Missionary Work
Prayerfully study this
material and, as appropriate, discuss it with the sisters you visit. Use the
questions to help you strengthen your sisters and to make Relief Society an
active part of your own life. For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.
Missionary Work
Latter-day Saints are
sent forth “to labor in [the Lord’s] vineyard for the salvation of the souls of
men” (D&C 138:56), which includes missionary
work. We don’t need a formal mission call to share the gospel.
Others whose lives will be blessed by the gospel surround us, and as we prepare
ourselves, the Lord will use us. Visiting teachers can embrace their spiritual
responsibilities and help “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).
When the Prophet Joseph Smith organized
the Relief Society in 1842, he said that the women were not only to look after
the poor but also to save souls.1 This
is still our purpose.
“The Lord … entrusts a
testimony of the truth to those who will share it with others,” said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First
Presidency. “Even more, the Lord expects the members of His Church to ‘open
[their mouths] at all times, declaring [His] gospel with the sound of
rejoicing’ (D&C 28:16). … Sometimes a single phrase of
testimony can set events in motion that affect someone’s life for eternity.”2
From the Scriptures
From Our History
The story of Olga
Kovářová of the former Czechoslovakia is an example of member missionary work
from our Relief Society history. In the 1970s, Olga was a doctoral student and
hungry for a deeper spiritual life. She noticed 75-year-old Otakar Vojkůvka, a
Latter-day Saint. “He appeared to me seventy-five in his age but in his heart
nearer to eighteen and full of joy,” she said. “This was so unusual in
Czechoslovakia at that time of cynicism.”
Olga asked Otakar and
his family how they found joy. They
introduced her to other Church members and gave her a Book of Mormon. She read it eagerly and was
soon baptized and confirmed. Since that time Olga has been an influence for
good in a world of political oppression and religious persecution. She served
as Relief Society president in her little branch and helped save the souls of
others by bringing them to Christ.3
What Can I Do?
1.
Do I follow the
promptings of the Holy Ghost as I share my testimony with
the sisters I visit?
2.
How am I helping the
sisters I watch over to learn the gospel?
No comments:
Post a Comment