If you will just SHOW me how........

Yesterday we went to the Spokane West Saturday night session of conference. I was asked to speak on preparing young men to go on missions. It was so nice to be given a topic ahead of time, told how much time I had to speak, and really prepare. Not that I said anything marvellous, but I enjoyed the experience much more. I talked about practical preparation, social preparation and spiritual preparation. I hoped I focused most on spiritual preparation, but most of those who talked to me after remember my story of teaching Geoffrey to iron. I talked about how he was ironing a shirt and needed help (thanks to wrinkle free he hasnt had much practice). I was just telling him how to do it and he was getting more and more frustrated. Finally he said--if you will just show me how and let me watch, I can figure it out. I stopped what I was doing, talked him through it as he watched me do it. After he said--I think I can do that now...and he did. I compared it to the need our children have of seeing us live the gospel as well as tell them about it. They need the words and the actions.



Today we went to the conference and Mark spoke on the Book of Mormon. He gave a great talk--although I think he always does. The meeting had a bit of trouble in that the patriarch and the counselor in the temple presidency each spoke for about 30 minutes instead of their assigned 12. But it all worked out. I was probably the most concerned. This wonderful stake president-President Tate-expressed his love and gratitude for the things they shared--then had his counselor speak for just a minute and I am sure cut his remarks down too. Now-to go back to the meeting at 9am---it was for all the new converts from the past year, or any investigators that wanted to come. It was a short meeting, but a lot of people were there. We started by singing I Know That My Redeemer Lives. It is a very powerful song--bearing testimony throughout the song--it really touched me. Mark spoke for 10 minutes, I shared my testimony, a new convert shared his beautiful conversion story and then the stake president shared his from 30+ years ago. It was a lovely meeting. After we got to meet many of the people. One man was introduced to us by the missionaries-I think his name was Samia-he has roots in east Africa. We talked for quite a while. His religious background accept all scripture, so he was pleased to hear about the book of Mormon. He speaks 4 languages and is a very nice man. As we were talking he said how he has always loved the written word - the scriptures - but since he has been meeting with the missionaries he has been feeling things-something so different - he said he has begun to wonder if there is more than just the written word-that maybe there is something to do with our feelings also - again mentioning how different he has felt. We talked about the Holy Ghost and how it testifies of truth.



So-we then went into the meeting that went long, and I was thinking that some of the talks-one about the primary program-may seem totally irrelevant and very hard to follow. But, after we got home we got a call from the missionaries. They wanted to share with us that when they left the meeting, Samia said he was blown away. He loved it. He wanted to talk about baptism and why did he have to wait until----what ever date they gave him. Little miracles.