Normally when I go to Salt Lake I don’t turn on the app in Utah county. If you turn on the app in Utah County you get sent to Saratoga Springs or worse, Santaquin! You never get to Salt Lake. You drive 20 minutes between rides to make four dollars. It’s a desperate and depressing death spiral of financial insecurity.
This is why you go straight to Salt Lake before you turn on the app. One night I felt impressed that I should turn on the app in Utah County. I came out of my house and started driving on 800 N. in Orem towards the freeway to go to Salt Lake with my app on. Sure enough, I got a ride that took me clear up against the mountain near the Pleasant Grove American fork border. The ride was going clear out to Saratoga Springs.
I didn’t feel panicked or angry, I knew this was one I should take so I did and away I went. I picked up the guy at a home and we talked about how he had been with family and friends and everything he had done that day. I asked him about his family and he said that they had moved up from Arizona when he was young and that his dad was a doctor. He said that his dad had passed away some time ago.
I could hear the grief in the young man’s voice and I could tell that his spirit was not well. I asked him if his family were members of a religion because God helps us get through these things. He said that he’s not religious but his mother is.
He said that his dad had been a Mormon bishop when he died. He said that he had been lost ever since. I told him that I was sorry for his loss and that it had to be difficult.
I told him that his Heavenly Father was worried about him and his earthly father was also worried about him even though he had passed. I told him that I pray to have the spirit in my car so that I can know the things that God would have me say. . He said, I can feel it. I asked him if it would be OK if I taught him the things that the spirit was telling me right now. He said, please do.
I told him that one of the problems is that we see life in spans of 40 years and God looks at our lives as a continual thing that never ends. His purposes began before we were born and continue after we die. He puts us where he needs us. I told him that because of this it’s hard for us to see and understand why things happen.
I told him that things happen to people that are difficult. Sometimes people use their agency to harm others, sometimes people die in unfortunate accidents or from diseases and it doesn’t seem right. It doesn’t seem fair. I told him that many times these things drive people away from God and away from the church.
I told him that God gives us agency and when something bad happens Satan tells us to blame God. He tells us that it’s God’s fault and that God took away our happiness. Satan blames God and tells us that God is making us miserable. On the other hand, God points to the Savior with love. God points to the Savior because of the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I said that the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ makes it so that he can carry our burdens. It makes it so that we can have our burdens lightened even in the midst of confusion and affliction.
I told him that the atonement that Jesus Christ suffered was complete and that he suffered for all of the injustice, pain, abandonment, loneliness, suffering, infirmity, unfairness and every negative feeling and emotion. I told him that he suffered until he, who was a God, bled from every pore. I told him that he suffered so much that even he struggled and God sent angels to buoy him up.
I told him that because Jesus did this, he understands and he can help us. This is why God has us turn to Christ.
I told him that the atonement isn’t just for people who have no problems or few problems or a lot of problems, it’s for everyone. Jesus comes in and makes up the difference so we can all be whole. Jesus comes in and makes up the difference so we can all be healed both spiritually and physically.
I asked him if that made sense and he said, yes. He said that due to the fact that he is the oldest, his brothers and sisters would come to him and he was able to help them through things because he himself had been through them. He had suffered the same emotions that they were suffering. I asked him if that sounded like what his brother Jesus Christ had done for him. He thought for a minute and said, that’s crazy! Yes it does!
I started having an impression that he had turned to drugs and alcohol to drown his grief even though he was totally sober at the moment. I said to him, instead of turning to Jesus Christ you’ve chosen to turn to Satan, blame God and medicate with alcohol and drugs. I told him that this is Satan‘s counterfeit of what Christ can do. I told him that it is not nearly as good because it’s a counterfeit and it doesn’t last as long. I said it’s a cheap knock off.
I told him that he should go for the real thing. The spirit was really strong in the car and I asked him if he felt it and he said yes. I asked him what that meant to him and he said that what I was saying was true.
I had the impression again that his father in heaven and his earthly father were both very interested in him. I asked him if he prayed and he said he hadn’t prayed for a while. I told him that when he prayed he could speak with his father in heaven and could access the power of the atonement to help him and to lift him. The spirit bore a strong witness of prayer. I asked him if he would pray and he said yes he would.
I asked him how long it had been since he read the Book of Mormon and he said he couldn’t even remember. I told him that it might not make sense while he’s reading about Nephi, Laman and Lemuel but if you read the Book of Mormon, the Lord would reveal to his mind and his heart the things he needs to know to deal with his life.
He said, “ I am not good at reading anything.” I helped him download the church app and showed him how to listen to the scriptures on the app. I told him that the spirit would work that way too. He laughed.
I told him that if he would read or listen to the Book of Mormon and say his prayers he would feel his earthly father‘s presence when he was close to the spirit. I felt prompted to say that and I promised him that if he would do those things he would feel his father‘s presence along with the presence of his father in heaven.
I told him that I felt by the spirit, his father was very concerned about his family. I said that he is concerned about his brothers and sisters and that it was his time to step up and be awake. I told him that when he started praying and reading the Book of Mormon he would have a light about him. I told him that the members of his family would be drawn to that light and they would come to him to ask about it. He could then share this message of the healing the atonement brings with them.
I asked him if he would go to church and he thought about it for a minute. He said, “I can do that”. He said, “I haven’t been in forever. I’ll just drop in on the back row”. I said, that’s a start. I asked him, what would you do to have the things that I’ve said here today come to fruition? He said I guess I would do what it takes, I would love it.
I said, it’s all in your hands. You know what you need to do. I asked him how it felt to be in the presence of his father in heaven right now and he said that he felt comfortable, relaxed and happy. I told him that this is what the spirit feels like for him. I told him that he could have this with him all of the time and he could use this to help alleviate his suffering.
He said, that’s what I want.
I told him that it’s time to quit turning to Satan and his plan and start turning to God and his plan.
I told him that God puts people in my car to get a message sometimes. He said, I’ve known that for 15 miles and 25 minutes. We laughed. He shook my hand three times and got out of the car.
Two fathers were rejoicing that evening.
Sometimes God sends you a lift 