Lesson 1 - Student Choice Assignment #2 - The Early Disciples

This week I chose to study the early disciples. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it was something that I haven’t put much effort into previously. John was the first apostle mentioned to recognize Jesus and his Divine roll.  John called Jesus the “Lamb of God.” This was to imply his role as our Savior and the sacrifice that the Lord gave to us. As Jesus began hi ministry he came across many different people; the chart below will show how they learned about Jesus Christ and what they did after they met him.

Name	How They Learned about Jesus Christ	What They Did After They Met Jesus Christ
Andrew (Simon Peter’s brother)	John pointed out Jesus to Andrew.	He followed Christ, asked to be taught, and then went to get his brother.
Simon “Peter”	His brother Andrew told him about Jesus.	He went to see Jesus.
Philip	Jesus called to him and invited him to follow.	Philip followed and then went to tell Nathaniel.
Nathaniel	Peter told him about Jesus.	Nathaniel went to see Christ and he believed.
James	Jesus called to him.	He immediately left his ship and followed Jesus.
John	Jesus called to him	He immediately left his ship and followed Jesus.

All of these apostles chose to follow Jesus immediately. Andrew and Philip were great examples of this missionary spirit. Every one they approached they said “come and see.” They didn’t just stop with the invitation though, they personally made sure to bring those people to Christ. In modern day scripture we read a lot about this responsibility. Lehi tasted the fruit and wanted to share with his family, the sons of Mosiah went to preach the Gospel to the Lamanites, and in the Doctrine and Covenants we are each commanded to “testify and warn the people.” Missionary work is not just a suggestion, it is a commandment from the Lord to all of his people.

Sharing the Gospel has never really been hard for me.  I love to tell people about my beliefs.  In Jr. High and High school I was always inviting my friends to church activities, and sharing my testimony. After high school I served a full-time mission.  This was a great time in my life, I felt like I was becoming who the Lord wanted me to be.  It felt natural and wonderful. Coming home from my mission was a little bit of a rough transition for me as I fell into old habits. When I moved to Texas I was again presented many opportunities to testify of the Gospel and share my beliefs.  I was even blessed to help one of my best friends go through the missionary discussions and get baptized. As a mom, I have found that I spend most of my time at home with my kids, so my circle of influence has dramatically decreased. I still try to share my testimony with those I come in contact with. I have also begun to use my social media accounts like Facebook to share my testimony and gospel truths. I have not seen much “fruit” from this labor, but I know that I am planting and nourishing seeds that will one day produce fruit that is “exceedingly white” and “desirable above all other fruit.”

In the future I think that I need to reignite and strengthen my testimony. I also need to actively seek for opportunities to share the truths that I hold dear.