On Not Avoiding Missionary Opportunities

On Fridays, Mom and I usually go to the Temple, but I almost decided not to go today and for one of the lamest reasons I can think of. I had to go to work this afternoon, immediately after our Temple trip, and I didn't want to go to work that well-dressed. I was worried that it might raise questions, and that I would then have to answer said questions. To reiterate, I almost decided not to go to the Temple because I was worried that I might have a missionary opportunity afterward.

I'm relieved to say that I ultimately chose to go to the Temple today (unlike last week. I can't remember why I decided not to go last week). I am also ashamed to admit that I'm a bit relieved that the dreaded missionary opportunity never came up. No one commented on the button-up shirt  or the tie I was wearing. Maybe they didn't notice? After all, I was wearing a sweater over them, but still, the white collar and blue tie were perfectly visible over the collar of the sweater. And yet, no one said a word about them, and I didn't say a word about the Temple or Ordinances or anything else that I had been dreading having to explain.

In my defense, I work at a Liberal-leaning college (as redundant as that phrase is), and my workplace in particular may have reason to take offense at my religion in particular, since two of my coworkers (one of whom outranks me) are gay. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is infamous for being anti-gay, regardless of our actual teachings about those who experience homosexuality, and I worry that if I act openly Conservative, let alone openly LDS a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I could lose my job. If a question became a discussion, and the discussion became an argument, and the argument created a "hostile work environment," I could potentially be fired for causing friction between myself and my coworkers. Of course, I could potentially mitigate this risk by emphasizing my "live and let live" attitude, but why take the risk?

Of course, that's no excuse for cowardice. I need to stand on a soap box or anything, but I shouldn't hide my beliefs under a bushel either. I don't need to share my beliefs unbidden, but I shouldn't avoid giving people opportunities to ask me about them. Going to work today, my plan had been to not point out that I was dressed formally (which I didn't) but to tel anyone who asked me about it that I had been to the Temple that morning, and if they then asked me about the Temple, I would do my best to explain. I was going to let them initiate the conversation, and I'm ashamed that I'm glad that they didn't. I should welcome opportunities to share my faith with anyone who asks about it. Instead, I count myself lucky that I went to work in formal attire and didn't have to tell anyone why.

I almost didn't go to the Temple today because I didn't want to have a missionary opportunity, and I'm glad that I didn't have one, because I'm worried that, if and when I have missionary moments at work, they might go badly for me. I hope I get over that fear and have the courage to talk about my beliefs if and when people ask me about them, even at the risk of losing my job. People have sacrificed far more than just their jobs for the sake of the Gospel. I, too, should practice the courage to openly live and share it.