Sometimes helping our loved ones come back to Jesus seems impossible. How can we help them on their journey?
We all know someone who has followed a path that leads away from Jesus Christ. We strive to love them, support them, and eventually bring them back to the Savior—but all too often, we don’t know where to start.
Photo by Rachel Claire
In Elder James W. McConkie III’s most recent general conference address, “And They Sought to See Jesus Who He Was,” Elder McConkie reminds us of a touching story in Mark 2: In a house in Capernaum, Jesus is preaching, completely surrounded by the crowd. Four loyal friends of a paralytic man desperately try to carry him to Jesus to be healed, but to no avail—the streets are too narrow and too crowded, and Jesus is too far away. The paralytic’s friends come up with another plan. They climb onto the roof of the house and break through it, lowering the man into the house to see Jesus. Jesus commends the paralytic man’s friends for their faith. He forgives the sins of the paralytic man. Only then does Jesus heal him of his physical malady.
After telling this story, Elder McConkie reminds us that “in order to bring their friend to Christ, each of the four must carry their corner. If one lets go, things get more difficult. If two give up, the task effectively becomes impossible.” If we want to help our loved ones come back to Jesus, there is a simple answer: hold on.
This might look like loving them, forgiving them, and serving them as Christ would. As we hold on to them, we bring them to the light of Jesus Christ. It is important to remember that your loved ones ultimately have a choice to make, and if they will not come to the Savior, it is not your fault. It is only your responsibility to try. Press forward. Don’t give up. You and your loved ones will be rewarded for your faith as you continually hold on.
Read more
To read more about coming to Jesus, read Elder James W. McConkie’s general conference talk, “And They Sought to See Jesus Who He Was.”
Source: General Conference
—Scout McMillan, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY PLAVA LAGUNA
Find more insights
Read the Latter-day Saint Insights article “Four Ways to Be an Everyday Missionary” by Sarah Brown to learn more about how to help those around you.
Check out the Latter-day Saint Insights article “Love: The Key to Helping Lost Sheep” by Shelisa Baldwin to know how to better love the lost sheep in your life.