Missionary Work

D&C 4 

1 Now behold, a ^amarvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.

  2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the ^aservice of God, see that ye ^bserve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand ^cblameless before God at the last day.

  3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are ^acalled to the work;

  4 For behold the ^afield is white already to ^bharvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in ^cstore that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

  5 And ^afaith, ^bhope, ^ccharity and ^dlove, with an ^eeye single to the ^fglory of God, ^gqualify him for the work.

  6 Remember faith, ^avirtue, knowledge, ^btemperance, ^cpatience, ^dbrotherly ^ekindness, ^fgodliness, charity, ^ghumility, ^hdiligence.

  7 ^aAsk, and ye shall receive; ^bknock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

• ·         I especially love the idea in verse 3.  Those that have the desire to be a servant of God, are the ones God wants to serve.  Elder George Albert Smith said, “My understanding is that the most important mission that I have in this life is: first, to keep the commandments of God, as they have been taught to me; and next, to teach them to my Father’s children who do not understand them. . . .

“It is not necessary for you to be called to go into the mission field in order to proclaim the truth. Begin on the man who lives next door by inspiring confidence in him, by inspiring love in him for you because of your righteousness, and your missionary work has already begun.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1916, pp. 50–51.)

• ·         In verses 5-6 we read about the virtures or Christ-like attributes we must have.  Faith, Hope, Charity, Love, Eyes single to the Glory of God, Faith, Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Brotherly Kindness, Godliness, Charity, Humility, and Diligence.  One could go on for pages just on one of these.  I encourage you to look them up in the dictionary as well as in the scriptures so you can see what the Lord desires of us.  Bytheway, these qualities are also found in 2^nd Peter 1:6-8.  Check out the Cross Refrences in the LDS King James Bible.  It gives some great other meanings to each of these words.

Missionary

• ·         Samuel Smith was the first missionary of this dispensation.  President Joseph Fielding Smith said, “To Samuel Smith the Lord said it was his duty also to strengthen the Church, although he was not yet called to preach before the world. It will be recalled that Samuel was the third person baptized in this dispensation. He was one of the first to be ordained to the office of Elder, and it was not long after this revelation when he was sent forth to teach, which he did with marked success, far beyond his own realization.” ( Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:121.)

• ·         In 1830 Samuel also sold a copy of the Book of Mormon to Brigham Young’s brother: Phinehas (or Phineas) Young, a Methodist preacher. When he first met Samuel, Phinehas was returning home on horseback from his preaching circuit. He had stopped at a farm for dinner. As he and the family were visiting, a young man, dressed in rough clothes, entered the room. Book in hand, the young man said to Phinehas, “There’s a book, sir, I wish you to read.”

“Pray, sir, what book have you?” Phinehas asked.

“The Book of Mormon, or, as it is called by some, the Golden Bible.”

“Ah, so then it purports to be a revelation?” Phinehas asked.

The young man opened the book to the testimonies of the Three and Eight Witnesses and said, “Here is the testimony of the witnesses to the truth of the book.”

Phinehas read their testimonies. When Phinehas looked up from his reading, the young man said, “If you will read this book with a prayerful heart and ask God to give you a witness, you will know the truth of the work.”

Phinehas promised to read the book. Then he asked the young man’s name.

“My name is Samuel H. Smith.”

Phinehas had seen that name! “Then you are one of the witnesses.”

“Yes,” Samuel said. “I know the book is a revelation from God, translated by the power of the Holy Ghost, and that my brother, Joseph Smith, Jr., is a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator.”

After arriving home Phinehas told his wife, “I have got a book here called the Book of Mormon, and it is said to be a revelation, and I wish to read it and make myself acquainted with its errors, so I can expose them to the world.”

True to his promise, he read the Book of Mormon—twice in two weeks. Rather than finding any errors, he became convinced the book was true. On Sunday, when his congregation asked for his opinion of the book, “he defended it for ten minutes, when suddenly the Spirit of God came on him with such force that in a marvelous manner he spoke at great length on the importance of it. … He closed by telling the people that he believed the book.” 5

 

That summer, the Young family, including Brigham, and their friends the Kimballs read the Book of Mormon and believed it.  (found in 2004 Ensign)

• If I remember correctly, he went home thinking he had failed for only selling 1 Book of Mormon.  But it's that desire he had that made him a great missionary.  Even though he left one Book of Mormon behind, he was able to convert thousands.  The Lord blessed Samuel Smith for his sacrifice and so will He do for us.