Prep Your Missionary

Serving In Isolation

By Allison Beckert

Proclaiming the restored gospel quarantined, sheltering in place or othof Jesus Christ is one of the erwise isolated, it has become clear that primary purposes of the Resthe ways we usually share the gospel toration. The purpose belongs to all are not constant. We’ve learned from of us, and was not named as a pillar the Book of Mormon that when sharof the Church only for the benefit of ing the gospel, members matter. For full-time missionaries. Full-time misexample, the Sons of Mosiah, while sionaries are at the service of God but on their missions, relied on believers are not meant to carry the burden of reaching through their connections, our shared purpose alone. their home networks, and their families

We can serve where we are. to share what they knew. How many Whether you have found yourself of us have isolated ourselves from all influences other than fellow members? What can we do to be in a position to reach those who need the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Fulltime missionaries are the support of members and they rely on our connections more than ever. In a release from the Church Newsroom on June 14th of this year, Photo by Church Media Elder Uchtdorf shared Churchofjesuschrist.org is a great place to start your misa statement entitled sionary journey.

“Embracing the Future of Missionary Work.” In it, he discusses the “immense good that comes from the righteous and intentional use of technology,” the benefits of increased communication between members and families supporting full-time missionaries, and several other wonderful examples from missionaries who have taken creative approaches toward fulfilling their purpose in these last few months of rapid change.

“The future of missionary work is bright,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “We are learning much and the Lord has lessons in store for all of us as we seek to hear Him and find new ways to share His gospel. Now, it’s our turn to make the best we can out of this. I hope that we will not yearn to move back to something that didn’t work well in our lives before COVID-19, but rather look to the future with hope.”

Sharing the Lord’s message of hope and love is more important now than ever before. To help the message reach those who need it, consider inventory

ing your talents, your networks, your skills. Let’s ask ourselves: Am I in a position to bless others with His message, even as an example, or am I effectively quarantined from those who need our influence and love? Let’s allow the Spirit to lead our next steps to our neighbors and friends in need, whether this involves service from a distance or exercising our ability to befriend, support, love and connect to those not of our faith. We are all missionaries!