Carrying the Gospel to the World

“After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.” - Joseph Smith

I think the quote below, from Teachings of the Presidents of the Church - Ezra Taft Benson, Lesson 22, explains why preaching the gospel is our greatest and most important duty.

"The world needs, as it needs no other thing, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the people of the world want what the gospel will give, but they do not realize it. They want the anchor which the gospel provides, which gives them the answers to the problems that face them; that brings them a feeling of security and a feeling of inner peace. The gospel is the only answer to the problems of the world. Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family. The world is hungry for true religion, and we have it. "

This quote really spoke to my heart. When my daughter passed away, the gospel was my anchor! It truly brought me peace and provided answers to all the questions that naturally come at a time like that. Sometimes it takes something big like that for people to search for answers. I was blessed to already have the answers. And now, for the first time, I was not afraid to share the gospel with others because I wanted them to feel the peace that I felt.

President Benson reminds us that missionary work is one of our responsibilities as members of the Church. He said:

"As members of the Lord’s Church, we must take missionary work seriously. If you are laboring as you should, if you love this work, you will be helping to save the souls of the children of men.

[W]e should all look forward to this experience with great joy and anticipation. The real purpose in sharing the gospel is to bring souls unto Christ, to teach and baptize our Heavenly Father’s children so that we may rejoice with them (see D&C 18:15) in the kingdom of our Father.

We all share this great responsibility. We cannot avoid it. Let no man or woman think that because of where we live, or because of our place in society, or because of our occupation or status, we are exempt from this responsibility.

It is not enough just to be members in the Church. . . . The Lord expects us to be missionaries, to live the gospel—yes, wholly, and to help to build up His kingdom.

How long has it been since you had a real gospel conversation?"

Elder Delbert L. Stapley added: “If we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, then we should not be ashamed to live it. And if we are not ashamed to live it, then we should not be ashamed to share it.”

There really are no excuses for us not doing our part in carrying the gospel to the world. The Lord has provided so many ways for us to be missionaries. In his October 1993 General Conference talk, Elder David B. Haight said, "The Lord is opening the way and making it possible to expand His work throughout the world, and what a blessing it is for all of us—each in his own way—to take part." One could scarcely have imagined then just how easy it would be for us today to share the gospel with the world. Elder Haight was one of many who spoke of how the Lord would make it possible to spread the word throughout the world. At the devotional for BYU Education Week last year, Elder David A. Bednar shared with us prophetic words about technology from Brigham Young, David O. McKay, Spencer W. Kimball and Gordon B. Hinckley. (I italicized the things that really impressed me.) Elder Bednar said:

"In 1862 Brigham Young said: 'Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind has been given by direct revelation from God, though but few acknowledge it. It has been given with a view to prepare the way for the ultimate triumph of truth, and the redemption of the earth from the power of sin and Satan. We should take advantage of all these great discoveries, the accumulated wisdom of ages, and give to our children the benefit of every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do their part in the great work.'

In 1966 President David O. McKay prophesied scientific discoveries that 'stagger the imagination' would make possible the preaching of the gospel to every kindred, tongue, and people. And further:

'Discoveries latent with such potent power, either for the blessing or the destruction of human beings, as to make man’s responsibility in controlling them the most gigantic ever placed in human hands. … This age is fraught with limitless perils, as well as untold possibilities.'

President Spencer W. Kimball, . . . in 1974, . . . described the future of missionary work: 'I believe that the Lord is anxious to put into our hands inventions of which we laymen have hardly had a glimpse. …

'With the Lord providing these miracles of communication, and with the increased efforts and devotion of our missionaries and all of us, and all others who are "sent," surely the divine injunction will come to pass: "For, verily, the sound must go forth from this place into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth—the gospel must be preached unto every creature" (D&C 58:64).

[In] 1981 President Gordon B. Hinckley taught: 'We are confident that as the work of the Lord expands, he will inspire men to develop the means whereby the membership of the Church, wherever they may be, can be counseled in an intimate and personal way by his chosen prophet. Communication is the sinew that binds the Church as one great family. Between those facilities which are now available and those which are on the horizon, we shall be able to converse one with another according to the needs and circumstances of the time.'"

Elder Bednar went on to say:

"What has been accomplished thus far in this dispensation communicating gospel messages through social media channels is a good beginning—but only a small trickle. I now extend to you the invitation to help transform the trickle into a flood. Beginning at this place on this day, I exhort you to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and truth—messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy—and literally to sweep the earth as with a flood.

According to our desires and circumstances, each of us can contribute consistently to the growing flood of truth and righteousness.

Imagine the impact we can have as hundreds of thousands and millions of members of the Lord’s restored Church contribute in seemingly small ways to the rising floodwaters. May our many small, individual efforts produce a steady rainfall of righteousness and truth that gradually swells a multitude of streams and rivers."

While I can usually hear something like this and think I can pass it off to someone who is, in this technology age, younger and wiser, Elder Bednar's words pierced my heart. When an apostle of the Lord exorts me to do something, even when it is hard, I know that I need to "go and do" because, when we are obedient, the Lord will provide a way for us to do what He wants us to do. As one of a handful of people who had no social media, I made a commitment to do my part. With the help of my daughters, I went home from Education Week and got a Pinterest account. That was the beginning of some incredible blessings to me as other avenues have opened up. The Lord does bless us when we trust Him and do as He asks. Through Pinterest and my website, I am privileged to share my testimony and contribute in a very small way to the "growing flood of truth and righteousness" Elder Bednar invited us to be a part of.

The invitation before us now is to find a way to be part of this wonderful work of carrying the gospel to the world. We never know how far our message will be carried. President Uchtdorf has reminded us, "We can express gratitude and joy about God’s great plan for His children in a way that can be heard not only around our workplace but around the world. Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone’s life for eternity." What a privilege to be a part of this great work!

I love this video. It reminds us that, no matter what stage in life we are, we can all be missionaries just by the way we live our lives.