Teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith Lesson 21: Proclaiming the Gospel to the World

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Get the full lesson, "Proclaiming the Gospel to the World" from The Teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith at LDS.org.

Note: As the Church has said, the manual has been prepared as the primary source of lesson material. These supplements, from general conference addresses, are meant only as a complement to your study on this lesson's topic.

Supplement is from "Sharing the Gospel" by Elder Dallin H. Oaks from the October 2001 General Conference.

To proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is a fundamental principle of the Christian faith. Three of the gospel writers report this direction by the Savior.

The book of Mark records: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15–16).

Matthew quotes the Savior’s command, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19).

Luke states, “Thus it is written … that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations” (Luke 24:46–47).

Applying the Savior’s directions to our day, modern prophets have challenged each of us to share the gospel.

President Gordon B. Hinckley has given the clarion call for our time. In a worldwide satellite address to missionaries and local leaders, he asked for “an infusion of enthusiasm” for missionary work “at every level in the Church” (“Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,” Ensign, May 1999, 107). Though missionaries must continue their best efforts to find persons to teach, he declared that the “better way … is through the members of the Church” (105). He asked each of us to give our very best efforts to assisting missionaries in finding persons to teach. He also asked that each stake president and each bishop “accept full responsibility and accountability for the finding and friendshipping of investigators” within their units (107). President Hinckley also invoked the blessings of the Lord upon each of us “in meeting the tremendous challenge that is ours” (104).

Though it has been two and a half years since our president made this plea, most of us have not yet acted effectively upon his challenge.

Read the whole talk here.

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