Sunday's lesson

I taught the Relief Society lesson yesterday and got to pick my topic. I love to pick topics I don't know very much about and/or am not very good at. This year our ward has three goals: serve anyone, invite someone, and love everyone. Our goal is for each person to invite someone to participate in church once a month. This has been challenging and I don't think I've kept up. So, I've enjoyed preparing a lesson on this. Here are my three favorite quotes from the lesson:

1. One area where members can live by faith and not by fear is in our missionary effort. Prior to my call to the Presidency of the Seventy on August 1 of this year, I had served in the Missionary Department for six years, the last three years as Executive Director under Elder M. Russell Ballard, who served as Chairman of the Missionary Executive Council.

Some mission presidents informed us that many wonderful members are in camouflage to their neighbors and co-workers. They do not let people know who they are and what they believe.

Quentin L. Cook, “Live by Faith and Not by Fear,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 70–73 (emphasis added)

2. A sister in France was asked about the secret of her success. She said, “I simply share my joy. I treat everyone as if they were already a member of the Church. If I’m standing by someone in line and strike up a conversation, I share with them how much I enjoyed my Church meetings on Sunday. When co-workers ask, ‘What did you do this weekend?’ I do not skip from Saturday night to Monday morning. I share with them that I went to church, what was said, and my experiences with the Saints. I talk about how I live, think, and feel.”

M. Russell Ballard, “Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home,” Ensign, May 2006, 84–87 (emphasis added)

3. We have found it helpful to use “Mormon” phrases in our conversations—referring to activities at church, our children who are serving missions, experiences we’ve had in Church assignments, and so on. When we use these phrases, it is as if we are opening a door, inviting the other person to walk in and talk about the Church. Most people choose not to come through that door, and that’s fine. But sometimes they ask us about the Church. We then answer their questions. And if it seems appropriate, we open a second door—inviting them to a Church meeting or to come to our home so we can tell them more. Most of those we have invited decline, but some accept. Regardless of the outcome, we have found that if they feel our love, they often express gratitude that we would care enough to invite them.

Clayton M. Christensen and Christine Quinn Christensen, “Seven Lessons on Sharing the Gospel,” Ensign, Feb 2005, 36–41. I love this article!