Learning to love sharing the gospel

Sharing the Gospel. It's an important thing to Christians, since the last thing Jesus told his disciples before he ascended to heaven was, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." And it's exciting to get to be part of the gathering on Israel prophesied for the last days (see Isaiah 54:7, for example.) I really believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has some wonderful truths that nobody else in the world teaches, and it's a great blessing to get to teach these things to my friends and neighbors. But sometimes, I get a little discouraged because nobody seems as excited about this message as I am.

A few weeks ago, Marriner went to a meeting where one of our favorite thinkers asked the important question, "How do we get people to LOVE sharing the gospel?"

Well, that's a good question. Because I used to love sharing the gospel, and I sort of got tired and busy and sick of rejection and awkwardness, and I'd sort of given up on it. Especially since we're in an ASL branch, and guess what - I don't actually know any Deaf people that I don't already go to church with. So inviting someone to come to church with us doesn't really make a lot of sense. Yadda-yadda-yadda...the reasons (aka excuses) are many.

I mean, it's not just sharing the gospel. I think every good thing that brings us to Jesus has a way of getting crowded out by the cares of the world. I can easily recall feelings of stress associated with going to the temple, reading the scriptures, praying, going to church, visiting other members of the church,  and doing service over the course of my life. But those are the very things that make me (and other people) happy. So I guess that's a good first step - realize that things can stress you out temporarily and make you happy in the long run. You know, like taking piano lessons :)

So this last month, our family has tried to find the joy in sharing the gospel again. We prayed and fasted and tried to be brave and talk to people more. Everyone (over the age of 5) did something to invite someone to learn something about the gospel. Except me. Because I don't actually talk to people other than my own kids :) But I felt bad that everyone else had done something brave and I hadn't. And I think that's when my prayers started to be more sincere. I really did want to share the gospel with people who need it. I just want to do it the right way, the way that makes the Lord happy. And I think that He does want us to share the gospel in a way that shows love, not being pushy or awkward.

When my prayers became more sincere was when things started to happen. A couple of things stand out. I'm part of a Facebook group called "The Many" that involves women from diverse political backgrounds in an area to listen and understand others' points of view. It's a neat group. One day, a new member joined and mentioned she was LDS. Someone asked her a question about it, and eventually the Mormons in the group opened up a post where we would answer any question anyone wanted to ask about our religion. The discussion was fabulous. The other Mormons in the group knew their doctrine, were articulate and explained things so simply and clearly. (I hope I did, too!) It was cool how we all had different answers and viewpoints, but we all matched completely in our explanation of the doctrine. The questions were serious and well-thought out. Most of these women had some exposure to the church, and many of them had some weird ideas. Almost all of the discussions ended with an expression of gratitude for explaining something that hadn't made sense before, but now seemed really rational!

Some of the questions we took:

• Have you seen "The Book of Mormon?" If so, did you find it offensive?
• Are the garments hot?
• Do Mormons believe the sun and moon are inhibited? (*inhabited)
• Why are Mormon ceremonies (like weddings) closed to non-Mormons?
• Can women occupy the most senior leadership positions of the church? Can they lead the church itself? If not, why? Why are men more qualified? Do women hold equal representation in the most senior leadership councils? Are female Mormon children told that they can hold equal leadership and decision making positions as boys in the senior levels of the church?
• Most of what I know about Mormons come from Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Have you read it? What did you think about it?
•  I had a conversation a few years ago with some Mormon young men on their mission trip in Argentina. I’m a Christian and I was happy to talk with them, but also made it clear that I’m satisfied in my faith. They seemed really well intentioned of course but wouldn’t take no for an answer, basically, and I was struck by how they kept saying Christianity and Mormonism is the same thing, while simultaneously inviting me to consider switching over or “upgrading” (my impression, not their word choice) to Mormonism. I guess I’m curious about your perspective on how Mormons see Christianity, and if you’d explain the similarities and differences in those terms or in others.
•  I spent a week in Salt Lake City about 3 years ago, and visited the open Temple areas, the various buildings and exhibits, "This is the Place", near the zoo, and saw the movie about Joseph Smith and the founding. I am Jewish and noticed a lot of parallels, from the persecutions to the wandering in the desert to even seeing what looked like Jewish stars on some of the buildings. What is the historical and current perspective on the relationship between the Torah and story of the Jews and the Mormons? Is it something discussed or recognized?

Yeah, I wish more people would ask me questions like that! These are women who are really thinking about things, and I love it! And I love that I got a chance to change the way these women think about the church. You know, my church really does seem weird if you don't have the whole background story.

One thing Marriner and I realize is that our efforts to share the gospel are probably not going to help our branch grow at all, because we don't have any deaf friends. Not that I share the gospel so our branch can grow, but a few more people at church would definitely be a nice side perk :) But oddly enough, in the last 2 weeks, both of us have met deaf people while we've been out and about in the community. Actually, my story has a funny part, so I'll tell it :) I went to Aldi one evening to grab some ranch dressing because we were having sweet potatoes with black beans and ranch for dinner. It's the BEST. But it stinks without ranch dressing, and we had run out. I walked into the store, and there were 3 people signing to each other. One black couple, older than I am, and a white guy about my age. The whole thing was a-typical. I don't see many white people at our Aldi, and I've never seen one signing there before :) Ha ha! I walked up and said hi, and the 2nd thing I'm asked (after "are you deaf?") is, "Oh, are you married to him?" (See previous comment about not many white people at our Aldi...) Anyway, we talked for a bit, and I gave them my mommy card, and one of them noted that it had a link to my profile on Mormon.org. He said he'd had a Mormon interpreter once, back when he'd first moved here, and she was really nice. He couldn't remember her name. It didn't take long to figure out, it was Meredith. He had nice things to say about you, Meredith :)

The Facebook group has a second chapter. As part of the discussion, someone asked what drew us to this church. I answered that it was because I love the Book of Mormon, and I love it so much I'd gladly send a free copy to anyone else who wanted to read it. Well, last Sunday, a person messaged me and said yes, they would like to read it, and gave me her address! It just made my day. I was 100% sincere that the Book of Mormon is the best thing in the world. I can't imagine another person reading it and not having a better life because of it. I'm so excited I could help someone hook up with it!

So, the end result of all this is that I feel great. I'm having opportunities to tell people about my amazing church and the amazing things I know about God's plan for his children in ways that aren't awkward or forced, and I'm even getting to do it in ASL a little bit! It makes me happy, and I enjoy it. I just have to keep having that faith that I can share the gospel, and not let the business of my life stress me out.