If You’re Happy and You Know It, Refer a Friend

If You’re Happy and You Know It, Refer a Friend

If you’re happy and you know it, refer a friend. If you’re happy and you know it, refer a friend. If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you’re happy and you know it, refer a friend.

This take on one of our favorite children’s refrains provokes a simple challenge, one every fully engaged member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ought to ponder. Jesus spoke about the example little children provide by their pureness. He said, “Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4) -I think we can learn a lot from children when it comes to sharing the gospel. Have you ever noticed how willing children are to share what is important or exciting in their lives? Regardless of your relationship with the child, most are extremely eager to share the details of a toy, event or some other activity in their lives. There is little hesitation on their part. Whatever makes them happy, they share without prompting. My son loves to play a very popular children’s computer game. He is so enthralled with it that he will gladly tell anyone and everyone about this game, how it works and why he enjoys it so much. He never hesitates to engage in this topic.

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Matthew 18:4

We live in a time where we are sharing information and recommendations at an incredible pace. In fact, I would assume most of you have shared many things with your friends during the past week.  Chances are you are sharing more often than you think, whether it was a Like on Facebook, a humorous thought on Twitter or a comment on a Blog. It is rare nowadays to visit any webpage that does not have some type of share functionality. So, what holds us back from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Fear of rejection tends to be our number one obstacle to submitting referrals. That seems somewhat surprising considering how often we share other parts of our lives. Do we fear recommending other products or services to our friends?  I've never seen anyone hesitate to recommend a particular food they discovered, like a cookie, for example.  I don't think anyone has ever said to themselves, 'These cookies are so delicious! But I wonder if Susan will be offended if I tell her about them.”

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made it very easy for us to share the gospel online. Did you know that you can submit referrals online?  Did you know that President Monson along with his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles all have Facebook pages?  Did you know that full-time missionaries in some parts of the world are now using social networking as a part of their work?

All you need to submit a referral is a name and a number. The number could be an address or a phone number. If preferred, the missionaries will not share your name at the time of contact. You do not need to share your name if that is your preference.

“And let your preaching be the warning voice, every man to his neighbor, in mildness and in meekness.” (Doctrine & Covenants 38:41)

Doctrine & Covenants 38:41

Neil L. Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in April 2013 General Conference says; “Every righteous member of the Church has thought about how to share the gospel. Some share the gospel naturally, and we can learn a lot from them. Some struggle and wonder how to do better, wishing that guilty feeling we sometimes feel would find somewhere else to go.

“Our desire to share the gospel takes all of us to our knees, and it should, because we need the Lord’s help.

“…The Apostle Peter said, ‘Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh … a reason [for] the hope that is in you.’

“The Savior said: ‘Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up.’ I promise you, as you pray to know with whom to speak, names and faces will come into your mind. Words to speak will be given in the very moment you need them. Opportunities will open to you. Faith will overcome doubt, and the Lord will bless you with your very own miracles.

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“For those using the Internet and mobile phones, there are new ways to invite others to ‘come and see.’ Let’s make sharing our faith online more a part of our daily life. LDS.org, Mormon.org, Facebook, Twitter—all provide opportunities.

“To share the gospel, young members in Boston started several blogs. Those who joined the Church began their learning online, followed by discussions with the missionaries. This experience also helped the youth have greater faith in talking about the gospel in person. One of them said, ‘This isn’t missionary work. This is missionary fun.’

“We are all in this together. With fellow ward members and missionaries, we plan and pray and help one another. Please keep the full-time missionaries in your thoughts and prayers. Trust them with your family and friends. The Lord trusts them and has called them to teach and bless those who seek Him.”

With these promises and tools in mind, we can confidently do as this little-reworded song suggests.

If you’re happy and you know it, refer a friend.  If you’re happy and you know it, refer a friend.  If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it.  If you’re happy and you know it, refer a friend.