"By The Way..."

 26 And let my servants Parley P. Pratt and Orson Pratt take their journey, and preach by the way, even unto this same land.

 27 And let my servants Solomon Hancock and Simeon Carter also take their journey unto this same land, and preach by the way.

Doctrine & Covenants 52:26-27

As the Lord is calling these missionaries in Doctrine & Covenants 52:22-27, in just six verses He commands them five times to preach "by the way”.  Whether you are a full-time missionary or an “every member a missionary” –missionary, there is a great secret to missionary work in that phrase. Sometimes we think of missionary work as a particular event, but really the best missionary work happens along the way. The best missionary work happens as we are going about our lives: at home, work, school, the store, etc…

The phrase is also the perfect thing to say:

·         “By the way, there is a neat activity at our church tonight, would you…”

·         “By the way, this weekend was awesome, at church we learned about how…”

·         “By the way, I saw a huge blessing in my life yesterday when…”

·         “By the way, if you aren't busy Sunday, you should come to church with us…”

Today’s Takeaway: Think through where you will be today and who you will see along the way.  Who could you casually talk to about God or the Church? Is there an activity you could invite someone to, or invite their children to participate in? See if you can mention something about your faith and what God has done for you.  Some of the very best missionary work happens "by the way..."