Christmas should be full of miracles and magic.
And we feel them here.
When things calm down I will get to recording some of the simply wonderful moments that have part of this Christmas....
in the meantime I share one...
Saturday we had a youth group come to the MTC. This is often the case, but this group was unusual in many ways. They came from quite a distance....and they had a number of leaders and even parents with them.
We met with them, talked with them, and had the missionaries sing for them. They toured the building and as they were lingering in the halls chatting a young woman came into my office and told me that when the Preston temple was dedicated their family attended. Her brother, who at the time was 10 years old, was invited by President Hinckley to add some mortar when they were putting the cornerstone into place. This young boy's heart was touched and for years he spoke of this event.
He grew to mission age and responded to a call to serve in Australia. Towards the end of his mission things began to fall apart in his life. He returned home, married, had a baby and soon divorced. He now lives with a girl and they also share a baby. He is completely out of the church but still the little spark that was ignited that day at the cornerstone ceremony comes to the surface on rare occasions.
She asked if I would write to her brother and share my experience at this temple dedication in the hopes that it ignites some kind of small flame of the gospel.
I was touched that perhaps she saw me as a way to reach this young man. I am not sure anything will come of it, but there is nothing to lose in trying. After all, we are all in this together, doing all we can to help build the kingdom.
But even better.....
While I was chatting in my office, Richard was in the foyer talking to a family who were recent converts. The mother and two daughters have been baptized but the father has not and apparently was not showing much interest.
For whatever reason Richard spoke very directly to him, asking him why he had not joined and that it was imperitive that he not deny his family the blessings of eternity. He encouraged him, even challenged him to get on his knees and seek divine guidance, promising him that the Lord would answer his prayers and that as a father he would bless the lives of his family and future generations.
Honestly, he was so direct and so firm but so profoundly loving.
The man became quiet and said very little in response.
They left here and walked up to the temple where his wife and daughters went in for baptisms. As he sat on the grounds waiting, Richard's words echoed in his heart.
Sunday evening Richard got a call from the Stake President to say that this man had just called him and had asked to be baptized on Christmas Day -- as a surprise for his wife and daughters!
The Stake President was over the moon! This man has had missionaries for 2 years!
(I would love to be a fly on the wall when he tells his family they are going to have a white Christmas)
Such a great opportunity to teach these missionaries -- you may never know the good you are doing. The missionaries of the past 2 years have taught and taught and taught and felt discouragement because of his resistance to baptism....and then......bingo!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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