Story from the mission

Today I had to give a talk in Church. It was the first talk that I have given since I got back from my mission, which was a little over two and a half years ago. I recounted a story from the mission about a woman named Elizabeth. She had been going to Church for three months, but her husband didn’t want anything to do with the Church. He eventually started to listen from the kitchen and then from the bedroom and after a little persuasion he finally came into the same room to listen to the lessons. After he had read the Book of Mormon and started to pray we challenged him to go to church. I promised him that if he did God would bless him. The man’s name was Daniel and he decided to see if God would bless him, so he and the entire family went to church. The next day, Monday, we stopped by Elizabeth’s house and found her washing clothes outside by hand. Her washing machine had stopped working. Two days later we stopped by and were informed that Daniel had lost his job. I assured them that God’s blessings would come. Two days later we stopped by again and found that there refrigerator had stopped working and all of their food had gone bad and that there granddaughters had stolen the money they had carefully saved up in case of an emergency and had spent all of it. I was certain they wouldn’t be there on Sunday. When Sunday came around I was surprised when not only Elizabeth, but Daniel and the entire family walked into sacrament meeting. After sacrament meeting was over I went to Elizabeth and asked why they had come. She paused and then said something I will never forget. She said, “Elder we are the poorest we’ve ever been, but for the first time in our lives we are truly happy.” This family had lost everything, yet they were happy because they had found the truth and for the first time in their lives the spirit was in their home. I am so grateful for the gospel and the blessings that I have received and know that by living the gospel we too can be truly happy.