If asked, anyone who knows me would say that I love fishing. My father taught my brother and I how to be fishermen, like him. He learned from his father, and him, from his. On our many fishing trips to the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River and to other places, my father has often remarked on the many fun fishing trips he and others had with my maternal grandfather. My parents taught us to admire and respect God’s creations, live the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to honor the legacy of our ancestors. To this day, we honor the legacy of our grandfather by fishing in the same fishing hole he did. There, I feel an intimately spiritual connection to him. He has since passed on, but wading in the cool water while gazing across the river canyon at wildflowers and wildlife, I can almost feel his presence there. I believe he would be proud of his descendants who carry on his legacy. We also honor his and our other ancestors’ legacies by continuing to be faithful members of Jesus Christ’s only true church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Over the first weekend of April, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints spoke to both members and non-members of His church during “general conference.” During this conference, the president and prophet, Russel M. Nelson invited all worthy and able young men to prepare to serve a mission. He also taught that young women have the option to choose to serve a mission. Choosing to serve a proselytizing or a service mission was a common theme throughout the conference, reiterated and taught by many leaders. Those who choose to serve the Lord by teaching His Restored Gospel do so in the “four quarters of the earth” (D&C 33:6). Missionaries are called (assigned) to serve in places, often, far away from their homelands. Many learn to speak new languages and how to adjust to living in different cultures. They quickly learn the lifestyle of a missionary, which in “Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service,” states: missionaries are “authorized representatives of Jesus Christ (called to) teach people with power and authority that redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah,” Jesus Christ. You have probably seen missionaries walking or riding bikes in your neighborhood. They are unmistakable: clean-shaven young men dressed in white shirts and ties and young women in modest dresses carrying Books of Mormon. I invite you to speak with them and learn from their messages-they are fishers of men!

Full-time missionaries and common members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints invite others to come and worship with them. Members invite others to come and see what an LDS worship service is like, to attend LDS activities with them and to listen to the messages taught by the missionaries. They do so because what they believe is truth! In the New Testament book of Mark, Jesus taught: “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1.15). The time to accept Christ and his gospel is in full force today because His gospel began to be restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The restoration of His Gospel is ongoing and the time to teach His gospel, both as full time and member missionaries is now. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are to be fishers of men like Christ’s apostles were: “Now as (Jesus) walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him” (Mark 1.16-18.)

Many chose to forsake their nets and follow Jesus. A few of them were His twelve apostles, who, like Christ, preached the gospel to the captives and the poor. Like Simon (Peter), Andrew, Paul and others, prophets and apostles exist in Christ’s church today. They are “ordained leaders” in the church and serve as “witnesses of Jesus Christ to all the world” (Gospel Topics, 2022). What they teach during general conference and at other times is the divine word of God! This same gospel is taught by full time missionaries and by members of His Restored Church. Presently, members of His church are not expected to sacrifice their hobbies, like fishing, but they are expected to sacrifice time enough to be fishers of men, and that is done by inviting others to come unto Christ. I invite my readers to come and worship the Lord — to come and see the beauty of his Restored Gospel.

Case Stayner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Idaho State University and is currently working to obtain his master’s in secondary education from Grand Canyon University. He loves writing in his free time and teaching English and other subjects at his place of employment. The most important things he values in life are his religious beliefs, including his faith in God the Father and his son Jesus Christ and his dedication to his family.