One evening after I’d been working in Park city all day long and it was time to go home. When you’re in Park City you have to make a choice, you can go through Heber and it takes you about 50 minutes or you can go through Salt Lake and it takes you about an hour and 10 minutes. Clearly the better choice at 2:30 in the morning is Heber.
Whereas I had just finished a long day I was tired but I felt impressed that I needed to go through Salt Lake. I told myself that I would do that because I can get the cheaper gas at the Maverik on California Avenue. It’s an extra five minute drive but the gas is $.20 a gallon cheaper.
I started to go through the Salt Lake Valley and got ready to shoot out on the 201 so I could go over to California Avenue when I felt the impression that I needed to go to the Maverik on 33rd South on the west side of the freeway. I go to this Maverick sometimes when their gas price is low and I like the people that work there.
I feel sorry for the people that work there because it is less than a mile from the county jail and everyone released from the jail walks over there and hangs around. The people that work there are terrified most of the time and one of them got stabbed in the neck by one of these people.
That’s where I went, I filled up my tank and started walking in and there was a guy standing in the front of the store. This is not unusual because that’s where the homeless people and recently released prisoners hang out. They hang out there and beg for money and this night appeared to be no different and this man appeared to be one of them.
He started yelling that he needed a ride to Trolley Square. I told him I didn’t have any money for him because I only have credit cards. This is usually what I say to these people because if they know I have cash with me it puts me in danger. I know they can’t take a credit card.
He said, no, you don’t understand. It’s cold outside and it’s snowing, I need a ride. When we get there I will pay you $20. I’ve heard that story before and have very little confidence that those kind of things will ever happen or come to fruition.
The spirit had other ideas. It indicated to me that this was a different situation and that I needed to look more closely at what was going on. I went inside and asked the lady who works there what the deal was and she told me that the police arrested him and then released him but that he hadn’t got his money back from them so he had no way to get home.
I received the prompting that I was supposed to drive him to his home right by Trolley Square. After I went to the restroom and got ready I went out and told him that I would take him home. He was really excited and got in the car.
The first few minutes he spent telling me about the injustice of his situation and explained to me that he had been arrested for marijuana possession even though he had a marijuana medical card. I kept my mouth shut while he droned on.Sometimes it is the hardest thing for me to do but miracles are happening all over the place I guess.
When he got done the spirit told me that I would be teaching the gospel to that young man and so I started talking to him. I was trying to figure out a way that I could possibly talk to this kid and touch him. He seemed hard and extremely angry.
I asked about his family and he said, my dad‘s 70 and he’s very LDS like you are. That gave me everything I needed. I knew that if his dad was LDS and very LDS that he had been taught the gospel in his younger years.
I said, well, that means you are LDS too. He said, not really. The spirit moved and impressed me what the next things were that I should say. I told him that he was angry that people in the church said things and did things that were hurtful. I told him that bishops and leaders aren’t perfect. He said, they’re not perfect, nobody is perfect. I could tell that he was thinking about himself and and his relationship with his leaders like I was talking about. I told him that the great thing about God’s church is that even though we are not perfect his authority is perfect and the callings he gives us are perfect.
I told him that the power that we have is perfect because it comes from God who is our father and he is perfect. I told him that God is our father and he loves us and that love is perfect.
The spirit testified of the love of our father in heaven in the car. I could feel his anger subside and it was replaced with the sweet feeling of the spirit. He was listening.
I told him that he had been deeply wounded by people who judged him. He said, yes, the most judgmental people I have ever met in my life are members of the church. He said it with anger and venom. I told him that may be true. I asked him what he didn’t like about their judgment and he said they judged him for his sins and they wouldn’t tolerate him or allow him room to be better or fail and then improve.
I asked him if he thought what they did was a sin and he said yes! I told him that I agreed, then I said that what they did was a sin but that they needed to receive from him the same kind of tolerance, forgiveness and love that he expected to receive from them.
Silence!
I asked, how can you expect them to love you in your sins if you’re not willing to love them in their sin? I told him that we all need to do better. I told him that he needs to go up to those people who are judging him, put his arm around them and tell them what great examples they are to him and ask them for their help. I told him that this would change everything.
He said, you know, you’re probably right! I said this is how we become more like God and follow him.
I told him that my perception was that he had sins that he had committed that he felt guilty about and therefore he was critical of his leaders and critical of other ward members. I said that you try to bring them down so you don’t feel so low.
Silence.
The spirit was everywhere in the car and we could both feel it. I asked him if he felt it and he said yes. I told him it was the spirit of God and that it was testifying that the things I was saying were true. I told him that the words I had spoken came from God and that’s why his spirit accompanied them.
I told him that this is how it goes. I told him that this is how Satan convinces us to turn our backs on the people who would love us and help us. He makes us feel shame and we can’t stand the glare of the light. I told him that reaching out to people would transform him and help him feel that love and walk in that light.
I asked him what it was that he told himself was the reason he left the church. I phrased it that way very purposefully so as not to legitimize a reason. He said, I left the church because none of it made sense. I believe there’s a God but all of that other stuff seems a little bit out there sometimes and I haven’t seen anything that would make me believe.
I talked to him about the Book of Mormon and said the book is true. I said I know that book is true because I’ve prayed and God has revealed it to me. I told him that the spirit we felt there in the car was confirming to him that the things I said were true and he said yes. I told him the Book of Mormon was true. He nodded.
I told him that if he wanted evidence, there is evidence. I told him about an ancient temple in Mexico built 700 years after Christ that has a depiction of the Godhead with a descending God. We agreed that it clearly represented the Godhead. I asked him how that could happen 700 years after Christ. I asked him how in the world that information could’ve gone to America 700 years A.D. He said he had no idea. I said I know, it’s in the Book of Mormon.
I told him that Jesus came to America and that is the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is about the preparation for Jesus‘s visit to America and the aftermath of Jesus‘s visit to America. It’s all about Jesus and his visit to America. It’s a testament of Christ. I told him that book is true and the spirit testified of it to us in the car. I could tell he was moved.
Sometimes when you testify the spirit bears witness and the power is overwhelming. This was one of those times.
I asked, “you never thought you’d feel this way again, did you?” When you felt the spirit when you were young you loved it but you’ve allowed Satan to tell you you don’t deserve it. You’ve allowed Satan to tell you that God doesn’t want you. You’ve allowed Satan to tell you that God doesn’t want you to pray and you’ve allowed Satan to tell you that you shouldn’t go to church.
I told him that those whispering in his ear saying these things were Satan. I told him that the Book of Mormon teaches that anyone who teaches a man not to pray or any thought that teaches a man not to pray is of Satan. I told him that likewise the Book of Mormon teaches that if there is any thought or person teaching not to go to church that person is also doing Satan‘s work.
I asked, how can you let him just walk all over you and win? How can you let Satan win? I told him you’re not a quitter and you can’t allow Satan to win. The spirit was really strong in the car and I said “the spirit is here because God sent me here tonight to pick you up”.
I said, look at the condition you’re in and where I found you. I told him there’s no chance on earth that I would ever pick him up and give him a ride but I did. I did it this time because God told me to. I told him this is how angels work and God had sent me to give him this message.
I told him God sent me so that he could know that God loves him and that he wants him back and that he shouldn’t listen to Satan. I said that he’s got to straighten his life out. I said “that seems like a long way away right now”
I told him that we need to pray every day and we need to repent every day. We need to remember the things that we do so that we can ask forgiveness from God and try to make better choices the next day. I told him that repenting every day is something our prophet has said is important and it will help us step by step come closer to God. I told him that everyone needs to do this from me to him to my wife to the prophet himself. Everyone needs to pray and repent every day.
I told him that if he would do this, God would help him. I told him that tonight God sent me to help him know that he was not a lost cause and that he needed to get about it. I asked him if he had a Book of Mormon, he nodded and said yes and I also have a mother.
He said “tomorrow morning I’ll call my mother, she needs to hear about this. I’ll go to church with her on Sunday because you are right. Tonight I was in a very vulnerable state and at my weakest point ever.
I then said, God sent me when your ears were open so that you could hear the words I had to say.
I told him, tonight in this car God has given me things to say that I should not know about you. Things that you haven’t told anyone and when I said them you were astounded that I knew them. You wondered how I knew them. I told him that God gave me promptings of those things to say so that he could know that the things I said were from God.
I told him God knows that you were at the perfect time to receive this message and so he sent it. I looked back and he was sobbing. A grown man just out of jail crying in my car. He said, I really needed this. I needed to feel this. I promise you I will call my mom and I will go to church.
I told him never forget who you are and that God knows who you are and now you know that he knows where you are and what you’re doing. He knows the promise you made here tonight.
He said, I am going to do the things that I told you I would do. He reached out to touch me and shake my hand. His face had transformed and his spirit was happy. His spirit had just spent 15 minutes with the spirit of his Heavenly father and it was excited.
He turned around and went in the house. I thought back on all of the things that went into putting me in that position to receive the prompting to say those words. Heavenly Father knew his son was in trouble and I’m glad that he sent me.
Sometimes God sends you a lift 