Child of a prophet

It’s interesting to feel the spirit bring to your recollection things that you’ve learned in the past and prompt you to use them in a discussion. Sometimes you’re in uncharted waters, and somehow miraculously you just say the right thing. It’s the spirit!

When I’m mowing the lawn I listen to the scriptures. If you’ve ever yelled at me while i am out there mowing the lawn and wonder why I don’t hear you it’s because I’ve got my noise cancellation headphones and am listen to the Book of Mormon. Listening this way allows me to open my mind and focus on what the spirit is teaching me instead of scrutinizing what I am reading.

This is how I’ve come to understand Isaiah better. I listen to the story and think about what I’m hearing and what I’m feeling. It has made it easier for me to understand. It has also help me understand a little bit more about the scattering of Israel and the gathering of the tribes of Israel. I really look forward to that time each week in the summer. It has become quite a time of learning and closeness with the spirit for me.

It has helped me with my understanding of the scriptures and sometimes it gives me the background of the information I need so that the spirit can prompt me to use it latter when discussing the gospel. One cold night this was the case.

I picked up three guys outside of a club in Salt Lake City. At first I was a little aggravated because they had been smoking and you just can’t leave that smell outside the car……(rant alert) Just because you throw your cigarette away five seconds before you get in the car doesn’t mean the smell goes with it.

All three of them climbed in the car and we started to go. We began with the normal smalltalk and in that smalltalk I found out these guys were from Israel and that they were Jewish. One thing I have never taught is a Jewish person. Imagine my surprise when the spirit told me to get with it.

Argentina had just won the World Cup and I asked if they liked soccer and mentioned that I had served in Argentina. We talked for a minute about Lionel Messi and then they asked, are you Mormon? I said yes sir I am. Then one of them said but are you still Mormon? I said yes I am. They said do you still believe everything and go to church all of the time?

I somehow felt like I was in a really important temple recommend interview. These guys behind me in the car were grilling me about my beliefs and whether or not I practiced those beliefs. They were very interested. Once I had assured them that I believed the church is true and that I go to church every Sunday and serve where I can they seemed to be pacified.

One of them said that his last name was Zachariah. He asked me if I knew anything about the prophet Zachariah or if I’d heard about him. I told to him that I had and he said that he hadn’t ever heard much. Even though he had his name he had never really studied his words. He seemed relieved and even proud that I knew something of this prophet who he told me was his ancestor.

Then they said, teach us something about your church,. They said, we know that you guys have a lot in common with our church and our religion, so teach us something. I was grateful for the forewarning I had received from the spirit because I had already been praying about what to say and the first thing that came to mind was prophets.

I told them that we have a prophet that speaks with God and that our church was founded by a prophet. I talked to them about Joseph Smith and how as a young man he knelt and prayed to ask God which of all the religions was true. I told them that God spoke to him and told him that he would be the prophet to restore his church on the earth.

I told them that he was called to be a prophet by God just like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah and all of the prophets in ancient Israel.

I received the prompting that I should speak of the Godhead as Elohim, Jehovah and the Holy Spirit. In retrospect, I believe there was because they were confused by me using the words God and Jesus. When I started using those names they said well, that’s what we call them. Those are the same names we use for God. I said that we believe Elohim is God the father and that Jehovah is Jesus Christ. I said that he was born and then later crucified to pay for our sins. He also suffered so that he could lift us through our trials in this life and our sins in the next. I said, Jesus Christ is who we believe the Messiah is.

They said that they had heard that we believed Jesus Christ was the Messiah but that they had never realized that Jehovah was Jesus Christ and the relationship with Elohim was something they didn’t know a great deal about.

I explained them that the children of Israel were scattered to the ends of the earth. I told them that Isaiah spoke about this. I told them that Isaiah prophesied extensively about how the Messiah would minister to scattered Israel. I told them that isaiah taught that God never forgot those children of Israel who were scattered and that he loved them and remembered them.

I mentioned that they were scattered to everywhere, every continent and the isles of the sea. I also mentioned to them that Abraham was promised that the whole world would be blessed by his seed and that this was Gods way of fulfilling that promise. I also said that Isaiah mentioned that the Messiah would go to the house of Israel, all of the house of Israel and that he would gather them and bless them.

Right then the phrase that the Book of Mormon will convince the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ came to my mind. I knew then what to do. I went into the Book of Mormon and started teaching. I mentioned to them that the Book of Mormon was the history of a Jewish family and it started in Jerusalem. The father of this family was a prophet in Jerusalem.

I told them that Isaiah was very important and his words brought great comfort to these Jews. I said that this family knew and was contemporary with Jeremiah. They lit up as I used these names because they were all names that they were familiar with. I told them that the father of this family who was a prophet was commanded by God to leave Jerusalem with his family and commanded to keep a record.

I told them that God took them from Jerusalem, helped them build a boat and brought them to America just like Noah had been instructed to build a boat to save his family. Then I said that at this point his family became part of scattered Israel in the isles of the sea. I pointed out that Isaiah had mentioned this and that they were a fulfillment of his prophecy.

I told them that the people came to America and from America went to other places in the sea, other islands and possibly other continents. I told them that the Book of Mormon was nothing more than the revelations given by God to his people and his prophets. I asked them how important the words of the prophets are to the Jews and they said very important.

I told them, the cool thing about the Book of Mormon was that it is a record of a family of Jews that become Christians and how God directed that change. I told them that the prophet received revelations about Jesus Christ and that he would come. I also told them the Jesus Christ came to America and taught the people. I told them that once Jesus was crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem he descended from heaven in America and the people came to him.

I told them that they knew who it was because they had been taught by their prophets that he would come. They were waiting for the Messiah and they had him standing before them. I told them that as a nation that day they converted to Christianity.

I could feel the spirit in the car and so I stopped teaching for a minute to identify it. I asked them if they could feel something different. They said yes! One said he felt peaceful and another one said he felt warm and the final one said he felt peaceful and warm. I knew they were feeling the spirit and so I told them that it was the spirit of God and that he sent his spirit to testify of truth.

Then one of them said, isn’t the Spirit of God found in all things? I said the spirit of God is all around us but it comes into our hearts to testify of truth. If I had been lying would you feel like you feel right now? They said no. I said, if I had told you something that was false, how would you feel? Would God have sent his spirit to ratify that? They said that they thought that he would not. I said that the Spirit of God comes to us to help us know the truth.

I told them that they are children of their father in heaven and they readily said that they believed that to be true. I told them that his spirit is important to our spirits and that this relationship is vital. I told them that our spirits recognize his spirit because it is a father-child relationship.

They agreed with that and said they had never thought of it that way. I said, having the spirit with us makes it so that we can know that God is blessing the things we do in our lives. I told them that if we do the right things and make the right choices we can walk with the spirit of God.

I told them that once we are baptized we are given the gift of the Holy Ghost which walks with us and confirms truth to us. I told them that it comforts us and helps us. They said they heard about the Holy Ghost but didn’t have a great understanding of it. This made sense to them.

I told them that the Holy Ghost that they were feeling right now was here because the things I was saying were true. I asked them if they had a copy of the Book of Mormon and they told me they have the app. I reached in and pulled out one of the Book of Mormons prepared by the Secrists and gave it to them. I said, I want you to have one of these so that you can sit and read it.

They were touched. I told them to remember that this is the story of a Jewish family. A Jewish family who became Mormons. We all laughed. I told them what was more important is that this book is the story of a prophet who followed God and fulfilled prophecies pronounced by other prophets. I told them that this book was their heritage and that it would speak them.

Each one of them said we want to read this book, We want to study this book and we want to learn about your church through this book. I told them that as they read they should pray and when they pray, God would send the spirit that they were feeling right now to their hearts and they would know the things are true.

I told them that God doesn’t expect us to wander without a light and without a guide. I told them that he would walk beside us and that his spirit will be around us if we will do the things that he asks us to do. We were finally at the place where I was supposed to drop them off and one of them opened the door and the other one said shut that door we’re not done.

I could tell that they were feeling the spirit and not wanting the ride to end. They enjoyed this communion. To them it was a moment of enlightenment.

Then I looked at the one whose name was Zachariah and I said do you know what Zachariah taught? He said no, I just know that I am related. I told him that Zachariah taught of the gathering of Israel In the last days. I asked him if he knew what the mission of the book of Mormon was? He said no. I said it is to gather Israel. I said it’s very interesting that you, a descendent of Zachariah, are holding your hands the instrument of the fulfillment of his prophecy. He was touched and said, this is amazing.

We sat there for a minute and then finally they had to go. First there were fist bumps and handshakes. Then all three of them, six hands, were grabbing my shoulders and shaking me in a loving friendly way. I have said before than once people feel the spirit in my car they like to reach out and touch me and these three young men were no exception.

I know this ride was supposed to happen. I don’t know if they’ll get baptized but I know that they knew that this was true. They know that God confirmed it to them and I know that they’re going to read the Book of Mormon. I know God had a purpose for that ride and I know it’s a good thing I have paid attention when I’m mowing the lawn.