AN LDS CHURCH LEADER SAID THE FOLLOWING WHICH I WILL PUT INTO MY OWN WORDS:
I JOINED THE NAVY DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT. OUR UNIT WAS GIVEN SHORE LEAVE ON A SUNDAY, AT SUBIC BAY IN THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES. I WANTED TO ATTEND CHURCH BUT DID NOT KNOW WHERE IT MIGHT BE HELD. UPON FINDING A SECLUDED SPOT, I PRAYED THAT GOD WOULD HELP ME FIND AN LDS MEETING PLACE.
AS I DID SO, I SAW IN MY MIND'S EYE, MY LOVING PARENTS PRAYING FOR ME. AS I PONDERED THAT IMPRESSION, FROM BEHIND ME I COULD HEAR TWO MEN IN AMERICAN MILITARY UNIFORMS WALKING BY. THEY CARRIED A LOAF OF SLICED BREAD AND SOME SACRAMENT CUPS.
AFTER FOLLOWING THEM A SHORT DISTANCE, I CALLED OUT, "EXCUSE ME, BUT WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITH THOSE SACRAMENT CUPS?" "ARE YOU LDS?" THEY CHANTED BACK. I THUS WAS LED TO THE LOCAL MEETING PLACE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS A COINCIDENCE.
ANOTHER LDS LEADER TOLD US THE FOLLOWING WHICH I WILL PARAPHRASE:
AS A STAKE PRESIDENT, I WAS ASSIGNED AS A HOME TEACHER TO A LESS ACTIVE FAMILY, WHERE THE HUSBAND WAS NOT CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING FULL FELLOWHIP IN THE CHURCH. MY 14 YEAR OLD SON WAS MY HOME TEACHING COMPANION.
BECAUSE OF AN UNEXPECTED ASSIGNMENT, I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP MY HOME TEACHING APPOINTMENT WITH THIS GOOD FAMILY AND TOLD MY 14 YEAR OLD SON TO GO WITHOUT ME AND TO TAKE HIS TEN YEAR OLD BROTHER WITH HIM. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CHOICE BUT I WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT ELSE TO DO IN SUCH A LIMITED TIME BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THE LESS ACTIVE FATHER, GOING TO THE DOOR, EXPECTING TO SEE MYSELF AND MY 14 YEAR OLD SON AND INSTEAD SEEING HIS TEN YEAR OLD BROTHER WITH HIM. "WE ARE HERE TO HOME TEACH YOUR FAMILY. MAY WE COME IN?"
A SURPRISED FATHER WELCOMED THEM INSIDE. THAT FATHER HAD A WIFE AND SIX CHILDREN.
HIS WIFE AND ONE CHILD WERE THERE AND THE 14 YEAR OLD SAID, "WHERE IS THE REST OF YOUR FAMILY?' "SCATTERED IN DIFFERENT ROOMS," WAS THE REPLY. "WOULD YOU PLEASE ASK THEM TO JOIN US?"
THE FATHER LOOKED AT HIS WIFE QUIZICALLY AND HESITATINGLY CALLED THE REST OF THE FAMILY TOGETHER. ONCE THAT HAD OCCURRED, THE 14 YEAR OLD QUERIED, "DO YOU MIND IF WE ASK EACH OF YOU, ONE AT A TIME, SOME QUESTIONS?" "WELL…OK," SAID THE FATHER.
"ARE YOU HAVING PERSONAL PRAYER AT LEAST TWICE A DAY?" THE FATHER SAID, "SOMETIMES." THE WIFE SAID YES. THE CHILDREN MOSTLY ANSWERED, "YES." "ARE YOU PRAYING BEFORE MEALS?" "ARE YOU HAVING DAILY SCRIPTURE STUDY? "DO YOU HAVE FAMILY PRAYER?" ARE YOU HOLDING WEEKLY FAMILY HOME EVENINGS?"
ALL THESE WERE ANSWERED IN ABOUT THE SAME WAY. THE FOURTEEN YEAR OLD THEN SAID, "LET ME BEAR YOU MY TESTIMONY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER, SCRIPTURE, STUDY AND FAMILY HOME EVENING." HIS TESTIMONY WAS DEEP AND FILLED WITH CONVICTION.
AFTER DOING SO HE ASKED HIS TEN YEAR OLD BROTHER TO DO THE SAME. THE TEN YEAR OLD ALSO GAVE FERVENT TESTIMONY OF THESE THINGS.
THE LESS ACTIVE FAMILY WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY THE CONVERSION STRENGTH OF THESE TWO YOUNG MEN.
WITH THE FATHER'S PERMISSION, A CLOSING PRAYER WAS SAID AND THE TWO YOUNG MEN DEPARTED. LATER ON THE LESS ACTIVE FATHER TOLD THE STAKE PRESIDENT, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT COMING AROUND NEXT MONTH. JUST SEND YOUR TWO BOYS INSTEAD."
A friend told me the following that I will put into my own words:
My parents often told me the Church was true, but by the time I had reached adolescence, I still did not know for myself. One day, on a family camping excursion, my father told me of a way I could find out on my own. He told me to follow Joseph Smith's example and go into the woods and ask God in prayer, and I was to bring my scriptures with me.
I thought, 'oh sure, like God is going to appear to me as he did to Joseph.' I walked into the woods far enough that I was out of earshot but close enough to see camp. I then knelt down and began to ask God if The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true.
After my lackadaisical prayer, I opened my eyes and nothing happened. I did not see or hear anything unusual and thought to myself, 'I knew nothing would happen.' As I got ready to return to camp, I suddenly pictured in my mind a scripture reference. I was to look up Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-8. I had never read the Doctrine & Covenants but as I read these words, a burning sensation filled my soul.
7. Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
8. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
I was shocked. He had answered me. Even today, it brings tears to my eyes when I think of it. I have never doubted since that day and I will never forget the way it made me feel to know that despite the billions of souls on the earth, God was mindful of me.
The following was told me by a friend, which I shall put into my own words:
"I tended to be wayward in my early years and as a young man in high school, I one day walked in on a conversation that my Mom and Dad were having. It seems that the doctor had discovered a large tumor behind my mother's ear that was affecting her balance. The bishop of our ward was called for and he and his companion gave her a healing blessing, contingent upon my behavior.
As the bishop left, he put his large hands upon my shoulder and said, "I guess you know that the blessing was not just about your Mom but also about you." I thought about that quite a bit. Within a few days, Mother was no longer able to walk or stand because the tumor had grown so large.
We all fasted and prayed that she would be better. She was a school teacher and had to be given a leave of absence until her condition improved. The doctors scheduled surgery and I watched as the ambulance workers carried her away from our home in a stretcher. I loved my mother dearly; she was a big part of my life. I went into my basement room and talked, really talked to God, confessing my sins and pleaded for her quick recovery. This went on for some time.
I had just finished my prayer when I heard someone come into the house upstairs. My first thoughts were of a robber break-in, for no one was due home for awhile. As I gingerly came into the kitchen, I saw my mother standing on the floor, staring at me. She spoke in a quivering voice.
"The doctors could find no trace of any tumors, so they sent me home." We embraced and cried together. Since that time there have been times when diversions from the strait and narrow path have caused me to stray, but in large measure I do my utmost to repent quickly. God answers prayers.
We Need a Miracle
A friend told me the following, which I put into my own words:
My wife and I have always enjoyed sponsoring Japanese foreign exchange students. This has gone on for many years. One year we volunteered our time for 103 such young people. They were pledged to different families for about three months and then it was time for their return home to Japan. 75 left for their homeward journey routinely, however, the last group of 28 were not as fortunate.
As we approached the airlines ticket counter, early in the morning, the person in charge, checked our tickets and said, that the flight had left the day before. Somehow, the dates we had received were wrong and we were suddenly faced with a huge problem. We attempted to reschedule. We were informed this was impossible unless we purchased new tickets at $2400.00 each or a little under $100,000.00.
Of course this was completely out of the question. We began to explore other possibilities. Could we get discount tickets, could we buy them at a reduced rate through Japan agents, could we get help from the managers and even general managers of the airline? All these options were turned down. We were on the verge of panic.
By then it was late afternoon and still there seemed no way we could remedy the situation. Fortunately, there was one among our group who had the good sense to say, "Why don't we ask for a miracle from God? After staring at each other for a second or two, we found an unused empty room and kneeled down together and pleaded:
"Please, Heavenly Father, we need a miracle and we need it now. Thou knowest that we all have the faith that Thou canst do all things. Please soften the hearts of those in authority so that we may send these young people home to their families."
Each of us prayed in turn and poured out our hearts to Him that knows all things. We had our cell phones off while we prayed. When we were done we turned our phones back on and one of our group had a message to call the airlines. They informed us that:
All tickets would be paid for by the airlines. They even waved the $100.00 per ticket change fee and not long after, all 28 students were on their way home again. God answers sincere prayers and will lead us if we have the faith to ask and follow.
