Keys
to Missionary Work
by David
Ren Jenkins
1) Develop a deep gratitude for
what the Gospel of Jesus Christ has done in your life such
that it is consciously in the forefront of your mind throughout your day. (In
other words, you think about it constantly.)
2) Perfect your love of others and
your desire to see them blessed by the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. This, too, must be consciously in the forefront of your mind
throughout your day. Soften your heart through scripture reading, prayer, and
fasting, but DOING it is what matters. If you so choose, ‘take it upon yourself’
to share the word of God ‘all the remainder of your days’. Read and pray about
Helaman 5:4. Also come up with a list of
scriptures that inspire you to do missionary work, such as D&C 4, Alma
36:24, D&C 60:2, Mosiah 28:3. etc. Read and ponder them DAILY. If you do not do this daily, it will just
be something you think about occasionally, but never do!
3) Care more about others than
what others think of you. D&C
60:2
4) ‘One is all that matters’. One
person. One soul is all that matters in all of God’s creation. Learn to love ‘the
one’ enough to share everywhere, for every person you ever meet means
everything to God.
5) Be ready for you greatest
fear. My greatest fear is that someone will yell at me and
treat me rudely. I am ready for that fear. If someone does yell at me or treat
me rudely, then (inside my mind) I say, ‘Yes! I did it! I talked to them!’It doesn’t
matter what they say. I am not after an answer of ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I am after a ‘way
of life’ of sharing, and each time I share, it will be so much easier next
time. Sharing the gospel is about
getting yourself to do it, over and over, in
the moment and getting used to that.
6) Don’t base your self-worth,
or any judgment at all on what they say. Many people share the gospel and are so scared
that the person might say ‘no’. IT IS OKAY IF THEY DO, as a matter of fact it
is their right. When people feel it is okay for them, either way, they feel comfortable
and will make a decision based on their heart instead of on ‘not wanting to
hurt your feelings’. This way they can
feel the Spirit.
7) Tell people what it means to
you. Don’t try and convince them of anything through scriptural
rhetoric and proof. Tell them what it has done for you (they can’t argue with
that) and the Spirit will manifest the truth of it unto them.
8) If you feel comfortable,
they feel comfortable.
9) The first thought is the
Spirit saying, ‘Go talk to that person’.
The second thought is just you talking
yourself out of it. Learn to recognize this! You can always give yourself ‘great
reasons’ no to do anything (and you will find them!) Learn to talk yourself
INTO it all day long.
10) When the Lord knows you will
talk to people, he will bring them out of their way. This is a very important key. When you are
willing and ready to talk to people (and maybe even pray and say, ‘Heavenly
Father, please put people in my path today who are ready and I will talk to
them.’) the Lord will drag them out of their way to meet you. When He drags
them out of their way to bump into you and you just say, ‘Excuse me,’ and keep
going, then He will be reluctant to do it again.
11) Never condemn someone to
saying ‘No’. You
can never tell if someone will say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The person you are sure would
say ‘yes’, may not be interested at all, and the person you thought would say ‘no’,
may voraciously wish to hear the message. Never condemn someone to saying ‘no’
by not giving them the gift of choice. Let them decide.
12) Share because you love them. They will feel when you are speaking to them
for this reason.
13) Allow the goodness of the
Spirit to flow within you as you speak. You have so much ‘goodness’ inside, especially
regarding the gospel. Allow it to animate you and your smile as you share the gospel.
14) Know the strength of your
message in the moment you share it. In other words, ’No Stinky Rag’. If in the
moment you share, you doubt anything about
your message, yourself, or that the person may not want to talk to you, they
will feel it. In the moment you speak, you must know the power of your message
and the truth of it.
15) Be conscious of where the
other person is at, and follow the Spirit. When called upon, bear a powerful testimony
about the truth of this message. But if you feel inspired, be conscious that
they might need something different. Telling them this is ‘the one true church’,
when they don’t believe there is a true church, may be like telling them, ‘This
is the one true yogurt and you must eat only this kind’. The Spirit will let
you know, but be ready to witness the truth, powerfully, at all times and in
all places (Mosiah 18:8-9).
16) When they feel the Spirit,
invite them to make a commitment (go
to church, etc.). The Church spent a lot of money researching how people become
converted. They found that when people feel the Spirit, and are asked to make a
commitment, then they keep it, that is how they are converted. The key here is
to always ask, but especially ask if they feel the Spirit. That is a key
moment.
17) If the Lord knows you will
talk to people, he will drag them out of their way. When you are willing to talk
to people everywhere, the Lord will set up opportunities.
18) Train your mind to be a ‘Missionary
Mind’. Train yourself to consciously see missionary
opportunities everywhere, and you act on them.
It is my prayer you will learn to overcome your fear and
share, and make a difference in the lives of others constantly. The gospel is
true, and not only true but so important. It can change the heart of any man or
woman and return them to who they are as a child of God. It is my prayer we
will do so, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen- Brother David Jenkins
You can download a copy of the missionary book, In All
Places (for all members) at
www.thecorporatepitchman.com/missionary.doc
