Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Elder Channel and Freeman (fresh out of the MTC) taught May this evening.   Others were in attendance--Robert Kuo, Bro Chu's daughter and I.  I heard May had been reading anti-Mormon literature so I thought the lesson would be spent talking about how important it is to learn truth from the source rather than from detractors.
After introductions, May declared that she was Christian and believed in Jesus Christ.  Sincerely, she ask us when and how we knew that the Church was true.  We all shared our conversion stories.  The most touching was Elder Freeman's story of being raised in the church, then at the age of 14, going inactive for 4 years.  He was content with what was important in his life then--football and girls.  He then began to feel the emptiness of his life without the Spirit.  After being invited back to church by a friend, he felt that he had come back home when he returned to church.
We talked about the Great Apostasy and the need for a restoration of Christ's Church after those many years of spiritual void.
Elder Channel eloquently and deliberately read verses from the scriptures that related how Joseph Smith received the Melchezedek Priesthood at the hands of Peter, James and John.  Elder Channel also shared his priesthood line of authority tracing it back to Jesus Christ himself.
Contrast that with her pastor in the Chinese Church in Alhambra where she was baptized and served as a secretary for 4 years.  Without the details of her departure from that church, we mentioned that authority of given to her former pastor was from Biola College where he earned his Doctor of Divinity,  and not from Christ.
The Spirit impressed Elder Freeman to commit her to baptism.  With a facial expression of knowing that it was the right thing to do, she ask us to look away from her so she could have a moment to ponder privately.  When we look back at her, she smiled and nodded her head signaling that she would accept.  It was truly a precious moment.  She recognized the Spirit and she followed its prompting with faith.

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