Journal entry, Sunday, 28 October 2018

Friday morning we suddenly decided to go to Rexburg to see Eli, Isaac, Ila, and Briton.  There was no compelling reason to go except to show our love and to offer our support.  We had no other duties or appointments to keep us at home, so we went.

However, while there, I often found myself wondering, “Why are we here?  There was no reason to come.”

We’re on our way home now, and I still can’t answer that question, but I have some thoughts that need recording.

We attended church with Eli and Isaac in their Young Single Adult Rexburg 65th Ward.  The last time I attended a young single adult ward was 52 years ago, perhaps to the very day.  It took me back in time.

It was in Provo, Utah at BYU.  I was a non-member boy there to see my LDS girl friend.  It was on that occasion that I was given my first Book of Mormon.  That event changed the rest of my life.  All the memories and circumstances of that occasion came rushing back to me.

Just as on that occasion 52 years ago it was again a fast and testimony meeting.  Just as in that first memorable meeting, beautiful, shiny young people lined up awaiting their turn to bear heartfelt testimonies and to shed tears of joy in front of their peers.

I thought to myself that if there was a lull in the bearing of testimonies that I would bear mine, but that under no circumstance would I bear my testimony if it meant depriving one of those young people of the opportunity to bear theirs.

Because of the lineup waiting to bear testimony, it quickly became obvious that I would not be saying anything in that setting, but the thought came into my head that the opportunity would present itself in the Sunday School meeting that would follow.

We went to the Sunday School class that Eli would teach.  The ward had three gospel doctrine classes, but half of the ward went to Eli’s class.  There wasn’t an empty seat.  After the prayer Eli asked for a show of hands by all those who were converts to the Church.  He then announced that his father was a convert, and was present, and would I please tell the class my conversion story.

That was my heartfelt desire, and I did so.

As I’m now on my way back home, I still don’t know why we came; but the thought now in my head was that we came so that I could bear that testimony.  Someone was there who needed to hear it.  I may never know who it was or why, but I think we gave this weekend up and came all this way just so that I could bear that testimony—and I’m grateful to have been asked to do it.  It was probably not Eli who asked me to do it.  There was a higher purpose.  That’s the way the Lord works.

If Eli becomes aware of who the person was, I’d like to know the circumstances.