“Simply and Powerfully Helping Others Come unto Christ,” For the Strength of Youth, July 2024.
Simply and Powerfully Helping Others Come unto Christ
You have countless ways to show love, share your beliefs, and invite others to come unto Jesus Christ.
One day during my junior year of high school, my friend Nedra asked me, “Russ, why aren’t you going to seminary?”
At that time, my parents were not attending church. I attended only occasionally with my friends, and I did not participate in seminary. The next day, I attended seminary at 6:30 a.m. After that, I went every day—even on cold, snowy winter mornings.
The things I learned in seminary touched my heart. My testimony grew as I learned more about Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. This prepared me to serve my mission in England and to continue in a lifetime of service to the Lord and His Church.
Nedra’s inviting me to seminary helps me see, in a personal way, that there are countless opportunities for you to help others come unto the Lord Jesus Christ. In simple but powerful ways, you can show your love, share your beliefs, and invite those around you to experience the joy and peace the Savior and His gospel bring.
Come to Know the Savior
To truly help others come unto Christ, you first need to understand who He is. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only one who could be the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
Only He could live a perfect life, atone for your sins, suffer all your “pains and afflictions and temptations” (Alma 7:11), and then lay down His life and take it up again. Because of Jesus Christ, all of God’s children will rise again and can receive His most sacred and glorious blessings.
As you understand who the Savior is—and what your eternal destiny can be because of Him—you will want to live your life in a way that pleases Him. And it certainly pleases Him when you proclaim His gospel, in word and deed, to those you interact with each day.
Reach Out with Love
As you come to know and love the Savior, you will desire to follow Him and His teachings more closely, including His commandment to “love one another” (John 13:34).
When Ammon went to the Lamanites to preach the gospel, he offered to be King Lamoni’s servant. Ammon showed genuine love and dedication when he protected the king’s sheep. Ammon’s actions softened King Lamoni’s heart. When Ammon taught the gospel, the Spirit overcame King Lamoni, and he was converted (see Alma 17–19).
Being a true disciple of Jesus Christ means loving your neighbors as yourself (see Matthew 22:36–40). If they can feel that you love and care for them, they will likely be more willing to have you share those things you know to be true.
Find the Courage to Share
Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Savior restored the priesthood to the earth with all the ordinances and covenants necessary for our eternal progression. Once the glorious message of the Restoration touches your heart, you should want to shout it from the rooftops! You should be anxiously engaged in sharing the precious knowledge of the restored gospel with everyone. I love to do that!
Some may worry that others won’t be interested or will reject what they share. Yes, that might happen. After Abish ran from house to house telling people that the power of God had come over King Lamoni and his household, some believed, but many others chose not to listen (see Alma 19:17–31).
Whether they accept it or not, the greatest gift you could ever give a friend or family member—or even a foe—is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for courage, and then, when it’s appropriate, share what you know to be true.
Extend a Heartfelt Invitation
While serving as president of the Canada Toronto Mission, I assisted several of my missionaries in teaching a prominent businessman. After our lesson, I invited him to pray and ask Heavenly Father if our message is true.
“I don’t know how to pray,” he said.
I told him that all he needed to do was kneel and simply ask Heavenly Father to confirm the truth to him.
“You can do that!” I encouraged him.
We knelt together and the man began his prayer. When he finished, he said, “What’s happening? I’ve never felt anything like this before.”
“That is the way Heavenly Father answers prayers,” I said. “You have asked, and He has answered.”
I always teach missionaries and members all over the world that conversion begins with what people feel. When you invite others to hear the gospel, invite them also to pray and ask to feel the truth in their hearts. If they will ask of God (see James 1:5) with a sincere heart, with real intent and faith in Christ, they can receive a confirmation of the truth by the power of the Holy Ghost (see Moroni 10:4–5). It is exciting and joyful to help others discover truth for themselves.
Remember That Every Soul Is Precious
You never know what will happen when you help others come unto Christ by loving, sharing, and inviting. The Lamanites, for example, seemed to be the most unlikely people to accept the gospel, but they became so converted that they “never did fall away” (Alma 23:6–7).
You should not expect this result every time you share the gospel. But simply and powerfully, you can testify of truth and help introduce more of Heavenly Father’s children to the restored gospel.
When you realize just how precious every one of Heavenly Father’s children is to Him, you will want to do everything you can help others to come unto Christ and step into the light of His gospel and onto the pathway of immortality and eternal life.
What greater experience can you have in life?