I am a convert to the church. I became a convert to the church because of the faithfulness of the Home Teacher who was assigned to our home. He was on the High Council. My wife, an inactive member for about ten years, and I had Word of Wisdom problems. I smoked several packs of cigarettes every day. My wife smoked as well. I remember that I always wanted to be there when our Home Teacher came. He was a special person and I could feel a special spirit. We would quickly put out our cigarettes and hide the ash trays and spray the room (he could still tell) just before he came.

And then one day, I felt an overwhelming desire to become a part of this church. It was a power that pulled and tugged like nothing I had ever experienced before. My Home Teacher and the Ward Mission Leader and the Missionaries gave me a blessing to stop smoking. I never touched another cigarette after that blessing. After I knew that I would never have the problem again, I set a date for my baptism.

Several callings later, I became the bishop of the ward we had just moved into. My wife received a blessing from a member of the Quorum of the Seventy to release her smoking habit and within two months, she and I and our two children were sealed in the Dallas Temple. My wife was called as the Relief Society President of our Ward and was just recently released after several years. I am on the High Council at this time. The brother the home taught us became the Bishop of our Ward, and is now serving as Mission President in one of the Philippine Mission areas.

I have shared all of this long-winded information for one reason; If it had not been for the persistent efforts of our Home Teacher just 10 years ago, I would not be able to have received this gospel; I would not have received the innumerable blessings; I would not been able to baptize my children; I would not be sealed to my wonderful and loving wife. None of these things would have been experienced.

Please, please commit to doing your Home and Visiting Teaching right now, today. You may not realize that God would like you to be his messenger for a family just like we were, or to strengthen the Testimony of a family member (or entire family). In Jesus name. Amen

Jim Stival

Posted by John in Home Teaching, Visiting Teaching, HT-Experiences, VT-Experiences