“Can we share the gospel?” No, I can’t even get out of the kitchen. I feel lucky if I can not chew my kids out for a whole day.
One of the first questions Susana asked was “Would you tell me about that beautiful museum with the golden statue on top?”
My mom explained that the beautiful edifice was not a museum but a temple of the Lord where we make covenants with God so we can return to live with Him one day. Susana confessed to my mom that before their trip to Salt Lake, she had prayed for something to strengthen her spirit.
During the flight, my mom bore her simple but strong testimony of the gospel and invited Susana to find the missionaries in her hometown. Susana asked my mom, “How will I find them?”
My mom replied, “You can’t miss them; they are either two young men dressed in white shirts and ties or two nicely dressed young women, and they always wear a tag showing their name and also ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’”
The families exchanged phone numbers and said goodbye at the Buenos Aires airport. Susana, who since then has become my good friend, has told me many times that she felt so sad to leave my mom at the airport. She said, “Your mom glowed. I can’t explain it, but she had a brightness about her that I didn’t want to leave behind.”
As soon as Susana got back to her hometown, she and her daughter, Giada, went to share this experience with Susana’s mom, who lived just a few blocks away from their home. As they were driving, Susana happened to see two young men walking down the street dressed as my mom had described. She stopped her car in the middle of the street, got out, and asked these two young men, “Are you by chance from the Church of Jesus Christ?”
They said, “Yes.”
“Missionaries?” she asked.
They both replied, “Yes, we are!”
She then said, “Get into my car; you’re coming home to teach me.”
Such an opportunity is not a matter of careful planning. We aren’t expected to create the opportunities, only to recognize them when they arrive and be willing to speak up – bearing testimony rather than stopping at a statement that it isn’t a museum.
President Dallin H. Oaks taught:
“There are three things all members can do to help share the gospel. …
“First, we can all pray for desire to help with this vital part of the work of salvation. …
“Second, we can keep the commandments. … Faithful members will always have the Savior’s Spirit … with them to guide them as they seek to participate in the great work of sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Third, we can pray for inspiration on what we can do … to share the gospel with others … [and] pray with a commitment to act upon the inspiration [we] receive.”
It is critical to pray with a commitment to act on the inspiration.
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