The Book of Mormon Does It Again

Elder Kevin Gottfredson, November 2012

While I was in my first area, my senior companion was sent off to a specialized training meeting.  I was left in a three-person companionship.  The two other missionaries were both highly skilled in both language and teaching ability.  We had an appointment with one of our investigators with a baptismal date.  He had been struggling with some opposition from family and friends, so I felt like a message about the importance of baptism would strengthen him.  With the help of the two other missionaries, we carefully planned some scriptures to read.

When we arrived at the appointed lesson, at the tiny office building that was being used as a church, we met Brother Yamamoto.  The first thing he noted was that there had been a huge earthquake and there was a tsunami coming on the east coast.  We shrugged off that comment, not realizing the gravity of the situation on that 11^th day of March, 2011.  The second comment by Brother Yamamoto was that he would no longer be meeting with the missionaries.  He had made a decision based on the pressure from his friends.

Slightly taken back, we pled with him for one more lesson.  He accepted.  One of the missionaries I was with told me that he “got this” and he knew just how to solve the man’s problem.  As I have come to know this missionary since that time, I grew to know the skill he had with solving other people’s problems.  In retrospect, it still seems foolish that I turned down his confident request to change the lesson.  Though both missionaries were very reluctant, they allowed me to take the lead and continue our planned lesson on baptism.

As we read the first scripture from 2 Nephi, everyone still seemed skeptical.  When we read the second scripture from Alma, however, something strange happened.  Brother Yamamoto looked up at us and to everyone’s amazement, said that he would be baptized.  We ended up reading the third scripture as well, just to be safe, but he had no more questions and no more concerns.  In fact, he had no more concerns and he was baptized a week later.

Elder Gottfredson, Bro. Yamamoto, and Elder McClain

This experience increased my faith in the power and importance of the Book of Mormon.  Looking back, there is no reason I should have ignored the council of my senior companions and continue with the lesson that he had planned before.  I guess God speaks to his children.

The Church is true.