A missionary new in the field recently recounted her surprise at being spurned by the people in the area, even in passing as she greeted them on the street. This reminds me of my own experience as a missionary, when so many people wouldn’t even make eye contact with us as we would try and greet them. Rejection and discouragement seem to be part and parcel of sharing the word of God. The Book of Mormon is replete with similar examples of prophets and messengers being rejected. Should we think to have an easier time of it than they did? Likewise, should we think that we will be any less blessed in our efforts than these prophets were? Of course not. The Lord loves his servants, and is probably able to bless them even more when they carry on faithfully in the face of rejection. The prophet Samuel in The Book of Mormon is an example of this. It the face of rejection and being cast out, he magnified his efforts and presence even more by preaching atop the city wall to the people below.
Helaman 13:2 And it came to pass that in this year there was one Samuel, a Lamanite, came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people. And it came to pass that he did preach, many days, repentance unto the people, and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.
3 But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again, and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.
4 And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city; therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart.
LESSON LEARNED: Rejection of the word is God goes hand in hand with the sharing of it. This should come as no surprise, and even opens a opportunity for greater blessings when you press forward in the face of it.
FEEDBACK: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH REJECTION IN SHARING THE WORD OF GOD, AND HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO IT?
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