A Missed Opportunity

Recently, a member in Monterrey, Mexico, told me how the Book of Mormon changed his life.
As a teenager, Jesus Santos was impressed by the LDS missionaries he saw walking down the dusty streets.
He wanted to talk to them about their church but was told by a friend that you have to wait for them to contact you.

Many times he would got to the Church building and look through the iron fence at the missionaries and the Mutual youth playing games.
They seemed to be so wholesome, and he wanted to be part of them.
He would lean his chin on the fence, hoping that they would notice him and invite him to participate with them.
It never happened.

As Jesus recounted his story to me, he said, "It is sad.
I was a young man and could have served a full-time mission."

He moved to Monterrey, Mexico.
Nine years later he was visiting a friend across town when the missionaries knocked at the door.
His friend wanted to send them away.
Jesus begged him to let the missionaries talk to them for just two minutes.
His friend consented.

The missionaries talked about the Book of Mormon, how Lehi's family traveled from Jerusalem to the Americas, and how the resurrected Jesus Christ visited Lehi's descendants in America.

Jesus wanted to know more.
He was especially intrigued by the picture depicting Christ's appearance in America.
He gave the missionaries his address.
He waited for months, but they never made contact with him.

Three more years passed.
Some friends invited his family to a family home evening.
They gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon.

As soon as he began to read it, he knew the Book of Mormon was true.
Finally, 12 years after he first became aware of the Church, he and his wife were baptized.
So many years had been lost.
If missionaries had just talked to him, if the Mutual youth had just noticed a lonely teenager looking over the fence, if the missionaries in Monterrey had found him at home, his life would have been different during those 12 years.
Gratefully, member neighbors invited him for a family home evening and shared with him that book which has such great converting power, the Book of Mormon.

Today Jesus Santos serves as the president of the Moneterrey Mexico Temple.

-C. Scott Grow -The Book of Mormon, the Instrument to Gather Scattered Israel -October 2005 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was at work, and heard a customer exclaim "The Snake bit me!" I turned the corner to see that one of my coworkers had left the keys in the cages, allowing a customer to unlock it and open up the milksnake cage. Take it out. And it bit her. I went over there and locked the cage back up taking the keys, only to wonder...if the snake had been put back. I turned and the girl was still holding the snake! So I put it back...

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again.

-S.N.D