Have you ever tried to share the gospel with someone, but it felt a little awkward, a bit forced? Or maybe that’s why you haven’t shared the gospel very much. Maybe you’ve heard about others who have done it successfully and decided, “I guess I’m just not the missionary type.”
The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently emphasized a new focus on three principles to help simplify Latter-day Saints’ approach to sharing the gospel with others. They are principles that come naturally to followers of Jesus Christ. They don’t require special training, a preplanned message or a certain personality type. The principles are love, share and invite.
Love
According to Elder Marcus B. Nash, a General Authority Seventy, sharing the gospel begins, as everything in the gospel does, with love. “To love is to think to ourselves: I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel their love for me,” he said. “I follow the Savior and strive to love my neighbor as He does. I want others to feel the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ” (April 2021 general conference leadership meeting).
Share
Because we love God and His children, we naturally want to share the blessings that He has given us. A recent update to chapter 23 of the “General Handbook,” “Sharing the Gospel and Strengthening New and Returning Members,” states, “We speak openly of the Savior and His influence in our lives. We share love, time, experiences and Church programs to bless God’s children and help them draw closer to the Savior.”
“We know there are a lot of ways that we can be sharing,” said Elder Michael T. Ringwood of the Seventy. “Most important, however, is sharing our time and our friendships with those that we’re loving” (April 2021 general conference leadership meeting).
Invite
In 3 Nephi 18:24–25, we read, “Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up — that which ye have seen me do…
“And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation.”
Referencing that scripture Elder Nash said, “He is commanding us to lift up our light and invite all to come and see. He then tells us it’s a spiritual protection for us to do that very thing.”
“Invitations [to come and see, come and help, and come and belong] are normal and natural,” said Elder Nash. “The gospel is woven into the fabric of your life. So, live your life and invite others to come and live your life with you. It can start [with] things as simple as inviting them over for dinner or going to the park .... They will see the light.”
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “In whatever ways seem natural and normal to you, share with people why Jesus Christ and His Church are important to you. Invite them to ‘come and see’ (John 1:46). Then encourage them to come and help. There are numerous opportunities for people to help in our Church....
“As you share the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, do so with love and patience....
“Understand that it’s not your job to convert people. That is the role of the Holy Ghost. Your role is to share what is in your heart and live consistent with your beliefs” (“Missionary Work: Sharing What Is in Your Heart,” April 2019 general conference).
Subscribe to Share Light
If you would like ideas about how to share, you can subscribe to Share Light emails. These new emails include service opportunities, tips and other resources that can help you share the light of the gospel with others.
To sign up, visit ChurchofJesusChrist.org/share/share-light, go to Email Subscriptions and check the Share Light box. Emails are currently available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, German and Mongolian.
Find more ideas to love, share and invite at share.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Resources and Ways to Share
Following are some other ways you can share with others:
- Use and share the Become App.
- Use and share The Book of Mormon app.
- Post an online review of your local chapel.
- Share family stories.
- Share Christ-centered email journeys.
Find more ways to love, share and invite at share.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
President Russell M. Nelson said, “Anytime you do anything that helps anyone … take a step toward making covenants with God, … you are helping to gather Israel” (“Hope of Israel,” Worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018).