Truths about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

This video reminded me of a talk by Elder Ballard titled Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits. Here are a few of his words:

"It is not easy to explain something as vast as the Church or as wonderful as the restored gospel to people who know little or nothing about us. Even questions on one specific aspect can be difficult to answer because every question seems to be connected to other questions. The most common request we hear is a fairly simple one that goes something like this: “Tell me a little about your Church.” The key word here is “little.” They are not saying, “Tell me everything you know and then send others to tell me everything else.”

"We, of course, welcome people’s interest, and many will want to be taught more about our doctrines and beliefs. This is why we have over 53,000 full-time missionaries serving at their own expense throughout the world."

"But we need to remember that there is a difference between interest and mere curiosity. Sometimes people just want to know what the Church is. Those who are curious in this general way deserve clear and accurate information that comes directly from those of us who are members so that they do not have to rely on the incomplete answers, half-truths, or false statements that may come from the media or other outside voices. The many misunderstandings and false information about the Church are somewhat our own fault for not clearly explaining who we are and what we believe."

He then goes on to explain what portions of our Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits that we might share. To read this portion of the talk and more click HERE.

He then gives us an assignment, "Brothers and sisters, in today’s busy world, I have found that most people will not read or focus on more than just a few important facts at one time. Whatever you choose to use to inform your friends and acquaintances about the Church, write it down, check it for accuracy, and keep it simple and short."

What a great challenge that will help to deter our lack of courage or our anxiety of sharing Gospel truths with others. If we simply have our thoughts and beliefs written down and checked then we will know what to say when the opportunity arrives. I have yet to fulfill this assignment but hope to do so soon and would love to hear what you have written down and if you have been able to use it.

On a totally different note, Happy St. Patrick's Day!