A woman in San Francisco answered the knock on her door. She found two handsome, light-filled elders standing on her doorstep. Before they could say a word, she said, "I don't know what you're selling, but I'll buy it!"

And she did. She became a member of the Church.

I heard that story years ago. I thought that it was given in general conference, but I can't find it. I've used it many times because it illustrates a true principle. Obedient, dedicated missionaries stand out because of the light that is in them.

My reason for writing this article is because of a letter that I received today from my missionary granddaughter, Isabelle. She says:

Every Thursday we do weekly planning and we sit in McDonalds. We just plan for our friends and make goals for the next week. WELLLL a few weeks ago, we called a girl named Cat and we were chatting a little bit and then she asked if we were the missionaries that come into McDonalds once a week. We said yes. She said she's been watching us for MONTHS!! We have a "weird glowing thing around us," and she was initially interested in the church because she "wants the glowing thing on herself"!!!! HOW CUTE IS THAT?!? Anyways she wants to get baptized and she asks us all the time how she can be a missionary like us. She really wants a tag. She tells everyone about the Book of Mormon and she brings her mom to church.

That story must be paired up with one about missionary protections that another missionary granddaughter told:

Ila Farber and her El Salvadoran missionary companion were serving in Costa Rica in an area where there were many wild dogs. Some areas were also infested with drugs and many users.

The girls found a family that consented to hear the missionaries' discussions. Because of the family's schedule, the family could only meet with the missionaries after 6:00 at night. This presented a dilemma for the missionaries because the family lived in a dangerous area, and two girls visiting there after dark would not be a good situation. But the missionaries decided that it was their duty to teach the receptive family, and boarded a bus to go.

The bus deposited the girls in a very unsavory-looking area. They realized that in order to get to the house where they had the appointment, they would have to thread their way through people who were openly using drugs. They hesitated, but decided to proceed. Around the corner came a huge pit bull. They froze. The dog headed straight for them, and stopped beside Ila. Hesitantly Ila reached out and petted the dog. The three of them then headed off to keep the appointment. The dog walked beside them the whole way.

When the missionaries were done with their teaching appointment they exited the house, walked a few steps, and were met by the pit bull. It escorted them back to the bus.

Thereafter, every time the missionaries went there in the dark to teach the family, the pit bull met their bus, escorted the girls to the house, and back again to the bus afterward. Ila thought, "What a coincidence that this dog is always here." Only later did she recognize the miracle that was involved, and that in missionary work, there are no coincidences.

Missionaries have lights, protections, and angels around them, and don't even know it.