It was an
amazing week!
Elder Ezra
and I were able to witness the baptism of Hadi on Wednesday night last week.
The Ward members supported him so strongly and were there to encourage him. It was such
a neat experience and was another testament to me that this is the Lord's work.
What a blessing it was! While Farhad did not feel comfortable baptizing Hadi, he
was still a good sport in coming to the baptism. If only you could have seen
how close to the glass Farhad was and the size of the smile on both of their
faces!
Hadi and
Farhad's story is truly a remarkable one. I know I gave you a brief overview
before, but let me give you one with a little more in depth. Both Hadi and
Farhad are from Iran born into Muslim families. Both of them were friends in
high school and knew each other very well. As time went on, both of them sought
refuge in Australia for their Christian beliefs. Farhad went to Melbourne while
Hadi came to Sydney. In Melbourne, Farhad met the missionaries on the street and
learned about the gospel. Shortly after, he accepted it and was baptized. After
a few months, he moved up to Sydney where he was able to get in contact with
Hadi via Facebook. After moving in with Hadi, Farhad shared the Book of Mormon
with him and the blessings of the Gospel in his life. Following that, Farhad brought
Hadi to church where he felt the spirit so strongly that he too wanted to be
baptized. He loves reading the Book of Mormon and often tells us of what he
reads from previous nights. Following his baptism, Hadi asked when he could get
a calling and serve others to bring them this same joy that he has felt.
I think this
is a true testament to all of us that if we will but open our mouths, the Lord
will do the work.
What a
blessing it was to have General Conference this weekend! We were able to learn
so much! Many of you know that we had to wait a week to watch it and as a
result we were told about President Monson well in advance of us actually
witnessing it. At a members home one night, we were asked what we would say if
someone not of our faith approached us and asked us about President Monson.
Right after the member asked us, she looked at me and said, "What would you
say?" I sat there for a moment and thought of two responses. I would like
to share them with you!
1. There is
an Old Testament prophet who was commanded by the Lord to hold up his arms for
a very, very long period of time. Moses, after doing all he could do, started to
get tired. Seeing that he was in distress, Aaron rushed to help Moses keep his
hands up in order to fulfill the commandments of the Lord. In our time, the Lord
uses counselors to sustain those in leadership positions. Many of us have heard
that President Utchdorf was prepared to catch President Monson had he fallen. The Lord, just like in ancient times, continues to support his modern day
prophets with counselors and those who are ready to sustain and help him
fulfill the commandments of the Lord.
2. I have
talked about this before, but while in the Garden of Gethsemane, God sent
an angel to support the Lord through his trials. As President Monson was
standing at the podium, there is no doubt in my mind that he was being supported
by angels bearing him up. Doctrine & Covenants 84:88 talks of the Lord bearing us up when we
are on his errand. The Lord will never forsake those in his service but will
support them.
Thank you for
all your support!
I love you
all so much!
Elder Wilde
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