Mar 10, 2024

As any full-time missionary can attest, talking to everyone is part of the calling as a servant of God. It doesn’t matter if a person is rich or poor, lives in a nice house in a large city or a small hut in the jungle, is literate or illiterate—Christ wants all to come to Him. Why?

As part of His earthly ministry, Christ did everything “for the benefit of the world” (2 Nephi 26:24), ultimately sacrificing His life because of His love for us. 

Think of someone you love. It could be a family member, a neighbor, or your best friend. How do you show love to this person? We often show love to those we care for by buying them gifts, calling to check on them, supporting them in an activity, or serving them. These are all great ways to show our love—but Christ has asked us to do more. He has asked us to give what cannot erode over time or be forgotten: bring others to Him so they can enjoy eternal blessings that only He can offer through covenants.

Does Christ want only a select few to have these blessings? No. He invites, “Come unto me all ye ends of the earth” (2 Nephi 26:25). Those who know Christ have been commanded to bring this knowledge to others and “persuade all men to repentance” (2 Nephi 26:27). Christ wants all of us to belong to His Church and have a “sense of belonging.” No matter what happens in our lives, if we honor the covenants Jesus Christ offered us, we can have a “powerful sense of belonging among the covenant people.”

Wilford Woodruff felt this desire to bring others to God as soon as he first heard the gospel preached on December 29, 1833 in Richland, New York. When he heard Zerah Pulsipher preach, Wilford knew it was what he had been looking for. He wrote, “I could not feel it my duty to leave the house without bearing witness to the truth before the people.” He was soon baptized, and over the next three months, he labored with other members in the Richland area to teach the truth they had found. He knew that he didn’t need to be set apart as a missionary to share the gospel.

Christ invites all to come to Him. Like Wilford Woodruff, we don’t need callings as full-time missionaries to speak of Christ. As members of Jesus Christ’s Church, we need to do our part to help those around us hear the invitation to come to Him.

Michelle graduated from Utah State University–Eastern in 1995 with an associate degree in Graphic Design. After serving in the Guatemala, Guatemala North Mission from 1996 to 1998, she continued her education at Utah Valley University, graduating in 1999 with an associate degree in Paralegal Studies and in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Technology Management and an emphasis in Graphic Design. She worked as a paralegal for two years before having her children and becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her two children are now in college. Not wanting to let her children suffer through college alone, Michelle went back to school and is now attending Utah Tech University, working on her master’s in Technical Writing and Digital Rhetoric. Michelle loves the gospel, family history, and the temple. She and her husband enjoy camping, hiking, and spending time together. She is excited to be a volunteer with the Wilford Woodruff Papers.