Life Changing Experience

January 21, 2014

Hello Everyone, 

 

This past week we did a lot of teaching and contacted several new less actives to work with, so it was a really great week. This past weekend I received the great news that I will be staying with Elder Wyatt in Great Falls another 6 weeks, I am so excited about that! We have some great work going on and so much right on the horizon!

    

I want to share an experience I had this week that has changed my life. Note: I have changed the names in the story for privacy reasons. 

 

On Saturday night we were out contacting some referrals when our phone rang. It was a less active member from one of the units I serve in with a request. 

 

He said, "My father-in-law just lost a best friend, his friend's son is LDS and is requesting to see some LDS people, he is struggling with the loss of his father, will you go talk to him?" 

 

Us: "Yes of course, We would love to go talk to him and help him in any way that we can." 

 

So we get the address of where this young man is at and start heading that way, all we know is that his father passed away recently. The drive there I am pouring my heart out to my Heavenly Father, "Please help me know what to say to this man, help me to feel the love that Thou has for him"

   

We arrive at the address, Elder Wyatt and I say a prayer together and head up the walk to the front door. We knock and are let into this house and invited to sit down. The young man introduces himself, "Hello I am Jason, please sit down." 

 

We begin to talk to Jason, as we are talking to him I notice this poor young man has years of sorrow, heartbreak, pain and devastation painted on to his countenance. 

 

He proceeds to tell us that he is 16 years old, that is parents were divorced when he was young, and he had moved 17 times. A few years ago he went to live with his mom and new step dad who was an alcoholic. His step dad was verbally and physically abusive, Jason always protected his 2 younger brothers, and as a result to a physical fight he had with his step dad, his mom put him into a Boys Ranch for troubled teens for 6 months with no mail or visitors allowed in.  When he got out of the boys ranch he moved to Great Falls and lived with his dad. It was like a new chapter in his life, this is when Jason and his dad joined the church, life was good now as he got along with his dad, loved him and respected him. Things seemed to be going well but then his dad's health began to fail him and he got more and more sick. Just this last September his father had a surgery in efforts to correct some of his health problems. Things seemed to be improving the last few months. His father was getting better and doing well. Friday night Jason talked to his dad about a few things and it was the last time he spoke to him because on Saturday morning Jason's dad committed suicide with no forewarning.

    

As Jason relayed all of this information to us the pain in his eyes deepened. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I listened to this young man, he explained that his dad doing such a thing was never once a thought in his wildest dreams. It was a complete shock. He had relayed all of this information to us and we sat in silence for a few moments, the prayer still burning in my heart, "God please give me the words to speak to this young man." Elder Wyatt had the same prayer within his heart and our prayers were answered. 

 

We bore testimony to Jason of the Plan of Salvation and of Jesus Christ, our Savior. We shared with him personal and spiritual experiences we have had in our lives, we shared scriptures with him and prayed for him within our hearts as we spoke to him.

 

 A marvelous thing took place in that house as the Spirit of the Lord ministered to Jason, I watched Jason literally change right before my eyes! His countenance lightened and the burden he carried was completely removed from his shoulders, the light of Christ burned within his eyes and he began to smile and laugh as we continued to share experiences one with another.  

 

The love of God, the Holy Ghost and the grace of Jesus Christ changed Jason's life in a matter of minutes. We left Jason with a priesthood blessing that was so sacred as God spoke directly to him. Jason came to church the next day and we are in close contact with him and the Elders that cover the area in which he lives, he is doing well considering the circumstances. I love Jason and would do anything I could to help him. He is a loved son of God.

    

I testify with every fiber of my being that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, and His gospel is true. I testify that faith in Christ brings about miracles! I testify with all the power within my soul that faith, TRUE FAITH in Christ changes lives, I watched it happen right in front of my eyes. I love my Savior with all of my heart, He died for me, He died for you. He rose from the dead the third day and left the tomb empty, He lives today and He loves you, He knows you! I invite all that are lacking in faith to read the words of Christ in the New Testament and in the Book of Mormon! Pray for faith, "seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you". Come unto Christ and you will know true peace, true joy and true love; I promise you these things as a representative of Jesus Christ and bear this testimony in his name, even Christ the Lord, Amen.
    
- Elder Aaron John Organ