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| The wonderful Stark family had a minion celebration for Ian's 20th Birthday! |
As we paraded the mall in Joplin last Preparation Day, an Elder in my district and I discovered a store with Bible stuff. Because we had already smelled all the candles in Yankee Candle, we decided to check out the Bible store. We perused the parameters of the crammed space, and we discovered some Bibles in Spanish, a lot of 'Deseret Book' style motivational quotes for soccer moms to put in their kitchens and miraculously some information on Mormons.
Being naive to the nature of such literature and assuming it to be of an uplifting quality, I opened up the lamented pamphlet and began to read. I don't remember if it was after I read about polygamy or maybe after the section about authority, but I made a comment aloud in a low voice similar to, 'this is ridiculous.' Just at that moment, the store clerk had decided to pass behind us and ask us if we needed help looking for something. As one can imagine, he didn't ask us if we needed help. Instead he responded with a discourse on why he didn't put 'Mormon doctrine' in his store. I felt, again, like a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins and prayed for the knowledge to know what to say. When he concluded his hushed speech I gave him a card and and began to talk like normal even though my heart was jumping around in my body like a 3rd grader after licking a Costco cake clean of the icing. We had a good chat and concluded with our testimonies of Christ. The adrenaline wiped most of my memory from the experience but there were no hard feelings and we both walked away.
Sometimes I think in my life I judge others because of their incomplete belief in Christ. After that experience and a couple others, I feel that these beliefs prepare others for the completeness of the truth. Jumping straight into a hot tub is shocking and sometimes painful but slowly stepping in is different. Much like the Gospel, the people are prepared little by little until ready to fully receive the truth. And as followers of Christ we are there to help them with just one more step, usually not all of them. Hopefully my comment didn't cause the store clerk to step backward. I imagine in the future he will remember our testimonies as he talks with missionaries again.
Thank you all for the support and love and prayers!
Adios
Elder Thomas
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| He got to see his good friend in Aurora! |
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