Be Bold

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's church—established in His name, by His authority, and according to His will. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet. He leads and guides the church today.

These are not weak assertions, and ours is not a weak message. The restored gospel has the power to change lives. 

Elder M. Russell Ballard

Knowing this, we should not be afraid to share our message with confidence. Whether or not you are a full-time missionary, you can share the gospel, and you can share it with confidence.

Elder M. Russell Ballard said many of us fall into the trap of being defensive about our beliefs:

"Constantly anticipating criticism or objections can lead to an unhealthy self-consciousness and a defensive posture that doesn’t resonate well with others. It is inconsistent with where we are today as a church and as a great body of followers of Jesus Christ."

Elder Ballard offers several helpful suggestions on how we can share our message with confidence:

• Be bold. "[A]ct confidently—secure in the knowledge of who we are and what we stand for and not as if we had to apologize for our beliefs."
• Be open. "We need to be honest, open, forthright, engaging, respectful of others' views, and completely nondefensive about our own."
•  Be focused. "Don't let irrelevant issues drown out more important subjects. Emphasize that Latter-day Saints teach and live what Jesus Christ taught and that we try to follow Him." 

(view Elder Ballard's message in its entirety here)

I'm not a particularly outgoing person, so following Elder Ballard's advice has been difficult at times. But I've seen good results. When we are bold and open with others about our beliefs, we find success. When we are defensive and shy, we don't find success.

That doesn't mean we should be arrogant or offensive. But we should be comfortable with what we have—the truth—and we ought to desire to share it with others. Desire builds faith, and faith conquers fear. As you take time to share the gospel with others, you will find success and you will be blessed, regardless of who you are.