Skip to main content

"The Spirit of God like a Fire Is Burning"

My previous post was about the missionary work I started with my neighbor. Today she and her son went to church with us. She had met a couple other people in the ward previously at my house too, and we sat with one of them.

I explained to her about the sacrament and told her she was welcome to bear her testimony if she felt impressed to do so. When testimony meeting started, I was nervous. I knew I was going to go up, but I didn't know when and I had no idea what I wanted to say. I usually only go up because I have something specific to share. After a few people went, my neighbor whispered to me, "I'm going up!" I told her I would too. I went first and bore my testimony of the Church, Book of Mormon, keeping the commandments, and President Monson. She then followed, asking me to stay up with her. She shared the story I shared with you about our conversations and how she has seen God in her life. She ended pleading with the members to open their mouths and share the gospel. I was very impressed with her courage (and a little embarrassed to be up there while she was talking about me in front of the whole ward!). More people shared their testimonies, one of which particularly touched her. It was such a powerful testimony meeting. I have felt the Spirit before in testimony meetings, but not so intensely and collectively as today. It was in the whole room, not just in my heart. I felt the value of and connection between each testimony. As the hymn proclaims, "The Spirit of God like a fire [was] burning."

At the end of the meeting, many people welcomed her and thanked her for her testimony, and she talked to the sister who moved her. When she realized she had more time than she thought, she decided to stay for Sunday School. I asked the other ward member she knew to stay with her while I took her son to Primary and got some stuff. Another brother suggested she go to Gospel Essentials, and that is where I met up with her and our friend. The teacher, a recently returned missionary, taught about repentance. My neighbor was attentive and took notes and even asked for a copy of the Gospel Principles book.

They could not stay for the last hour, but she said she would like to return, especially since the time allows for her to make the first two meetings before her church begins. I did ask her to come all three hours just one Sunday in the future so her son could be with me in Primary Sharing/Singing Time and she could go to the women's meeting. I hope she eventually will want to stay the whole time at our church every week! Pray for all of us!

Challenge: As my neighbor asked, open your mouth and share the gospel!

Comments

Anonymous said…
It's a pretty big step to come, even on a day you are attending another church. I know she will be impressed by the spirit to return. We have the full knowledge of the gospel and I'm sure she will see and feel that! Good missionary work!
DAD said…
you are so terrific and you make a great witness for her

Popular posts from this blog

New URL Coming Soon To Avoid Using "Mormon"

photo by ilker In light of President Nelson's talk in October 2018 general conference , I will be changing the title and address of this blog very soon to eliminate the use of the word "Mormon." Because I won't be buying a domain name, I don't know what the new URL and blog name will be yet. I'm not very literate in the website world, so please bear with me as I roll out these changes. I'm trying to learn as much as I can quickly to reduce broken links and errors. Thank you, and I hope you keep reading my blog!

"Be Thou an Example of the Believers" at Home

Today, my husband and I spoke in sacrament meeting. Here is the first part of my talk ( read Part 2  and Part 3 ): “The effect of our words and acts is tremendous in this world. Every moment of life you are changing to a degree the lives of the whole world.” Those are the words of President David O. McKay.* If we have such an astounding influence over the world, we need to be examples of righteousness. As Paul counseled, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. . . . Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in so doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:12, 16). The Lord said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also” (John 14:12). So to be an example of the believers is to do what the Lord has done so that we can “save [ourselves], and them that hear [us].” We usually apply this principle to missionary work, but it also e...

One but Not the Same

Zion --lds.org Moses 7:18 describes a Zion people as being of "one heart and one mind." And Mosiah 18:21 shares that when organizing the church, Alma commanded the people to "look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism." All this talk of oneness leads some people to believe that we are all supposed to be the same in thought and personality. That belief can scare away people from accepting the gospel. President Uchtdorf set the record straight in his talk during the priesthood session of the April 2013 General Conference: But while the Atonement is meant to help us all become more like Christ, it is not meant to make us all the same. Sometimes we confuse differences in personality with sin. We can even make the mistake of thinking that because someone is different from us, it must mean they are not pleasing to God. This line of thinking leads some to believe that the Church wants to create every member from a single mold—that each one...