All of the prophets have spoken boldly of our duty to share the gospel with everyone we associate with.

• Joseph Smith:  “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”
•  Brigham Young:  “There is neither man or woman in this Church who is not on a mission.”
•  John Taylor:  “Our duty is to preach the gospel to all men…This is what God expects of us.”
•  Joseph F. Smith:  “We have a mission in the world: each man, each woman, each child…ought…to be qualified to preach the truth.”
•  David O. McKay:  “Every member…a missionary! True Christianity is love in action.”
•  Spencer W. Kimball:  “Many a person in this world is crying…‘Come over…and help us.’ He might be your neighbor. She might be  your friend.”
•  Ezra Taft Benson:  “We must share the gospel with others. That is our responsibility.”

(List found in Preach My Gospel)

Clearly, our duty and responsibility lies with missionary work, and sharing the gospel, with all who will listen.

Pres. Smith admonished in general conference, “Our problem is to find a way whereby we may present to all the people the gospel of our Lord. It is our problem, and with divine assistance we will find a way to solve it. It is incumbent upon us to ascertain if there is not some means whereby we may be able to do more than we have already done, if we would satisfy the requirements of our Heavenly Father.” (Manual, pg. 136)

Every missionary memorizes D&C 4. Challenge the class to memorize it when they get home. Encourage them to recite it often.

“A marvelous work” is the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Let the Book of Mormon do the convincing. All we have to do is let our actions speak for us, then we must simply extend an invitation. If you truly have a desire to serve God, then let Him guide you. Ask for guidance, for direction to those who may be ready to listen. Practice and act on these inspirations.

D&C 4 teaches us how to be more Christlike in order to perform this duty each of us has in the kingdom. We need to give our will to the Lord. We do this by serving with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. If we are strong in “faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God”, we will have our prayers answered and people will be put in our path.

Building upon our “faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, and diligence”, ultimately, these characteristics, which match our Savior’s, will bring salvation to our souls.

“All that we need to do is to set an example, be good men and good women, and they will observe it…If we, as members of the Church, were keeping the commandments of God…we would be doing splendid missionary work.” (Manual, pg. 140)

There are many good people in the world. The spirit will tell us who is ready to listen. “The adversary has used his strongest efforts to prevent the spread of the truths of the gospel. And it is your duty and mine, by tact and brotherly love and faith, to overcome the prejudice that the adversary has sown in the hearts of our Father’s children.” (Manual, pg. 139)

As mothers, we should focus on training our children to serve missions. “As they go they should have been so trained that they would be adamant against the temptations of the adversary; they should be as pure and virtuous and righteous in their lives as it is possible to be, and then the influence of their very presence will be felt by those whom they contact.” (Manual, pg. 140)

“Don’t let your children grow up without teaching them the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Don’t wait to send them into the mission field to learn what the gospel means.” (Manual, pg. 140)

“This is our Father’s work and is not to be trifled with. It is of the utmost importance to us.” (Manual, pg. 141)

The Church especially needs older couples to serve. It is my personal experience that no older person has ever regretted serving a mission. Of course, they have missed family, but the blessings far surpass the sacrifices. (see The Lord Needs Missionaries, Ensign, Jan 2011)

Debt also prevents service as missionaries. It is necessary for most senior missionaries to be out of debt and, in fact, support themselves on a mission. Our lifestyles need to change if we want to fulfill our duty. “I feel that some of us are selfish. We are so glad to enjoy our blessings, we are so happy to be surrounded by the comforts of life and to have the association of the best men and women that can be found in the world, that we forget our duty to others. How happy we could be if we would strive to be more potent for good in the world by ministering to those who have not yet understood the Gospel of our Lord.” (Manual, pg. 143)

D&C 128:24 doesn’t just tell of the importance of Family History work. We are all Heavenly Father’s children. All can be saved. All must be saved. All will be saved. “When life’s labor is complete, they will stand in the presence of their Maker, accepted of Him because of what they have done.” (Manual, pg. 144)

“I pray that his Spirit may be throughout [the Church],…that we may sense the importance of our mission in the world…that we may not forget the priceless gift, the priceless privilege, within our reach, of teaching the gospel and saving the souls of the children of men.” (Manual, pg. 144)