Officially opened to the public last November 23, 2018, the Light the World Giving Machines – big, red vending machines – in the Upper Ground Floor, EDSA Entrance of SM Megamall is just one of the five machines that will be placed in different parts of the world.

How does it work? It works like a regular vending machine but instead of dispensing items for your own use, you can choose items you can donate. Some items to choose from include clothing, food, medicine, hygiene supplies, livestock, art kits, sporting equipment, and even wheelchairs. The Church partners with Caritas Manila, UNICEF Philippines, and The Purple Center Foundation. These three organizations are the primary recipients of the donations that will be gathered in the Light the World Giving Machines. If you’ve always wanted to donate in these organizations but are not sure how to, the charity machines can help you.

Everyone can contribute something – you can donate even with just Php 30! Kids and adults alike will have the opportunity to serve. These charity machines can help people “Give us Jesus gave.”

The Light the World Giving Machines will be available all throughout the Christmas season. One hundred percent of the donations collected will be given to the partner organizations.

To learn more about the Light the World campaign of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how you can participate, click here.

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As lifetime missionaries, we are encouraged to find people who are willing to be taught by the full-time missionaries. This was taught by Elder David A. Bednar when he said, “[Full-time] missionaries are full-time teachers; you and I are full-time finders.” Here are some ideas for making missionary work a part of your life.

Share an amazing story from the Book of Mormon.

Sharing stories with a co-worker or classmate is already a part of our daily life. Everyone loves a good story and the Book of Mormon is full of them. We can share Nephi’s struggles with his brothers, Lehi’s dream, Teancum’s fearless battles, or even Ammon defending the Lamanite king’s flock. These stories are good even without introducing the Book of Mormon. But telling them that it came from golden plates might make them even more interested.

Invite friends to activities.

When it comes to having fun, our friends are first on our invitation list. One of the purposes of church activities is to have fun, and it is also a great missionary opportunity. If you’re afraid of inviting your non-member friends to devotionals and ward home evenings, try inviting them to Institute activities. Institute has dance nights, sports activities, movie nights and many other fun casual activities.

Share family history.

Family is important for every individual, member or non-member. The Family History program is an amazing missionary opportunity because it connects everyone, both the living and those who have passed away. You can let your friends see old pictures of your ancestors on our Church’s “Memories” app or show them your lineage on the “Family Tree” app. These are interesting conversation topics and a way to introduce the church and the gospel.

Post on social media.

Sharing content on social media apps like Facebook is a great way to spread the gospel. Over a billion people worldwide use social media sharing a massive amount of information between them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has plenty of shareable content. This gives us a nice opportunity to share our beliefs without even talking to anyone. Though this is subtle way of doing missionary work, it is surely a good way. Because of websites like Mormons.ph, people are starting to notice the gospel and some have already been baptized.

Share a Mormon message that fits someone’s circumstances.

“The Mormon Messages video series contain short inspirational messages regarding principles and values that are important to the world”. If you know someone who is struggling to find peace, share with him or her “The Hope of God’s Light”. If you know a father who feels incompetent protecting and guiding his family, share with him “Earthly Father, Heavenly Father”. These short messages will surely motivate and inspire. They’re insightful, entertaining, emotional and a loving way to share gospel truths.

Share a comforting verse from the Book of Mormon.

There are lots of simple verses that teach principles we need every day of our lives. By sharing few verses with a friend or co-worker, we can brighten their day. 1 Nephi 20:10 can easily comfort and make someone stronger in their times of trial. Mosiah 4:27 can motivate those who think their best isn’t good enough. The scriptures contains power and truth. As you share verses, the Holy Ghost will prepare your friends, perhaps prompting them to want to know more about the Book of Mormon or be taught by the missionaries.

What the Lord needs.

Elder Quentin L. Cook said, “What we desperately need is for member-missionary work to become a way of life—for the Savior’s mandate to share the gospel to become part of who we are.” By making missionary work a part of our lives, our friends will know the truth, we will become true disciples of Christ, and the work of God in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man will be accomplished.

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Isn’t that scary? Wouldn’t that make you run out of the room in a heartbeat, question your decision to shift, and decide to never come back again? But how many times must new converts feel just this way?

President Gordon B. Hinckley once famously said that every convert needs “a friend, a responsibility, and nurturing with the good word of God.” Isn’t it interesting that out of all of the factors he could have mentioned, the first thing that a convert needs is a friend? I asked three new converts how sincere friendships really help new members stay.

Sincere Friendships Help New Converts Know They’re Not Alone

Cassie was introduced to the Church by her friend Jane. Although it took some time for her to agree to baptism, she already knew that what she was about to do was right. However, there was a little problem: Cassie already had some impressions about Mormons. “I always thought everyone was super rich because whenever I saw them going to church, they always wore really nice clothes. I thought I couldn’t ever blend in.”

Like being in a quantum physics class, our new converts often are afraid of not being able to acquaint themselves with other members. Most of the time, this results to them feeling alone. What do we do to help them overcome this? Let’s reach out to them. Let’s introduce them to other friends and let them know they’re not alone. “I am blessed that I already have one friend in the Church. Jane introduced me to her best friends, and they eventually became my friends, too. Their friendship sustained me through the years of my membership.”

Sincere Friendships Help New Converts Understand the Gospel Better

Isn’t it comforting when someone cares enough to help you understand something that is totally new to you? Imagine how grateful you would be if one of your quantum physics classmates were to approach you and offer to help you with difficult topics? New converts can learn and know the gospel better if they have a friend who is always willing to teach and bear their testimony.

When my best friend, Chaelyn, was baptized into the Church, she needed new convert lessons  as a follow-up to her missionary discussions. Whenever we introduced her to a new lesson, she always asked so many new questions. There were times when she would ask me questions non-stop. Because she had a friend who was willing to help her get to know the gospel better, she was able to understand it more, which helped her stay. What could have happened if she had no one to answer her questions?

Sincere Friendships Help New Converts Look Forward To Sundays

Diana was a new convert that stood out from the rest. One thing that made me notice her immediately was her closeness with the other young single adults. You could really see her eyes glow whenever she got to sit close to her newfound friends. When I asked her how her YSA friends helped her transition in the Church, she quipped “They make me excited for Sundays!”

Imagine how different it would have been if no one had bothered to befriend her. How different would it have been if  she felt alone every Sunday?

Sincere Friendships Help New Converts Feel Less Judged

Conrad is a young man who was recently introduced to the Church. At first, he was quiet and shy and refused to talk at all. He said that he was afraid members would judge him because of his past. Then came Roy. He discovered that Conrad loves drawing manga (Japanese comics) characters, a hobby he also enjoys. He approached Conrad, talked with him about Japanese animes, and the rest was history. Today, Conrad and Roy are inseparable and Conrad has bloomed into an all-around young man in the Church.

Sincere Friendship Help New Members Stay

Indeed, the gospel is simple, and the answer to the question “How can we make new members stay?” is also simple: be their true, sincere friend. May we always remember the reminder from the “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet:

“Everyone needs good and true friends. They will be a great strength and blessing to you. They will influence how you think and act, and even help determine the person you will become. They will help you be a better person and will make it easier for you to live the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Whenever we see a new member who’s alone, may we follow the example of the Savior who said “I have called you friends” — be that person’s friend.

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I couldn’t help but feel an urgent desire to know who these girls were, and bring them back. Having never been less active myself, I wondered a lot. What words could I say, to help convince them to return? What phrases did they really need to hear?

I’ve asked some of my friends who have been less active at some time in their lives. These are the phrases they feel they needed to hear at the time, when they, like the Prodigal son, took their spiritual inheritance and left.

1. “Hey! How have you been?”

When someone asks me how I have been, it instantly puts a smile not only on my face, but on my heart. It means that the person who asked is interested and wants to know simply how I am. It works the same for everyone, I realized, especially our less-active friends who might’ve lost the feeling that somebody genuinely wants to see how they are. Bringing that feeling back just by asking this simple question soften and touch the hearts of those around you.

2. “Is everything okay with you? You know you can always tell me.”

If you aren’t already, become their shoulder to lean on. Ask them the cause of their choice to step away from the church. Never let them feel that their feelings are not justified, but instead reason with them that there is everything to gain and nothing to lose by returning back to church.

Peter once asked Jesus Christ, “To whom shall we go?” If we choose to “walk no more” with Him, where would we go? It cannot always be seen at the beginning, but when someone chooses to walk away, it puts them at odds with their faith. We can become instruments of the Lord in bringing souls back to Him through simply lifting each other up.

3. “Don’t forget to come, it wouldn’t be fun without you!”

We have many opportunities to reach out to those who have chosen not to attend church, and one is including them in church activities. Visiting our less-active friends and inviting them to go to church events is a great way to let them know that we want them to be involved, and that it would be fun to have them around. As Elder Dieter F. Utchdorf reasoned, “love is really spelt t-i-m-e.” Spending time with people and creating bonds with them harbours feelings of love and care among the people who put effort into doing it.

4. “We need you, and know that you’re never alone.”

“In this church, there are no strangers or outcasts. Only brothers and sisters.” This counsel from Bishop Gerald Causse can be a driving force toward strengthening the church community. With the youth, most of their reasons for drifting away from the church revolve around feeling like they’re strangers, outcasts or alone. As members of the church, we have the responsibility and choice to help our less-active friends feel otherwise, that we are truly brothers and sisters. Consistently make that choice, and it will surely make a difference in someone’s life.

As Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson has invited us, we should “not only love each other more, but love each other better.”

5.“Heavenly Father loves you. He is always waiting for your return.”

Most importantly, let them be reminded of just how much Heavenly Father loves them. No matter how much the opposition tries to convince them otherwise, the doors are open for their return and He is always waiting. His love will be enough, if we become His hands and help our prodigal friends feel it through our effort, sincerity and time.

Ultimately, our words are just words if they are said without love and sincerity. The people I asked had one answer in common: No matter how beautiful or sweet the words you say, it will ultimately be what they feel through your words that will convince them of your genuine love for them.

As President Thomas S. Monson counseled, “Ours is the sacred privilege to brighten, to touch, to save those precious souls entrusted to our care.” May we always choose to exercise that privilege.

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“I have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer. Have courage and be kind,” were a mother’s last words to her daughter Cinderella before she died. In the movie, kindness and courage really did see her through all the trials in her life. Kindness and courage brought magic in the fairytale. Luckily, this magic does not only happen in movies but also in real life if one understands how powerful these virtues are.
 

Kindness: A magic we can bring into our lives

In the movie, Cinderella was kind to everyone, even her unkind stepmother and stepsisters. Her kindness was genuine, as she did not expect others to reciprocate her kindness. She was kind because that’s who she was. She did not deviate from what she knew was right despite all the trials that she encountered. In turn, she was blessed with a fairy godmother who helped her meet her prince. Some might say that the fairy godmother brought magic into her life but if examined closely, her kindness did.

We too, can bring magic into our lives and the lives of people around us if we see that there is power in kindness. There are several ways that we can make this happen:

• Treat others with kindness. Every one of us, in one way or another, is finding a way back home to our Heavenly Father. We all have different experiences and circumstances, have taken different paths, developed different talents, and acquired different skills. We react, perceive, and handle things differently. This is the reality and we cannot control it. What we can control is our attitude towards these differences. A little act of kindness can gladden the heart of an already wearied soul. Elder Wirthlin said, “Each one of us will travel a different road during this life. Each progresses at a different rate. Temptations that trouble your brother may not challenge you at all. Strengths that you possess may seem impossible to another. Never look down on those who are less perfect than you. Don’t be upset because someone can’t sew as well as you, can’t throw as well as you, can’t row or hoe as well as you. We are all children of our Heavenly Father. And we are here with the same purpose: to learn to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

• Speak kindly. The words we say can become a balm of Gilead that can heal a wounded soul or a two-edge sword that can inflict pain to others. May we always choose the former and strive not to offend or speak ill of others or ourselves. May our words be filled with consideration and compassion that we may be able to speak with a new tongue, even the tongue of angels.

A Call for Courage

If there had been a Cinderella in Old Testament times, it would have been Queen Esther of Persia. She risked her life and saved a nation by entering the King’s court without being summoned, an act punishable by law. She pled for her life and the life of her people. She could have held her peace that she was a Jew and remained in the comfort of her court but she chose to do what she knew was right, even if saving her people would cost her life.

The call for courage for us in these latter days may not be as dramatic as in the time of Queen Esther or other heroes and heroines in the Bible, but we are called to have courage every day of our lives—every time a choice is placed before us. Scottish poet and novelist Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name.”

President Thomas S. Monson said, “Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval.” As we choose to be courageous in choosing what’s right, we will find strength in the Savior and our Heavenly Father. As we do so, the words of Cinderella’s mother will be truer than true, that kindness and courage can see us through all the trials in our lives.

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