Lesson for May 8, 2016

Lesson for May 8, 2016 Today our lesson was given by Sydney Kelsey about taking the gospel to all the world. She served in Taiwan, so she will relate missionary work to that experience. In her second to last area as a senior missionary, her companion was struggling, until they tracted out a sweet lady who had a disability with her leg and used crutches. So, she had no family to help her and did not make any money. She wanted to listen to the gospel. She grasped it, but could not get to church. But when she went, she loved it, but some of the ward felt like they couldn’t support someone like that. How would they handle that? They wanted to follow their priesthood leaders, who didn’t want them to teach this lady, but they felt the lady was a child of God. As we share the gospel, how can it help us to see that all are children of God. Lisa Anderson found a Vietnamese family right after the Vietnam War and the local branch was made up of veterans who did not like the Vietnamese. She prepped the ward and it changed their hearts and they accepted the family. Jill Judd said she knows a family of refugees in Jerusalem who is attending a branch with Palestinians and the gospel is bringing people together. The lesson has an overarching theme of love for each other. Cade Jolley is in North Dakota and many Liberians, many of whom do not see their own potential and feel down about themselves. He is a positive person and he loves to teach about the gospel to help others grow and it has helped him grow immensely. He recognizes the Spirit and how it works in his life. Linda Campbell said that Joseph Merrill said he worked hard on his talk, but Louis stood up and just expounded. Louis has been a member for only 4 years, but the influence of the other boys and leaders in the ward have helped him grow. Missionaries are a means of growing love in people and feeling love for those they serve. Everyone deserves the gospel. We are to teach the gospel to all nations. Prophets and scriptures have said that. There are no national boundaries or race or culture, either. Kelsey said President Uchtdorf said to lift where we stand. Another sister said she went on her mission and was very excited. She had education goals and had to establish that she really should go through prayer and meeting with her bishop. She made the decision to not go on a mission and went to school and got married. She thinks that member missionary work is so exciting. It’s a frame of mind, so if you’re ready to lift where you stand, you can serve. Vira Bahr went on a mission and received a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and wanted to share it with everyone. She had to leave her father alone and he was OK with it, even though he wasn’t a member. The greatest joy is seeing when they truthfulness of the gospel changes people’s lives. She served on Temple Square and felt it was a proselyting mission because many people sparked and wanted to know more. When she found some later on in small towns, they just knew and Heavenly Father found them and wants them back with Him, in spite of their problems. The light shines through. That’s the greatest blessing. Not everyone is Mormon in Utah Valley and Orem, Utah. You can find your mission and preach through your actions and sticking to what you believe. Suzy said that as a mother she is a missionary to her children. We can do a lot to teach our children. Kelsey said her husband wasn’t in the Church, but he found he needed the happiness he remembered from his childhood and he came back to the Church to find it. We need to remember that we bring additional happiness and bring all truth together and establish peace and happiness among all mankind. Take was good and add more goodness to it. Kelsey said in Taiwan, the people are Daoist and they have ceremonies to burn incense in food to feed their ancestors and if they turn Christian, they can’t do that any more, like not having Thanksgiving dinner with their families, but our Church said that we revere our ancestors and they can celebrate by also taking their family names to the temple. What keeps us from sharing the gospel? Maybe we are terrified by talking to people. Maybe we are have experiences about what people know about the Church—the weirdness and dudes in bike helmets. Emily Campbell said she writes columns and expresses her faith in her writing. People say it is who she is, so it is appropriate. Sometimes we need to clear up misconceptions. One sister had experiences where she had to learn it is OK to be different. We have fears of being outcasts. We might have a fear of being able to explain what we believe. Prayer and testimonies help. By relying on the Spirit, we get inspiration about how to tell people. Laura Campbell said one of the best things we can do is to be good examples and who we are will show through, especially letting our light shine. We can also influence those in the Church who are not as confident in the gospel. Kelsey brought up Enos praying for everyone and Lehi wanting to share the fruit with his family. We will feel the increased desire to share the gospel. Study the Atonement and other aspects of the gospel to increase our desires.