Missionary Service

I saw a woman in distress. Her car wouldn't start and she was running late. She approached a man nearby and asked if he had any jumper cables. He, in a hurry himself, quickly stepped past her, mumbling something about how he couldn't help her. I called over to the woman and told her that I had cables and would be right over with my car. To get this woman's car started took mere minutes of my time but she thanked me profusely as if I had saved her life.

I reflected on this in light of the lesson I was preparing, a lesson on missionary work. We are surrounded daily by people who's spiritual batteries are either drained or have never been charged. Those of us with testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ, have what these people need. While most of us would not hesitate to jump to the aid of someone in physical distress, we too often scurry past those in spiritual distress.

Joseph Smith has said "After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel". Upon speaking to those early missionaries who left their families to spread the Gospel throughout England, Joseph Smith said, "A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race."

I was grateful I had a set of jumper cables in my car and that I knew how to use them. We should be grateful that we have the tools of the true gospel at our disposal and know how to use them. We know how to recharge our own spiritual batteries through the power of the Holy Ghost. May we be as willing and eager to seek out and help those in spiritual distress and offer them the same tools.