I enjoyed reading your testimony...Now, I will provide my own...I have told it before on FR, I guess I will tell it once again..
I am not Mormon, nor is anyone in my family...I was raised as a Methodist, was the church organist, and mom was extremely active in the Methodist church, being a Sunday School teacher, choir member, member of the ladies group, helped run the outreach programs, ran bake sales, and did all she could to be an active member of the church, that she loved...all that occurred in Chicago...
In time I and my hubby and two boys wound up living in Washington State, due to a military move, and my parents wound up retired in California, about 750 miles from us...
After my older son had died of leukemia, it was my parents fondest wish to come up to Washington State, and each summer, take my younger boy back with them to California, so that he could spend a great deal of his summer vacation with them...it was good for him to spend so much time with them, and it was wonderful for them to have him with them, as they were so greatly grieved, when my older son died...
One summer they came up, got my son and went back to California...a few days later, I got a frantic phone call from my mother, that my father had been taken seriously ill, and I needed to come down to California, as soon as possible to get my son...they thought my dad had cancer...
Dad was scheduled to be going into the hospital in a couple days for tests...and my younger son was still with my parents, so mom had to care for dad, and my son at the same time...it was quite hard on her, surely, as she was in the middle stages of Alzheimers...dads sister, who lived close by, said she would drop everything, as soon as he could in order to move in with mom and dad and help out...but dads sister was elderly, so I did not want her to put herself out too much...
After mom and dad had returned from the doctors office, with the grim news, they were at their wits end, but tried to remain positive...my husband and I were going to be down to California, in 2-3 days, and mom said, she could hold on until then, just knowing that we were coming..
As soon as mom finished talking to me, on the phone, the door bell rang...two young fellas stood at her door, told her that they were from the Church of Latter Day Saints, and wanted to know if they could have a few minutes of her time, to speak...well, mom told them that she was a Methodist, and that she had no intention of changing her religion, and was about to close the dooor...but these two fellas seemed to sense that mom was on the verge of tears and was extremely upset...so they asked her, if they could help her in any way, as they said they noticed her distress...
And with that, mom just poured out her heart, about dad and his diagnosis...and I think once she got going, she just poured out her heart again, about how my son had died from leukemia, and how that had affected everyone...well, these two fellas, took mom into their care...literally...
Mom told them straight out, she was not about to become a Mormon, just to get help...you know, they never once tried to evangelize to her...all they were concerned with, was helping her get through this difficult time, until I and my hubby arrived to take over caring for mom and dad...
These two Mormon fellas, asked mom what she needed to have done, and they said they would do it for it...mom never learned how to drive, and she needed groceries from the store...these two fellas patiently waited for mom to make a shopping list, and they did the shopping for her...the grass needed mowing and the yard needed weeding...these two fellas did this as well...mom and dad needed their meds from the drugstore...they went and got their meds...
In fact, these two Mormon fellas, did everything possible to care for my mom and dad, in my absence...they checked in with mom and dad several times a day, did those things that needed to be done, and offered moral support to my parents, more as a should to cry on, than anything else...mom says, they never once tried to begin the process of converting her to being a Mormon...sometimes they would read the Bible together, but the Bible, mind you, not the Book of Mormon...they all just sat, and read encouraging verses from the Bible...
And so it went...for the few days, it took for me and the hubby to get down to California, these two Mormon fellas took care of my mom and dad, and kept a watchful eye on my younger son...they did not have to do any of this...they could have walked away, right from the first day, when my mom told them, thanks but no thanks, she was not interested in becoming a Mormon...but they sensed a family in dire need, right at that very moment, and they acted upon that...
Once the hubby and I arrived in California, we took over...but I could see, that mom and dad, worried as they were, had been well taken care of, by ‘strangers’...these two Mormon fellas did not know my parents at all, nor did my parents know them...and yet, I do believe, that God brought these two fellas together with my parents for a reason...
My parents needed help, and these two fellas were there to help...it is just as simple as that...once my hubby and I arrived, these two Mormon fellas made one last call on my parents, and mom told them that I and the hubby were there, and that they did not have to go out of their way, as they had been doing, calling on my parents several times a day...mom just was so grateful to these two fellas, who had been helpers for her, who had been shoulders for her to cry on...once these two fellas saw that I and my hubby were there to take care of things, they just disappeared...they did not attempt to convert any of us, they did not ask for thanks, they asked for nothing....they merely said, that they had been so glad to help someone who needed help...and that was the last we ever saw of them...
I have told this story before on FR...some folks enjoyed the story...other folks told me, so what, these two Mormons had nothing in mind, but to convert us, and it was their sneaky way of worming their way into my parents household...how so, since they never did evangelize in any way, nor did they return later to try to convert us...
My own thoughts on this are that these two fellas, felt a God given compassion for my parents, and acted on that compassion, with no thought of converting my parents at all...and their actions bear that out...they did not ‘sneak’ about, they did not try to ‘worm’ their way into our lives...they did for my parents, what any loving child would do for their parents...
And neither I, nor my hubby, nor my father, nor my mother, ever forgot their kindness, their willingness to put their own lives on hold, in order to help strangers, we never forgot their love that we felt, and most of all, we all felt that God had placed these two Mormon fellas on my parents porch, all those long years ago, because He knew, they would be the exact right persons, to put in that situation...
Neither my mom, nor my dad, nor my hubby, nor myself, ever contemplated becoming a Mormon...so for all those cynics out there, who think that these two fellas did what they did, in order to convert us, I say hogwash...I feel that they did as they did, because God had placed in their hearts to do exactly as they did....they gave help and comfort to two older people, at the exact time they needed it most...
My own feeling is that, most other people would have just walked away from my mom and dad, leaving them to fend on their own...thankfully, God placed before my parents, two wonderful Mormon fellas, who were there to help...and help they did...
Becoming a Mormon is something I have never contemplated..as has been said here on this thread before, every single religion has those aspects about it, that people of differing religions disagree vehemently with...and I disagree with much that I see concerning the Mormon religion...but I can say that about a lot of religions...
I truly do not understand the extreme vehemence with which some folks go after the Mormons...I also read the Catholic threads, and find the Catholics gone after with that very same vehemence...and sometimes I see the same posters going after both groups....
I enjoy reading the religious threads in the religion forum, but really only appreciate those posts where substantive discussion takes place...for me, anyway, the substantive discussion is where I learn things...when someone indulges himself/herself in half truths, name calling, generalizations, buzz words, and the like, I just skip over their posts completely, as I feel, their posts are not worth my time, since they have nothing substantive to say...
Sorry to be so long but just wanted to tell my own personal story of how two sweet, young Mormon gentlemen, were sent by God, as I believe, to help a couple of old people, who desperately needed help...
That’s just it. We don’t go after the Mormons. We disagree with their beliefs. I have no animosity towards anyone on FR and I have been here for 10 years.
One of the central tenets of Mormonism is to be persecuted for its beliefs. The Mormons have even done it to each other. We are just doing our part to jewel up the crown.
What a wonderful story! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your story with us. Those two Mormon fellas, I’m sure, just loved helping out in a time of need. Just that simple. Honestly, they will gladly help strangers move, do yard work, whatever. They don’t ask for anything in return and they are lead by the Holy Spirit. I really believe that.
My husband tells about when his first wife came down with breast cancer - maybe 30 or so years ago - and he had to go to work every day to make sure he had health insurance. He took a job as a hard rock miner. He never fails to cry when he tells of coming home at the end of the day and see Mormon ladies in the house having prepared the evening meal, helping the kids, washing dishes and cleaning. Do you know she lived another twenty years before the cancer came back and took her life.
Our church is not unique. When Christians serve each other, they are in the service of Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Love you and thanks again for sharing from your heart.
You never know when an angel will knock on your door. “Do unto the least of these, my brethren, and you have done it unto me.” What more encouragement does one need to do a kind deed?
Excellent testimony, and yet, not “uncommon.” Thanks for posting it. I was feeling a little low, and it brought me right out of it! Thanks!