That they should partake of it also

On their journey through the wilderness of Arabia, Lehi's family encountered one of the greatest tenants of the work of the Lord: That in the greatest time of affliction, great gain of spiritual knowledge can occur. Lehi saw, in a dream, one of the greatest visions of all time. Embedded in deep symbolism, he recognized and was introduced to the concept of eternal life, the atonement and the incomprehensible love that the Savior has for each one of us. Once he had felt of this love, he expressed a sincere wish: That his family should partake of it also.

To your relief, I might want to stress that I have not seen a vision. However, the desire to share the love of God with those around me, especially those I love the most, comes to me almost as naturally as to Lehi; And it should come to you too in the same way, if you have received the love of God as a witness of the truthfulness of His great work.

In Doctrine and Covenants section four, often designated as the most important revelation ever given in regards to Missionary work, we read that whoever has the desires to serve God is called to the work. This includes not only set-apart full-time Missionaries. It includes all those who have expressed this desire at baptism – All members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! While it is understandable that sharing the Gospel with those who surround us daily can be a daunting and at times scary task, it becomes light and enjoyable if we focus on doing so in the way the Savior did. He asks us to teach by good example and true, sincere love. He does not teach us to be forceful in conveying our message, or even to impair the agency of those we teach. Instead, think about it: If we go about doing good and continue to be a good example, there will be more good and at least one more good example in the world, regardless of whether those around us accept or reject our invitation.

Through all this, our main reason for sharing the Gospel should be to help others find the joy, peace, forgiveness, love and happiness that we have found. I try to think of it as a gift that is so precious that I would be ashamed of myself if I withheld it from someone intentionally.

Perhaps the most wonderful Missionary experience I've had thus far was with my college roommate and friend A_____. You might be familiar with him, either if you are stalking my facebook or if you've been to one of the many meetings at which I've born testimony by using his example. Either way, he is a fantastic young man whose great faith has stunned me many times. While he was an active Catholic when we met at the beginning of the school year, I had a very strong feeling that he someday would embrace the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that through his conversion, he would be a blessing to himself and to many generations to come after him. I realized that no later than about a month into the school year, on Conference weekend. I was quite impressed that a young Catholic college student would watch General Conference, but he did indeed watch all ten hours that weekend – A large sacrifice of time for a busy college student. In fact, he was the one who told me about the historic change of the missionary age when President Monson announced it, since I was in the shower when it happened.

A_____ did, however, continue to attend Catholic mass regularly and showed no signs of interest in joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We continued to be friends, even when he faced some major challenges in his life and even after he moved out of the room we shared. A few months later, however, the Missionaries who served in our stake contacted me and asked if I would like to help teach Adrian, who in the meantime had sent them a text expressing that he would like to be baptized as soon as possible. I was able to help the Missionaries teach him, even though at times it felt more like him teaching us. His desire to learn and to follow the Savior grew daily. In turn, his countinance changed. He was happier than before, and began to see a purpose in his life which now had hope and a new direction. One day, just a few weeks after we formally began teaching him, he accepted the invitation to be baptized. Despite initial opposition from his family back home in California, he held strong to the testimony he had received. He now attends a Church-owned university and is planning on being sealed in the Temple to his sweetheart very soon.

Regardless of whether you are a convert to the Church like me, whether you have been raised in it or whether you are only beginning to learn about it right now, I ensure you that here is room for you. The Savior Jesus Christ leads this Church, and He is calling you home to Him. As Elder Holland said, the blessings of following the example of Jesus Christ sometimes come not instantly, sometimes even not in this life, but to those who have faith and desire to follow the Savior, they certainly come. Once again, regardless of your current involvement in the Church, I guarantee you that you will be blessed for seeking and following the Savior and I invite you to do so. It is not too late. You have never gone too far. You have never rejected Him quite enough for Him not to embrace you, and to take you by the hand and to lead you back into His footsteps. May we all continue to bring forth this great work for all to partake of this great love of the Lord also. This is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, even the Great Redeemer of the world, Amen.