"Every invitation to hear the missionaries, every invitation to visit church is a success. The mere act of making an offer, or extending an invitation, is in itself a successful act. An opportunity was successfully provided to someone. The offer or invitation is in itself a testimony. So if an offer or invitation is made, then a testimony has been successfully borne. Not all testimonies have to start out with 'I know that...'"This really made me think about the gospel example I want to try and set for the people that I meet. Here is a man that gives out the Book of Mormon to strangers. If he can do that, then what, other than lack of habit, is keeping me from setting a better example for the people I know personally? In order to do that, I do have some work to do.
I have been working hard the past few weeks with trying not to swear anymore. I've greatly reduced the number of times I slip, and I'm currently trying (and nearly succeeding) at going full days without swearing. But this point, I think, is the hardest point of the process. I've broken enough bad habits to know that. I'll have some success, and I'll feel good about it... then I get careless, my vigilance weakens, and old habits creep back in. Soon, I'm doing exactly what I set out NOT to do. It's important that I don't let that happen.
I have to go to school tomorrow, where the language is about as vulgar as... well, something really vulgar. But not all testimonies have to start with, "I know that..." I believe in the Church with all my heart, mind, body, soul! If that's true, I need keep the standards of the Church with all the strength and fervor of my being! People should be able to see my testimony at all times, and in all things, and in all places.
1 comment:
Thanks for the link!
And here's a secret. It's actually easier to offer a Book of Mormon to strangers than it is to friends. I don't mind appearing "weird" to strangers, because I'll likely not meet them again. It's our friends who we don't want to think of us as weird.
But, at some point in our many conversations with friends, the conversation can easily segue to a gospel topic or to the church. I'm not saying we have to steer a conversation to the gospel. But often, mentioning the gospel or the church can be a natural rejoinder to something. And we shouldn't be embarrassed about it.
None of us are perfect. So we should not set some arbritrary level of perfection or adherence before we can talk about what we believe in.
We don't want to give our friends the idea that they have to meet some lofty standard just to investigate.
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