6/16/14 "Day of miracles"

"Has the day of miracles ceased?" - Moroni 7:35

Elder Arnold and I's new trainee is Elder Mastin, a 24-year old cook from Pleasant Grove, Utah. We are quite happy to have him! He is very prepared, very mature, and very teachable. The three of us will have a fun transfer together.

The fireflies have come back again, coming out at sunset every day and staying for only a few short minutes. The days themselves are hot but the work is good. For example, this past Sunday I got to participate in the confirmations of Faith and Madison, whose father performed the blessing. Another powerful, wonderful experience for me.

***

I want to talk today about miracles.

About two months ago Elder Dedrick and I had had a long day. It was rainy, a lot of appointments had cancelled and at 8:45 at night one of our investigators had dropped us and didn't want to meet anymore. Tired, discouraged, wet and in the rain, we easily could have turned to go home. But instead, we prayed. I took off my helmet and held it in my hands during the prayer, feeling every raindrop plunking down on it as fervently we asked the Lord to please, please lead us to someone that we could talk to that night. I put my wet helmet back on and we sat on our bikes and started pedaling through the night.

Within ten seconds we saw a man stacking wood on his porch and we went to talk to him. His name was Allen, and he let us talk to him. Now he's come to church, has a baptismal date, has been living the Word of Wisdom, and wants to baptize his wife. It was a marvel to me that the Lord answered the prayer of two wet missionaries standing in the dark at 9:45 on a rainy night. 

***

Three months ago we met a man named David and gave him a Book of Mormon. When we came back we asked if he had read, and David responded that he and a friend had gotten in a conversation about the Church. His friend has asked for the Book of Mormon and Dave gave it to him. Like good missionaries, my companion and I invited him to ask his friend to sit in on our next meeting. We ended up losing contact with Dave.

Last Friday while finding I saw a man watching his kids play in his yard. I went to go up and talk to him. His name was Jeremy, and he knew that we were Mormons. He said that a friend had given him a Book of Mormon a long time ago and he had read a bit from Alma. I asked who the friend was and it turned out that it had been Dave! I was blown away that months later that plotline had showed up again.

The next day we brought Brother Arndt with us for the second appointment with Jeremy. Jeremy said, "Hey, I went to school with some Arndts way back in 2000. Do you know So-and-So?"

"Hmm, I think I do," Brother Arndt said. "They're my kids!"

I was a bit frightened at this point. Literally the only member in the world who could have had that connection with Jeremy was the one who had come with us. Two miracles had played off with this man.

***

I would like to close by sharing two scriptures that I have come to chain together. The first of these is the scripture that first gave me my testimony that the Book of Mormon is true:

"And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased?

"Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?

"Behold I say unto you, Nay;

"For my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever."

(Moroni 7:35-37 and 2 Nephi 29:9)

The day of miracles has not ceased, for as long as there is just one man left upon the earth who can be saved, God's work is not yet finished. Miracles are everywhere, if only we will have eyes to see them.

This is the Lord's work, and it is true. I love you all. Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Fisher