Life passed away as it were a dream

I have always liked the scripture in Jacob 7:26 where Jacob is talking about growing old and he says "...that the time passed away with us and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream,..." I can relate to that statement. My life is passing as it were a dream. I am not sure that I will be able to accomplish everything that I would like to accomplish. So many things I would like to do and so little time to do them in. When you are little you think you have all the time in the world to do what you want to do. Now I see how time flies on wings of lighting.

One of the things I would like to do is help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have wanted to have a missionary experience, but I have such a hard time talking to people that I don't know. I have a fear of speaking to strangers. Then I learned that my next Relief Society lesson is called "Proclaim Glad Tidings to All the World." In other words missionary work. I was feeling so unqualified to even think about teaching this lesson.

Then a miracle happened. I was reading in Alma 17. The sons of Mosiah prepare themselves for going in their missions and they tell us how to prepare ourselves for missions too. Verse 2 says, "...for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently that they might know the word of God." The verse 3, "...they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore the had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation and when they taught they taught with power and authority of God."

So, there are three of the keys to being a great missionary.

1. Search the scriptures diligently

2. Pray often

3. Fast

Then the Lord gave them the spirit of prophecy and the spirit of revelation so they could teach with the power and authority of God.

That is not all. In verse 11 the Lord tells them to "be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." Those words "good example" tells me a couple of things. First, you must be a good example during your afflictions and your sufferings. To be a good example when things are going great is easy. Being a good example during trials is something else. It means all trials. Even the trial of playing a ball game when a bad call is made. The Second thing I thought of is I am always worried about talking to strangers and trying to teach strangers about the gospel. Now, being a good example might influence a stranger but in order to teach someone they need to be your friend first. I remember getting into some pretty good gospel discussions with Pat Woodbury. But, she was my friend first. I could have never talked to her about my beliefs otherwise.

One last thought. Maybe I have been doing missionary work. Would teaching a primary class, a young woman class, a Sunday school class or a Relief Society lesson be doing missionary work? How about doing your home or visiting teaching? Would you be doing missionary work then? I think so. If you are teaching with the spirit and are trying to influence minds to gain or strengthen their testimony of Jesus Christ, then I believe you are doing missionary work. Yes, I still want to do more. But I will be patient as I learn more about the gospel. I will try to be a good example to students I teach and parents I come in contact with.

Perhaps I have pondered long enough for one night. Perhaps I should have named this blog ramblings.