5 March 2017

Garrin Bott is the first counselor in the bishopric of Baker Second Ward.  As he conducted fast and testimony meeting today he presented a hypothetical situation, and asked us to imagine ourselves there.  Suppose there was a 150-foot-long I-beam lying on the ground.  It is 8 inches wide.  Would you walk it?

Suppose that I-beam is raised 10 feet in the air.  Would you walk across it?  What if you were offered $100 for doing it?  Would you do it?

What if the I-beam was raised into position 50 stories high?  Would you walk it then?  Would you walk it for $10,000?  Would you walk it for $1 million?  Would you walk it to save the life of your child?

My blood ran cold at the very thought of such a scenario, but I found myself getting up and going to the podium to bear the most heartfelt testimony that I’ve ever borne.  This is what I said, with a few additions:

I’m terrified of heights.  If I was standing at one end of Brother Bott’s I-beam and someone asked me to walk it, I wouldn’t do it for a million dollars, and I couldn’t even do it for my kids.  (Laughter).

But I’ll tell you what I would do.  If my Savior was standing at the other end, and told me to walk the I-beam, I’d fix my eyes upon Him, and I’d  do it!

Exactly 50 years ago yesterday I was baptized, and became a member of this Church.  It was the most important day of my life.  The thing that I’ve learned in that time is that with the Lord’s help I can do anything.

At my baptism my sins were all taken away.  I was given the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost has become a companion that I use every day.  I depend upon it.  My baptism opened the way for me to receive the Priesthood.  The Priesthood opened the doors of the temple.  The ordinances of the temple gave me an eternal family.

My Savior took a painfully-shy, incapable-of-doing-anything young man, and turned me into someone who, with His help, can do anything.  I’m astounded at what He’s done with me and for me.

He has given me a testimony of Him.  I know that He lives.  I know that He knows me.  I know that He loves me.  I know that Joseph Smith is His prophet.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I am on my 64th reading of that book.

Why would anyone read a book 64 times?  It’s because I feel the Spirit and learn new things every time I read.  Yesterday I read just four verses.  The Spirit opened my eyes to thoughts that I’d never had before.  Four hours later I finished my study, and had written three long articles about the thoughts I’d had and the things I’d learned.

I love that book.  I love my Savior.  It’s a privilege to serve Him.  I’m astonished at what He’s done with me, and with what He’s entrusted me to do.  He has given me His Priesthood, and has made me an ordinance worker in the temple.  This week as I officiated in the initiatory ordinances I was nearly overcome with the magnitude of the things He was allowing me to do there.  The blessings that I was pronouncing upon men’s heads were beyond comprehension, and every one of them will be recognized and honored in the eternities.

I have to ask myself, why me?  How could I be so blessed?  Why should I be so blessed?  I don’t have a satisfactory answer except to say that the Savior loves me and blesses me because I’ve put my faith in Him.

I found myself being profoundly sorry for the farmer that I passed today on my way to church.  He was on his tractor, was pulling his harrow, and was on his way to work.  He could have been here in church.  I was also sorry for the people in the cars with the skis on their tops that I passed.  Those people should have been here in church, too.  They’re missing out.  They just don’t know.

I feel sorry for the 31-year-old man that I picked up out in the country several days ago as he ambled up the road.  He told me that he was out walking and trying to think through his problems.  He had lost his family.  He had no job.  He had no place to live except with friends and with his mother who was sometimes here.  He was trying to get on top of the substances that had hold of him.

“Are you the young man the sister missionaries told me about?” I asked.

“Yes, I’ve been talking to them.”

“Well, the fact that the Lord sent me here to pick you up is evidence that He knows you and wants to help you.  Here’s what you need to do.”

I took him to my home for lunch, and gave him a Book of Mormon.  I took him to the church, showed him what door to enter, told him to walk straight ahead, and that I’d be waiting for him, and that I’d be his companion.

He had a good personality.  I liked him.  I hope that he grabs the lifeline I’ve thrown to him.

But for the grace of God, there go I, and there goes you.

I’m grateful for the lifeline the Savior threw to me 50 years ago.  It’s made all the difference.