Amazing Sunday School Lesson

Usually for me, Sunday School is my least favorite part of church. But, today it was the best. The boy who taught my lesson is a convert to the church. He has only been a member for about 4 years, and 2 of those years he spent on a mission. He told a story that happened to him that has really got me thinking. He grew up in Memphis and he said his house was literally across the street from the Memphis temple. He was a baptist and at the time this story occurred, the Temple was just being finished. One day he left his house to walk to the gas station and this old man was standing on the temple lawn who called out to him. He stopped because he thought the man needed directions. The man said hi my name is Jim. My friend answered I'm Jared. Jim said, do you attend this church and he pointed to the temple. Jared said, no I'm a baptist. Jim then invited him to church on Sunday. But Jared turned him down, which is what he said they were taught to do as Baptists. Jim pulled out a book of mormon and said I would like for you to have this book, it means a lot to me. But again Jared declined. Jim tried once more, bearing testimony of the book and said it was a gift from him for Jared. But Jared declined and they went there separate ways. A couple of years later, still before he was a member, he was at a friends house and saw a picture of Jim on the wall. He asked his friend who it was and his friend answered well that's James E. Faust. Jared still had no idea who that was but realized it was someone important so he said oh I know him, his name is Jim. Jared said it wasn't until a few years after then when he watched his first general conference as a member that he saw his friend Jim, or James E. Faust give a talk and he realized that an apostle of the Lord had tried to give him a book of mormon and he had declined!!! But then he said, I went to church for the first time because my friend passed me a note one day in algebra inviting me to go that Sunday. So yes, apostles have amazing power and are called of God, but sometimes we as simple members can have as much of an influence on the lives of those around us as an apostle could have.

I feel like it is extremely hard to do missionary work here in Idaho. But that story gave me a little inspiration to not be afraid to talk to those I know who aren't members and bear my testimony to them. Because if an apostle of the Lord can offer the Book of Mormon to a complete stranger, I should be able to do the same! I just thought his story was great and I hope you found it interesting too!