Changing Lives

This evening after conference, we had the opportunity to help teach a brother that we had been talking to briefly before we went into watch conference in the stake center. He has been learning about the church on and off for many years and has always canceled right before his other two baptism dates.

His current missionaries decided to teach him a lesson right after the conference session (at 5:00 p.m. we watched the morning session live). He has decided he needs to change his life or he is going to end up an old man with nothing to show for it so about a week ago he contacted the missionaries again.

I think there were a few things we taught him about that really connected with him. We taught him that everyone in this life goes through trials. None escape unscathed. It's how we respond to those trials and tribulations that define us.

Do we turn our eyes heavenward and shake our fist at God and ask "Why me?" or do we drop to our knees in humility and ask Heavenly Father's help in bearing the burden and lightening our load? Do we angrily blame everything on God or do we ask for comfort and peace?

He told us how when he is with the missionaries and/or at the church he felt the Spirit and was more able to resist the temptations that surround him. We explained to him that once he was baptized he would "receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" as a constant companion so that he wouldn't lose those special feelings in between visits.

We taught for a long time as he bared his soul about his life and struggles.

We taught him about repentance, and how baptism makes you clean and God remembers your sins no more. That He doesn't expect you to be perfect and that by taking the sacrament each week we can fully repent again and again.

It was a wonderful time teaching. It went on so long we missed out on visiting with all our missionaries whom I had sent to the store for everything for banana splits. They finally ate without us because the ice cream was melting and they had a curfew they had to keep.

I LOVE being a missionary! I love seeing how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change people's lives.