My Christmas Story

I had a very cool experience this Christmas season that I want to tell you about. I’ve been going to the temple more often, like every Tuesday at 7 AM. This Tuesday, after the session, I came out and checked my phone. I had a message from a business client and associate who lives in Rockwall. We had been trying to get together on the phone for a few weeks without success. His message suggested that he would call again between 9 and 10 AM (I got the message at 9), and that he had a funeral to do at 11 (he owns several cemeteries and a funeral home). I had a feeling to go and talk with him. I was thinking it might be about church, particularly Prop 8, but knowing him to be sincere, I wasn’t worried to talk. It was a little of a long shot to drive out and chance to catch him, but I did it. When I got there, before I got out of the car, I saw him running to his truck to leave. I called out to him and got out to try to catch him. He got out, came over, and gave me a strong embrace, which was quite the first. He was very glad to see me and though he didn’t have much time, he took me back into the funeral home to a private room to talk. Immediately he began talking of the troubles of the world. I told him we (the world) needed a change of heart due to the gospel of Christ (as opposed to Obama’s change). He told me he was a Christian Baptist. I told him I was too (no, not Baptist). He said, “but your Christ is not the same, is it?” I told him that our Christ is the only name given under heaven whereby men can be saved” and that He was my personal Savior. I told him that His name was on our church. I told him that our church is all about the atonement of Christ. The spirit was powerful between us. For sure, he felt it. He was excited about it. So was I. He was going to meet with a prominent LDS businessman later that week from SLC who is the 2nd largest funeral home operator in the country and wanted to know a little before he met him! As we continued to talk, he asked how my business was doing. I told him that the retirement community in Burleson that we have worked on for more than 2 years had unraveled due to the economy. He said he was having lunch the next day with a gentleman in a related business who might have some interest and invited me to come back the next day to lunch with them.
Needless to say, I was pretty excited, both at the prospect of continuing a discussion with Dewayne about the church, but also a possible sale for the retirement development. So I went back to Rockwall on Wednesday. I was first to arrive at the restaurant. Dewayne got there shortly after. The other gentleman was late to come, which was a good thing. While we waited, we talked more about the church. We covered a shotgun of topics, including the Word of Wisdom, Families, the Book of Mormon and more. When we finished, just before the other guy arrived, he said, “you know, I should probably be a Mormon!” Of course thought I, I could help him with that! The meeting with the other man was not a success as far as Burleson was concerned, but wholly worth the time and effort to have the conversation with my friend. One neat thing about him is that he is extremely prominent in Rockwall and respected by many, many people. I am going to put together a package of items, including a Book of Mormon, The Testament, and a copy of the Family Proclamation and take it to him for Christmas.
Isn’t it amazing that when we talk to people about Jesus Christ, the spirit is there to testify of His divine mission, and not for any eloquence or ability of ours. That is his (the spirit’s) most important role. He is good at it!