His Work Moves Forward

Hey everyone! I want to share an experience with you that happened to my family just yesterday. It is one of those experiences that I feel should not be kept to myself, but shared with as many people as will read about it.

We had the missionaries over for Family Home Evening last night; therefore, you know it was a great FHE night. But, before I tell you about what they shared with us, I need to provide you with a little bit of a background story that is necessary to the evening.

We go back a couple weeks ago...

A couple of Sundays ago, I had my home-teaching to do but my partner was not able to go. I contacted the Elders Quorum president and asked him if he would be able to accompany me. He was not able to come with me, but arranged for someone else to come with me. Additional to that, he asked if I would knock...(yes, you read correctly...KNOCK)...on the doors of homes on the street right next to where my home-teachers live, because no one in the ward knew who lived on that street (the street is pretty new, as well as the houses).

Anyways, of course I told him that I would be willing to do it. So, after visiting my home-teaching family we turned the corner and went to the first house we saw. Fortunately, the family of that home was already outside. As we approached them, I won't lie to you, I was a little nervous. All of a sudden the memories and feelings of being on the mission and knocking on doors rushed back to me and I felt as though I were back in North Carolina. Thoughts of, "What if they reject us?", "What are they going to say?", "What are WE going to say?", "How do I not make this super awkward?" filled my mind. I was waiting for them to say something like, "We don't want any!" or any of the other given reactions that we would get in the South. Fortunately, at least for my worried mind, they ended up being active members of the ward! They had just moved into the ward boundaries and had only been to church a couple of times.

We talked with them for a little bit, getting to know them and telling them of ourselves and our family. Before we left we asked if they knew of any other members of the church living on the street. They said they were the only ones that they knew of, but then continued to tell us what they knew of their neighbors. After trying to figure out a way of remembering all the information they were giving us, we said our goodbyes and immediately texted the Elders Quorum President as much as we could remember. We thought that even though there might not be any other members of the church on the street, it would be good information that could be used in the future.

A little over a week later...

The route I take to and from school is the same every day. It just so happens that it passes right next to that street we had knocked that Sunday. One day as I was coming home from school, I happened to look over to that street and think of those people our fellow ward members had told us about. Immediately, the thought came into my mind that I should call the missionaries of our ward and tell them the information we had received. They thanked me and I returned to my day.

Back to present day (yesterday)...

So, the missionaries come over for FHE. We sing the usual opening song and say the opening prayer. That's when we turn the time over to them. They share a message with us about trusting in the Lord and having a desire to share the gospel with others. Needless to say, the Spirit was very present. Again, thoughts of me and my companions teaching lessons to both members and non-members flooded back to me. However, I put them aside to listen to the message the missionaries had come to share with us.

After they had shared their message they bore testimony and then got into the good part...the invitation. It was then that they began to tell us of a family they had met recently. And what street should they live on but that same street that we had knocked on just a couple weeks ago! This family was a young family who had just recently married and had a child (just 3 weeks old!). Even more, the wife is a member of the church while the husband is a member of the Baha'i faith. That's when the missionaries told us that they thought of my wife and I as soon as they learned this family's circumstances.

I couldn't believe what they were telling me! Well...you know I believed it...but it was just amazing to me that the missionaries were telling us of this family, and would soon invite us to help them in teaching them! Of course, we accepted.

I cannot tell you the joy I feel even now as I type this story. What was something simple that I didn't really pay much mind to before has become an opportunity for my family to assist in bringing the happiness of the gospel to another family. I'm not sure what is to come or happen with this opportunity, but what I do know NOW is that the Lord's work continues to go forward. As we seek and pray for those opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with those who need it, He will prepare us and give it to us. Who knows, if I would not have knocked on that street that Sunday maybe the Lord would have provided another way for the missionaries to get in contact with that family. Maybe not. I am grateful, however, that the Lord has seen fit to bless our family with this great opportunity and pray that we will only continue to do as He would do and not get in the way.

"For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—

Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—

These should then be attended to with great earnestness.

Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things.

You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves.

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." -D&C 123:12-17