Cast Not Any Out

Immediately after introducing the sacrament during His postmortal ministry, the Savior clarified that worship services in His church should be open to the public:

Ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;

But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name. …

Ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation.

3 Nephi 18:22-23, 25

Don’t just tolerate visitors, He says. Pray for them; love them. His disciples should follow His example, inviting everyone to draw closer to Him and receive the blessings of His gospel. He ends the instruction with a stark warning: When you exclude people, you become vulnerable to temptation. Why? Because fear leads us down a dark path, motivating unkind thoughts, words, and actions.

The Savior renewed this direction in modern revelation:

Ye are commanded never to cast any one out from your public meetings, which are held before the world.

Ye are also commanded not to cast any one who belongeth to the church out of your sacrament meetings. …

And again I say unto you, ye shall not cast any out of your sacrament meetings who are earnestly seeking the kingdom—I speak this concerning those who are not of the church.

And again I say unto you, concerning your confirmation meetings, that if there be any that are not of the church, that are earnestly seeking after the kingdom, ye shall not cast them out.

Doctrine and Covenants 46:3-6

In this revelation, He specifically mentions “public meetings.” He identifies two of those—sacrament meetings and confirmation meetings—but the principle applies to most events sponsored by the church. We should invite and we should welcome all those who want to participate.

Church meetings are much more rewarding when we attend as contributors instead of as spectators. Here are some things we can do to ensure that everyone who attends our meetings is welcomed and included:

1. Introduce yourself to someone you don’t recognize. Learn their name, and learn a little bit about them.
2. Invite them to sit with you, and if needed, explain unfamiliar parts of the meeting.
3. Include people in your conversations. When you’re talking with a group of people and someone is standing nearby, invite them to join you.
4. Avoid using jargon with people who are new. Relief Society is the women’s organization. The Stake Center is a church building. Most unfamiliar terms have more common equivalents.
5. Listen to talks, lessons, and comments in classes with the intent to understand rather than to judge. Everyone comes from different backgrounds. Why do they say the things they do, and what can you learn from it?
6. Follow up with a text or an email, thanking them for coming and inviting them to another event.

Today, I will follow the Savior’s example of inclusiveness. I will look for opportunities to help people feel welcome and will ensure that I’m not inadvertently “casting them out” by my words or behavior.