My ride as a warm-up act for the sister missionaries at Temple Square.

I got a call for a three minute ride north from the Embassy Suites in Salt Lake. I went to pick the guy up and wondered where we would be going in just three minutes.

When I arrived he was standing outside waiting for me. He got in the car and said that he wasn’t from here. He is from South Carolina and before he went home tomorrow he wanted to see some things in Utah. I asked him what he wanted to see.

He said he wanted to go see the temple and learn some thing about it. He told me that the night before he ate dinner very close to the temple at the Cheesecake Factory. He said if he had realized he was so close he would’ve gone then. Anyway he didn’t want to miss this opportunity on this trip to see the temple.

Right then the spirit started screaming at me saying dude, you’ve got three blocks now get with it.

I asked him if he had any friends that were members of the church and he told me that he really didn’t. I asked him if he was a member of any church in particular and he told me that he was baptized as a Catholic when he was born but now he didn’t have a religion and considered himself spiritual, not religious.

I said, oh you can’t find one that fits huh? He chuckled and said nope. He said, I have some questions and none of the churches can answer them. I said,well, let’s get into this this sounds like fun. He said, tell me a little bit about your church.

I told him that the base belief in our church is that we are children of our father in heaven. Not pretend children, not fake children but real spiritual children of our father in heaven and he loves us and he wants us to come home and live with him.

I told him that God loves everyone who ever lived no matter where they lived. He asked me to explain that to him a little bit because that didn’t seem the same as the other religions he knew. I told him that we believe that God sent his son Jesus Christ to die, be resurrected and atone for all of the sins of everyone in the world not just the people in Jerusalem. I told him that we believe in a God who is all powerful, all knowing and all loving. He sent his son not only to Jerusalem but to America. I told him we believe that he came to America and taught people just like he had in Jerusalem.

I told him that Jesus descended from the heavens and the people went up and touched the prints of the nails in his hands and knew that he was God. They had learned about him and he had been prophesied by their prophets here in America. I told him that God loves everyone so he sent prophets so that they would be blessed here in America just like they were Jerusalem.

I told him that when he was here in America he instituted baptism not just any baptism. I told him the people had been baptized before but that he instituted his baptism, his way, with his authority. I told him he called up 12 and gave them his authority and commanded them to baptize everyone even those who had already been baptized.

I told him that then he gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost. I took that opportunity to identify the Holy Ghost. It was in the car and it was impressive. It was a very sweet powerful presence and he said he could feel it. In fact, sweet and powerful were the words he used to define it. I told him that’s the spirit of God and when it’s here you know the things that you are hearing are true. He said, that makes sense what you’re saying seems true to me.

He said, I still have one other question that you haven’t answered. Right at this moment the spirit impress upon me that his question was about all of Gods children and how they would receive the gospel.

About this time we arrived in front of Temple Square on South Temple. I found a spot between some construction pylons so that we could continue our conversation and I could address his concerns. Believe me when I tell you that finding construction pylons is not a hard thing to do these days.

I told him I think I know what it is. You’re wondering how it is that God, who is a loving God and father, who requires baptism to enter his kingdom, could condemn or reject most of his children. He said you are right and that doesn’t seem to fit.

He said, let’s say there’s a Muslim in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia who is a very very very good person, will he be kept out of God‘s kingdom because he never heard about Jesus Christ or received those teachings?. I was like the kid sitting in the front row at school going, pick me pick me pick me. I smiled and said you’re gonna love this! We believe that God loves all of his children. We believe that God made a plan for each one of his children to have the opportunity under positive and encouraging circumstances to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. I said, for example this Muslim who never hears about the gospel in this life will pass away, he will go to the spirit world. I told him that in the Bible during the three days that Jesus was dead according to Peter it says he set up the preaching of the gospel to the spirits in the spirit world who hadn’t had a chance to receive it under proper circumstances. I told him that this Muslim would qualify.

I told him that this Muslim would be taught the gospel and accept or reject it. I then told him that we have an ordinance called baptism for the dead. We go to the temple, I pointed at the temple, and we are baptized for that person and then that person gets the opportunity to accept his baptism as if he had been baptized himself. I told him that this is God’s way for everyone to have an ideal opportunity to accept God‘s will, be baptized and come home.

I told him it’s like a father who has a lot of kids. If you build a house knowing that there’s going to be a fire someday, how many does he plan to save? This man said all of them, every single one.

I told him this is about God’s love for each of his children and he’s prepared a way for us to come home. I asked him if he had heard about the Book of Mormon and he said yes. I asked him if he had a copy and he said no. I reached into my glove box and grabbed a copy of the Book of Mormon prepared by the Secrists and gave it to him. I explained the questions of the soul and told him that if he read the book he would feel the same peace in his heart that he felt right then in the car.

He said, this feeling has been incredible. He had never felt anything like it. I told him that when Joseph Smith was 14 he had the same exact question. I told him that Joseph Smith was looking for the right church and he couldn’t find the right one. I told him that he may have even in today’s vernacular considered himself to be spiritual not religious because he didn’t have a religion to attach himself to. Then he prayed and God called him to be the prophet. He interpreted the Book of Mormon from ancient plates and that’s why we have this record. I reemphasized to him that he had the same question as Joseph Smith.

The spirit was burning and he was feeling it. He said, I need to get in there and talk to the people running this tour about this experience. I said yes. I told him that he should tell the sister missionaries about the ride over and what he felt and he said he would. Then as he got out he said, “I’ve never heard the love of God and the gospel described in such a beautiful way.”

I identified Identified the spirit again. He said that the spirit that he was feeling had been amazing and it couldn’t be here like this if what I was saying wasn’t true. He said that he knows that God puts messengers in people’s lives and he had sent me to pick him up today. He then said, with these answers and especially with the spirit that was with me, it was a very strong indication of God‘s will. He shook my hand for like 30 seconds, shut the door and left.

He walked across the road all warmed up and ready to go