The Gospel Is True

I love working with senior citizens! I never thought I would say that. In my last job I did not love working with seniors mostly because they would call non-stop all day wondering why their doctor hasn’t call them back or called in their prescription. I felt like all seniors were like them…wrong! I get the chance to watch a lonely senior feel less lonely. I get to coordinate service projects for homebound seniors and see their reaction from the services they received (which most of the time they cannot believe someone is willing to help them for free). Right now I am doing something a bit different from my regular duties. I am in charge of filing for monetary assistance for low income seniors. When I was asked to do this task I was a bit weary. I wasn t trained on this stuff. But I’m glad I accepted the job because I have loved the opportunity I have had to meet so many awesome people.

One lady that really left her mark on me told me a wonderful story. It was her personal story of how she became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Saints. She said she felt compelled to tell me her story but before she did she made sure I was a member (I guess she didn’t want to offend me). She said she came into contact with LDS missionaries when she was a young adult. They were nice people. However at the time she didn’t want anything to do them. Her mother lived in Utah at this time. After she met the LDS missionaries she called her mom and told her how nice they were and if she ever came into contact with them to let them talk to her. Later down the road her mom decided to rent out part of her house. Her first applicants were LDS missionaries. She remembered what her daughter told her so she accepted their application and they began living with her. Well this lady came to live in Utah shortly after this to help take care of her mom. One day the LDS missionaries asked her if they could “practice their teachings” with her. She accepted although in her mind she told herself she wouldn’t believe anything they would teach her. On the third discussion, which was on the Word of Wisdom, they asked her to kneel down in prayer to see if what they taught her was true. She told me that through the entire prayer she repeated over and over “these people are crazy…what’s wrong with coffee or tea…get them out of my mother’s house…this is ridiculous…” When the prayer was over she got up off her knees and immediately sat down on the couch. The LDS missionaries asked her what she was feeling to which she replied “I know clear as day that Joseph Smith=2 0is a true prophet.” When she told me this my entire chest swelled and my eyes filled up with tears. She said she had never felt the way she felt that day before. She knew without a doubt that this man was called from God. To this day she is still astonished that she felt that way.

Her testimony of Joseph Smith, although very simple, helped me confirm my own testimony of this great man and prophet of my church. When she spoke those simple words “I know clear as day that Joseph Smith is a true prophet” I felt the spirit so strongly.

I have had other seniors talk to me about the church. Another lady I met a few months ago told me she knows all is well because she has the priesthood in her home (she suffers from Alzheimer’s and when she told me this she pointed to a20picture of the First Presidency and Apostles that was hanging up on her wall). This touched my soul. What a comfort this was for her. And what a testimony builder it was for me. I am so blessed to have the priesthood in my home. I am grateful that I can ask Gordon (or other men in my family if he is unavailable) for priesthood blessings. I will never forget my first priesthood blessing for Gordon. It was before I was going in for surgery almost two years ago. Gordon was very nervous but my blessing was beautiful. I didn’t even know he was nervous until after. I love him so much. I am blessed because of him and how he lives his live to honor the priesthood.

The church is true. The doctrines of the gospel are true. My testimony grows a little each day. I am fortunate enough to have wonderful family members, friends, and sweet seniors in my life that help it to grow.