By Krista Ralston Oakes
Mom, does Brian have a God?”
That was the beginning of my son Jacob’s interest in missionary work. He was talking about a friend in his kindergarten class.

“Of course Brian has a God. We all do, because we are all children of the same God,” I replied. I then explained that Brian was not a member of our church, but he belonged to a good family who believed in God, and that maybe we could invite his family to come to church with us.

“Okay!” was his excited response.

Brian’s family did not accept the invitation to church, but they have remained good friends of ours. And Jacob was not discouraged by the experience.
Instead, in the years that followed he has become a missionary example to us.
We have noticed that his approach to sharing the gospel has three characteristics of a good missionary:

1. Develop and maintain a strong testimony.

As a first-grader, Jacob set a goal to read the Book of Mormon before his eighth birthday and baptism. We helped him read out loud to us each night, starting with a few verses and ending with longer passages as his reading ability increased. Jacob was not satisfied with simply learning the words–he would often ask us to explain what he had just read. There were many tender and spiritual moments during these reading sessions.

When Jacob finished the last chapter, I reminded him of the process outlined by Moroni for gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. Jacob looked up at me and said, “But Mom — I already know that it’s true. I’ve known it since we read Alma Chapter Five. “ (Reading that chapter together had been an especially spiritual experience.)

The Savior taught, “ When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). Having been personally converted and prepared for his own baptism, our son developed an increased desire to share the gospel with others.
Likewise, as we do those things which nurture the seeds of faith and personal testimony in our own hearts, a missionary spirit also blossoms.

2. Have a sincere love for others.

I remember walking with Jacob to school on the second day of kindergarten, when another child tripped on the sidewalk and fell, crying. Even though Jacob did not yet know this child, he rushed up to her and offered comfort and encouragement. On family outings, he is naturally shy around adults but is fearlessly outgoing and friendly with other children. During prayers he often remembers and mentions classmates or neighbors with special needs, and he has been generous with donations of his toys to those who are less fortunate.

The Savior said that “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 15:12). Sincere love also motivates us to share what is meaningful to us. It dispels fear, and creates the right environment for gospel discussions to take place — even if those discussions do not lead to conversion. President Spencer W. Kimball promised, “You will not lose their friendship,” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 553) and we bear witness of the truthfulness of this promise.

3. Prayerfully seek opportunities.

There are multiple instances in the scriptures where the Lord tells us to “ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (See Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9, 3 Nephi 14:7, 3 Nephi 27:29, D&C 4:7; 6:5; 11:5; 12:5; 14:5; 49:26; 66:9; and 75:27.)

We know that as we pray for missionary opportunities we will receive them. As a result of prayer, Jacob has found and acted upon many opportunities to share the gospel. On Valentine’s Day, he gave pass-along cards along with
Valentines to some of his classmates. He invited friends and his teacher to attend our ward’s Primary sacrament meeting program.

When he turned eight, Jacob invited his friends to both his birthday party and his baptism. And when his teacher praised his reading ability, he explained that he read the scriptures every night. On the last day of school, he made a gift bag for his teacher that included a copy of the Book of Mormon. He added a handwritten note that said, “I read this whole book, and it made me feel happy. I want you to have this copy, because you are special to me. “

Jacob once received a “Future Missionary” nametag in Primary. He looks forward to the day when he will serve a full-time mission. (He thinks he will serve in China.) Meanwhile, however, he is teaching us the qualities of better missionary service right here at home.