I had a great experience last Sunday at our Stake Conference. (It was, in fact, both our last and our first Stake conference. Our last in the Raleigh NC Stake, and our first in the new Apex NC Stake. But that is another post.)
I saw a man go by. He was someone that I had home taught in the past. The man had serious drug problems, and he had required a serious amount of time and patience. I didn't really understand how much he had affected me personally at the time until I broke down in tears talking about him at an AlAnon meeting. He finally moved out of our ward and I no longer home taught him. He didn't come to church any more in his new ward, and I lost track of him. But here he was at Stake conference! I was almost speechless! The Single Adult rep from his ward came in late to our bookstore last night (Sat night - that's when I often do the books for my wife - the SA rep called and we were still there late, so she came by to pick up something she had ordered). She asked me, completely independently, if I knew Rick <name withheld>. I of course responded in the affirmative, and she proceeded to tell me how Rick still talked about me (in the positive, since I guess he really didn't get to know me :-). Sometimes we don't know how much we really do affect people. While Ricky was not a new convert, having joined the Church at age 19 to pursue a girl (and ... well, that's his business), he really was a new convert. What we need to do for some of them is to love them, and show that love by our actions, our patience, our not being judgmental, and our steadfast adherence to the standards we promise to uphold and out expectation that the new member can maintain these standards as well. I cannot express in words what I felt that day, seeing him there. That moment made every second I had spent with him a few years back worthwhile (of course, they were anyway, but I am, after all, still very much a natural man). Nothing beats the fruits of the Spirit to help a new convert gain and maintain a strong testimony. Jon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Noel B" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 9:10 AM Subject: RE: [ZION] Tell Heidi > Having watched many converts come into church, having stood at some of > their baptisms and welcomed them into the ward, I have to say that this > is true for the social aspects of the ward. However, attendence at Club > Mormon is not what we will be judged on, in my opinion. > > The converts that I have seen stick are the ones who were taught to > treasure and obtain spiritual experiences and learned how to look past > the ward members 'human' characteristics. No amount of ward 'friends' > can sustain a convert unless they are clearly taught how to seek and > gain knowledge from God. With that knowledge comes the glue that holds > them to the kingdom. > > Noel > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: John W. Redelfs [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2003 1:50 AM > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Subject: [ZION] Tell Heidi > > > > > >Gary Smith has asked me to tell you, Heidi, that the best way > >to retain a > >new convert is to surround that person with friends in the > >ward. I would > >add that it isn't always easy, but it has to be done. And if > >we don't do > >it, we will have to answer for our negligence when we stand before the > >Judge. --JWR > > > > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / > > > ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------
