Recently, Sister Jean B. Bingham, former Relief Society General President, appeared as a guest on the Magnify podcast. She and her husband, Bruce, served in the Belgium Netherlands Mission for two years as government relations representatives for the Church. During this time, she discussed the gospel with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Here are five tips that Sister Bingham shared about how to articulate your faith with confidence.
1. Focus on Common Ground
As she prepared to meet with government ambassadors throughout the world, the very first thing Sister Bingham did was evaluate common interests between the other party and her. She says she focused on three main topics when meeting new representatives:
- Freedom of religion
- Family values
- Humanitarian assistance
“These are common interests [for] many, many people,” she explains. “There’s a lot of things in every religion that we can find that are comfortably common to all of us.”
She recommends figuring out what you have in common with the person you are speaking with because it provides a good foundation for starting a conversation about the gospel.
2. Listen Respectfully
When discussing these common interests, Sister Bingham says it’s important to be respectful, especially when your views might not completely align. This can be done by listening attentively to what the other person is expressing and validating their opinion.
“Express appreciation for their viewpoint,” she recommends. “It may not be the same as ours, but we can find something good. … And when you respond with respect, that just builds a relationship even more.”
3. Always Use the Full Name of the Church
When having gospel conversations, Sister Bingham encourages members to use the full name of the Church, as President Russell M. Nelson invited us. While the name is familiar to us, it’s important to slow down and enunciate it carefully when introducing it to others, she suggests.
“Say it … clearly and distinctly, with emphasis on ‘Jesus Christ.’ We want to emphasize that Jesus Christ is our head, that He is the one ... we follow. Our focus is on Him as the head of our church.”
Sister Bingham says this approach takes away any feelings of rushing or discomfort and highlights our faith in the Savior.
4. Be Transparent
In Sister Bingham’s service as a government relations representative, being transparent meant informing ambassadors about how the Church would support their country’s needs and obtain the necessary authorizations. She explained that some ambassadors were initially skeptical of the Church’s motives, but communicating with transparency helped to build trust and mutual understanding.
“We said, ‘We do this because we love God. And because we love God, we also love His children. And that’s ... why we do this.’ And I think it disarmed them to know that we had no other motive in line.”
In our everyday lives, this could look like demonstrating our love for the other person and being open when we don’t have all the answers. “We would ask for questions, and we would answer them,” Sister Bingham says, “and if we didn’t know the answer, we’d tell [the ambassadors that] we’d find out and let them know.”
5. Share Simple Truths and Seek Partnership
From her earlier experiences teaching seminary, Sister Bingham learned the importance of explaining concepts in basic ways without jargon. “One of the great preparations for teaching is trying to explain things in a simple way that everyone can understand.”
And as you prepare for these conversations by “doing your homework,” you can have the Spirit to be with you and build your confidence.
This preparation also allows you to see others around you as partners. “Another part of confidence is recognizing ... that you cannot do everything alone,” Sister Bingham explains. “That whole concept of ‘we’re working together’ was something that opened people’s hearts and doors.”
Hear more from Sister Bingham in the full Magnify episode.
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