12 replies to this topic

[boblloyd91]

Hey all! I've been thumbing through some old ensigns and have found some interesting experiences people have shared they are here:

http://www.lds.org/e...michelle bowden

and here:

http://www.lds.org/e...ana lyou mantle

It has made me think of some experiences I had on my mission to Iowa, where people seemed to be prepared to hear the gospel, sometimes years before they met any missionaries. for example, I met a lady who was visiting the branch I was serving in. She said she grew up Presbyterian and one day at church the pastor was saying that when we die, we won't be together as a family. This lady said she heard a voice say "that's not true!" and she looked around and couldn't see who said that. no one else seemed to notice. I also recall knocking on the door of a referral, she didn't seem too interested but said to come back. Well I left, but some of the missionaries who took my place said that a few moments before we knocked on her door, she was praying for help in turning her life around.

So I guess I bring this up for two reasons. First, has anyone ever had this experience themselves, or know of someone else (on the mission, friend family, etc) where the person was clearly prepared to hear the gospel. Second, does anyone know of similar experiences in the scriptures or church history (I can think of Cornelius and Newell Whitney off the top of my head). I think this would be an interesting discussion, so please, someone respond to this!

[Duncan]

My Mom. She grew up UCC in Canada and had never met a Mormon, didn't know a thing about the Church whatsoever. She said she had heard some family friends travel to California and had passed through Utah and saw Temple Square and she said she just knew what it was about and was familiar with what they described. She said that this family attended church in Utah and after the sacrament was over they locked the doors! so the family felt uncomfortable but my mom was like, that's strange9as in that doesn't happen in other LDS Churches. So, she met my dad who was a semi active member and she just ate up everything. She told her minister about joining the Church and he said he had a book about the Church on his shelf but he couldn't find it! she saw it but wasn't going to point it out to him. She married my dad and she joined the Church two months later in 1967 and has been very active ever since! She has never been to Utah although it is my dream to someday take her there!

[boblloyd91]

Thanks for sharing!

[Garden Girl]

There are numerous stories I've been told by missionaries personally and while they were giving talks, and a couple of ward members in their testimonies.
One missionary story that has stuck with me is how this one missionary and his companion had tracted for quite a while this one day without success and were ready to leave the area.  They both received a strong impression to go to a particular house up the street... so they did.  They knocked on the door and a woman answered who was what is termed "golden."   She was sooo ready and just hungry for their teachings.
One of my good friends, former Episcopalian, told me when the missionaries came to the door she just knew what they told her was right.  She is now in her 80's and strong as ever.

GG

[Stargazer]

I guess I was one of those people.  While I was in middle school I met my very first Mormon In some very peculiar circumstances, and within 5 minutes he was telling me all about the Church and the Book of Mormon, and I listened very closely and was fascinated.  I couldn't get enough, and just knew it was true from the very beginning.  I had been to many other churches before, but none impressed me like this.  It took me a while to get baptized, but it was never in doubt.

[ERMD]

My companion and I were walking down a muddy dirt road in the middle of winter one Sunday afternoon in Argentina.  We felt impressed to knock at a certain door.  A 12 year-old boy answered.  I asked if his parents were home, and he said he would go get his mom.  My comp had only been in the country a couple of weeks, so he didn't follow what was going on.  After a minute or two, a woman came rushing out of the house, tears streaming down her face.  She was saying, "Come in! Come in!  We've been waiting!"  As we started into the house, I had to explain to my comp what she was saying.

We went into the living room, and on the coffee table were a couple of plates of cookies and other sweets, with cups of hot chocolate.  There were several chairs set up on one side of the table, with a sofa on the other side.  She invited us to sit on the sofa and said, "Wait here, I'll go get them," and she left the room.  I told my comp what she said, and he asked, "Go get who?"  I replied, "I don't know, but we're going to find out."

She reappeared with 6 other people, neighbors of hers.  They all sat down; she looked at us and said, "Alright.  We're ready."  I asked her, "Ready for what?"  She replied that they had been praying that afternoon that the Lord would send them messengers to teach them the gospel.  She, her son, and several of her friends were baptized a couple of weeks later.  I still have a photograph of the entire group taken during one of our return appointments.  That was in 1985.  I'll never forget it.

[Avatar4321]

The Field is white and ready for the harvest. God is preparing people all around us. We need to seek God to find this people and help prepare others.

[boblloyd91]

Awesome story ERMD! I was reading about Wilford Woodruff and his experience with Robert Mason. For those that don't know his story, Robert Mason was a neighbor of Wilford Woodruff, who believed that the church of Christ needed to have spiritual gifts like in the New Testament. He had a vision involving various trees that wouldn't produce fruit. He prayed to know what the vision meant, and he was told that it meant that the Church of Christ wasn't currently on the earth, but it soon would be. He shared this with Wilford Woodruff, because he felt he would be involved with all this. Of course we all know he did   I also read about John Taylor, and how when he was a young boy he saw a vision of an angel holding a trumpet to his lips, which at first he didn't understand, but later did when introduced to the church. He was a lay Methodist Preacher, and felt impressed to go to Canada, where he met Parley P. Pratt. the rest is history.

[Somebodyz]

The Lord prepared me. I ran away from home as a teen, found a crummy live in job, that paid £8 a week (late 70's) but put a roof over my head and food on the table. It was in the middle of no where, having recently come back to the UK from the US, I knew no one. One winter night, outside in the dark, I prayed/called out to God. ..and was very clearly answered. Told off (later heard this is called admonished), given direction and some warnings...oh and an out pouring of love.
About 6 months later, now in a new job and home. Missionaries knocked on my landladies door as I was heading out, dressed up(in way too little) to go dancing and drinking etc. They went into the living room, for the discussion. I heard a voice beside me,tell me to join them and listen. Wasn't long before I became a member. Never heard of the Church until that first discussion.

[Okrahomer]

Somebodyz, on 03 May 2012 - 06:00 PM, said:

The Lord prepared me....I heard a voice beside me,tell me to join them and listen. Wasn't long before I became a member. Never heard of the Church until that first discussion.

Wonderful!  Thank you for sharing.  Isaiah 30:21 comes to mind:

"And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it..."

[Avatar4321]

What can we do help prepare people for the Gospel?

[Garden Girl]

Somebodyz, on 03 May 2012 - 06:00 PM, said:

The Lord prepared me. I ran away from home as a teen, found a crummy live in job, that paid £8 a week (late 70's) but put a roof over my head and food on the table. It was in the middle of no where, having recently come back to the UK from the US, I knew no one. One winter night, outside in the dark, I prayed/called out to God. ..and was very clearly answered. Told off (later heard this is called admonished), given direction and some warnings...oh and an out pouring of love.
About 6 months later, now in a new job and home. Missionaries knocked on my landladies door as I was heading out, dressed up(in way too little) to go dancing and drinking etc. They went into the living room, for the discussion. I heard a voice beside me,tell me to join them and listen. Wasn't long before I became a member. Never heard of the Church until that first discussion.

I loved your story... doesn't it just make you shake your head and be amazed at the Lord's love and care of us...

GG

[ERMD]

Avatar4321, on 06 May 2012 - 09:44 AM, said:

What can we do help prepare people for the Gospel?

Live it, and invite.