“From Missionary Referral to Miracle,” For the Strength of Youth, Oct. 2021.
From Missionary Referral to Miracle
Love. Share. Invite. And now, it’s easier than ever.
Have you ever had the courage to share your testimony with someone? Maybe you received an impression that a relative or friend needed to hear the gospel.
Living the gospel gives us inner light, and Jesus Christ asks us to share that light with the world (see Matthew 5:16). As we do, we may find someone who is ready to learn from the missionaries. If so, there’s a feature in the Church’s Member Tools app that can help the missionaries connect with them. The stories below show how people used this feature—and how it can bless those you invite to meet with the missionaries.
Jason Answers a Prayer
Illustrations by Michael Mullan
Not long ago, Jason was visiting San Diego, California, USA, for a cancer treatment. Even though it was a hard time for him, Jason says, “The morning of my flight I prayed to have a chance to share the gospel with someone who was prepared.”
He took a taxi to the airport and started a conversation with the driver, Robert. Pretty soon Jason expressed his faith in God and shared that he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Robert got excited and told me he had seen our temple near the freeway,” Jason says. “He had prayed and asked to learn more about our beliefs. I told him his prayer had been answered.”
Jason offered to introduce Robert to the missionaries, and he readily agreed. Jason used the “Send a Referral” feature on the Member Tools app to send in Robert’s information. A few months later, Jason received a message from missionaries in San Diego. “They informed me that Robert was baptized the day before. It was awesome!”
Karen Sends Comfort
Karen and her cousin Amy lived more than 1,200 miles apart. Karen knew Amy needed comfort, and while she couldn’t physically be there, the missionaries in Amy’s hometown could! Karen used the referral tool to tell the missionaries in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, about Amy. “They called me, and I explained Amy’s upbringing, current situation, and that she felt God was mad at her,” Karen says.
Before long, the sister missionaries reached out to Amy. While on the phone with her, they prayed for her. That night, sobbing, Amy called Karen to tell her about the missionaries who prayed for her. “She was so touched by their kindness,” Amy says.
Even though Amy hasn’t started attending church, she has started praying daily to Heavenly Father. Karen doesn’t know what the future holds, but she says, “Amy is coming closer to Christ.”
Eduarda Shares Her Light
“At first, I never knew how to share the gospel with anyone or how to introduce the missionaries to my friends,” Eduarda explains. Eduarda is from Brazil and, while she isn’t surrounded by many members of the Church, she knows that “the Lord always prepares a way for His children to know the truth.”
Eduarda shared a Church video with a friend, who loved what he saw. When her friend grew more interested in the Church, Eduarda invited him to meet with the missionaries and used the missionary referral feature on the Church’s website. Eduarda added a comment saying that she wanted to participate in her friend’s gospel learning progress. The missionaries happily agreed. Eduarda even participated in the baptism.
Eduarda says she felt God’s love for His children in that moment. She also explains, “We all have someone who sees the Light of Christ in us. We just need to invite them to see what that light is!”
Invitation to All
Next time you have the impression that someone could benefit from listening to the missionaries, don’t hesitate to use this tool to help connect your friends with the missionaries. The missionaries will be thrilled to invite you to participate as your friends meet with them. And who knows? You may even witness a miracle along the way.