No Need to Fear

My companion elbowed me. “Why don’t you talk to the next person?”

Her words terrified me. Why would anyone want to hear what we had to say? These people were all on their way to work or out having fun for the day. I was positive that no one would appreciate being interrupted by a couple of women with a spiritual message. Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just didn’t seem to fit with a couple of Latter-day Saint missionaries.

The man I was to approach didn’t look particularly intimidating, just an everyday commuter. But at that moment, there couldn’t have been a more frightening sight. I’m used to listening and observing, not talking and being noticed. My companion, on the other hand, was a tall, beautiful, forthright woman. I couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t let me remain in my silent, comfortable world. After all, I was just on exchanges with her. I wasn’t a real missionary.

The man was standing on the train platform next to us now, so my companion gave me another healthy nudge. I walked slowly up to him and said, “Hello. My name is Sister Eagar, and this is Sister Hippolyte. We’re from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we were wondering if you had some time so that we could share a message with you.”

My face turned red, and I waited nervously for his reaction. To my great astonishment, he answered with a smile and said, “Yes, I have some time until my train comes.” Sister Hippolyte gave him some pamphlets and information. The man had questions for us, and I helped with the answers as best I could. His train came, and he left with a friendly good-bye.

Similar things happened throughout the day. People didn’t brush us off as I had expected them to. They were actually friendly. I had been sure we would make no contacts at all and come home with our backpacks as full as when we had left in the morning. But I was wrong!

It made me think of a scripture, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). I had no reason to fear. We were preaching the truth, and the Lord was on our side. He loved those people and wanted them to hear the gospel and understand it. We may not have been able to hold the attention of even one individual if we had to rely on our own strength, but we were serving the Lord. He was our strength. I felt ashamed at my lack of faith and resolved to be fearless in our future tracting.

I now know that the Spirit guides the missionaries of this Church and leads them to those who are ready to accept the Savior, Jesus Christ. If we listen to the promptings of the Spirit and heed them with faith that the Lord will help us, we have no need to fear.