Why won't the Mormon church leave me alone? Part 2: Non-members

If you have a friend who is a Mormon or a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, your friend has probably asked if you're interested in attending an event at our church or being taught by the missionaries or in reading and praying about The Book of Mormon. Maybe you've wondered why they won't leave you alone. Let me share with you an analogy.

A few years ago I heard about a co-op called Bountiful Baskets. I signed up, paid, and volunteered and then picked up my basket of fresh fruits and vegetables at a nearby business. Serving with other volunteers was a great experience and the fruits and vegetables I received were a tremendous value and variety. I wanted all my friends to benefit. Three of my friends and myself trained and opened a Bountiful Baskets site closer to our homes. I was a coordinator for over three years and enjoyed meeting and interacting with people in my community and having my family eat more fruits and vegetables. I told all my friends that they should do Bountiful Baskets. Why wouldn't they? Healthy food, good company, and at a great value. Sure, it was inconvenient to order a week ahead and then go and help distribute the produce especially in the freezing cold of winter and sometimes the truck was late and interfered with my plans. But I felt like being a member of the co-op was worth it. Some of my friends participated, other didn't. Some tried it for a while and stopped. I wanted to share because I cared about the co-op and I cared about my friends.

That's how it is with being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I care about the church and its teaching and I care about my friends. I want them to have the benefit of being a member as well. But most of the time I'm less enthusiastic about promoting the church than I was in sharing the benefits of Bountiful Baskets. That is because the gospel of Jesus Christ is much more important and sacred than vegetables. And if my friends didn't participate in Bountiful Baskets, I didn't feel as rejected as when I share the gospel and my friends aren't interested.

I want the gospel of Jesus Christ through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be for all those I love and care about. I love this scripture from Alma, a great missionary in The Book of Mormon. "And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me" (Alma 29:10). I want my friends to experience the joys of the gospel: the fellowship of members of the same church, shared values, skills for raising children and succeeding in life, uplifting activities, service opportunities, ancient and modern scriptures, modern-day prophets, eternal marriage and families through covenants in the temple, the companionship of the Holy Ghost, a conviction of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, and a knowledge of the Savior. I want all of this for everyone. I know that every person that seeks for the truth by listening to the missionaries, reading The Book of Mormon, and praying to know if what our church teaches is true, will have much more than healthy bodies from fresh produce. They will have guidance in this life and eternal life which is life with our Heavenly Father after we die.

Ask me or any of your Mormon friends. We're happy to share with you the benefits of being a Mormon.  We're happy to not leave you alone.