Near the end of a long letter in which Joseph Smith summarized his and the Mormon Church’s history, he also included a part about his vision for missionary work:
“Our missionaries are going forth to different nations, and in Germany, Palestine, New Holland [Australia], the East Indies, and other places, the Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (“Chapter 38: The Wentworth Letter,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),435–47.)
I think some people get the wrong idea about why Mormons try to convert people. Sure, members of the Mormon Church serve missions in their early twenties, and this is the norm for all able-bodied male members. On my mission, for instance, I learned some important things such as self discipline, respect for authority, and, because I served my mission in Portugal, I leaned another language.
That is the secular side of things. On my mission I also developed faith in God, in the gospel, and in my church. This is the spiritual component to missionary work. You come to see God in the dark places. Here I was a young single man, living in Europe, and trying to teach people about Jesus Christ and His prophets, all this during the first Gulf War.
On top of that, I was laboring in a country that was predominantly Roman Catholic. It would seem that what I was doing was redundant, since they were already Christians
I like Joseph Smith’s answer to this question. He said:
“We don’t ask any people to throw away any good they have got; we only ask them to come and get more.” (“Chapter 12: Proclaim Glad Tidings to All the World,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),148–57.)
For
Religion, like politics, is a touchy matter. It hits us at the core of our being, and in many respects, defines who we are. If mishandled, a gospel encounter could offend. That is why I like Joseph Smith’s approach. It is non-confrontational, and focuses on the good that people already have. People always want more of a good thing, and for me, Mormonism is the best thing I have.
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