Missionary Work
Prayerfully study this material and, as appropriate, discuss it with the sisters you visit. Use the questions to help you strengthen your sisters and to make Relief Society an active part of your own life. For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.
Latter-day Saints are sent forth “to labor in [the Lord’s] vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men” (D&C 138:56),
which includes missionary work. We don’t need a formal mission call to
share the gospel. Others whose lives will be blessed by the gospel
surround us, and as we prepare ourselves, the Lord will use us. Visiting
teachers can embrace their spiritual responsibilities and help “bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).
When the Prophet
Joseph Smith organized the Relief Society in 1842, he said that the
women were not only to look after the poor but also to save souls.1 This is still our purpose.
“The Lord …
entrusts a testimony of the truth to those who will share it with
others,” said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the
First Presidency. “Even more, the Lord expects the members of His Church
to ‘open [their mouths] at all times, declaring [His] gospel with the
sound of rejoicing’ (D&C 28:16). … Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone’s life for eternity.”2
From the Scriptures
From Our History
The story of
Olga Kovářová of the former Czechoslovakia is an example of member
missionary work from our Relief Society history. In the 1970s, Olga was a
doctoral student and hungry for a deeper spiritual life. She noticed
75-year-old Otakar Vojkůvka, a Latter-day Saint. “He appeared to me
seventy-five in his age but in his heart nearer to eighteen and full of
joy,” she said. “This was so unusual in Czechoslovakia at that time of
cynicism.”
Olga asked
Otakar and his family how they found joy. They introduced her to other
Church members and gave her a Book of Mormon. She read it eagerly and
was soon baptized and confirmed. Since that time Olga has been an
influence for good in a world of political oppression and religious
persecution. She served as Relief Society president in her little branch
and helped save the souls of others by bringing them to Christ.3
What Can I Do?
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Do I follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost as I share my testimony with the sisters I visit?
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How am I helping the sisters I watch over to learn the gospel?
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© 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All Rights Reserved
© 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All Rights Reserved
