Gather Together—Everyone Welcome

Last updated on: November 8, 2023 at 5:15 pm by Ganel-Lyn Condie

Gather Together—Everyone Welcome 2023-11-08T17:15:18-04:00 Ganel-Lyn Condie

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An Invitation to Gather Together

The invitation from Jesus was to “sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Does selling everything feel like too big of a price to pay to follow Christ? Good news is that this instruction to the rich young ruler does not apply to us. We are all invited to gather together—in congregations, at special designated sites, and in homes—to follow Jesus. You are invited to come and see, come and learn, and come and follow.

Visitors Welcome

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church buildings have similarities and differences. Depending on location, the colors and designs are diverse. But there is one commonality, for every chapel has a sign saying VISITORS WELCOME. The church website welcomes people who are interested: “Church is a spiritual recharge and a perfect way to keep Jesus front and center in our lives. We welcome all visitors to attend our Christian services and worship with us.”1 As we gather together we are all made stronger.

A recognized international church leader explained:

The Church is more than the buildings and the ecclesiastical structure; the Church is us, the members. We are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Christ at the head and the prophet as His mouthpiece. The Lord has said: “Behold, this is my doctrine—whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me, the same is my church . . . [and] whosoever is of my church, and endureth of my church to the end, him will I establish upon my rock.2

How may we as church members help visitors feel welcome? Consider what the Savior would do. Say hello, invite them to sit with you and your family, and explain what they may see and feel at our Sunday services, so they feel more comfortable.

Everyone Welcome

An EVERYONE WELCOME sign welcomed us as we drove into the Mormon Battalion Historic Site in San Diego, California, where my daughter is serving as a full-time missionary. Because she is a visitor center missionary, we had the opportunity to visit her in October.

This site honors pioneers who served in the U.S. army from July 1846 to July 1847, marching almost 2,000 miles from Iowa to Mexico to earn money to help their families and other church members make the wagon trip to Utah.

I love that the sign makes it clear who is welcome to enter, take a tour, and learn more about the history of those saints—everyone! All are encouraged to gather together with friends or family or to come individually and feel the spirit of the Battalion’s story and the missionaries’ testimonies.

My daughter has had opportunities in San Diego to meet people from all over the world. Her role as a visitor center missionary isn’t to teach lessons or commit friends to baptism. Sister Condie is there to share history, invite visitors to learn, and testify of Christ through her kindness.

Considering what the Savior would do, Sister Condie and the other historic site missionaries are taught to focus on making sure everyone who visits feels welcomed. Our daughter has had some beautiful and connecting conversations over her six months of service. All are encouraged to visit a church historic site—everyone is welcome.

All Gather Together

When she finishes her service in San Diego, Sister Condie will complete her mission in Knoxville, Tennessee, the heart of the “Bible belt,” where she will be a teaching missionary. Different surroundings—the same welcoming spirit. Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained,

We should be diligent in rooting prejudice and discrimination out of the Church, out of our homes, and, most of all, out of our hearts. As our Church population grows ever more diverse, our welcome must grow ever more spontaneous and warm. We need one another.3

You may remember those feelings that come up when you are the new student at school or have moved to a new ward. Who do you sit by? Who will you talk to? What will it be like when you get there? We can do more to invite new friends to gather together with us if we tap into those familiar feelings of being the visitor.

Diversity is found in our divinity. So let’s do more to follow Jesus’ example by welcoming everyone and helping visitors to feel comfortable as we gather together in homes, church chapels, and historic sites all over the world. Make sure our friends know they don’t have to sell everything to follow Jesus. Everyone is welcome.

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