One Saturday night I got a call to pick up a girl at a restaurant on State Street. When I picked her up, she was in a group of women and they were hugging and embracing. She came over and got in the car and we started off.
When she got her seatbelt on she said, “wow! I just had something incredible happen”. I asked her what it was and she said that she had been at dinner with these people she had known for a while socially, but that she didn’t know them personally. She didn’t know their life story very well. They were considered her acquaintances, not close friends she said.
She said that while they were at dinner, she had the thought come to her mind that she was to turn to the lady and tell her that her husband, who had passed, wanted her to know that it wasn’t her fault and she needed to stop beating herself up over it. The woman in my car didn’t even know that her husband had passed or anything regarding the circumstances of that death. She then turned to the daughter of the lady who was there and told her that she was worried that her dad didn’t love her, but she needed her to know that he did love her and that he sends his love. She said that everyone got emotional and asked her how she knew this. They all were shocked and emotional.
She told me that she never had anything like this happen to her before. She said that she just felt the overwhelming urge to say these things and she needed to say them. She said that for some reason she felt like she should talk to me now. She asked me what I thought about that.
She said she was pretty freaked out.
I really didn’t think this young lady was a member of the church based on the vibe I was getting from her. If this was a member of the church, I would easily jump in to talking about gifts of the spirit and how Heavenly Father gives us gifts to bless other people. I would tell a member of the church that we are given gifts of the spirit so that we can serve others, bless others and that if we want to get additional gifts of the spirit, Heavenly Father can give us that blessing as long as we are trying to use that gift to bless his children.
That’s what I would tell a member of the church, but again she didn’t seem like a member of the church. The spirit, however, started telling me that I needed to teach this. The spirit was quite forceful with me, indicating the importance of this, and so I taught it. I told her that when we’re baptized we are clean and we get the gift of the Holy Ghost. I told her that with the gift of the Holy Ghost, comes these gifts of the spirit. This is how our Heavenly Father blesses his children. He blesses them through each of us.
I told her that our father in heaven really is her father. That she spent thousands of years with him, she loved him and he loved her. The spirit overwhelmed the car while I was testifying of the father’s love for her, and I could tell she felt it.
I told her that when we’re in the presence of the spirit of our father in heaven, he can help us, guide us, bless us and give us joy. I asked her what she was feeling right then and she said she felt like her mind was opening up, and her heart was opening up at the same time. She said she felt peaceful, calm and excited all at the same time. I told her that this was the spirit of God testifying of the things I was teaching. I told her that Heavenly Father has us do his work for him, we are his hands.
I told her that Heavenly Father gives us the words to say that he would say if he were there. He gives us the words to say that touch people in such a way that they can know that it’s his will and that the things we’re saying are true.
I shared a couple of experiences with her where Heavenly Father had blessed me with the words to say. I told her he gives me those words so that the person can know that the words I say come from God. I told her there’s no way I could know those words. God had to have given them to me and because of that they know that what I’m saying is true.
When I was done saying this, she said, I know a little bit about this because I was baptized and received this gift of the Holy Ghost when I was a child. She said I was eight and I remember getting the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This made a lot of sense to me. Boy, was I glad that I had talked about spiritual gifts as the spirit had directed me when she first said this about receiving these revelations. I didn’t know what to think because I was not exactly sure if you could have a gift of the spirit if you’re not a baptized member who has the gift of the Holy Ghost. I don’t know how that works but I knew and I am familiar with what she was experiencing. When I found out she was a member it all came together.
Now that I knew she was a member of the church, the spirit told me that this was a great opportunity to teach her about her father in heaven’s love and help her resolve issues and come back to him. One thing I knew is that she hadn’t been active. She told me she hadn’t been to church since she was 10.
I asked her why she hadn’t been to church. She told me the story of their family. She said that they were from Columbia. They moved here when she was very young and they were living in a ward with a bishop they knew pretty well. She said that they had neighbors that were African-American. Her family, being Hispanic felt a certain kinship to that family and started fellowshipping them.
The bishop told them that they should not have anything to do with that family. He said that this was not the kind of family that they wanted in the ward or at ward events.
The family was so offended that they decided they wouldn’t go back to church. She said, “that’s why we left the church, because there are racist people in the church”.
I asked her if it was OK if I spoke straight forward to her and she said yes. I said one thing I know about human beings is that we are horrible animals and we do and say horrible things. That’s why we have Jesus Christ so that when somebody says something or does something that offends us or hurts us, we can turn to him.
I also said, that’s why we have Jesus Christ so that we can turn to him and repent when we fall short. I told her it was all part of the plan. I explained to her that when somebody makes a mistake and does something hideous like she had experienced, we have a choice to look to Christ, and have him use the power of the atonement to lift us and lift our burdens or to look to see and blame God and follow satan. I told her that these were the two options.
I asked her how long it had been since she prayed to God. She said she hadn’t prayed to God for years. Since she was 10 years old she had been calling him a sky genie. She said right now that sounds very wrong to say but that’s what I’ve called him.
I doubled down and said, well now you know that he is your father and that he loves you. You’re his daughter and that love is central to who you are. I told her that this love fills a hole in her life that she has been trying to fill with other beliefs and other endeavors but hasn’t found a way to scratch the itch. I told her that she drinks and has done some drugs, but that didn’t fill it either.
I told her that this space is intended for the spirit and power of God and that’s the only thing that can satisfy you in that space. I asked her how she felt right now and she said amazing. I said this is how you feel when the spirit occupies that space.
She said thank you for explaining it like that. My mind is opening and I am understanding what you’re saying. I told her that in her life since she was 10 she’s gone around looking at members of the church and thinking bad thoughts about them. She said that was true. I told her that she thought that they were judgmental, harsh and rude. She said that this was true. I told her that none of those things are true. I told her that there are members of the church that are bad and there are members of the church who do bad things, but that by and large the members of the church are very good and trying to get better.
I told her that it was Satan who told her those things, who whispered those things in her ear, who whispered in her ear when she passed by the church, or by the temple, which is only a couple blocks from her house and told her that the people in there were hypocrites.
I told her that Satan is a liar. He’s the father of lies and lies about everything. He says we should do the opposite of what God would have us do.
I told her the story about the stake president stealing my great grandfather‘s cows. We discussed what a big deal that would’ve been back in the 1800s. I told her that my great grandfather left the church and because of that the vast majority of my father’s family are not members of the church or active.
I told her that they’re alcoholics, and that my grandfather was an alcoholic, and he beat my father. I told her that rarely in that family does someone have a marriage that works and no one is happy. I told her it’s all because they left the church.
Then I asked her why my great grandfather left the church and she said to punish the stake president. I asked her who actually got punished? She thought about it for a minute and a light came on. She said, your great grandfather punished himself and his family. I said that’s exactly right.
I talked to her more about the atonement and about how Jesus not only paid for our sins so that we can be cleansed of sin, but also our infirmities and the injustices and all of the pains and sufferings we could go through in this world. I told her that Jesus actually suffered those so that he could have the power to lift us. I told her my great grandfather should’ve looked to Christ.
I told her that this way when people do stupid things, satan will lose power with them if they look to Christ. Christ makes it all right.
There was stunned silence. She said this is amazing. I want to learn more. I want to know more! I pulled out a Book of Mormon, one of the ones prepared by the Secrist’s, and asked her if she had a copy. She said no she hadn’t seen a copy in many years. I asked her if she wanted that copy and she said she would love it.
I had her open to the questions of the soul and read those. She said, oh my gosh! These are the questions that have been coming to my mind lately. She said I need the answers to these questions. I told her that they were in the book. I told her that if she would read that book, she would feel the spirit and get the answers to those questions.
I asked her what else she thought she might need to do. She said, I think I need to pray! I said, that’s exactly right. You need to study the Book of Mormon and you need to pray. I said what else do you need to do? And she said, in a timid, unassured voice, I think I need to go to church. I said that’s right. You need to go to church and get right with God and then you can have his power supporting you, lifting you and helping you bless others.
She said that would be awesome. She said she wanted to do that. She said I’m going to start tonight reading this Book of Mormon. She said, it’s been a long time. I should have done this a long time ago.
I asked her if she knew anybody that was a member of the church and she said she knew people back where she used to live. I asked her if she knew anyone around here and she said that there were people at work. She said she worked at Primary Children’s Hospital and she knew some of the doctors were really good members of the church.
I told her to go to them and tell them about what we had felt in the car and talk to them about this experience. Then show them the Book of Mormon and ask them what they thought. I told her that they would be able to help her.
By this time we had been sitting in front of her house for 10 minutes. There was somebody who pulled up behind us and we needed to move. We drove around the block so that we could have a few more minutes. She didn’t want to leave the spirit.
I told her that Heavenly father puts people in my car. I told her that it was no mistake that today when she had this experience that Heavenly Father put me there to help her make sense of it. I told her that Heavenly Father put her in my car because he loves her so much and he wants her back.
There were tears in her eyes and she said, this makes way too much sense right now. I know what you’re telling me is true. I told her that there’s no such thing as coincidence and that Heavenly Father had a plan for her, including receiving this today. She told me that this had been the most remarkable half hour of her life. She told me that the light and knowledge that she was receiving and experiencing was incredible. She told me that it was clear to her that she is experiencing an awakening, and that she intends to take advantage of it. She told me that I had answered the question she had for quite some time, and that I had done the same thing to her that she had been able to do for those ladies by following the spirit.
I could tell that the spirit was in the process of changing this young woman’s heart, even as we spoke.
She said, I love this and I want this. I know she did and I believe she will run with it.
Sometimes God sends you a lift 