3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.
4 And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever.
What motivates us to participate in missionary work? As we learn from the sons of Mosiah in the passage above, it is a combination of two attributes:
- Gratitude – an awareness and appreciation for the impact the gospel has had in our lives
- Love – a desire for others to be happy and the ability to feel their pain as our own
If we are not participating enough in sharing the gospel, we might ask ourselves which of these two attributes we need to strengthen. Do we be need to be more mindful of to the blessings we enjoy? Do we need to be more attuned to the needs of the people around us? Ultimately, these two attributes come from God. That is why Mormon points out to us that the feelings they experienced were the result of “the Spirit of the Lord [working] upon them.”
Today, I will invite the Holy Ghost into my life and into my heart so that I can feel the gratitude and love which will enable me to be an effective missionary.
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