Missionary Moments
The Joy over One Soul
We met Prince on what seemed to be a normal hot and stagnant Sunday. We couldn’t miss the guy who walked into Church early and sat alone in the back, wearing a bright pink collared shirt. Immediately after sacrament meeting was finished, my companion, Elder Hutchason, and I rushed to his side to enthusiastically greet him.
We asked him his background and how he heard about our Church. His response filled our hearts to the brim with amazement and joy. In a very open and honest way, Prince shared the details of his life.
In a nutshell, he has lived in the great and spacious building, as described in the Book of Mormon in Lehi’s dream (See 1 Nephi 8, 11). Prince told us he was eating, drinking, and living a destructive life. One day he found an online pamphlet about the Word of Wisdom. Prince shared that his lifestyle had clearly already been taking a toll on his spirit and he wasn’t happy and felt like he needed to make some changes.
The moment Prince began to read the online pamphlet about the Word of Wisdom, he felt something touch his heart. Prince immediately wished for a way to change and sought out more teachings from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As he did so, he found joy and understanding, in such a way he saw the puzzle pieces connecting in his mind.
As we visited with Prince that Sunday afternoon, my companion and I were so delighted to share how the message of the gospel brings great hope. We promised him that he would find true joy and understanding through learning more about Jesus Christ. We testified that by this small exercise of his faith to come to church on his own, God would see these efforts and bless him more than he could imagine. I felt in that moment that my Father in Heaven opened my eyes to see the potential of my new friend.
Prince began to soak up the doctrine taught in the discussions that Elder Hutchason and I began to share with him. I remember after almost an hour of straight questions and wide eyes, Elder Hutchason had to slow Prince down just a little bit. Elder Hutchason asked Prince to take time to ponder on some of the previous teachings. He taught Prince, “we strongly believe that we learn things line upon line and precept upon precept; a sponge is not capable of emptying a bucket of water in just one squeeze.”
Prince embraced the gospel quickly. He kept and made commitments to better his life and came to church every week. Not long after, the first counselor of the Cantonments Ward, Brother Luke, was raising this wonderful young man out of the chilled waters of the baptismal font. Both Elder Hutchason and I witnessed firsthand Jesus Christ’s infinite Atonement work for our new brother, Prince.
While this teaching process was occurring, our other friend, Bernard, walked into our lives. Bernard had first found the Church through a local Facebook ad and he accepted our first phone call invitation to attend church that coming Sunday. It was a joyous day when Bernard and Prince were able to meet on the oak benches in our chapel. Even though there is a small age gap, they clicked so well, and the rapidly growing testimony of Prince touched the heart of Bernard. Elder Hutchason and I watched Bernard quickly came to love all the messages and teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we taught Bernard each time, we would call him on the phone, and he would answer. Anytime we asked to meet he was so excited he would even close down his shop early to meet us at the chapel to hear another message. Anytime we extended a commitment to read from the scriptures or to pray on his own, he would willingly and faithfully do so. Elder Hutchason and I both knew that we should not procrastinate the day of his baptism.
Even through a very challenging and busy week for everyone, we were still able to have Bernard properly interviewed, baptized, and confirmed in the same week. On that perfect cool Saturday evening of September 18, 2021, I watched as my worthy, spirit-filled companion, Elder Hutchason, guided Bernard into the baptismal font. I cannot express with words how much joy I saw in that man’s smile as Elder Hutchason raised him out of the water. He knew, and so did everyone else in attendance, that his sins had been purified.
By taking this first step, he had become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ, and began a lifelong journey to now go and share his light before mankind that “they may see [his] good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Bernard was confirmed the following day in sacrament meeting. My favorite part about this is the support of the uplifted right hand from the congregation to support the newest member of their family.