LITTLE MIRACLES ARE EVERYWHERE

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."