Valentines & Missionary Work

Happy Valentine's Day!

So I may or may not have caught the missionary bug. It doesn’t help that all of my best friends are turning in their papers or already have their call. Being the youngest can suck sometimes. However I’ve decided that I have one plus to not being able to turn in my papers for a year. I have an extra year to study and become a better disciple of Christ.

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. Even if we weren’t lucky enough to be given or give chocolates and flowers, we can give something else today. We can give of ourselves to Christ as our Valentine gift to Him.

How does this tie in with missionary work? Well Elder Bednar said it perfectly,

           

            “Devoted disciples of Jesus Christ always have been and always will be valiant missionaries. A missionary is a follower of Christ who testifies of Him as the Redeemer and proclaims the truths of His gospel.” (“Come and See” General Conference October 2014)

The best way to give to Christ is to give to others. Sharing the gospel with those we love is a gift we can keep on giving, both to our loving Savoir and to our family and friends. 

Yes sharing the gospel can be challenging. We may be teased, brushed aside, and even loose friends over it. Throughout these hardships, we can look to Christ’s life as an example for how we should live.

Christ has given the ultimate gift, the Atonement. If only everyone knew and understood it fully! We as members may not understand the Atonement, but we have the advantage of knowing its purposes.

As missionaries, even member missionaries, we can show Christ’s love through our actions and words. One of my friends exclaimed loudly to me, “Thanks to you my Pinterest feed is full of Mormon stuff!” I laughed and told her if she didn’t like it, she could unfollow and I wouldn’t be hurt.

Our first reaction to rejection is hurt or to be mean. But sometimes we have to do as Taylor Swift has said, “shake it off.”

We don’t have to be limited to giving this gift only on Valentine’s Day. We can share it with everyone everywhere!