General Conference Thoughts: October 2014: "Come and See"

This is my first in a series of posts in which I will be sharing thoughts on counsel given at the most recent General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. General Conference is my favorite time of year, so I love that it occurs twice a year; I love rereading and pondering the messages given each time from our beloved Church leaders.

One of my favorite talks from this Conference was one of the very final ones given, entitled "Come and See" by Elder David A. Bednar. (I invite you to read the entire talk here, or scroll below and watch it.) First of all, I was just excited to hear from Elder Bednar; I have met him in person before, and he happens to be one of my favorite speakers of all time because he speaks in simple terms.
In this talk, Elder Bednar focuses solely on one question: "Why are Latter-day Saints so eager to tell [people] about what they believe and to invite [people] to learn about their church?"
He goes on to say, "When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product. ... Our invitations...are not an attempt to diminish your religious tradition or life experience. Bring all that you know is true, good, and praiseworthy--and test our message. Just as Jesus beckoned two of His disciples to 'come and see' (John 1:39), so we urge you to come and see if the restored gospel of Jesus Christ enlarges and enriches that which you already believe to be true."
He also talks about how our desire to share comes as a result of how important these things are to us and how they have changed our lives for the better. We only want others to experience that same change and that same joy that we have.
When I was learning more about the Church, I met with missionaries. Like what was shared above, I did not feel coerced into being baptized and becoming a Mormon. I was not presented a product to buy into; I was only presented the simple, honest, and humble testimonies of four 20-year-old men, and the testimonies of many of my friends. I wanted to make that change because the restored gospel of Jesus Christ had already made such a great change in me for the better, a change that I didn't ever want to put an end to, and so I was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
And now I pass along this invitation to you: come, see, and test our message. See what we are really like, what we really believe, and ponder and pray about it for yourself. "Ask of God" (James 1:5) with a sincere heart, like I did and like so many others have.
I know that these things are true, that this gospel is true, and I will not ever deny it.