Learning opportunities never cease if we allow ourselves to enter a realm of increasing our knowledge. This requires a lot of discipline as we have to commit ourselves to nurturing and developing our intelligence. Along with discipline we need to allow ourselves to learn. We can learn so much through the example of others. An example of this came to me this week from another’s testimony:
“The first time I saw the Book of Mormon was on a Sunday. A friend of mine did bring it to me after church. I was working in Marblehead, the year 2012; I do not remember the date or month. She is a friend of mine, and we met on the job in Marblehead taking care of an elderly sweetheart lady. I did read a few lines and I did not get it. I called her and said I don’t understand the book because of the ‘thy’ and the ‘it came to pass.’ I said to myself, ‘what came to pass?’ She said that I was reading it as if I were reading a novel, because I am an avid novel reader. I put the Book of Mormon on my nightstand table where it stayed until the next time I saw it.
The sweet lady we were taking care of died the following year. I got sick, and they brought me to MGH [hospital]. To cut a long story short, my friend did bring the book to me again at MGH. I tried to read it but not that week. I went back home, she took me into her house to care for me. That’s when I really came to read The Book of Mormon with my eyes and mind open. I asked her whatever I did not understand. She did explain and she also did encourage me to pray.
Little by little I did come to find out by myself what the true church is. I like three things about the church. One is that the church is not for profit: ie. priests, pastors, etc, should not be paid. Second, the church should not have anyone’s name on it. And also I had to repent of my sins in order to be baptized. Which means that a baby does not have any sins, there is no reason for them to repent and be baptized. Which means that we do have to be a certain age where we have sin and we know we’ve sinned, and confess them and be baptized like the way our Heavenly Father was baptized. By that it means being submerged into the body of water as he was and not just a few drops on our foreheads as they do when we are babies.
To cut the long story short: the day I was baptized was the happiest day of my life. Before that I did some investigating by going to church a few times. Just to be sure and also compare what I had read in The Book of Mormon and what the Elders had taught me. My baptism did go off without a hitch. By that I mean they only had to do it just one time. My bishop, the Elders, and my friends were there. It was small because I wanted it that way. My best friend who introduced me was not there because of a prior engagement we did forget about. But she did give me her blessing and wished me well. I did have some naysayers but it was my decision and also what I believed and also what I knew was the truth.
From the day I started going to church including the investigation period I just felt welcome, included, and people asking me if there was something, anything they could do for me, big or small, religious or not. Starting from my Bishop to the members of the church. That is something I never felt in the other churches. I just went to pray, they did collect money, and go home. But in my new church I had people calling me every day to find out how I was, what I needed, etc.
I am really thankful to my best friend for bringing me The Book of Mormon. It did help me find out the truth about the different churches. I am thankful that she did not pressure or sway me in any way. I just found out the truth by myself.
So please do pick up The Book of Mormon, read it, and if you need help ask for an Elder to help you with what you do not understand. I know that they are not going to pressure you but just answer your questions.”
-Edith K., 9/2/2013
In Helaman 15:13 it says that true knowledge is knowledge of the Redeemer. Edith, who had been sick for the past year, wrote her testimony 16 days before she passed away on September 18th, 2013. Heavenly Father blessed me with the opportunity to witness how Edith spent the last 3 months of her life standing as a witness of Jesus Christ. She fulfilled the will of Heavenly Father up to the last minutes of her mortal life. Her nurse read to her from the The Book of Mormon as she left this mortal life to begin her reunion with the Savior.
During the last week of August I asked Edith what she looked forward to about going to the other side. Her simple answer touched my soul: "I can't wait to see my Savior again and tell him thank you.”
Edith was 55 years old when she was baptized in June. She taught me that we can always continue to learn, even when we feel like we know enough. I realized that because of the Gospel, Edith spent the last 3 months of her life happy, and that I have had this message of happiness available to me for almost 20 years. I send a humble plea to those who read this, who have had the gospel for more than 3 months in their lives, to not take it for granted. Please do not. In addition, please don’t take for granted how other’s lives can be changed by the Gospel -- even if it’s for just 3 months. I am the first one to say I am guilty of taking these things for granted, but I also want to say, “Thank you, Edith Kintu,” for teaching me to keep learning and to never give up, even in the last hours of life. I know we all have more to learn. I know our Heavenly Father is real and he loves us. I will continue to learn everyday how much he loves you and me, until we are actually reunited with him, like I know Edith is now.
With love,
Elder Tait
.JPG)
“The first time I saw the Book of Mormon was on a Sunday. A friend of mine did bring it to me after church. I was working in Marblehead, the year 2012; I do not remember the date or month. She is a friend of mine, and we met on the job in Marblehead taking care of an elderly sweetheart lady. I did read a few lines and I did not get it. I called her and said I don’t understand the book because of the ‘thy’ and the ‘it came to pass.’ I said to myself, ‘what came to pass?’ She said that I was reading it as if I were reading a novel, because I am an avid novel reader. I put the Book of Mormon on my nightstand table where it stayed until the next time I saw it.
The sweet lady we were taking care of died the following year. I got sick, and they brought me to MGH [hospital]. To cut a long story short, my friend did bring the book to me again at MGH. I tried to read it but not that week. I went back home, she took me into her house to care for me. That’s when I really came to read The Book of Mormon with my eyes and mind open. I asked her whatever I did not understand. She did explain and she also did encourage me to pray.
Little by little I did come to find out by myself what the true church is. I like three things about the church. One is that the church is not for profit: ie. priests, pastors, etc, should not be paid. Second, the church should not have anyone’s name on it. And also I had to repent of my sins in order to be baptized. Which means that a baby does not have any sins, there is no reason for them to repent and be baptized. Which means that we do have to be a certain age where we have sin and we know we’ve sinned, and confess them and be baptized like the way our Heavenly Father was baptized. By that it means being submerged into the body of water as he was and not just a few drops on our foreheads as they do when we are babies.
To cut the long story short: the day I was baptized was the happiest day of my life. Before that I did some investigating by going to church a few times. Just to be sure and also compare what I had read in The Book of Mormon and what the Elders had taught me. My baptism did go off without a hitch. By that I mean they only had to do it just one time. My bishop, the Elders, and my friends were there. It was small because I wanted it that way. My best friend who introduced me was not there because of a prior engagement we did forget about. But she did give me her blessing and wished me well. I did have some naysayers but it was my decision and also what I believed and also what I knew was the truth.
From the day I started going to church including the investigation period I just felt welcome, included, and people asking me if there was something, anything they could do for me, big or small, religious or not. Starting from my Bishop to the members of the church. That is something I never felt in the other churches. I just went to pray, they did collect money, and go home. But in my new church I had people calling me every day to find out how I was, what I needed, etc.
I am really thankful to my best friend for bringing me The Book of Mormon. It did help me find out the truth about the different churches. I am thankful that she did not pressure or sway me in any way. I just found out the truth by myself.
So please do pick up The Book of Mormon, read it, and if you need help ask for an Elder to help you with what you do not understand. I know that they are not going to pressure you but just answer your questions.”
-Edith K., 9/2/2013
In Helaman 15:13 it says that true knowledge is knowledge of the Redeemer. Edith, who had been sick for the past year, wrote her testimony 16 days before she passed away on September 18th, 2013. Heavenly Father blessed me with the opportunity to witness how Edith spent the last 3 months of her life standing as a witness of Jesus Christ. She fulfilled the will of Heavenly Father up to the last minutes of her mortal life. Her nurse read to her from the The Book of Mormon as she left this mortal life to begin her reunion with the Savior.
During the last week of August I asked Edith what she looked forward to about going to the other side. Her simple answer touched my soul: "I can't wait to see my Savior again and tell him thank you.”
Edith was 55 years old when she was baptized in June. She taught me that we can always continue to learn, even when we feel like we know enough. I realized that because of the Gospel, Edith spent the last 3 months of her life happy, and that I have had this message of happiness available to me for almost 20 years. I send a humble plea to those who read this, who have had the gospel for more than 3 months in their lives, to not take it for granted. Please do not. In addition, please don’t take for granted how other’s lives can be changed by the Gospel -- even if it’s for just 3 months. I am the first one to say I am guilty of taking these things for granted, but I also want to say, “Thank you, Edith Kintu,” for teaching me to keep learning and to never give up, even in the last hours of life. I know we all have more to learn. I know our Heavenly Father is real and he loves us. I will continue to learn everyday how much he loves you and me, until we are actually reunited with him, like I know Edith is now.
With love,
Elder Tait
.JPG)
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