When I was in the MTC, one Sunday we watched a talk that Elder Holland gave at the MTC a couple years back, and in his talk he said that he has never understood why people have said that they´ll go back to real life after their mission, because a mission is as real as life is going to get. And I can´t tell you how true those words are.
Yesterday my companion and I went to Sunday dinner at the house of the President of the Relief Society and her son, who is the President of the Young Men´s. He recently returned home from a mission early because he was severely injured and had to return home early to recuperate. Eating dinner with us was the sister of the President of the Relief Society, who is not a member. As we were eating dinner, my companion asked her if she had ever read the Book of Mormon and she said no, but that she respected the Mormons for what they believed. She then went on to describe what she believed, which was a very vague sense of God in everything and metaphysics. The son then began to talk to her about the things she believed and answer her questions with scriptures from the Bible and Book of Mormon to try and explain the answers to the questions she has. When he started doing this, I was thinking a bit like, oh brother, why does he bother, she´s never going to change her opinions.
He then bore his testimony with a very personal story. He said his mother was in a very serious car accident and when he arrived at the hospital, his mother was in serious condition. He went home that night alone (his dad had left them both earlier for another woman and his mom divorced him) and he said that he prayed more fervently than he ever has, that if his mom would live, he would preach the gospel to everyone. When he went back to the hospital the next day, his mother was alive and said to him, thank you for your prayer and then repeated the exact words he had said in his prayer. He then said, And that is how I know the church is true. His mother and aunt were both crying by this point.
He then began to talk to his aunt about her son who had been murdered a few years back. His aunt had said before that she didn´t think God was really more than the nature around us and our souls stopped existing after we died. He told her that he knew that her son still existed, that she would see him again and that she would be with him forever and have the same happiness forever that she felt when her son was born. His aunt then said, but why me, why not so many other people, why would God let this happen to me. The son then said, I asked myself the same questions. Why me, why did my dad leave and my mom and I were left to ourselves. Why didn´t I have shoes or notebooks for school, why did I have to come home early from my mission. Everybody experiences trials in their life, but I know that my Savior lives, and I know that I will see him one day. I know that your son exists and that you will be with him forever. Believe me. Believe me that you can have this happiness. He continued to bear one of the most powerful testimonies I have ever heard. Then he turned to me and said, I don´t have the honor of wearing a plaque anymore, but Hermana Nielsen does. She has the power and authority of God to teach you how you can be happy in this life and be with your son forever. She is an angel walking the earth.
I have never felt such a strong sense of responsibility in my life. I felt a tangible weight settle upon my shoulders and an incredible sense of why I am here. The past week had been pretty difficult. I was laughably optimistic to think that half the branch are inactive members. It´s so much more. We ran out of wood this week before we could buy more and early morning study sessions were rather cold. Almost every appointment we had fell through this week and we walked up and down trying to find people. But in that moment, my entire perception was changed, truly. His aunt then said very quietly, I believe you. I have never felt such an incredible spirit.
I know this gospel is true, I have to go but I love you all and send me emails!
No comments:
Post a Comment