Get all six of these lessons in this series here.
Goal: Choose one way that you haven’t tried to share the gospel before. Find an opportunity to share your short statements with somebody this week using your new method.
Songs: “I Believe in Christ” (Hymns, no. 134), “The Things I Do” (CS, no. 170)
Lesson: Start by having family members list places where there are people who don’t know about the Church. This can include places like school, social clubs, work, and social media sites. Ask them to think of someone specifically from one of these places and keep them in mind as you talk about the following:
Teaching: How can the following tools help you find people to teach?
1. Family History (Malachi 4:5-6): People are usually inherently interested in families. Connecting with an earthly family may also get people interested in their heavenly family. People like to talk about their families and usually have spiritual feelings as they do so.
2. Finding through Your Own Efforts (D&C 4): Unlike the full-time missionaries, member missionaries do not usually rely on referrals or have former investigators. Most investigators come from personal efforts. There are many things that you can do outside of school and work to reach out and find people who prepared to hear the message of the gospel. Can you think of some others in addition to the ones suggested below?
- Reach out to inactive members, recent converts, or part-member families.
- Invite a friend or group of friends to attend seminary or institute.
- Carry pass-along cards when you use public transportation or go on errands. Give them to people that you meet in those places.
- Share quotes or gospel thoughts on your social media sites
3. Go About Doing Good (Acts 10:38): Service is the best way to reach out and touch the lives of others. The Lord places people in your path that are ready to be taught, and he places you in a position where your example will help prepare others to be taught.
“In every way you serve, you should do so because you love your brothers and sisters and therefore hope, pray, and earnestly desire to teach them the restored gospel.”
4. Diligence (Alma 57:27): Don’t be discouraged. Any effort you make is worthwhile. Often your role as a member missionary is to simply be a good example and a friend. The people you meet or teach still have their agency after they learn about the gospel, and you shouldn’t hold yourself responsible for their decision. Keep moving forward and continue to be the friend and example you have always been.
Connecting Finding and Teaching: Once you find people to teach, how do you introduce the gospel? Questions like, “Do you have a few minutes that we could teach you a message about . . . ” or “Are you interested in hearing a message about . . . ” are not good ways to approach teaching. In a fast-paced world of technology, people are more likely to listen to quick, meaningful statements. As you focus on sharing the central message of the Restoration in this manner, you will find more people willing to listen, and you will find more people to teach.
Activity: Instruct each family member to write down an introductory testimony statement they could share. For some good examples, see page 158 and 159 in Preach My Gospel. Take turns creating different situations for each other and practice adapting your testimony statement.
Additional Resources:
Various story examples of missionaries finding people and teaching them are found in Preach My Gospel pages 155-170
Mormon Messages: Sharing Your Beliefs
April 2003: "The Essential Role of Member Missionary Work," Elder Ballard
