July 31-August 6

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Twice in this week’s readings, Paul shares a powerful testimony of his conversion to Christianity. He is not afraid of it. He tells the story very clearly, exactly as it happened. It would have been easy for him to simply deny the accusations without telling of his conversion, and perhaps it would have gotten him “farther” when it came to the goal of being released. If he were to be released, he could go about his work. Perhaps there are appropriate times to follow that route, as guided by the Spirit.

However, Paul chose another path. He shared the gospel. 

Sharing the gospel is an intimidating subject even when we’re not standing in front of kings or people who want to kill us.

I think it’s easy for us to put Paul on a pedestal sometimes. It’s easy to look at his life, observe his zeal, read about his vision, and to simultaneously put him on a pedestal. If Paul is on another level, it’s easy to disengage from the accountability of sharing the gospel. 

But we have been given a commandment to share the gospel whether we want to acknowledge it or not. So let’s try to tackle the idea of sharing the gospel so that it feels manageable. 

Becoming converted

Perhaps it feels like a gargantuan task to talk about your beliefs with someone else or to invite them to church, but that’s not even the first step. The first step simply involves you and the Lord. Honestly, if you can master the first step, the rest will naturally come. 

The first step is your own conversion. There are a lot of aspects to conversion, but I’m talking about one portion in particular. The first step for missionary work is becoming converted to the extent that the gospel fills your life with peace and happiness. We often talk about peace and happiness in the gospel, but have we really allowed the knowledge from the Plan of Salvation to sink into our hearts to the extent that our daily lives feel different?

We say we believe that Christ took care of our sins, but do we still carry around the weight of them? We say we believe that Christ will help us overcome our weakness, but do we still fret that we “can’t be good enough?” 

We say we believe that Christ can do anything. When our schedules pile up into mountains and we’re given a calling that requires a lot of time, do we find ourselves filled with peace that it will work out?

We say we believe in prayer and the ability to talk to Heavenly Father any time we want; do we feel close to our literal Father in Heaven? Do we believe that we are children of God?

That list goes on. There are so many beliefs that we teach, discuss, and read about in our Sunday schools, sacrament talks, spiritual thoughts, and scripture studies. How many of these beliefs have penetrated our hearts so that we have this steady, peaceful underlying assurance even when life calls for us to mourn or suffer? 

I have a bit of a silly analogy, but I think it may apply to us sometimes. Let’s pretend there is a medical student who takes all of their courses, aces all of the work, and fulfills all of their hours they need to become licensed. In the very beginning of their journey, they are taught that washing their hands can help prevent sickness. They read about the mechanics of washing hands, perform little experiments of hand swabs and bacteria colonies, and come to know that washing their hands is a true principle.

Then imagine that this same medical student decides to forgo washing their hands because they don’t deserve it. They got their hands dirty in the first place; why should they be allowed freedom from those germs? They believe they should have to suffer the consequences of getting messy and all it entails.

One of the sad parts of this pretend story is the fact that it doesn’t only affect the doctor; it affects the patients. It affects the surgery patient and the delivering mother if the doctor doesn’t wash their hands. 

That’s a bit of a dramatic and ridiculous example, but the principles remain. We have been given knowledge, but we don’t always let it affect our lives to the extent that the Savior wants it to. Perhaps we think we are only hurting ourselves, and perhaps we are correct in some aspects. We may not be directly hurting anyone else, but the conversion of one person will always affect the circle around them. 

When our gospel knowledge changes us and brings us right to the doors of heaven despite the fact that we still live in this fallen world, everyone around us will feel it. You won’t be able to hide it. Our circle may not consciously recognize what they are observing, but they will feel your light. It is a literal light and warmth; I think of the shining faces of Moses and Stephen. The gospel illuminates our beings, others will recognize it, and they will want to be around it more often.

I give you the same words that Ananias gave Paul upon his conversion.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Why tarry? Let your baptism affect you, and allow the Savior to cleanse you. Call upon Him for He will answer and walk you through your life. It’s a much more pleasant way to live, and it will be a blessing to those you love.

A part of your day

I remember being in college and hearing a common complaint about missionaries coming home and only talking about their mission. I understand that it can be a very one-sided conversation when a missionary is talking about their mission, but I always felt kinda bad for them. What else were they supposed to talk about? What other input are they supposed to volunteer for a conversation? They’ve been immersed for 1.5-2 years in the gospel. 

Though the example of missionary is a dramatic one, the principle still holds in our own lives. If you are immersed enough in the gospel, it becomes difficult to not talk about it. You don’t know how to explain to your friends why you made certain decisions or why you’re feeling peaceful without including a conversation about your relationship with the Lord. 

Interestingly enough, this is just an extension of conversion. Being immersed in the gospel does not mean you have to be reading the scriptures for three hours a day or playing a conference talk every time you get in the car. Rather, it means including the Lord in everything you’re already doing. It means feeling gratitude for fun music. It means silently pleading for help with a taxing coworker or toddler. It means facing the stress of a busy day with simple diligence and faith, knowing the Lord can magnify you. It means accepting that you just lost your temper and trying to be better instead of hating yourself the rest of the day. Immersion in the gospel means taking your existing life and seeing it through the lens of the gospel, not necessarily abandoning any other priority or mortal necessity.

When we can get to the point where the gospel touches every aspect of our lives, it makes everything sweeter. It is difficult to talk about things that are not part of your experience. If the gospel is touching your life experience, then it will naturally come out.

It’s okay if you’re worried about sounding preachy. Honestly, it’s not a bad concern. Feeling preached at doesn’t always motivate others to come unto Christ. But if you focus on allowing the gospel to touch your life in all aspects, and if you just talk about your personal experiences, people won’t feel preached at. Even if others believe differently than you, a grand majority of people respect authenticity. If you’re simply sharing exactly who you are, they may not be persuaded to become a Christian, but they will respect you for it.

Paul simply shared his experiences. He did not try and share something he was not. He shared what he had lived through. Perhaps we have not had a vision as striking as Paul, but I’m not so sure that would necessarily change anything. Paul recounted his vision more than once, and plenty of people ignored it. If any did truly convert, it wasn’t because Paul had a vision. Our small, daily experiences can be just as striking as recounting a vision because of the power of the Spirit.

Acts 28:25-26

25…Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.

When we allow our conversion to light up our life, and when we simply talk about what we know and our experiences, the Spirit is what brings it to life. The Spirit is what places force behind our words. So become converted and simply share what you are.

I’m grateful for a Savior who loves and knows me. I’m grateful that I’m not actually in charge of converting anyone. I’m grateful that I can simply share what I am and let the Spirit do the rest. I’m grateful for how the gospel has changed so many aspects of my life to be happier.