One day it was really slow and I was downtown trying to pile up a number of rides. It was very frustrating and I decided that I would take any ride no matter where it went. Financially, that’s a losing decision but I was bored. As soon as I made the decision, I got a ride. It went all the way down to Taylorsville.
I thought, Taylorsville? Well, I guess I’m bored, so off I went.
I picked up a guy at a convenience store where he had just gotten off work. I asked him how his day was going and he said that it was not really going very well. I asked him what was wrong and he said that they had just gotten a new process implemented at work that he had to train his people on. His wife was upset at him for spending so much time at work.
I talked to him about what a crazy little tight rope walk that can be. It’s difficult sometimes to strike that balance between being home and being at work and it’s something that both people have to do. We talked about it for a while.
This spirit prompted me very strongly that it was time to get into a religious discussion with this young man. I got the impression that if I started the spirit would back me up in whatever direction I decided to go. Just go! I started by talking how important families are.
He opened up about his family and his past. He had been in prison for many years and when he got out of prison he was addicted to drugs for a while. While he was addicted to drugs, he met his wife. He cleaned up and left that life behind with her help. He said he was very grateful for her.
She was from Cuba and he was American. He told me that he guessed what it took to pull him out of the life he was in was a Cuban communist and then he laughed. I told him that there were two things that he should always remember. One is that given the past he should always work to make sure that his wife and family know and feel that he loves them.
The second thing I told him came very powerfully from the spirit as a prompting for me to say. I told him that he needed to know that his Heavenly Father loved him. I told him that he wasn’t an accident, that he was loved and that he had purpose. I told him that part of that purpose was his family.
I asked him if he had ever heard of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. He said, the Mormons? I said, yes. He said, I’m Catholic but while I was in prison the Catholics never visited me. He said, the Mormons visited me every week. He said it with such fondness in his voice and I could tell that he was remembering those times. I could see it in his face as I looked in the mirror.
I asked, every week huh? He said, Yep. I told him that I know the person that was in charge of the ministry program for the church at the prison. He said, what’s his name? I said his name is Clarke. I said, that’s his last name and that I don’t know his first name because we called him Elder.
It was Elder Don R Clarke who used to be in the 70’s and is now emeritus. He used to be on the missionary committee and I met him several times at the MTC. His most recent assignment to my knowledge was that of district president in the Utah state penitentiary. We corresponded throughout the years and this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve talked to him about people that he’s ministered to in prison. I smiled and figured that it was just par for the course.
I asked him how those visits made him feel, and he said that it was one of the few things that got him through. I told him that from those visits he should know that God loves him. I told him that the spirit they brought with them was something I believed that he remembered and held on to. He said, that’s very true and very personal.
I told him that it was no accident that he was here in the car today and that during those visits in prison, the spirit of God had laid the groundwork for him to be happy and make it through after his encarceration ended.
I told him that in the church we take on the responsibility to do the things that God would do or that Jesus would do if they were here. I told him that one of the things that makes this possible is the fact that we have the priesthood of God. I told him that every worthy father, in every home, has the ability to lay his hands on his children’s head, bless them and heal them both spiritually and physically. I told him that every husband has the ability to lay his hands on his wife’s head and give her blessings as well. I asked him if he thought this would help his relationship? He said, “that’s amazing, it sure would!”
I told him that God loves everyone and he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to feel our pain. He felt the pain of the injustice, the sickness, the stress and the despair. He suffered this for us. I told him that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins so that we could be clean, even after everything bad we had done we could still be clean.
I said, Satan tells you that you’re dirty and because of what’s happening and what you’ve done, you can’t ever be clean or worthy to stand in God‘s presence. That’s a lie. I said that Satan lies, that’s what he does and he whispers those lies to you non stop. Every time it is a lie. Jesus Christ can make you clean.
He said, that sounds wonderful and those are a lot of sins! I told him that the spirit that he was feeling today in the car made him feel an assurance that if he would make that a part of his life, he could be happier. His life would have better outcomes with Jesus.
He said, I believe you. I told him that after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, he said he had other sheep that were not of that fold and then he came to America. This young man was of Mexican descent but spoke zero Spanish. I told him that Jesus came to America to his ancestors and he blessed them. I said that this blessing from Jesus was upon them and their posterity. I told him that Jesus gave them baptism and commanded that they all be baptized.
I told him that through baptism we can become clean as if we had never sinned. I asked him if that sounded good and he said yes, really good. I told him that this was meant for him. He thought for minute and said, that’s crazy! I told him that when Jesus was in America, he said he was going to go to God‘s sheep that were not in America or in Jerusalem. I told him that God is the God of everyone not just the God of Jerusalem.
I asked him if he had children scattered all over the world, and he had unlimited money and ability to travel, which ones would he go see? He said he would go see all of them. I said, that’s right, our Heavenly Father sent his son to his children, for his children, and to be with his children.
He said, I love my children. My daughter is struggling a lot right now. He said, she’s lesbian. I asked him how old she was and he said 15 years old. He said, she liked boys and girls but she’s got a girlfriend right now. He asked me how we treated people with same-sex attraction in the church. I said, we love them. I said, we include them. I told him that they can come to the parties and go to the meetings. I told him that it is a sin, but it’s not a reason for them to be shunned or abused . I told him that everyone sins and everyone needs to repent for their sins. I said that the church is a hospital for the sick not a museum for the perfect. I looked at him and said, I promise you that if you will stay close to God and do the things that he needs you to do and stay close to her, when things falls apart, she will come back to you. I told him that Satan picks us up and takes us for a ride and drops us somewhere between Battle Mountain and Winnemucca.
He laughed out loud and he said, I’ve been out there and that’s horrible. He said, furthermore, Satan did that to me and it was horrible. He said, I want my daughter to have a good place to land. I told him that what I’m talking about here today are the things that he needs to do.
I asked him if he had a copy of the Book of Mormon, and he said no. He said, they wouldn’t let them have very many books in prison. He said that he never checked one out from the library. I told him that the Book of Mormon was God‘s revelations to the prophets who were in America. He looked up. I said, yes, God had prophets in America just like he had prophets in Israel and they received revelations from God. They were commanded to write them down. I told him, that’s why we have the Bible and that’s why we have the Book of Mormon.
I told him that one of those prophets delivered that book to a prophet in modern time named Joseph Smith who translated the book. The spirit was really strong in the car and I could tell he was feeling it as I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon. He said, that’s incredible. I said, that book is proof that God loves all of his children, no matter where they live, no matter when they lived or no matter what they’ve done. He said, I feel that, that speaks to me.
I told him that this book is God‘s way of gathering his children who have been scattered or have gone astray so that they can come home.
I asked him if he wanted me to give him a Book of Mormon and he said, yes! I reached into my glove box and asked, do you want Spanish or English? I was thinking about that Cuban communist he had at home and didn’t know how much English she spoke. He said, do you have one of each I could have? I said, yes. He grabbed them both eagerly and said I can’t wait to get started reading these.
I asked him if he had friends that were members of the church and he said yes. I asked him to talk to them and he said he would. I said, before you talk to them, I want to know about what you felt in the car today. I want you to tell me what you’re feeling in your heart.
He said, that’s an interesting question and that you would ask it right now is perfect timing. When we first started the ride, I thought you were just chatting to make conversation and that it was going to be more annoying white noise. Then when you started to talk about religion, I thought, oh no, here we go. Then something changed. Something in the car changed. The feeling in the car changed. I knew that everything you were saying was true and that it was meant for me.
I told him that this was the spirit of God and this is how he helps us know what’s true. I told him that God sent his spirit so he would know the words I was saying were the words he would say, if he were here. He said, I believe that.
He said, I’ve never thought of it like this but if I show God that I love him, my family will see that. If I show devotion to God, I think it will make things better with my family. I said, can you imagine your wife’s reaction to you wanting to read scriptures and say prayers? He said she would be thrilled.
He said, this is a good head start. I will follow up with my friends and will read these books. He thanked me for the two books and got out of the car. He said, I’ve got a lot to repair and a lot to make up for. He said, this might be just the thing I have needed He looked back and he had a smile on his face. You know that smile and that look that somebody has when they’ve just been enlightened by the spirit? That’s what he had and it was amazing to see.
Now he has the tools he needs and I trust in God who brought me to him. God brought him hope in prison, will bring him to his friends and eventually the waters of baptism.
Sometimes God sends you a lift 