I know that I have a few mormon friends who are worried about making friends with non-LDS people because they are afraid that they will have nothing in common with them. I find that to be not true in my own experience. However, when you branch out, and become friends with someone who is not mormon, you will most likely find yourself answering questions about your faith. That is simply because we are different, and we stand out. Hopefully, for the right reasons.
The truth is, that as Elder Holland said recently, we can never check our religion at the door. It is a part of who we are, and if we are living it like we should be, there are bound to be questions.
I have a couple of friends that are always asking me questions about my religion. I love that they ask me. It makes me feel like they trust me enough to be open, and honest, and that is important. Sharing the gospel these days is easier than ever because of how much the church seems to be in the media right now. If you welcome questions, and give simple answers, then you will find that your friends will continue to come to you for the source of their information.
However, we know that there is opposition in all things. One of my friends told me that she recently met a woman who had left the church, and this woman was telling her all of our “secrets”. I simply replied, “Well, it is not that we have a lot of secrets, in fact, you can probably find it all on the internet anyway, but it is just that certain things we feel are sacred” I then went on to tell her to keep in mind that it is always a better idea to ask someone who is actively participating in a religion that someone who has left a religion if you want answers to what we believe. It was obviously a delicate situation, but I know that she understood, and I hope she continues to come to me with her questions.
The church shared recently some simple steps you can take to share the Gospel. It is full of great suggestions. Sharing the gospel is sometimes a scary thought. We are afraid of being criticized, or not being able to answer something, but the truth is, that it really is simple, if you make it that way.