What are effective ways to share the gospel with others?
Sharing the gospel is the responsibility of all Latter-day Saints. We should pray and seek for opportunities to tell others about the restored gospel. We can “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh [us] a reason of the hope that is in [us]” (1 Peter 3:15).
Prepare yourself spiritually
What opportunities have you had to share the gospel with others? What have you done to share the gospel with others?
What experiences have the youth had sharing the gospel? What opportunities are available to the youth to share the gospel?
Prayerfully study these scriptures and resources. What will help the youth understand how to share the gospel with others?
Matthew 28:19–20 (The Savior commanded His disciples to teach the gospel to all nations)
Romans 1:16 (Paul is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ)
1 Timothy 4:12 (Be an example of the believers)
1 Peter 3:15 (Be ready to answer gospel questions)
D&C 1:23 (The gospel is proclaimed by the weak and simple)
D&C 11:21 (We should prepare to preach the gospel by seeking to obtain God’s word)
D&C 33:8–10 (We should open our mouths)
D&C 88:81 (We are commanded to warn our neighbors)
D&C 100:5–8 (The Holy Ghost will tell us what to say and bear witness of gospel truths)
Joaquin E. Costa, “To the Friends and Investigators of the Church,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 112–14
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “O How Great the Plan of Our God!” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 19–22
Gregory A. Schwitzer, “Let the Clarion Trumpet Sound,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 98–100
“Seven Simple Suggestions for Sharing the Gospel”
“Using Media for Sharing the Gospel”
Videos: “Elder and Sister Bednar—Missionary Working Life,” “Sharing Your Beliefs,” “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go,” “Reach Out and Share”
Teaching in the Savior’s way
The Savior was an example and mentor to those He taught. How can your example inspire the youth to share the gospel with their friends and family members?
Make connections
During the first few minutes of every class, help the youth make connections between what they are learning in various settings (such as personal study, seminary, other Church classes, or experiences with their friends). How can you help them see the relevance of the gospel in daily living? The ideas below might help:
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Invite the youth to share a time when they have learned a gospel principle from the words or actions of a friend.
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Invite the youth to share any recent experiences they have had sharing the gospel. You might also consider showing the video “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” or sharing the story in the section titled “A Familiar Message” from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk “O How Great the Plan of Our God!” What do the youth learn from these experiences that can help them share the gospel more effectively?
Learn together
Each of the activities below can help the youth learn how to share the gospel effectively. Following the guidance of the Spirit, select one or more that will work for your class:
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In his talk “To the Friends and Investigators of the Church,” Elder Joaquin E. Costa related his conversion story. What can we learn about sharing the gospel from the young woman who introduced Elder Costa to the gospel and the missionaries who taught him? Ask the youth to work together in pairs and plan a short skit representing a part of Elder Costa’s conversion story that teaches an effective way to share the gospel. What are other effective ways we can share the gospel?
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Consider using an object lesson to help the youth understand why it is important to use good communication when we share the gospel. For instance, you could have someone play a musical instrument—first by playing random notes, and then by playing a hymn. How does this relate to using good communication when sharing the gospel? Invite the youth to search Elder Gregory A. Schwitzer’s talk “Let the Clarion Trumpet Sound,” looking for counsel on how we can effectively share the gospel.
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Write on the board the following questions: “Why should we share the gospel?” and “How should we share the gospel?” Divide the youth into two groups and ask them to find scriptures that answer these questions (see the scriptures suggested in this outline; if necessary, encourage the youth to read the scriptures more than once to ensure that they understand what they are reading). Invite them to share what they find and write their answers on the board under the appropriate question. Ask the youth to choose something from the answers they wrote on the board that they will try to apply in their own efforts to share the gospel.
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Invite the youth to search the article “Seven Simple Suggestions for Sharing the Gospel” or to watch the video “Elder and Sister Bednar—Missionary Working Life.” Ask them to look for counsel that will help them be more effective in sharing the gospel. Ask them to share what they find and discuss specific ways they can apply it. If possible, give them time in class to practice doing something they have discussed.
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Show the video “Sharing Your Beliefs,” and ask the youth to share ways they have noticed people using technology to share the gospel. What other ways can they think of? Invite them to explore the website “Using Media for Sharing the Gospel” to find additional ideas. Give them time in class to plan ways they can use technology to share the gospel with their friends and family members.
Ask the youth to share what they learned today. Do they understand how to share the gospel? Do they have any additional questions? Would it be worthwhile to spend more time on this topic?
Teaching tip
“Sometimes people have the tendency to think of what they are going to say rather than listen to what others are saying. Make sure you are really concentrating on the speaker rather than planning your response” (Teaching, No Greater Call [1999], 67).
Video: “Preparing Youth to Discuss”
Invite to act
Invite the youth to pray for opportunities to share the gospel with others using what they learned in class. In a future class invite the youth to share experiences they have had.