I was driving one day and got a ride to take a young lady from the Gateway to her home in Rose Park. On the way we talked about life and where we had lived, etc. She was very nebulous on how long she had lived here. She said that she lived in Kansas for a while because she played sports at University of Kansas. She told me that she had gone to West High School before going to Kansas.
I got excited and asked her if she was going to be coming to Provo to watch her team later on this year? She said yes!
I felt that the spirit wanted me to start talking to her about the gospel and I was looking for a way to start it. I asked her what languages she spoke. She had a Hawaiian name and I expected to hear that she was from the islands. To my surprise she said that she spoke Chuukese. She said that I had probably never heard of Chuuk. I smiled!
In the MTC when I was assistant executive secretary, I worked with the international missionaries that came into the MTC. Some of those elders were from Chuuk. One of the things that these elders from Chuuk had in common was that they were very free spirited and didn’t seem to feel restrained by rules that otherwise might be an issue for some others.
They were very loving and had wonderful spirits but it was hard for them to learn to follow rules because their culture didn’t have a lot of rules and it was not their culture to be precise in things like that.
I relayed this to her and she laughed. Her dad was from Chuuk and he was exactly like that. She said that I nailed that culture 100%.
I asked her if she had any friends that went on missions and if any of them went to Chuuk. She said that she didn’t know that there were any missionaries in Chuuk but that this would’ve blown her mind.
I told her that there are missionaries in Chuuk and all over the world because God loves all of his children no matter where they were born and he sent his son to all of his children and not just a few in Jerusalem.
She said that she really didn’t have a religion but that she was glad I brought it up because she had been looking to find a religious belief that could be her compass in life.
I said, that this belief should start with your father in heaven and he loves you so much that he sent his son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for you. I told her that he loved her so much that he not only sent his son to Jerusalem but then to other sheep in America and later to others. I told her that it’s possible that some of her ancestors had been in the presence of Jesus Christ.
She beamed and the spirit was in the car. I said, do you feel that? She said, yes. I said, it’s because it’s true! It’s because your Heavenly Father loves you and he sent his son Jesus Christ for you and for your ancestors.
I told her that those missionaries from Chuuk knew that and the one thing that brings us all together is our love and belief in Jesus Christ. I asked her if she had a copy of the Book of Mormon. She said no! I told her that the Book of Mormon was a copy of the revelations received by the prophets in America because God loved them just like he loved the people who were living in Israel. I told her that they wrote down their prophecies, including the account of the visit of Jesus Christ to America.
I told her Jesus Christ had said in the Bible that he was going to go to his other sheep that were not in Jerusalem and then in America he said still other sheep I have. He taught them, loved them, and gave them baptism.
I told her that baptism is very important and when Jesus came they felt the prints of the nails in his hands and his feet. They asked him to save them and the way he saved them was he gave them baptism so that they could be clean.
I told her the baptism cleanses us and makes us able to be in the presence of God. I told her that the Holy Ghost, which is what she was feeling right now, confirms that and once she is baptized it can go with her forever.
She said, I like how I’m feeling right now! She said, can you really baptize somebody when they’re old like me? (I laughed because this old lady was like 24 years old). I said, yes, that’s why your friends went on missions. They went on missions to baptize people and bring them closer to God. They went on missions to baptize old people like her so that they could repent and be clean. She said, I want that.
I pulled out a Book of Mormon, I t’s one of the books prepared by the Secrists, and I asked her if she wanted it. She very enthusiastically said yes! She said, I wanted to start a journey and this seems like a good place to begin.
I asked her how good of friends she was with some of her return missionary friends. She said, I’m very good friends with them. I asked her to give them a call today and tell them about being in the car and getting the Book of Mormon and feeling the confirmation from the Spirit of God. As I said that the spirit was there in abundance.
I asked her if she felt that and she said yes. I told her that this was the spirit of God testifying to her that the things that we were saying were true. She said, I believe it. I told her it means that she needs to be baptized and become clean. She said, I know that!.
She said, I am going to start reading this book and I’m going to call my friend. She said, here we go! She thanked me and got out of the car.
I did a U-turn and started to drive away, and she was still standing on the corner. I rolled down my window and said, it was not a coincidence that you were in my car today. God put you here to get that book, this knowledge and feel this spirit. She said, I was just thinking the same thing! This is too weird, but I know it’s true.
I waved and drove off.
As I was driving off, I got another ride that was close by in Rose Park. I was in a bit of a hurry and thought about not taking this ride but I received a strong impression that I needed to take it. Still awash in the spirit from the previous ride the prompting was an unmistakable commandment.
When I arrived, I picked up a young man who had a Spanish name and I pronounced it in Spanish. I asked, is that how you pronounce it? He said, nobody but my mom pronounces it that way. We laughed.
This young man may have been Latino in heritage but he didn’t speak Spanish and he had never been outside of the state. We talked about that for a minute.
I looked back in the mirror and saw a young man with tattoos on his neck and face and big hoop gauge earrings embedded into his earlobe, which had been stretched and elongated to accommodate them. These discs that had been inserted into his ears were probably 2 1/2 to 3 inches across so it was very noticeable.
As we talked, I reminisced on the experience I just had with the young lady. As I was thinking about the previous experience, the spirit whispered to me “he wants to be clean too”. The spirit said that he was beaten down and lied to by Satan. It has got to be exhausting to have no hope through Jesus Christ and his atonement. I could feel that exhaustion.
I jumped right in because it was a short ride and I said I learned to speak Spanish on my mission. I asked him if he knew what we did on missions and he said no. I told him that we teach about Jesus Christ and God‘s love for all of his children.
I told him that Heavenly Father loved him. I told him he was a son of his Heavenly Father, similar to how he was a son of his mother. I told him that Heavenly Father was the father of his spirit and that his Heavenly Father loved him. I told him that he loved his Heavenly Father but just didn’t remember.
I told him that his spirit recognized the presence of his father and wanted to be in his presence. I taught him about the Garden of Gethsemane and how Jesus paid for all of our sins so that we could be clean. He said, I don’t really believe in a religion. I told him that there are a lot of people that start out not knowing which religion to believe in.
I told him that Joseph Smith started out that way. I told him that he prayed and that God visited him and called him to be a prophet to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ. I told him that this is what can happen when you ask God and have faith in God.
I told him that God wouldn’t appear to him but God would send answers and he would send people to help. I told him that these people would help him find his way. The spirit was strong and he said, you mean like you and his ride! I said, yes. God sent me here today and put you in my car so that you could hear these things and help you feel what you’re feeling right now. I told him this feeling was the presence of his father in heaven. This is how it felt when he was with his father and his spirit loved this.
He said, it’s actually pretty incredible. I’ve never felt like this and I love it. I told him that this was the spirit of God and that’s how he knew that the things that I was saying were true. I told him that God sent his son to pay for our sins,our injustices, and our fears so that we could turn to him and be made whole. This way we wouldn’t have to ache from the pain of this world. All of this struck a chord.
He asked, so Jesus dying on the cross was not just about sin but it was about everything? I said yes.
I told him that after Jesus was resurrected he came to America where he taught and loved the people here and then gave them baptism. I told him that baptism is the door that we need to go through to get to the presence of God. I told him that once people are baptized, God sends his spirit so that they have a right to walk with God if they are worthy of his spirit. I asked him how it would be if he were able to feel like he felt right now, anytime he wanted. He said that would be amazing. I told him that I sense that he had a lot of pain and anger in his soul and he said he did. I said that what I am teaching him will help him heal.
He said he wanted to heal, he said that this is just what he needs. He said that he had been looking to break away from the cycle he had been trapped in for the last few years. He wanted to break away from those friends and break away from those things and find a community that could lift him. He told me that what he was feeling right then was a really good start.
I told him that there had been prophets in America in the ancient days. I told him that the ancestors of his mother and his ancestors had listened to those prophets and had been taught by them. I told him that Jesus came to America and that he blessed the people, loved them and gave them the same baptism that we have today so that they could be clean. I told him that he gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost so they could walk with God.
I told him that God had a plan for him. I told him that God had work for him to do and that he needed him in his kingdom. I told him that he was very important. I told him that Satan had been telling him that he was dirty and worthless and of no value. I told him that’s not true and that Satan is a liar. I told him that God needed him and had provided a way for him to become clean so that he could walk with God.
He said, you keep mentioning becoming clean. This is something that I have been interested in lately. I want to change. I told him that the prophets who have been in America had written their prophecies, including the visit of Jesus Christ and that we have those prophecies. I told him that they were contained in the Book of Mormon. He said, I’ve heard of that!
I told him that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and it was the revelations given to his ancestors. I asked him if he thought that would be important and he said “very important.” I asked him if he would like to have that book and he said he would. He said that he loved to read and that he had been reading in his Bible but would love to read the Book of Mormon if it has anything to do with his ancestors. The spirit in the car was really strong. I looked back and saw this tattooed pierced young man with an excitement in his eyes for what he was hearing. I could see the effect of the spirit in the car on his countenance. I knew he was sincere.
I grabbed a copy of the Book of Mormon and asked, would you like a copy of this book? He said yes, where do I get one. I said, this is your book. He said, just like that you’re going to give me your book? I said that this is a book specially prepared for people who are looking to find more knowledge and light. I showed him the questions of the soul and where to find the answers. He said, these are all my questions. He said, I can’t wait to get started. He said, I’ll finish this in a couple weeks.
I asked him if he had friends that were members of the church and he said no. At first I was puzzled by this because living in Utah you have to know people that are members of the church. Then it came to me that he ran in such circles that no one would ever admit to being a member of the church or having ever been a member of the church amongst these people.
I said, a block from your house, there was a church. He said, yes. I said, go there on Sunday morning and tell them that you got this book and you want someone to help you understand how to be happy.
I told him that they would open up their arms and love him. I told him that the meetings would be at nine and 11. He said that he would do 11. I laughed and said, I don’t blame you.
He said, I’ve been thinking about this whole knowledge and light thing for a long time and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you pulled up today and gave me both. I’m going to do exactly what you said.
We arrived at his work and he said, my whole perspective has changed today. Knowing that God has a plan for me makes all the difference in the world. He got out of the car and went into work.
This guy was one rough looking character and the spirit had to help me look on his countenance the way God looks on his countenance to understand what was in his heart. I don’t believe I would’ve done that if I hadn’t already been on a high spiritual plane from the first ride that had my heart open like it was for the second ride. God prepared me for the second ride by sending me the first ride and I’m so grateful.
Sometimes God sends you a lift 