.One Wednesday I went out to work a little bit early and was picking up a couple rides. It seemed like every ride was going to the airport. I guess that’s what happens sometimes. The problem with the airport is that you’re at the airport and it doesn’t always work out so well financially.
I followed the directions to get to this kid, and soon found that I was up at the University of Utah in the President Circle area. He got in the car and immediately I knew there was something really neat about this kid. He really had that, “I’m going to be a member” feel and the spirit told me unequivocably that this young man would be baptized. The spirit told me he was ready and that this ride was important. I started paying attention really quick to what the spirit was whispering at that point. I started talking to him about what he was doing.
He said he was here at the school on his orientation trip and that he would be starting in the fall. He said he loved it so far. I asked him why he decided to come to Utah. He said, first and foremost, snowboarding, I love to snowboard.
Then he said that his grandparents had a place in St. George and he had always liked the people in Utah. He said everyone was so nice and he was excited to be a part of that. As we were driving down the hill, we talked more about the people here in Utah.
He said that he had not had any bad interactions with anybody. I asked him how he thought he would fit in and he said just great. He said that he had gone to a junior college in California, but he was looking for more of a real college experience. That’s why he was excited to come here.
He asked me if I went to the University of Utah, and I said, no. I went to BYU. I told him that my grandmother was one of the first women to graduate from the university back around 1915. I then made it clear that even though we are proud of her legacy, we had repented and started wearing blue.
I told him that today universities made it really hard on people of faith. He said he knew that was true. He said he had friends all over the place. They were losing their faith because they were in school.
He said he was not going to be one that lost his faith in Jesus Christ. I told him that at the University of Utah they hit at your faith that really hard, with an emphasis on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He said, I heard that. You would think that they would be nicer to the Mormons here in Utah, but I’ve heard that they can be very anti.
I told him that whatever he did he should get his information from the people over at the Institute building and not from his professors. He laughed and said he would do that.
As we drove down, Second South towards the freeway, so we could go to the airport he said, “Are we going to drive by the temple on the way out?” This was the kind of an opening that I’d been waiting for, and I said, yes, if you want to, we will. He said that would be cool and off we went. We went up West Temple around North Temple and back down Sate Street to fifth South on the way to the airport, passing the temple on three sides.
As we drove around the temple, we discussed his beliefs. I asked him what religion he was and he said that he was Christian. He said that he hadn’t been Christian for very long, but that he wanted to follow Jesus Christ. I told him it’s really important that we follow Jesus Christ! That’s why the name of our church is the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints.
I asked him if he knew what the differences were between our religion and his. He said, I believe it’s Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. You guys believe in the Book of Mormon instead of the Bible.
He asked me, is that true, did I get it right? I said it’s partially true we believe in the Book of Mormon! It is an other testament of Christ. We believe in the Book of Mormon as a companion to the New Testament and the Old Testament. I told him all three are testaments of Jesus Christ. He said, oh you believe in the Bible too? I said yes! We also believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God just like the Bible. I told him that we believe that the Book of Mormon is more pure because it hasn’t been translated and changed so many times. He said, that’s a good point.
I used the old missionary adage with him about pounding a nail in a board. I said when you pound the nail in the board you can still move the board but if you put a second nail in that board it becomes immovable. I said that is the value of having a second testament of Jesus Christ, a second testimony that he is the son of God.
I said, with that second testimony that board doesn’t move and the truth is firm. He said, I love that it’s great. I said yes! Do you believe God loves everyone, that we’re all his children, and that he loves us no matter when we were born or where we were born? He said yes! God loves everyone! He created everyone and he is our father!
I said, that is the basis for everything we believe. I told him that we believe everything that he believes except that we have more. I asked him to look at the temple and he did. I said we do really important things in these buildings. He said, what are they? I told him that when Jesus was crucified, his spirit went to the spirit world and taught the people that had not heard the gospel or had not yet accepted the gospel there in the spirit world. I told him, Jesus set that teaching up and that work still continues today. Every person, no matter where they were or when they were born is taught the gospel because of what Jesus did during that three days when his body lay in the tomb before his resurrection.
He said, that’s really cool. I’ve never thought of that. I asked him what those people would want to do after they had received those teachings. He said, they would want to follow Jesus. I told him that he was right, but that they needed to be baptized before they could go to heaven. I asked him how someone that was born 500 years ago in China could be baptized 500 years after they died.
He said, I don’t know, that doesn’t seem fair. I asked him if God was a father that would not be unfair to his children. He said, no! He would totally be fair. I said, that’s what we do in that building. We go in there and are baptized for someone who has died. I told him that the person then gets a chance to accept it or reject it.
I told him, it’s a perfect plan so that every one of God’s children has a chance to come home to him. I asked him if that sounded more like the God that he believed in. He said, yeah! That does sound right. I told him that in those buildings we also do marriages.
I told him that I was married in that building and when we are married in that building we’re not married until death do us part, we are married for eternity. I told him that our families are sealed to us. I told him that Peter got authority from Jesus to seal things on the earth that would be sealed in heaven.
I told him that Peter gave that authority to Joseph Smith by laying his hands on his head conferring it upon him. I told him that today we have that same authority and we seal our families. I told him that’s why our families are so important. He said, that’s amazing.
He said, I never knew all these cool things that you believe. There was a really peaceful, strong feeling in the car and I asked him, do you believe those things are true? He said, yes, no question, yes I do. I’ve never thought of these things, but as you say them, I believe they are true.
I told him that he had mentioned Joseph Smith. I asked him where he had learned about Joseph Smith. He said that he had a very good friend who is a member of our church. He said his friend talked to him about Joseph Smith and even took him to church a couple times. He said he loved that friend and he had always loved the fact that their family was so strong and that he felt such a good feeling when he was there.
I told him that that feeling was the Holy Ghost and that he loved being there because the spirit of God was there. I told him he is a son of God and he loves being in the presence of the spirit of God.
I asked him if that family had taught him about temples and if they had been married forever. He said yes, he thought so, but it didn’t really sink in like it had today. I asked him what else they taught him.
He said that they taught him about Joseph Smith and the Joseph Smith story. I said that’s really important. I stopped and bore testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the first vision and the book of Mormon. The spirit amplified my testimony at that point and I could tell he was feeling what I was saying.
I asked him if he felt that, and he said yes, oh my goodness I do! I said, what does it feel like? He said a peaceful fire ball of energy. He says it makes me want to go do something. I told him that is because it is true. This is why that feeling is in your heart. It is God testifying to you of the truthfulness of the things that I said. I asked him what he knew about the Book of Mormon and he said not much. I told him that God had prophets in America because that’s how he blesses his children. He gives them prophets and then he gives the prophets revelation to bless his children. I told him God had prophets in America and they wrote down these prophecies that God gave them on metal plates. They passed these plates down from prophet to prophet until they were buried in the ground and centuries latter given to Joseph Smith to translate.
I told him these prophets wrote about Jesus Christ. These prophets testified about Jesus Christ and about his divinity. I told him that these prophets taught almost excessively about Jesus Christ.
I told him that in the Bible, Jesus said other sheep I have, which are not his fold, and that he was commanded by his father to go to them. I told him that these prophets had told the people that Jesus would come to them, and he did. He descended from heaven, and stood on the steps of the temple, and they worshiped him. I told him that he commanded them to be baptized to a new level. I told him that this was the same level we had been talking about today, where God brings his gospel to all of his children, no matter when they lived, and no matter where they lived. On this new level God makes it so that we can live together forever as families in the family of God. He said, that’s amazing.
We arrived at the airport and he said I’ve got a few more minutes can we talk longer? I turned off my app and said sure. We pulled into the waiting parking lot by the Chevron and talked some more. I told him that when Jesus got here he had the people touch the prints of the nails in his hands and then his feet. They knew who he was because they had been taught. They had been looking for him and awaiting his arrival. He said that is so cool!
I told him that Jesus invited them to be baptized, cleanse their sins and to step up to that new level. I told him that now Jesus was inviting him to be baptized and take that step up.
He said, I haven’t been baptized yet, I was thinking about doing it this fall. Before leave for school I thought I should be baptized. I was going to be baptized in another church. I said, wouldn’t you like to be baptized by your friend? I asked him how old his friend was and he said 21. I asked him if his friend went to church all the time, and he said yes. I said, likely your friend would be able to baptize you. How would that be?
He said that would be amazing! I would love that! That’s what I want!
I told him that his friend, like me, as the priesthood of God. That is the authority that Jesus gave to his disciples in America to baptize. I told him we have that authority today and that his friend has that authority and that he can use it to baptize him.
I told him that the authority of God is an amazing blessing. It allows us to do the things God would do if he were here. I told him that through the priesthood we can give blessings of health or comfort and officiate in the ordinances that save us.
I told him that the word of God is powerful and great, but acting upon those words and using his power is another level. This is what what God would have us do. He said I can see that.
I told him that we have a prophet today who guides the church. He looked shocked. He said, really, a prophet? I said yes.
He asked, he speaks with God? I said, yes! I said he lives right here in Salt Lake City. I told him that he used to be a doctor and a teacher at the University of Utah school of medicine. He laughed and said things have changed a lot apparently, haven’t they. I laughed and said yes.
He asked, what is his name? I said Russell M Nelson. He said, I would like to see him or read some things that he has said. I told him that all of his talks are published and that through the church app he could download the conference sessions and read what all of the apostles and prophets have to say.
He looked at the app and said he would do that on the flight.
He said, there has been such power in our discussion today. I felt the spirit of God and I know the things we’ve discussed are true. I said, well, when you have a powerful feeling like that what does it require of you? He said, it means I have to act! I said, that’s right, you have to act. I asked him what he was going to do and he said he was going to go to his friend and ask him about it.
I said, I have a better idea, go to your friend and tell him what you have felt and learned in the car. Tell him that you want to be baptized. He said, that’s exactly what I’ll do! I want to be baptized! That is what I’m going to do! We left the parking lot and drove up to the departure point. I said to him, you know it’s not a mistake that you were in my car today.
I told him that God put him in my car, and he said, I felt that the second I got in. I felt safe and I felt the spirit of God. He said, when you testified I knew the things you were saying were true and now I know I have to act. It was no coincidence that I was in your car and I know God put me here because I need to take this step. I need to step up.
He got out of the car and waved and said one last time, I promise I’m going to call my friend as soon as I get through security.
Now, that’s a ride to the airport!
Sometimes God sends you a lift 