Miracles Do Happen!

Last night was our "Adult" meeting of Stake Conference, President Vaughn Peterson, 2nd Counselor in our Stake Presidency, gave a wonderful talk on "Listening to the Spirit".  He began by relating a story about a time when, as a teenager, he and some friends were skiing at Sundance.  They were heading downhill through some trees at a very fast pace, and as they neared the bottom they were supposed to turn out onto the main trail.  President Peterson saw a shadow near the bottom of the hill and decided that instead of turning out to the main trail he would just ski through the shadow and beat everyone to the bottom of the hill.  As soon as he had that thought, though, another thought immediately entered his mind to "turn out".  He told himself, no, he wasn't going to turn out he would just ski through the shadow.  Again, the thought came to "turn out".  As he drew closer to the "shadow" he was frightened to see a huge cement block, and was barely able to miss it by "turning out" as he had been inspired to do.  Had he not listened to the Spirit and "turned out" he would surely have been killed.

He then related a more recent story of listening to the Spirit.  He related a story that happened while he was serving as Bishop just a few years ago.  He was visiting one of his Ward members in a rehab center, when he learned that another person who lived in his Ward was also in the rehab center.  This person was not a member of the Church, but he decided to pay a visit anyway.  As they talked, he came to realize that he had first met this person when he was in high school and she worked in the library at that same school.  They reminisced awhile about the past and as he was leaving he thought to himself that it was sad that this person would never have the Gospel in her life.  Almost as soon as he thought that, another thought came into his mind, almost like a voice he said, telling him "No, she will have the Gospel in her life!"  Immediately, he felt that he should return to the rehab center and share this with this woman, but again he heard the Spirit tell him that now was not the time, he was to be patient and wait.

Well, long story short, almost 18 months passed when President Peterson was impressed that now was the time.  He called at her home twice, but she wasn't home.  The third time he called; however, she was home and she graciously invited him in.  He related to her the impression that he had received nearly 18 months prior as he visited with her in the rehab center and then she related to him that she had had a dream a few nights prior to his visit.  In that dream she was frantically looking for her Baptism certificate, but never found it.  She then realized that it was a sign from the Lord that NOW was the time for her to be baptized, and President Peterson's visit only confirmed it.

Well, she began meeting with the Sister Missionaries, and on November 3, 2013, my mother, Dorothy Keele Larsen, was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Charlie & Mom