LETTER TO MARVIN 10-13-09

Hey Family (and friends)...

Here is an email I got from Jeremy this week, I got him to send me a story about one of his baptisms. I wanted more or less a member missionary story for a talk on sunday. I don't think he sent it to any of you. So here you go.

Marvin

DEAR MARVIN,

IN MY LAST AREA WE HAD A MAN BY THE NAME OF JOHN HAMLEN GET BAPTIZED. I HAD BEEN HEARING ABOUT HIM SINCE I GOT INTO THE AREA AND HEARD THAT HE WAS VERY AGAINST JOINING THE CHURCH. THE WARD MISSION LEADER HAROLD HESS WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF HIS AND HAD WORKED HARD TO GAIN THAT FRIENDSHIP. HE GAVE HIM A BOOK OF MORMON ONE DAY AND ASKED HIM TO READ MORONI 10:3-5 HE SAID HE WOULD AND SET THE BOOK ASIDE AND DIDNT THINK ANY THING OF IT. BUT BRO HESS KEPT ASKING HIM AND ONE DAY AFTER BEING ASKED SO MANY TIMES HE PROMISED HE WOULD READ IT. HE READ IT RIGHT AFTER BRO HESS LEFT AND FELT THE SPIRIT CONFIRM It TO HIM AND HE KNEW IT WAS TRUE. WE GOT A CALL FROM BRO HESS SAYING THAT JOHN WANTED TO MEET WITH US. WE GOT THERE TO THE LESSON AND HE SAID BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED THE LESSON "I KNOW THIS CHURCH IS TRUE. I KNOW THE BOOK OF MORMON IS TRUE. I KNOW JOSEPH SMITH WAS A PROPHET AND RESTORED THE CHURCH. I KNOW THOMAS S MONSON IS A PROPHET. AND I WILL BE BAPTIZED." AT THAT TIME I KNEW THAT THE MEMBERS AS THEY DO THE MISSIONARY WORK THAT IT WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN IF THE FULL TIME MISSIONARIES HAD BEEN THE ONES THAT STARTED WITH HIM. MEMBERS HAVE THE GREATER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PERSON THAN WE COULD HAVE GAINED IN THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE IN THE AREA. THEY HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT LOVE FOR THEM AND THEY WILL BE THERE TO SUPPORT THEIR FRIEND AFTER BAPTISM WHILE THE MISSIONARIES MOVE ON TO NEW AREAS. I HOPE THAT STORY HELPS YOU. I LOVE YOU MARVIN.

ELDER LUNT