Lesson 200: Missionary Preparation

Love, Share, and Invite

Gathering Others to Jesus Christ

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is our covenant responsibility to share the Savior’s gospel “unto the ends of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:23). We can participate in this wonderful work by loving others, sharing the message of Jesus Christ, and inviting them to join us in coming to the Savior. This lesson can help students make a plan to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by using the principles of love, share, and invite.

Possible Learning Activities

Do not camouflage your gospel light

To begin class, show students a picture of an animal that is well camouflaged. Invite students to share why hiding like this is beneficial to the animal.

• In what situations might a person want to be camouflaged?

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared something that we do not want to camouflage about ourselves:

An essential part of this missionary effort is for individual members to become beacon-light examples wherever we live. We cannot be in camouflage. …

… The Lord expects those who have received His gospel to urgently strive to be a beacon-light example that will help others come to God. This allows our brothers and sisters across the earth to enjoy the supernal blessings and ordinances of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and be safely gathered home. (Quentin L. Cook, “Safely Gathered Home,” Liahona, May 2023, 23)

• What was meaningful to you from Elder Cook’s message?

To help prepare students’ hearts and minds for this lesson, you could invite them to share the story of a family member or friend who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They might also share their own conversion story. If several students have stories to share, you might invite them to share with partners or in small groups.

Invite students to record in their study journals ways they might be “in camouflage” and ways their personal missionary efforts could be “beacon-light examples.”

Encourage students to prayerfully invite the Spirit to help them recognize how they can openly share the light of the Savior’s gospel.

The Savior’s missionary mandate

Consider displaying the following statement by Elder Quentin L. Cook. Invite students to look for counsel on how to effectively share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Elder Cook also taught:

The Savior graciously invites us to be His voice and His hands. The love of the Savior will be our guiding light. The Savior taught His disciples, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” [Matthew 28:19]. …

For the Savior’s mandate to share the gospel to become part of who we are, … we need to love our neighbors, share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and invite all to come and see. (Quentin L. Cook, “Conversion to the Will of God,” Liahona, May 2022, 56)

• How would you explain Elder Cook’s message in your own words?

  Help students identify a truth like this: We assist in the Savior’s missionary efforts by loving our neighbors, sharing His gospel, and inviting others to come unto Him.

  You might want to write the words love, share, and invite at the top of three columns on the board. As students share their answers to the following questions, invite them to start a list in each column of ideas for how to bring others to the Savior through loving, sharing, and inviting.

• What are some effective ways you have seen others share the gospel of Jesus Christ?

• What experiences have you had sharing the Savior’s gospel with others?

Love, share, and invite

One way to help students better understand the principles of love, share, and invite is to give them copies of the handout titled “Love, Share, Invite.” Have students form small study groups to study the material under “Love.” They could form new groups to study “Share” and then new groups to study “Invite.”

Alternatively, students could study the scripture passages in the “Scripture Study” idea on page 223 of Preach My Gospel (2023).

Consider displaying the following questions on the board for students to discuss with their groups as they study.

• What insights did you gain about sharing the gospel?

• How did the Savior demonstrate the principle in His interactions with others?

• What are some ways teenagers could act on the principle as they strive to share the Savior’s gospel?

Love, Share, Invite

Love

John 13:34–35; Mosiah 18:20–22; Doctrine and Covenants 12:7–9; 121:41–42

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Whenever we show Christlike love toward our neighbor, we preach the gospel—even if we do not voice a single word.

Love for others is the eloquent expression of the second great commandment to love our neighbor; it shows the refining process of the Holy Spirit working within our own souls. By demonstrating Christ’s love to others, we may cause those who see our good works to “glorify [our] Father which is in heaven” [Matthew 5:16]. (Gary E. Stevenson, “Love, Share, Invite,” Liahona, May 2022, 85)

---

Share

2 Nephi 2:6–8; Mosiah 28:1–3; Alma 31:5; Doctrine and Covenants 60:2

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

If someone asks about your weekend, don’t hesitate to talk about what you experienced at church. Tell about the little children who stood in front of a congregation and sang with eagerness how they are trying to be like Jesus. Talk about the group of youth who spent time helping the elderly in rest homes to compile personal histories. …

In whatever ways seem natural and normal to you, share with people why Jesus Christ and His Church are important to you. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Missionary Work: Sharing What Is in Your Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 17)

---

Invite

John 1:35–46; 4:28–30, 39–41; Alma 5:62; Moroni 10:3–5

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

There are hundreds of invitations we can extend to others. We can invite others to “come and see” a sacrament service, a ward activity, an online video that explains the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Come and see” can be an invitation to read the Book of Mormon or visit a new temple during its open house prior to its dedication. Sometimes the invitation is something we extend inward—an invitation to ourselves, giving us awareness and vision of opportunities surrounding us to act upon. (Gary E. Stevenson, “Love, Share, Invite,” Liahona, May 2022, 86)

Effective ways to love, share, and invite

Help students brainstorm additional ideas of how to share the gospel using the principles of love, share, and invite. Include their ideas on the board under the corresponding columns. Some of the following resources may help generate ideas:

• Article—“20 Easy Ways to ‘Love, Share, Invite’ Your Neighbors,” newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

• Video—“Simple Ways to Love, Share, and Invite” (2:45), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Simple Ways to Love Share and Invite

The Savior set the example of loving, sharing, and inviting. Find ideas and inspiration for howyou can follow that example at share.churchofjesuschrist.org.

• Video—“2021 Broadcast: Principles of Love, Share, and Invite” from time code 0:00 to 1:35, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org

2021 Broadcast: Principles of Love, Share, and Invite

Ward and stake leaders are invited to a special worldwide broadcast focused on sharing the gospel through the principles of love, share, and invite.

Apply what you have learned

Consider sharing a time when you helped someone by using principles of love, share, and invite. Or you might share a time when someone blessed your life by using these principles.

Invite students to follow any promptings they felt today to create a plan to share the gospel. Their plans could include implementing one or more of the ideas listed on the board. To help with the details of their plans, you could display the following instructions and prompts for students to complete in their study journals.

Select one or more of the following prompts to complete in your study journal:

• I will show love to someone by .

• I will share what I know or feel about the Savior’s gospel by .

• I will invite (someone’s name) to .

For the prompt(s) you chose to answer, complete the following in your study journal:

• The next step I will take for completing my plan is .

• I will try to do this by (date).

Some students might feel discouraged if sincere efforts to share the gospel are not received well. Help students understand that the Lord loves the efforts they are making, even if it does not seem successful right now. Invite them to continue to act in faith regardless of immediate results.

Additional Resources

Can I help the Savior share His gospel today?

Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminded us:

You can be part of loving others, sharing a message about Jesus Christ and His Church, and inviting others to learn more about the gospel. God will do His work; He will hasten the work in His own time, and He will use all who are willing to accomplish it, even—and especially—you. (Dale G. Renlund, “Sharing the Christmas Gift,” For the Strength of Youth, Dec. 2021, 11)

What if others do not respond well to my efforts to love, share, and invite?

Elder Thierry K. Mutombo of the Seventy taught:

As you share the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, do so with love and patience. We should not interact with others with the sole expectation that they will soon be in white clothes to be baptized. Some who come and see will, perhaps, never join the Church; some will at a later time. That is their choice. But it doesn’t change our love for them. And it doesn’t change our enthusiastic efforts to continue inviting individuals and families to come and see, to come and help, and to come and belong. The important thing is that you don’t give up; keep trying to get it right. I promise you that you will be happier and more joyful because of your daily desire to share what you know to be true with others. (Thierry K. Mutombo, “Share the Gospel,” Liahona, Feb. 2022)

Supplemental Learning Activities

Effective invitations

As an alternative way to begin the lesson, you could invite students to imagine they received an invitation to a popular event (such as a sporting event, a music concert, or something similar). Invite them to rate on a scale of one (not likely) to five (very likely) how willing they would be to go to the event in each of the following situations:

• The event is a long distance away and you received only one ticket.

• A teacher or leader at school recommends the event.

• A close friend says he or she is very excited about the event and is going to attend. The friend asks if you would like to go together.

Ask students to share why each situation increased or decreased their desire to attend the event. As students answer the following question, you or another student could list their responses on the board.

• What are some other circumstances that might increase someone’s desire to accept an invitation? Why?

• How could this be applied to our efforts to share the gospel?

Guiding principles of love, share, and invite

As you introduce the principles of love, share, and invite, you could show Elders Michael T. Ringwood and Marcus B. Nash of the Seventy teaching these principles in “Principles Love, Share, Invite Discussed” (2:32).

Principles Love, Share, Invite Discussed

Elders Marcus B. Nash and Michael T. Ringwood recount the principles emphasized in the training how to become united in the work. They share their testimonies of the importance of the Lord’s work.

Share with others

To help students see different ways they can share the message of the gospel digitally, you could watch “Sharing Your Beliefs” (2:02).

Sharing Your Beliefs

Use blogging, texting, and other forms of communication to share your testimony of the gospel to all the world.

To help students understand how they can share the gospel in everyday activities, you could show “Sharing the Gospel” (3:49).

Sharing the Gospel

What we call “member missionary work” is not a program but an attitude of love and outreach to help those around us.