Sis. Cristina B. Franco (Oct. '19): "Finding Joy in Sharing the Gospel"

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Elder Uchtdorf has talked about this before, but it is helpful to remember that in lessons on missionary work, many members hang their heads in shame and tune out the message and the Spirit.  We want to avoid that.  Shame is not helpful.  It definitely falls in the camp of Satan's sorrow.  Shame is not sorrow that leads to repentance.  Therefore, be sensitive when discussing these topics.

The Activity:

  1. Prior to class, prayerfully consider your class members.  Guided by the Spirit, invite one or two of them to share an experience with member missionary work (either as a member missionary or as the recipient of these efforts).
  2. During class, ask them to share their story.
  3. Read the experience of Sis. Franco's mother, par. 10-22 "Many years ago . . . to teach me."
  4. Ask the class members to spend a moment in small groups discussing the commonalities between these accounts.
  5. Come back together to share and talk about these elements as a class.  
  6. Ask the class members to consider one thing they could do differently in the coming week to be a better missionary (it could be as simple as praying for desire/courage to share the gospel or putting a copy of the Book of Mormon in their desk at work) and commit to do it this week.
Using the Activity:

In the end, member missionary work is more about desire and love (for God and our fellow people) than about knowledge or public speaking ability.  This activity, hopefully, will help the class members see this. Then, asking them to take one small step in their progress will be exercising their faith and will open them up to greater blessings and greater guidance by the Spirit in all aspects of their lives.  

I hope that this activity is useful for you.  God bless.

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