Of Peanut Buster Parfaits and Sharing the Gospel

If you love something you want to share it. I learned something new today. For all the times you hear the phrase "born again" thrown around it is only said in the scriptures about six times. The most famous example of the phrase is found in the Savior's conversation to Nicodemus when he taught, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) He then repeated the phrase a second time in the same conversation telling Nicodemus in John 3:7. Peter then used the phrase again when describing the saints in 1 Peter 1:23. Then that is it for when they use the phrase in the Bible. For some reason I thought that they used it more considering how often we use that phrase. 

I noticed this because this phrase is not used frequently in the Book of Mormon either. But it is used by the Alma repeatedly. (See: Mosiah 27:25, Alma 5:49, Alma 7:14) It was just something interesting and my personal thought was that the reason that he repeated this idea so often, as well as his prioritizing preaching the Gospel over being a political leader, or being a military leader (See: Alma 4:20) was because of the blessings that being born again through the Gospel had provided to him. He  was someone whose own repentance caused him exceedingly great joy. (Alma 36:20) My feeling is that because of all of the blessings that  being born again and the Gospel of Jesus Christ gave to him. This helped to fuel his testimony and motivate him to share it with others. 

Dallin H. Oaks taught,

"From our testimony of the truth and importance of the restored gospel, we understand the value of what we have been given...The intensity of our desire to share the gospel is a great indicator of the extent of our personal conversion.

The Book of Mormon contains some marvelous examples of the effect of testimony and love. When the sons of Mosiah, who had been “the very vilest of sinners,” acquired their testimony, “they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish” (Mosiah 28:3–4). In a later account, their associate, Alma, cried, “O that I were an angel, … that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth” and declare “the plan of redemption” to every soul, “that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth” (Alma 29:1–2)." (Sharing the Gospel)

I had a Bishop who said that he loved Peanut Buster Parfaits. He said that when he had a young man who was getting to the point in life where he should serve a mission he would take him to Dairy Queen and buy him a Peanut Buster Parfait. He then explained that he loved the snack and because he loved it he wanted others to try it and share in the kind of joy he got from the snack. He then taught that this was the same with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It gives us great joy and happiness. Because of this we should want to share this happiness with others so that they can taste the same joy that we have tasted. 

I know that the Gospel does bless our lives. I know that as we look for the blessings the Gospel brings we will feel a desire to bless the lives of our loved ones (See: 1 Nephi 8:12) as well as the whole human race (See: Enos 9:9, 11). We will look and will find opportunities to share the Gospel and will be able to share the same good thing that has blessed our life.