Testimony of a Missionary

Testimony of a Missionary

The following event took place in a ward in Salt Lake City in 1974. It occurred during a sacrament meeting and was told to me by a Regional Representative of the Twelve who was in the meeting. A young man, just before leaving on his mission stood in sacrament meeting and bore in essence the following testimony:

Brothers and Sisters, as you know, the past two weeks I've been waiting for my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream. I knew it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and awaiting my call to come to earth. I was filled with the same anticipation and excitement that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream I was talking to a friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I've never met him in this life. As we talked a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read it aloud. It said: "You've been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born to the true church and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will born into a land of plenty, in a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America."

My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call, and while we were rejoicing the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. His letter said: "You've been called to go to the earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social difficulties - which will hinder the work of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica."

We wept, my friend and I, as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said, "When we are down on earth, you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, please come and find me."

The this young missionary, with tears in his eyes, said, "Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call. I am going to Costa Rica."

There is a sequel to the story. About a year after the sacrament meeting, the bishop received a letter from the missionary in Costa Rica. The letter had one sheet of paper in it and on that sheet written in capital letters were four words:

I FOUND MY FRIEND

I shall pass through this world but once.  If there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can say, it would be now, let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.

how merciful the Lord hath been

"Nephi tells us in verse 20, that one of his major goals in his writing is to show us the "Tender Mercies" of the Lord.  Verse 20 of course is in the first Chapter of the Book of Mormon.  In the last chapter of the Book of Mormon (Moroni 10:3) Moroni expresses a Hope that we will have noticed "how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men".  These two verses, one at the beginning and one at the end, form "Bookends" for the content of the Book of Mormon, They serve as a reminder that the Lord loves to extend Kindness and Mercy to each of us.  The whole book is a reminder of this."

David J. Ridges

THE FIRST BOOK OF NEPHI

CHAPTER 1

20 And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had ^acast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also ^bsought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender ^cmercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of ^ddeliverance.

THE BOOK OF MORONI

CHAPTER 10

  3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how ^amerciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ^bponder it in your ^chearts.

Keepers of Light

Elder Kunz

·        Gender: Male

·        Occupation: Missionary!

·        Location: CONNECTICUT : United States

Keepers of Light

The Pondering man

wants to add insight,

About those he calls keepers of light.

Light Houses need caretakers, day and night.

Help those in need, with their might.

 
A distressed ship may see a faint beam,

Though a hundred miles away, it may seem.

Casting an illusion, of massing pillars of steam.

Piercing through clouds,

making one's heart gleam.

Willing to help, regardless of the weather,

Reuniting lost loved ones, back together.

Giving comfort, making one's load, feel like a feather.

Finding and saving lost souls,

  

could last forever.

Light houses come in different shapes and sizes.

Seen miles off shore,

as the morning sun rises.

Faithful light house keeper,

   

         

willingly advises.

Sounding warnings of hazardous surprises.

Light houses are made of more materials,

than just stone.

Sharing the light,

letting them know they're not alone.

Giving comfort and courage, to handle the unknown.

Having gratitude,

for the seed they have carefully sewn.

Life is Good!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity

The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times,

a King had a boulder

placed on a roadway.

Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Come Unto Me

Come Unto Me

Three times I met this Jesus of Nazareth, and each time I felt strange and confused. Each time he gently spoke three simple words, "COME UNTO ME." Yet each time, gentle and tender as he was, it seemed almost terrifying. How can I explain how my heart fought desperately to follow him. Even to the grave, and yet I was held back by some unexplainable force, stronger even than the intensity of my love for him. Some would question that I did love Jesus, scoffing at my vow of devotion saying, "then why didn't you follow him?" Why didn't I follow him? Oh how I have pleaded with my heart to send the answer and yet I did not know then and

I do not know now why I did not follow Jesus.

The first time I met him I was traveling to a neighboring town with several of my comrades.

As we approached him and three of his disciples I knew,

even from a distance, that this man was different. My steps faltered as I stood transfixed as he approached. My comrades, who had heard the rumors about this King began laughing and jeering at him. One was even so bold as to spit at his feet, but he walking only as if he saw me. If my thoughts reflected in my eyes it's no wonder he gave such full attention to me. I was scared, yet calm and immovable and only vaguely aware of my friends beginning to shout at me for not joining in with their railing and ridicule. He stopped before me and looked into my eyes and it was like looking into all eternity.

I felt my heart whisper, "If you've never loved before, and if you never love again, here is one to give your dearest, and deepest love to." I felt a surge of love for him as I have never felt before, warm and pure. I am sure he felt this too for with kindness in his eyes,

he smiled so tenderly and said, "COME UNTO ME."

At that moment one of my friends came up and slapped me on the shoulder and said, "Oh no, don't tell me you're falling for the magical spell of this mighty king." Suddenly I thought, how foolish I must look before my friends, and almost unconsciously said, with a sly laugh, "Me? Of course not. What do you take me for? A common peasant?" We all laughed and I turned to join my friends but not so suddenly that I did not see his eyes change from love to pain. That momentary glance pierced me deeper than any sword, but I still walked off laughing with my friends, at the common carpenter.

  

The second time I met him, I was alone. It was early in the evening and I was drawing water from my well and he walked up beside me and put his hand on my arm. I did not have to look up to know it was him, nor could I look into those eyes again, so I avoided his gaze and hurried with my task, the sooner to leave. Once again I was transfixed. My eyes were soon enveloped on his own. All I could see in them was forgiveness and that ever present sea of love, wide and deeper than the ocean.

He spoke out three words that cut deep into my soul and made my heart gush with tears,

"COME UNTO ME."

I longed to go with him. I wanted desperately to run back and give him my heart, which he already had a firm hold on, but I didn't. I didn't even look back, I couldn't. I dropped to the ground and tried to drown his words with my tears, but I couldn't do that either. Why didn't I follow him? Why? I only saw him once more. It was the last night in Jerusalem. As soon as I heard the noise my heart sickened with the shouts of the crowd as they marched him to the hill of Calvary. I knew that I could never join the crucifiers and yet I could not join the mourners as they stood beside him. So I ran until I could run no more and I threw myself on the ground and wept, until there were no more tears. How long I was there I do not know. I only remember that suddenly I felt myself walking back to Calvary. I didn't want to return, but I was going. I walked slowly and thoughtfully, never stopping until I was standing beneath his feet.

 

It was dark and I stood there several minutes before my eyes rose to meet his, and when they did, strangely enough, he seemed as he had before, radiant with power, glowing with love. I knew they could not kill him, not any more than they could kill the love I felt for him. This time, he could barely whisper,

"COME UNTO ME."

I fell to my knees and answered his three simple words and said, "Yes, my Savior, I will come."

It was the next day that Roman soldiers found the body of a man at the foot of the cross. No one knew the man, nor could they find the reason for his death. In his hand he was clutching a small piece of paper that had written on it, as if it were his last and final message to mankind, in a weak, scratchy handwriting, "I didn't lack the love, I only lacked the Courage."

~Author unknown.