The teacher isn’t really interested in a student just showing up with some story that day, we have to have something concrete. No "tell" is good enough to make it without being backed up by a good "show."

In Matthew 5:16, Christ tells his followers to let their light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify their father in Heaven. We're supposed to attract people to the gospel truth. How? He says with our good works. Lead with deeds, not with words. It'll change their attitude towards the truth.

In a way those people around us who have not heard the message of the gospel are like those teachers on "show and tell" day. Don't just come with something to tell, be ready to show me what it looks like, show me how it works, tell me how you feel about it! Peter told us to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. (1 Peter 3:15) In this case the "show" is a positive, hope-filled, optimistic outlook on life. It will make those around us say, "Why are you like this?" Our positive example of "show" will now lead to "tell."

If the we just bring some unusual object to "show", everyone might find it interesting, but they'd have no idea what it was without the "tell." Words are necessary. Others can watch us for the next twenty years but they're not going to say, "Man, he was such a nice guy, I'll bet Christ atoned for my sins!" We’re going to have to tell them that. But you also have to show, or no one will be interested in what you have to tell.

All too often it seems like we tend to overdo one or the other. Sometimes we "show" a Christ-like-life by the way they live and we never "tell." Or, bare strong testimony of the truth real aggressively by doing the "tell", but we aren't winning the right to be heard by doing the "show." It takes a balance of both "show" and "tell" to bare witness of the message of truth so that others will want to know more.

So what is an equal balance? How could I show love to people in a way that would mean something to them? As a young missionary, I struggled with these questions often. Most people were not interested in all the religious things I did or believed or preached, but they could not ignore someone whose changed life and strong love is living proof that the gospel is real. I found my answer in section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It was in the list of virtues found in this section that really got me. Words like brotherly kindness, love, patience, and charity. All these words have some form of action or "show." I discovered that it wasn’t enough to tell someone you loved them, it has to be shown.

We learned when we were very young that "show" and "tell" go together. If we never tell them, they will never know what the gospel can do for them. If we never show them, they will not listen when you tell the truth.