Recently in the May 2008 New Era, President Henry D. Eyring shared a few of his thoughts on the Book of Mormon as a tool in missionary work. He spoke about a companion who received a testimony before his mission:
“The missionaries had taught me. I had read the Book of Mormon. The missionaries challenged me to set a date for baptism, but I could not decide. Finally, I knew I had to make a choice. So, I knelt down and prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true. I told God that I was desperate, that I knew this was the most important decision I had ever made, and that I needed His help. The Spirit testified to me that the Book of Mormon was true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, that the Church was true, and so I was baptized.”
He also said of using Moroni's promise: "When missionaries teach people about the Book of Mormon, they make the promise that Moroni makes . . .We can promise them even more. We can promise that the Spirit will not only tell them that the book is true, but it will also tell them what they can do to find greater happiness. This is the promise in 2 Nephi 32:3."
I remember my own conversion to the Book of Mormon as being similar. I had taken the seven Rainbow discussions and decided to put the promise made by the missionaries to the test so I prayed. As I began to open my eyes a voice spoke to me and told me that the Book of Mormon was the word of God, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ was the only true church. Within a matter of days I was baptized.
He also said; "We can also promise that reading the Book of Mormon will bring power to resist temptation or produce feelings of love within our families." I remember when President Hinckley asked us to read the Book of Mormon as a family. That was right before my two daughters decided to go on missions. One of them was struggling as she contemplated getting married to a boy that converted for her. I knew that she was troubled that he might not wait for her. She and her sister read the Book of Mormon and one went in September on her mission and the other followed in January. The young man didn't wait but she knew she was doing the right thing. He fell away from the Church and married a nonmember. She is now attending BYU and has the satisfaction of having served a faithful mission. Eventually the Lord will bless her with a righteous companion. The other daughter comes home next week having been valiant in her testimony and having brought people to Christ.
2 comments:
The Book of Mormon is an extraordinary missionary tool, not because of its extraordinary origins and history, but because of its extraordinary content and clear teachings.
I am happy for you that your daughter returns soon. We LDS parents love to send our offspring on missions, but we also love to get them back as much or more.
Last year when my son returned from his mission, we took him directly from the airport to the Stake Center to receive his official release and exit interview. Upon completion, the Stake President offered to take a picture of our family. He asked the RM to put his badge back on for the picture. Otherwise the picture was NOT intentionally composed, but our now "RM" stood directly under a bright EXIT sign hanging over his head with our family just off to the sides. Our eyes were teary not just because we loved to get him back but also because it was the end of a couple of great years. I love that EXIT picture.
Transitions are difficult. My daughter will be home in exactly one week. Her mother who is attending the Sunstone Symphosium will be able to be with her as she arrives from Rome Italy. Within a couple of weeks she will be back at the Y in the business school. Fortunately my third daughter graduates on December 22 and leaves a couple of weeks later for the MTC. It is the first time in a couple of years that I haven't had a daughter on a mission.
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