To be a member missionary demands little more than to be a good person. If there are roadblocks to being a member missionary they are usually in our heads, not out in the real world. Let’s look at what the Lord requires of those He has chosen to be His saints in the last days.
We are chosen
Scriptural injunctions
4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.
5 And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.
30 And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually—
31 For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32 Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven;
33 And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.
Same song, different verse
1 Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one sent down from on high, who is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto men—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
2 The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.
3 Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom.
4 Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, make known his wonderful works among the people.
5 Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth.
6 Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Our instructions that tell us what our responsibilities are start in verse 4. We are to pray to the Lord and make known to others his wonderful works among the children of men. This is how we fulfill the commandment in verse 3 to prepare people for the supper of the Lamb. We must first teach people that there is a supper and that they are invited.
And what is the duty we have in order that we can make his wonderful works known to others? The answer is in verse 5. “Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name.” When was the last time you sincerely prayed to know how to share the gospel with others? When was the last time you prayed then took your answer and went and did as the Lord commands to demonstrate love for your neighbor?
If demonstrating love for those not in your immediate family is uncomfortable then the love of God hasn’t yet become second nature to you. You can begin by practicing on your family members. Some of them may be harder to demonstrate love for than your neighbor. Just saying…
Finally, there is Doctrine and Covenants 88. This instruction is plain and straight forward.
81 Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.
82 Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads.
If we go out and talk to those we meet. If we learn to love our neighbor and show Christlike compassion to those with whom we come in contact each day then their sins will not be on our heads in the day of judgment. On the other hand, if we do not make the effort to do this then we will have to answer for the sins of our neighbors in the judgment day.
Final Thoughts
These scriptures are not meant to frighten us because they are only meant to awaken those who need to repent. As Nephi told his brothers, only the wicked taketh the truth to be hard, the righteous don’t fear the truth.
Many who read these scriptures will be joyful that they are doing what the Lord has commanded them. For those of us who still need to do some work before we are fully compliant with the Lord’s commandments, there is hope in our repentance. Joy can still be ours if we are willing to make the effort to believe that the Lord will fill our souls with peace as we actively strive to keep His commandments and love our neighbors as God loves us.
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