The April 2019 General Conference talks reminded me that I should be a prepared, or at least preparing, Latter-day Saint. The link seemed clearer than ever before that my yearning and seeking and learning is a divinely appointed means to cause me to be who I’m meant to be. I recalled conversations with people who felt similarly compelled to step outside of comfort zones and reach higher.
The Light of Christ in all of us seeks to expand and grow within us. As we seek the Lord’s light, His innate light in us grows brighter.
That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. (D&C 50:24)
That same growing light happens in people all around us as the Light of Christ inspires upward movement.
The Lord Prepares People to Hear the Gospel
My niece Hermana Alex Bushman is serving a mission in Argentina. Her weekly letters regularly testify that light resonates with light as the Lord prepares His children—in and out of the Church. Here is a portion of her letter this week (exclamation marks included—I love her joy).
So this week, Wednesday night, we met Viviana who speaks amazing English and she contacted Hermana Bentley and asked to hear more about the Church! She is a single mom and is so sweet! We set up another appointment with her for the next day!
Then we got a call from Los Angeles, California, passing us a reference! We were so excited and planned to pass by her house the next day, too! Thursday, we were super sad when Viviana wasn´t home. She had an emergency and had to leave.
We walked back so sad and quiet but when we stopped by the other reference’s house, she was there!! Her name is Paula and she was so excited to listen to us! She had already downloaded the Book of Mormon on her phone and knew like everything! We walked in her house and she straight up asked us how she could join our Church!
She is so prepared and ready to receive the restored Church. We invited her to come to General Conference and she came to the Saturday afternoon and the Sunday morning sessions!!!!! It was such a blessing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We saw so many miracles this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that the Lord does prepare people to hear the gospel. Sometimes we have to put in our effort to show Him that we are ready to help His precious children receive the gospel!!!!!!!
I’m amazed at how the Lord sees each of us on our journeys individually. He’s aware of Paula and Viviana’s journeys and sent two sister missionaries to them.
“They were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me”
Alex’s story reminded me of the impact of missionaries like Ammon, Alma, and early missionaries from the Restored Church. Wilford Woodruff’s experience with preparing himself to hear the Lord’s direction and then doing what the Lord commanded strengthens my determination to do the same.
Elder Woodruff sought the Lord in prayer…asking where he should go. He recounted: ‘Believing it to be my privilege and duty to know the will of the Lord upon the subject, therefore, I asked my Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ to teach me his will in this thing, and as I asked, the Lord gave, and showed me that it was his will that I should go immediately to the south of England. I conversed with brother William Benbow upon this subject, who had lived in Herefordshire and had friends still residing there, and much wished me to visit that region of country, and [he] generously proffered to accompany me to his brother’s house and pay my fare, which I readily accepted.’
To read more of Delisa’s articles, click here.
On March 4, 1840, Elder Woodruff and William Benbow arrived at the home of William’s brother John. ‘In one hour after I arrived at his house,’ recalled President Woodruff, ‘I learned why the Lord had sent me there. … I found a company of men and women, some six hundred, who had banded together under the name of United Brethren, and were laboring for the ancient order of things. They wanted the Gospel as taught by the prophets and apostles, as I did in my youth.’
Through diligent Bible study, John Benbow and his family and friends prepared themselves to embrace the restored gospel.
The Benbow family quickly accepted the message of the Restoration, and William returned to Staffordshire ‘after having the happy privilege of seeing his brother John Benbow, and all his household, … baptized into the new and everlasting covenant.’ Elder Woodruff stayed in the area for about eight months. He later recalled: ‘The first thirty days after I arrived in Herefordshire I baptized forty-five preachers and several hundred members.…We brought in two thousand in about eight months’ labor.’
Referring to this experience, President Woodruff wrote: ‘The whole history of this Herefordshire mission shows the importance of listening to the still small voice of God and the revelations of the Holy Ghost. The Lord had a people there prepared for the Gospel. They were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them’” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff [2004], 90–91).
As our light grows in its capacity to hear and act on the will of God, we help to build the Lord’s kingdom according to His purposes. He prepares any who are willing and gives us the opportunity to help in His work, whether we impact people hundreds or thousands at a time or one or two at a time.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.
