experience missionary moments now.
I mentioned above that not all missionary moments go the way we (or I...) want them to go, and yet I have still felt prompted to share certain parts of my testimony with other people despite their lack of interest. Jena and I have talked about this, and why it is that we could feel prompted to share the gospel and yet have the person reject it kindly, or become verbally defensive. We both have been baffled by these experiences- why the prompting? Why the rejection? Our answer we found is simple and has given us direction for ourselves (people always have their individual agency to choose their reactions). We read in Doctrine and Covenants 6: 29-30, "... If they reject my words, and this part of my gospel and ministry, blessed are ye, for they can do no more unto you than unto me. And even if they do unto you even as they have done into me, blessed are ye, for you shall dwell with me in glory." These verses give us a lot of comfort to know that even though our good efforts don't produce any fruit, we haven't lost anything at all by trying to follow a prompting. Granted we'd love to experience what is described in verse 31, "but if they reject not my words, which shall be established by the testimony which shall be given, blessed are they, and then shall ye have joy in the fruit of your labors," and some happy day we will experience this! But for the mean time we (and I in particular) have faith that our sincere efforts will be magnified in Heavenly Father and He will bless us with the right opportunities at the right time.
I have been tremendously blessed by having the gospel in my life. I said early, and will repeat it again, the gospel is light, hope, and happiness to me. It is the essence of everything good and true in this world. I am so, so grateful to know it. Christ has given His life so that we might all come back to live with God again; what do I have to lose by offering up my testimony of this (even if it costs me feeling embarrassed or sad)?

How do you feel about missionary work, experiences, or being taught the gospel?

Con much amor,
Jessi