You may have read Tyler’s review on the Nashville Tribute Band: The Work. The band thanked us for the review by giving us a free copy of their latest album to give away. We thought of several different ways in giving the album away, but we felt the best way was to promote missionary work.

So here are the guidelines to win the Nashville Tribute Band: The Work.

1. Be a member of LDSFriends.com – We require each participant to be a free member of LDSFriends.com. If you are new to LDS Friends than feel free to learn more about us. Once you become a member it doesn’t matter to us where in the world you live. If you are the winner of the contest and you can get mail from the United States than we will ship you the album.

2. Share your favorite missionary story or quote – The best way to get fired up about missionary work is to hear the success of others. We have created a missionary group for you to share your missionary stories or quotes. To be considered, you must post your entry (or multiple entries) in this group. It doesn’t matter if you were a full time missionary or not (every member a missionary, remember). If you have a story or quote about missionary work than share it and you will be entered in contest. It would be great if your entry was in English, but it is not required. There are several RMs on our team and we will do our best to translate your entry.

3. Share your story before Friday August 19, 2011 – We are giving you a little over a week to share your contest entry. We will choose the winner randomly by using random.org (we decided to use a different software). You are welcome to share as many stories or quotes as you like, but only three will be accepted as official entries. It is up to our discretion on what we consider a valid entry. Saying, “I like missionary work” or “Thanks for sharing your story” probably won’t be considered.

That’s all you have to do. However, if you just want to get the album now (and we don’t blame you) you can buy it over at LatterDayLightBooks.com. The nice folks over there are offering our members a 10% discount on anything in the store when you use the promo code: THEWORK.

We look forward to reading everyone’s faith building missionary entries. Contact us if you have any questions. ~The LDS Friends Team

Over the years my testimony has grown in many different ways, but during the last few years I have worked diligently to have the core of my testimony be focused solely upon Jesus Christ. In the early years of my testimony I believed in Christ, but unfortunately he was not at the center of my beliefs.

I didn’t realize that the Savior wasn’t the foundation of my testimony until I was a missionary. I went English speaking and it seemed that every other door I knocked on had someone who wanted to verbally battle with me over my beliefs.

After a while I reached the point that when someone wanted to argue about the Church I would ask them one question. The question was, “If Jesus Christ were to come to you today and tell you the Book of Mormon was true would you believe Him?”

The first time I asked this question was with an elderly gentleman who was quite devout in his own beliefs. I was astonished to hear that his response to my question was a defiant no. In fact, his answer took me so much by surprise I actually took a step back as if someone hit me.

I was just so certain no one would say no that I wasn’t prepared when someone did. After hearing his response I ended our conversation with the parting statement that if Jesus Christ couldn’t convince him than there was no way a 20 year old boy, far from home, would be able to do any better.

For the next few weeks I continued to ask this question when people wanted to argue about the Gospel. Each time I received a no, and each time I was surprised to hear the answer. It really bothered me to hear so many people say they wouldn’t follow Jesus Christ.

It wasn’t until I was reading Moroni 10:3–5 to an investigator that I stumbled across the reason why people were telling me no. In verse four I read something I had never seen before (and up to that point I had read this verse at least once everyday for over a year). It says: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (emphasis added).

The words, “…ask God…if these things are not true…” struck me with such intensity. I had never before asked if the Book of Mormon was not true. I had only asked if it was true.

Asking if the Book of Mormon is true, or asking if the Book of Mormon is false may sound like the same question, but in truth the questions are worlds apart. I found it a lot easier to accept something I have always believed in to be truth, than to fight against my spiritual understanding and ask the Lord if it is all an illusion.

Once I realized the difference I finally understood why people were telling me no. In their understanding of truth, it was absolutely ludicrous for the Savior to say the Book of Mormon was true. For them they knew the Book of Mormon was false, and no one, including Christ could convince them otherwise.

This realization helped me see how important it was to ask if what I believed in was false. Having this intellectual and soul awaking experience really turned my world upside down and inside out. I realized I couldn’t continue preaching the salvation of Christ using the Book of Mormon (or even the Bible for that matter) as a source without first knowing that these words were the fruits of the Son of God.

I knew the Book of Mormon was a book with powerful teachings, and  those who argued otherwise had never read the book in its entirity. However, I wanted to know for certain that the teaching which flowed from the Book of Mormon were more than powerful, but eternal. I had read many religious and spiritual books that had good teachings in them, but now I sought to know what Christ felt to be true.

I clearly remember the night I decided to pray on the possibility of the falsehood of the Book of Mormon. I waited until my companion was asleep before I slipped out of my covers and knelt by my bed. I had made up my mind that the only thing that mattered to me was to follow the Savior. If that meant forsaking all that I had been taught and going a different path than I was prepared to do so.

I remember praying that I was prepared to remove my missionary badge and go home if I discovered that Christ did not want me to follow the teachings of the Book of Mormon. I must also admit that it was a difficult prayer. Not only was I trying to come to terms about the possibility of giving up my mission and Church membership, but I also found it extremely hard to move past my own personal bias beliefs.

I struggled to entertain the thought that the Book of Mormon was a lie. However, in order to succeed in my desires I knew it was necessary. Quite frankly I was scared, the sacrifices I was considering seemed to loom over me while I spoke with God on that quiet April evening.

Yet, if the Book of Mormon was true I wanted it to be an appendage to my testimony of Christ, not the center of my testimony. I deeply wanted to understand what the Master wanted and to follow it no matter the cost.

I had been testifying of Christ, but I only believed in Christ because I believed in the Book of Mormon. For me I didn’t feel that was the testimony I wanted. I just couldn’t see how this was any different from the testimony of someone who grew up only knowing the Bible or the Quran. Do they believe because it is true or do they believe because it is familiar and comfortable to them?

I don’t know how long I spent on my knees but I know I spent considerable amount of time working through this question. It took time for my heart to accept the challenge I was giving it. I knew the real consequence of what I could be giving up. My family, friends, and how I viewed the world were centered around the Church and my belief in the Book of Mormon. I knew I wouldn’t just be giving up a religion but I would be giving up a way of life.

Through the turmoil and strife I did receive my answer. The answer was so strong, so certain, that even a decade or so later, I continue to feel the conviction of the answer. That night I felt the power of the Holy Ghost and I knew the Book of Mormon was not false. However, my belief in this book came that night because in prayer I gained an in depth understanding for who the Son of God is in my life. I now know the Book of Mormon to be an eternal document given to us to understand salvation because I now know that Jesus Christ lives and is the true source of this book.

I share this sacred experience because I believe it is more important to follow Christ than it is follow anything else. It is great to have other things like the Book of Mormon and Bible as further evidence of Christ’s divinity, but these things should not be our rock. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He is more powerful than any word, book, or person. He uses these tools to help us find him. Yet, the only way to know for certain His divinity is to strip away the restrictions we place upon Him. We must be willing to lose what we feel is important in the world in order to gain what is essential in our salvation.

The other day I received the following question via the LDSFriends contact form:

“On my way to church today I heard the song ‘Because I have been given much’ on the BYU-I radio station and there was an additional verse with something about because I have been called I too must serve, or something along those lines, really pertaining to going on a mission. Does anyone know the words to that verse? I would love to have them.”

I hadn’t heard that there was a new verse, but apparently there is (though, I am not sure if it is apocryphal or Church sanctioned). Here it is:

“Because I have been blessed Dear Lord, I too must serve.
I’ll leave the comfort of my home to teach Thy word.
I’ll find Thy sheep who’ve gone astray, and those who’ve never known the way,
I’ll make Thy work, my work today.
I shall give love to those in need
I’ll show that love by words and deed.
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.”

The language appears to be Russian, though it could also be Ukrainian or one of the other languages of that family. Talk about using your talents to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! These drawings are phenomenal!! Way to go Elders!

11/30/2009 UPDATE

Shannon, one of our readers, had a friends translate the Elder’s sidewalk art and sent it over:

This is neat. It’s Russian; the verses next to the drawing of the temple are excerpts from 3 Nephi 11:7–11. At the bottom it says: “From the Book of Mormon: A New Testament of Jesus Christ, about 34 A.D.” Under the Greek key design it directs those who have questions to a web site.

The last picture is titled, not surprisingly, ‘Lehi’s Dream.’”

Also, Shannon’s friend further asked:

“The artwork is quite amazing, and I am extremely curious where they are. Do you know the original source? I can’t think of any place in my mission where it would have been well received to produce such a display in a public place, but that was 15 years ago. Or maybe they’re in a smaller town than St. Petersburg.”

If anyone knows the answers please feel free to leave a comment or email Shannon directly (her email is in the comments section of this post). Thanks Shannon!