The Spirits in prison

I picked up this young man about one in the morning. He was leaving a girls house and I was taking him to his house. It was about a 15 minute drive so we had a little bit of time. We started talking about the girl that he had been with and he mentioned how much he’d like to date her. She totally had him friend zoned though.

He was of Latin descent born here in the United States and he talked about his different perspective on life. He said that he had found a lot of animosity towards him in certain circles from other Latins because he was a citizen and that brought with it advantages.  Right away I could tell this was a hard-working kid and he seemed to have a really good spirit about him. 

Then I looked in his eyes and the spirit told me that this young man was troubled. Even though he was hiding it I could see in his eyes and hear the spirit whisper that he was trouble.

I said to him you seem to be doing good and working now and he said yeah I’m doing pretty good right now. I said you seem to me to be a really good kid and that you’re really trying to do what’s best. He said yeah that’s where he wants to head in his life right now. I asked him if he minded me asking him a very personal question and he said no, go ahead.

I said the things the spirit whispered to my heart and I said it seems to me like maybe you were in trouble before or spent some time in jail. I said when you were in jail you felt helpless and hopeless and one night in particular it was really dark and in the midst of that darkness you prayed and the Lord gave you light. To you it seemed like a rope that dropped from heaven that you could hold on to and it got you through.  You’ve been trying to find that ever since.

He was astounded. He said how could you possibly know that, that’s exactly what happened. He said “I’m freaking out a little bit right now” then he said,“in a good way though!” He asked me if someone put me up to this or if I was reading minds. I told him no. I explained to him that I serve God and that in my religion when we are baptized we get the gift of the Holy Ghost and that gift brings with it gifts of the spirit like discernment and revelation. I told him that those words that I said came to my heart and I just said them knowing that they came from God.

I told him that for some reason God wanted him to know that he knew who he was and that he loved him.

I asked him if he was at a critical juncture in his life right now. He said yes. He said that the people who had got him in trouble before we’re pulling on him again and he was finding it hard to have the strength to resist. I asked him if this could be why God sent me tonight to let him know and remind him of his love.

He started to cry and said that is the most amazing thing. The feeling I had that day in prison got me through and right now I’m feeling that again here in this car. I know that God came to me then and sent you here to me today.

He asked me what does God want me to do? I said first and foremost he want you to come to him. That includes not going with your friends. I asked him if he had any other friends that weren’t part of this bad group. He said yes there was a girl that liked him. Instantly I knew by the spirit that this girl was a member of the church. I asked him if this girl was a member of the church and he said yes she is, she’s always trying to get me to go to church with her. I said, she’s trying to save you.

I told him that God sends help in the form of people in our lives who reach out with a hand or rope and that this girl had that rope and that he should hold onto it. I asked him how often she reached out to him and he said all the time and that she had talked to him earlier that day.

I told him that sounded like a relationship that maybe he had ought to pursue. The spirit was really strong in the car and I bore my testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I said to him that if he would pray and ask God he would fill his heart and continue to bring him along.

I asked him if he had ever seen the missionaries and he said no. I told him that this girl could introduce him to the missionaries and that they would give him the light he needs to find his way in this dark world.  

He said that’s exactly what I need. I handed him a Book of Mormon. (One of the Book of Mormon is prepared by the Secrists). I promised him that if he would read that book that his life would be filled with light and then if he would pray about it the truth would be revealed to him through it. He grabbed the book and held it to his forehead.

When I gave him this Book of Mormon I talked to him about his ancestors and how they were a blessed people and how they were blessed directly by Jesus Christ and even more blessed when they were obedient to God. I told him they were great promises in this book for his people and that this book was the spiritual heritage that God and his ancestors had left him.

He said this is exactly what I need. 

He said I will go in right now and read and tomorrow I will call this girl so we can go to church on Sunday. I see a path here away from the problems in my past and I want to take it.

He said that he couldn’t believe what a miracle it was that God sent me there that night, that God knew his heart and that we had seen these miracles. He said, it’s been a year and a half since that day in jail and today I promise you I will start a new life.

He got out of the car and waved. I have a feeling this young man will do exactly what he said.