More Food for Thought

I want to thank Brian for posting the link to this talk by Henry B. Eyring. If you haven't had a chance to read it, I highly recommend it. It dovetails perfectly with the lesson topic from this week, and presents some powerful insights into sharing the Gospel.

I was especially touched by two points from this talk. The first was this insight into what makes a person successful at sharing the Gospel:

There is no single pattern in what they do. There is no common technique. Some always carry a Book of Mormon to give away. Others set a date to find someone for the missionaries to teach. Another has found questions which draw out feelings about what matters most in life to a person. Each has prayed to know what to do. They each seem to get a different answer, suited especially to them and to the the people they meet. (Henry B. Eyring, "A Child and a Disciple," Ensign, May 2003, p. 29)

I love this, because it takes into account the truth that we are all different, with different strengths and weaknesses, and different styles. The Lord wants to and will work through us in different ways to touch individuals. The key is to seek the Lord's guidance. We can ask Him, "How can I lift someone up today?" and then be willing to act on the answers we receive.

The second point that struck me was this:

You must not wait until you feel closer to Heavenly Father or until you are sure that you have been purified through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Pray for the chance to encounter people who sense there could be something better in their lives. Pray to know what you should do to help them. Your prayers will be answered. You will meet people prepared by the Lord. You will find yourself feeling and saying things beyond your past experience. And then in time you will feel yourself drawing closer to your Heavenly Father, and you will feel the cleansing and the forgiveness the Savior promises His faithful witnesses. And you will feel His approval, knowing you have done what He asked of you, because He loves you and trusts you.

What an amazing promise! We just need to keep trying and doing the best we can. If we are truly humble in our weakness, the Lord will be able to use us as instruments in his hands. Then, as a result, we will experience the feelings of love and acceptance that we long for.

Thanks again, Brian, for pointing out this talk!