Rescue the Less Active

By Elder S. Ephraim Msane

Area Seventy

Thinking about rescuing the less active brought an English proverb into my mind: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. By this I obviously do not intend to equate members of the church to birds nor imply that those members that do not attend church as frequently as they should live in the bush. What I pray for us as members to note and learn from this proverb in the context of this topic is this:

It is much better for us as members of the Lord’s Church to diligently help one another to stay on the covenant path, and
It takes a lot more effort to come back to church after a period of not attending church.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson described the covenant path as “the one path that leads to the celestial kingdom of God.” He added that “We embark upon the path at the gate of baptism and . . . In the course of the covenant path . . . we receive all the ordinances and covenants pertaining to salvation and exaltation.”¹

Commenting on the need for a church, President Dallin H. Oaks testified “that the restored Church of Jesus Christ has been established to teach the fulness of His doctrine and to officiate with His priesthood authority to perform the ordinances necessary to enter the kingdom of God. Members who forgo Church attendance . . . separate themselves from these gospel essentials: the power and blessings of the priesthood, the fulness of restored doctrine, and the motivations and opportunities to apply that doctrine.”²

These quotations outline some fundamental gospel principles that we need to understand about why it is important for us to attend church and to help one another do so. Church attendance avails to us the ordinances that are possible through the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement, which ordinances help us to face the sometimes-daunting challenges of this life. President Russell M. Nelson has taught us that “ordinances unlock the power of God for [our lives].”³ We know that nothing is impossible for our Heavenly Father.⁴ This means that receiving ordinances and making covenants and keeping them strengthens divine assistance for us to overcome our challenges.

To stay on or come back onto the covenant path we need to help one another understand and live according to these principles. In essence, this is why ministering effectively to one another is so essential. Ministering shows our love for the Lord together with our fellow brothers and sisters, whilst living the two great commandments.⁵ As the Lord has promised, He will bless us with the fortitude and charity that is required when we prayerfully, faithfully and diligently do these things the best way we can.⁶ That is with our heart, might, mind and strength.⁷ My own experience through life in the Church is expressed very well in the words of Elder Kevin S. Hamilton supporting the Lord’s promises “that blessings of great joy and peace will come from worship during our . . . Sunday meeting schedule.”⁸

The more we help one another remember and achieve these things the better the positive spiritual momentum we will have to “withstand the relentless, wicked attacks of the adversary and thwart his efforts to erode our personal spiritual foundation.”⁹ This way we will help one another “get on the covenant path and stay there”¹⁰ as urged by our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson!