If something teaches you not to pray, don’t just stand around listening to it. Fight back!

I picked up a guy over in Rose Park off of Redwood Road. He said he used to live in Orem and so we talked about Utah County and how he wished that he could afford to own a house in Orem. We talked about where you would have to move to afford a house, like Santaquin or Genoa, places like that. We talked about how with all of the manipulation that’s happening with the housing market it’s only available to a few people.

He talked about how the people of the world economic summit in Davos said that by 2035 home ownership and car ownership for the average person should, for the most part, be done away with. He said, you can see that we are on our way to that. People are buying up houses and inflating prices. Cities are making streets less drivable while the government mandates expensive electric cars that aren’t attainable for most people.

He talked about that for a while and said, it’s almost like they all get together and have a plan and it makes you believe that there’s something bigger against us. He said, it seems like our political leaders are in on it and there’s no hope, there’s nothing we can do.

We talked about how politics has become very corrupted. He mentioned how they protect each other so that they can get rich off the people, they rape and pillage the society and seem to have evil agreements so there are no repercussions. He also mentioned the Epstein island abomination specifically as an example.

I had the impression that he was a member of the church even though we were heading to the bourbon lounge. I said, I get the feeling that you’re a member of the church. I could see in his face that he was doing the math based on my statement. He knew that we were going to a bar and that he asked me to take him there. He said, I used to be, I don’t do that anymore.

I said, well, I am going to talk to you about the Book of Mormon. He looked down and said, OK. I talked to him about the state of things in the books of Helaman and Third Nephi. I discussed the secret combinations with him and what the purposes of those secret combinations were. They were to steal, gain power, have whoredoms, all the while escaping accountability because of their connections.

He said, wow! That sounds exactly like today! I don’t ever remember hearing about that. I said, funny thing is that the book was not written for the Nephites. The book was written for our day. I told him that by reading that book we will more plainly see what’s going on in our day. I said, It seems to me that this is what you are really looking for.

I had the impression to tell him that not only was he a member of the church but that he hadn’t prayed in years. I told him that he felt like in his life he had been marginalized and ignored. He had been judged by the members of the church and his family so he decided that he would punish them by not going to church.

I told him that this approach is not very smart. I told him that hurting yourself does not punish other people. I said that it doesn’t teach anyone a lesson or bring anything positive. By embarking on the no church, no scriptures, no prayer path he was just hurting himself. I told him that without prayer and without going to church and without the scriptures there is no way that he could be successful in this life like he wanted to be. I told him that without doing these things there was no way he could hear the spirit and be guided.

I told him that Satan had waged a war on his insecurities and his guilty conscience. He had use these insecurities as a cudgel to drive a wedge between he and his father in heaven. He had separated him from the spirit and was continually working to keep him in the dark.

He said, I can’t believe how light I feel and how much light there seems to be in the car. It is incredible. I told him that the Holy Ghost was testifying to him that the things I said were true. I said that this feeling is how we know truth. When we feel this we know God is near.

I asked him if he had a Book of Mormon and he said he did. I told him the Book of Mormon was the key. I said, in the Book of Mormon it says that any spirit that teaches a man not to pray is of the devil. I added to that any voice he hears that tells him not to pray is of the devil and any voice he hears that tells him not to go to church or read the scriptures is also of the devil.

When he has the thought that he shouldn’t go to church for whatever reason, whether it be lack of worthiness, lack of sleep or having been in a bar that week, that voice comes from Satan not from God. I told him that God would have him in church, regardless of the week’s activities, trying to do and be better.

I told him that God would have him pray and I told him that God would bring him closer to him. I told him that he is a son of God and that is incredible. God would never turn his back on him. God wants him to be happy.

I told him that the people who have judged him were also sinning. I asked him if he thought that they deserved understanding for the struggles they were having with their sin in the same way he felt like they should be understanding of his sins. He thought about it for a second and said, you know, I never thought about it like that. My stance was rather hypocritical. I told him that we all fall into that trap. I told him that we all need to repent and that if there is somebody that is being judgmental of us we should run up to them, put our arm around them and thank them for being so good to us. I told him that it would change the whole dynamic and we could start being brothers and sisters again. He said, I like that.

Then he looked down at his feet. He said, here I am going into a bar to meet a friend. I said, that’s fine, there’s no rule against you having a 7-Up and talking to your friend. I told him that he could even go out on a limb and have a Gingerale. I told him no one would ever know the difference but God will be pleased. He laughed.

I asked him if he knew where his Book of Mormon was and he said yes. I asked him if he would read Helaman and third Nephi this week and he said yes. He said, I’ll have to shake all the dust out of the book but I’ll do it. I told him that many of the problems he saw in the world would be discussed in that reading.

I pulled out one of my Book of Mormons and had him read Helaman 6: 21-24.

21 But behold, Satan did stir up the hearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their stealings⁠.

22 And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secretsigns, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant.

23 And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God.

24 And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of their wickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen.

He said, that nailed it. That is exactly what has been making me feel helpless. I told him that the Book of Mormon teaches us what we need to do to be ready in every way to fight for God. I told him the spirit could speak to his heart and would speak to his soul and teach him how he needs to act and prepare in these days because that book was written for him. It was written for us today. I said, we will face many challenges in our day and we need God’s help. That is why God gave us this book.

There was still a really nice spirit in the car and I could tell that he was feeling it. I asked him, do you still feel the spirit? He said, yes I do. I have felt it since you testified. I have felt it every time you spoke.

I told him that there was a reason that I was there that night and there was a reason that God had given me the words to say. He said, I figured it was something like that because you seem to know all about me. You seem to know things that I didn’t tell anyone. I told him that this was the spirit and it was here because God had a message for him and it was that he was supposed to come back.He said, how can you say no to that?

I said, you can start by not drinking tonight and by going to church this week. You can start by saying your prayers and reading out of the Book of Mormon every day. He said, I never have really seen a purpose for doing those things. It didn’t seem like it mattered whether or not I was active or whether or not I was a member. He said, now I see that it matters to me and it matters to my father in heaven.

I told him that God had sent me with this message and given me the information to know about his life. I told him that his father loved him and wanted him back. I told him that he was important and he belonged. I said that with the spirit he could help other people. He told me that he felt like for this first time in years God knew who he was. He said, I feel like I’ve been lost but this feeling here in the car tonight makes me feel like I’m not lost.

I asked him if he would commit to do those things, read, pray, go to church and not drink tonight. He said, yes!

I said, it’s easy to go along in life and believe that you don’t matter because everyone in life tells you that you don’t matter. Tonight you found out that you do matter and what you do matters. He said, thank you.

He said, I have changes I need to make. I am grateful that God sent you to help me make them. Starting right now, I’m not drinking tonight! He got out of the car and met his friend on the corner by the door and went in.

I think he was led away a little bit at a time until he was disillusioned and felt like he was drowning. Satan told him that there was no life preserver coming and he believed him for a while until God decided to send him a lift.

It was interesting to see him during the ride. He started out as a non-Mormon then admitted he was a member of the church but very inactive. As we discussed the doctrines of the church in the Book of Mormon and the peace the gospel brings he opened up and blossomed right before my eyes. In the end it was basically like he was wanting to see if it was possible for him to come back. What a transition! What a change the hand of God can effect.