Love of the Lord, appreciation for His atoning sacrifice, and His mission to have all come unto Him should provide all the motivation needed to be successful in sharing the gospel, said Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Speaking during the Sunday afternoon session, Elder Ballard emphasized, "When we truly understand how great a blessing the gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives, when we accept and embrace these eternal truths and allow them to sink deep into our hearts and souls, we experience a 'mighty change' in our hearts."
This change of heart "is all the motivation we need to share what gives us so much joy and happiness. It is the most natural thing in the world for us to do, and yet far too many of us are hesitant to share our testimonies with others," he said.
Elder Ballard reported how missionaries are responding to the call "to teach in their own words by the power of the Holy Spirit."
"But quite frankly, what they need now is more people to teach. . . . Experience has shown that the best teaching situations develop when our members participate in the finding and teaching process.
"Today, I invite you to relax and set aside your concerns and focus instead on your love for the Lord, your testimony of His eternal reality, and your gratitude for all He has done for you. If you are truly motivated by love, testimony and gratitude, you will quite naturally do all that you can to assist the Lord.
The Savior Himself, said Elder Ballard, showed the way when He invited His disciples to "come and see . . . where He dwelt . . . and (they) abode with Him (John 1:39).
"Why do you suppose He did that?" Elder Ballard asked. "He was teaching. And what better way to teach His followers than to invite them to visit with Him so they could see and experience His magnificent message firsthand."
"Similarly, our homes can be gospel-sharing homes as people we know and love come into our homes and experience the gospel firsthand in both word and action."
Creating a gospel-sharing home, continued Elder Ballard, "is the easiest and most effective way that we can share the gospel with others."
It is not a program, but a way of life, he said.
In a gospel-sharing home, "we also pray for our own missionary experiences and opportunities and to be prepared to act on those impressions as they come our way. And I promise you — they will come."
The Lord is the Good Shepherd, Elder Ballard said in conclusion. "He will guide us as we seek His divine help in sharing His gospel."