“If I don’t have a burning desire to share the gospel, does that mean I don’t have a testimony?” New Era, Aug. 2014, 40
If I don’t have a burning desire to share the gospel, does that mean I don’t have a testimony?
President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has said, “Each of us must come to our own personal testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. We then share that testimony with our family and others.”1 It can sometimes be easy to question the depth of your testimony when you compare yourself to people like Brigham Young, who once said, “I wanted to thunder, and roar out the gospel to the nations. It burned in my bones like fire pent up.”2 So, what if you don’t feel fire in your bones?
Hopefully your lack of desire doesn’t come from a lack of concern for your fellowmen. As your faith in Jesus Christ grows, so does your love of all people, a love that is a mark of the true followers of Christ (see Moroni 7:48; John 13:35).
It’s likely, however, that your hesitancy simply comes from fear and anxiety about speaking to others. For many people, such feelings can be overwhelming. Even prophets have had doubts about their ability to speak to people (see Exodus 4:10; Moses 6:31). They, of course, had no reason to question their testimonies—and neither should you if you are studying the scriptures, pondering, praying, fasting, repenting, and doing all the other things that help bring the Spirit into your life.
If you feel you just need a little extra courage to share the gospel, visit lds.org/go/shareNE8 for ideas.