Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, existed a women; fierce in nature and short in stature. She had a tongue like none other and a determination that outshone them all. It wouldn’t be long before her path crossed the lines of smartly-dressed, God-fearing young men. Elders Broadhead and Martins were their names. It was then that her venture began, putting to test all that she had previously learnt of God.
Her curiosity peaked, and from lesson to lesson she asked questions. From lesson to lesson she took notes. One privileged, such as I, met with one such as her. Elder Martin left and Elder Wegrowski came. Together, the three of us taught her, as she faithfully searched. She came to Church, hopping an’ all, to see all that it had to offer. She took it all in and found the love, found the peace.
Today she stands as a living miracle, having forsaken habits of old through faith in her Redeemer and trusting her all to Him. Today, on the fifteenth of February 2015, she takes that step towards baptism, proclaiming to God and the saints that she is prepared to follow Him. Her journey has only begun, and only rich blessings are in store.
I am honoured to have been witness to this beautiful occasion, and to have been asked to be the one to take her into the water. I remember our discussion in Gospel Principles early one Sunday morning, when speaking of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods.
“Can you baptise?” she asked.
Elder Broadhead eavesdropping from his end of the room, nodding his head, “Jono can baptise you.”
“Really?” came her rolling R.
“Pray about it,” I told her, recounting how I’d come to choose Elder Tew as the one to baptise me.
It wasn’t long after, when the missionaries went over to teach her the Law of Chastity that she said, “I know who I want to baptise me. And I pray, from my mouth to God’s ears that you will be available that day.”
It’s truly a splendiferous, momentous occasion. She came to Church that Sunday, even today, smiling from ear-to-ear, butterflies in her stomach, and anxiously excited, awaiting what was to come.
The service opened with Brother Youngman reciting the schedule, followed by my talk on the Holy Ghost (strange, but effective), Elder Wegrowski’s musical item, Elder Broadhead’s talk on baptism, and then the moment we’d all been waiting for: dunking her under the water. No, no, I did not drown her. But there was enough water to do so.
I remember us walking in as she kept back, “There’s too much water here. I’m gonna be fully immersed just standing here.” She wasn’t.
Her testimony at the end of the service, however, was the highlight of the occasion. Her words were perfect, thanking Heavenly Father for everything that had happened, extremely grateful and filled with awe, filled with love, filled with emotion.
This was her day, and I pray – and trust – that it only gets better from hereon out.
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