We have all been a little roughed up

I picked up a man headed home from his friend’s house. He lived in Rose Park and was of African descent. I normally would not indicate that because it doesn’t matter except for in his story it does. This part of Rose Park is a rough area and he seemed to be a bit rough as well and a little roughed up too.

We started driving down the road and chatting about history. We both lamented the fact that there are people that want to erase history. The Taliban had as its first order of business erasing the history of the people so that there was no history taught about things before the Taliban. Karl Marx espoused the same philosophy. We discussed that.

I told him I thought that it was stupid and horrible for people to destroy history because that’s what we learn from. I told him about the Mormon pioneers and how there had been an extermination order. I told him that many died along the trail to Utah and some were killed before they left. I told him that they went through hardships that were unjust and wrong.

I told him that in remembering those people and what they suffered we are able to honor them by living in a righteous way and doing what our father in heaven would have us do.

This young man obviously was a descendent of slaves here in the United States and I mentioned to him that his ancestors suffered unimaginable pain and indignity but that by living a great life lifting others and following God he could honor them.

He said that he totally believed that. I felt the strong impression to let him know that God loves him and that he needed to quit listening to the voice telling him that he wasn’t good enough, that he didn’t belong and that he would never measure up. I told him that’s why he had backed away from faith because he felt uncomfortable trying to measure up, all the while hearing these voices tell him that he wasn’t worthy of God’s love.

I told him that wasn’t true. I told him God was his father and he loved him. The Spirit of God was amazing in the car when I said that. He noted it and said, man that feels good. I said, it’s the spirit of God and his spirit is here because the things we said were true. He said, I know that true.

I told him that his Heavenly Father loved him and that he had sent his son, Jesus Christ, to make it so that he could come home. I asked him, did you know that Jesus came to America? He said, no! I told him about Jesus coming to America. He descended from heaven pure and bright. The people touched the prints of the nails in his hands and knew that this was their God. I told him, then Jesus said still other sheep I have which are not of this land or the land of Jerusalem and I have received a commandment to go to them.

I asked him, where else do you think he went besides America and Jerusalem? He thought for a minute and said, I don’t know, I suppose the rest of the world? I told him that in Isaiah it mentions that he would go to Europe, Asia, the isles of the sea, Pathos and Kush. I asked him if he knew where Pathos and Kush were. He said, yes! Pathos was the kingdom of northern Africa and Kush was the great kingdom of Africa.

I told him that when Jesus was in America he blessed them, he taught them, he blessed the children and he loved them. I asked him, if Jesus went to Africa what do you think he did there? I told him that he blessed them, loved them and taught them just like he did in America.

I told him that if he reads the Book of Mormon he will be able to know exactly what happened when Jesus went to Africa like Isaiah prophesied because God loves all of his children. The spirit was very strong as I testified of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. As I testified he said, I have one I’m going to have to read it I guess. He said I’d love to get this new information.

I had the impression to tell him that God loved him and that even though earlier in his life he felt forsaken, God had never left him and had helped him through.

I told him that he had felt betrayed, bitter, taken advantage of. He had suffered injustice and abuse. I told him he felt helpless and no one came to the rescue. I told him that God was there and he’s the reason he made it through. It’s interesting when the spirit testifies about something like this. You say the thing that god gives you to say, yet you have no knowledge of it or no way of knowing it but the spirit testifies of your words as you say them.

The spirit indeed testified of God‘s love for the man and the truthfulness of what I had said. It validated the words that he gave me to say. This young man said, that’s powerful. He said that he had hoped in his life he would be able to learn from the things he went through and help other people and lift them.

I told him that one of the most important things to know was that we never suffer alone if we look to Jesus. He suffered every pain and injustice imaginable so that we wouldn’t need to be stopped or stifled by the pain and indignity of these things. What he suffered was unimaginable but he did it for us, if we look to him. Then he was crucified and later resurrected so that each of us can look to him for help in rising above our trials and having new life.

I told him that this was completely possible for him. I told him that God would want him to lift other people. I asked him what he thought about me discussing his past without having any knowledge beforehand. He said, frankly I’m wondering how you got that information.

I told him that when we’re baptized we are clean and we get the gift of the Holy Ghost That gift gives us the ability to receive revelation and promptings from God so that we can speak his words and represent him. He said, so you’re getting it from the source! I said, yes I am. He said, there’s no other way you could’ve known these things.

I told him that baptism is a beautiful thing because when we are baptized we are cleansed from our sins, we’re clean inside and out 100%. I told him that is an amazing gift and he agreed that it would be. I asked him if he would like that and he said yes.

I told him that once you’ve been baptized and you get the gift of the Holy Ghost, God can lead you and guide you in helping other people. The spirit was almost overwhelming and I called it to his attention one more time. He said, this is incredible. I asked him, so what does that spirit feel like? He said he felt happy and energetic. I told him, that’s the spirit of God. It makes him happy, it makes him want to be better and it makes him want to serve others. I told him that it also testifies of truth. I asked him if he believed that the things I had said were true and he said yes.

I asked him if he sees missionaries ever around in his neighborhood. I happened to know that they live about five doors down. I knew what the answer would be and he said yes, he sees them all the time. I asked him if he would do me a favor and promise me that he would go talk to those missionaries. He said, yes. I asked him to go up to those missionaries and tell them about what happened to us in the car that day.

I asked him if he had read the book of Mormon. He said that he hadn’t. I reached into my glove box and grabbed one of the copies of the book prepared by the Secrists and gave it to him. I told him that this book testifies of Jesus Christ. I told him that this book would bring him closer to Christ and help him access the power of Jesus Christ and his atonement so he could apply it in his life.

He reached out and grabbed the book and looked at it for a minute. I said, do you want that book? He said, can it do for me the things you said it would be able to do? I said yes. He said, of course I want this book. I said, it yours.

I bore my testimony of the truth of the Book of Mormon and the prophet, Joseph Smith.

I asked him how he felt about that and he said he felt like what I was saying was true. I told him that I learned that by reading this book. I told him to take the book and read it every day. I told him he should pray about the book and develop a relationship with his father in heaven.

The spirit testified of the truthfulness of what I was saying and I knew that he felt it. We were both basking in the spirit and the ride had been over for 10 minutes.

He lingered for a while longer and said that he really hated leaving the car. He shook my hand and said, it feels like I need to get busy. I’ve got some things I need to learn and some things I need to do. He said, I need to talk to those missionaries. He got out of the car and walked away.

On this Easter I want to say that I believe that Jesus Christ made this all possible and that is what Easter is about to me. It isn’t about whether we can come home or that we should come home, it is about HOW we can come home. He is the way and we need to bury our past lives and rise with him, even if we have been roughed up. The tomb is empty and a new life awaits.

Happy Easter.