Missionary life is like a football game and you play it everyday.
It isn't the breaks you get, but mainly how you play.
Stop and look the whole team over - you've got some pretty rugged men;
If you all work together, there's no goal you can't defeat.
Your fullback's name is COURAGE. You need him in this game.
With TRUTH and FAITH, your halfbacks, there'll be many yards to gain.
Your quarterback is very fast, though small and hard to see,
So watch son, when he gets the ball, he's OPPORTUNITY.
At right end there's RELIGION, he's stood the tes tof time.
At left end there's BROTHERHOOD, he's always in there trying.
Your right tackle is AMBITION - don't ever let him shirk.
Left tackle is a husky man - you'll find his name is WORK.
Your left guard's name is HUMOR, he's important to the team.
While HUMOR is playing, your game is always clean.
If LOVE plays the center spot and does his very best,
Then you have a winning team and really know success.
The other team is strong, son, GREED, ENVY, HATE, and DEFEAT
Are four strong backs - you'll have to make your game complete.
DISCOURAGEMENT and FALSEHOOD are the big boys on the end.
You'll have to tackle hard my boy when you meet up with these men.
SELFISHNESS and JEALOUSY - you'll find them playing guards.
While CARELESSNESS and a man called WASTE are tackles your can't disregard.
There's one more you'll have to watch all through the game, my dear,
He's playing center for the other team. I'm told his name is FEAR.
The game will not be easy. There'll be struggle, there'll be strife
To make the winning touchdown for it's played in the Bowl Of Life.
On our side, in the stands, are angels and they give out with a roar,
As they see us push back our opponent and score and score and score!
So stand behind your team, my son.
There'll be many who'll applaud.
Just remember, you're the captain,
And the referee is GOD.
Many people have asked for Chris's book of thoughts. So, instead of lending it out and worrying about it's safe return, I have compiled them all here (it's a work in progress still...obviously).
Showing posts with label Parable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parable. Show all posts
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
The Book of Stamps: Written unto the Dead Letter Writers
Chapter 1:
1) In the beginning was the mailbox, and the mailbox was void of letters.
2) And the missionaries said, Let the mailbox be filled, and the box was not filled.
3) And the missionaries beheld the continuing void, and were not pleased.
4) And lo it was the first day of the week and there was no mail delivered; but though this was tolerated, yet this was not good.
5) But on the second day was the mail delivered, yet the box remained empty.
6) Yea, even from the second day unto the seventh was the mail delivered.
7) Even so, the box retained its void.
8) And yea, great mists of darkness spread forth from the void and enshrouded the missionaries. Yea, and it did bring much sadness to their otherwise cheery days.
9) Even the long hours of fruitless tracting, being chased by the fouls of the air, and being pursued by the beasts of the filed were not as disheartening as the lack of sacred objects known as letters.
10) Yet they persisted.
Chapter 2:
1) And lo, on the second day of the second week the mists still encircled the sacred box.
2) And on the third day, from within the depths of the void was a single post card.
3) And this postcard put forth a single ray of light which pierced the darkness and overcame the mists.
4) And the missionaries were well pleased, and there was much rejoicing.
5) But lo, their joy was not to last, for the mailbeast had made a mistake, and the postcard was verily for someone else.
6) But if their joy had been so exceedingly great over someone else's mail, how great would be their joy at partaking at their own mail?
Chapter 3:
1) And we give unto you the parable of the two letter writers.
2) At the hour of noon a certain scribe sat down to write a letter.
3) And the scribe did think of many things to write, but lo, he spent so much time thinking that he did not write.
4) Nevertheless he felt good because of his good intentions.
5) Yet at the same hour a publican sat down and wrote a few words as he ate.
6) Yet he felt guilty at not writing enough.
7) And lo, the twenty and four months passed, and the missionary returned home and passed by the scribe's house;
8) Yea, he went even unto the house of the publican and did visit the publican.
9) Verily a letter is like unto a prize in a Cheerios box; the which if a man sees it is there, he selleth all that he has that he may buy a case of Cheerios that he may obtain it.
Chapter 4:
1) Even more blessed than a missionary receiving mail is a friend or relative writing letters.
2) And if you should spend five minutes writing one letter to a missionary, how great shall be your joy?
3) And if your joy be great with one letter, how great shall it be with many letters in the mailbox of a missionary?
4) Else why do they build post office boxes if letters are not written at all? Yea, why do they build post office boxes?
5) Yea, though I speak with the tongue of men and angels, and write not letters, I am nothing.
6) Letters never faileth; but if there be good thoughts they surely shall; where there be unsent mail they shall vanish.
7) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: But when I became a missionary I put away my childish things.
8) Even as I have put away my childish things ye must replace them with unchildish mail.
9) And now abideth thoughts, intentions, mail; these three. But the greatest of these is mail.
10) Yea, if thou loves me, write me letters.
Chapter 5:
1) But some will say, A letter! A letter! We have already written a letter! What need have we to write anymore letters?
2) Know ye not that there are more days than one? And more events than one in a day? Why think yet that these events need not to be reported?
3) Yea, and ye need not worry that your letter will go unanswered;
4) But you should say, I will go and write the letter as that a missionary requests. For I know that he giveth no requests except he be prepared to respond.
5) And we give the parable of the self-addressed stamped envelopes.
6) When the missionary departed into the far off land he gave a certain number of self-addressed stamped envelopes to his friends.
7) Unto one he gave five; unto another he gave two; and unto another he gave one.
8) And while he was gone he that was given the five envelopes wrote five letters, and in his zeal wrote he five letters more.
9) The same with him that had two envelopes; he wrote two letters and then two letters more.
10) But he that was given the one self-addressed stamped envelope became slothful and careless. And he lost the envelope, even that which was given him.
11) And when the missionary came home he went unto all his friends. And he that had written 10 letters was warmly greeted.
12) The same with him that had written four.
13) But he that had written none at all was given nothing more than a fishy-grip like handshake.
Chapter 6:
1) And it has been said: Blessed are the letter writers for they shall receive mail in return.
2) Blessed are they that keep in touch with a missionary for they shall know of all that happens to him.
3) Yea and your letters are the light of a missionary's day.
4) A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
5) Neither do men write letters and put them in a desk, but in an envelope that it giveth light unto all that are around the missionary.
6) Let your letters be so read by missionaries that they may see your good works and show an increased love unto you.
7) And we give unto you the parable of the prodigal letter writer.
8) A missionary had two friends while he was laboring in the field.
9) One was faithful and wrote every week unto the missionary.
10) Meanwhile the other friends spent his stamp money on riotous living and wrote no letters.
11) But after twenty and three and a half months he felt deep sorrow and did write a letter unto the missionary.
12) Who when he received it did go and kill the fatted macaroni and cheese box and did feast, for he was merry.
13) For it was meet that he should make marry, for the letter writer which was lost was now found.
Chapter 7:
1) Unto you is given some stationary, and some paper, and some envelopes, and some pens and some pencils.
2) For the writing of the letters, for the cheering up of the missionary, for the improving of your English skills.
3) Till the missionary returns home, till we all come to be gathered together again in the bond of friendship.
4) To everything there is a season and a a time and a purpose.
5) A time to contemplate writing and a time to write.
6) A time to put letters in the envelopes and a time to stamp the envelopes.
7) A time to mail the letters and a time to start the process over again.
8) Now we beseech you brethren concerning the coming home of our missionary and the gathering together to meet him.
9) That you be not soon shaken in mind, nor troubled, neither by word nor by any letters from us that the return of the missionary is at hand;
10) Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come unless there first be an abundance of letters; and the man of mail be revealed a true friend.
Chapter 8:
1) And the missionary said unto his friend, Lovest thou me?
2) And the friend said, Of course I love thee! Then the missionary said, Feed my mailbox.
3) He saith a second time, Lovest thou me? And his friend saith, Thou knowest I love thee. he the said, Feed my mailbox.
4) He then spake a third time saying, Lovest thou me? And the friend said, Thou knowest all things and thou knowest that I love thee.
5) Then the missionary said, STUFFEST MY MAILBOX!
6) And the vision is become unto all as the words of a letter which is sealed in an envelope that men deliver to one who is not serving a mission saying read this I pray thee. And he saith: I cannot, for it is not mine.
7) And the letter is delivered to him that is serving a mission saying, read this I pray thee. And he answereth, Why sure!
8) Therefore you should proceed to do a marvelous work among a missionary, even a marvelous work and a wonder by writing a letter.
Chapter 9:
1) And the word of the missionary came unto his friend saying, Moreover thou friend of mine, take thee one piece of paper and write upon it for the missionary, and his companions, and the house of the Iowa Des Moines Mission.
2) And then take thee and envelope and write upon it for a missionary and for his companions, and for the house of the Iowa Des Moines Mission.
3) And join them one to another into a letter, and they shall become one in the hand of the mailman.
4) For what doth it profit a man if he say he hath thoughts, but write not a letter? Can thoughts save him?
5) If a brother or sister have a birthday,
6) And he say unto them, Happy Birthday! Notwithstanding you give them not a cake with candles, what doth it profit?
7) Even so, thoughts without letters are dead, being alone.
8) But if we say we have no thoughts, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9) Therefore, since ye have thoughts, write ye letters.
Chapter 10:
1) And now we wish to tell you the story of the anti-letter writer.
2) And there dwelt in the land at the time a certain anti-letter writer who went about convincing the people that there was no need to write letters.
3) Indeed so persuasive were his arguments that many people did cease to write letters to missionaries.
4) Then a returned missionary did confront the anti-letter writer and didst dispute the arguments.
5) Then it came to pass that the anti-letter writer did ask for a sign that letters should be sent: then he would believe.
6) Then the returned missionary said, As surely as letters are to be sent, thou shouldst be struck down.
7) And then at that moment, the anti-letter writer was run over by a mail truck and was dragged even unto the post office, where he was subsequently mailed to Zimbabwe.
8) And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the mail; and thus we see that the mailman does speedily drag them down to the Post Office.
9) Now when the general public saw this they were pricked in their hearts, and said, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
10) Then the returned missionary said unto them, Repent every one of you and write then letters unto each missionary, that he may forgive thee of they thoughtless state.
11) So now we leave you. Be of good cheer; remember this last vision.
12) For I saw the dead small and great stand before the judgment bar, and another book was opened which was the book of letters; and the dead were judged by the letters, or lack thereof, that they had written to the missionaries.
13) So now we ask, what manor of men ought ye to be? Verily, you ought to be LETTER WRITERS!
1) In the beginning was the mailbox, and the mailbox was void of letters.
2) And the missionaries said, Let the mailbox be filled, and the box was not filled.
3) And the missionaries beheld the continuing void, and were not pleased.
4) And lo it was the first day of the week and there was no mail delivered; but though this was tolerated, yet this was not good.
5) But on the second day was the mail delivered, yet the box remained empty.
6) Yea, even from the second day unto the seventh was the mail delivered.
7) Even so, the box retained its void.
8) And yea, great mists of darkness spread forth from the void and enshrouded the missionaries. Yea, and it did bring much sadness to their otherwise cheery days.
9) Even the long hours of fruitless tracting, being chased by the fouls of the air, and being pursued by the beasts of the filed were not as disheartening as the lack of sacred objects known as letters.
10) Yet they persisted.
Chapter 2:
1) And lo, on the second day of the second week the mists still encircled the sacred box.
2) And on the third day, from within the depths of the void was a single post card.
3) And this postcard put forth a single ray of light which pierced the darkness and overcame the mists.
4) And the missionaries were well pleased, and there was much rejoicing.
5) But lo, their joy was not to last, for the mailbeast had made a mistake, and the postcard was verily for someone else.
6) But if their joy had been so exceedingly great over someone else's mail, how great would be their joy at partaking at their own mail?
Chapter 3:
1) And we give unto you the parable of the two letter writers.
2) At the hour of noon a certain scribe sat down to write a letter.
3) And the scribe did think of many things to write, but lo, he spent so much time thinking that he did not write.
4) Nevertheless he felt good because of his good intentions.
5) Yet at the same hour a publican sat down and wrote a few words as he ate.
6) Yet he felt guilty at not writing enough.
7) And lo, the twenty and four months passed, and the missionary returned home and passed by the scribe's house;
8) Yea, he went even unto the house of the publican and did visit the publican.
9) Verily a letter is like unto a prize in a Cheerios box; the which if a man sees it is there, he selleth all that he has that he may buy a case of Cheerios that he may obtain it.
Chapter 4:
1) Even more blessed than a missionary receiving mail is a friend or relative writing letters.
2) And if you should spend five minutes writing one letter to a missionary, how great shall be your joy?
3) And if your joy be great with one letter, how great shall it be with many letters in the mailbox of a missionary?
4) Else why do they build post office boxes if letters are not written at all? Yea, why do they build post office boxes?
5) Yea, though I speak with the tongue of men and angels, and write not letters, I am nothing.
6) Letters never faileth; but if there be good thoughts they surely shall; where there be unsent mail they shall vanish.
7) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: But when I became a missionary I put away my childish things.
8) Even as I have put away my childish things ye must replace them with unchildish mail.
9) And now abideth thoughts, intentions, mail; these three. But the greatest of these is mail.
10) Yea, if thou loves me, write me letters.
Chapter 5:
1) But some will say, A letter! A letter! We have already written a letter! What need have we to write anymore letters?
2) Know ye not that there are more days than one? And more events than one in a day? Why think yet that these events need not to be reported?
3) Yea, and ye need not worry that your letter will go unanswered;
4) But you should say, I will go and write the letter as that a missionary requests. For I know that he giveth no requests except he be prepared to respond.
5) And we give the parable of the self-addressed stamped envelopes.
6) When the missionary departed into the far off land he gave a certain number of self-addressed stamped envelopes to his friends.
7) Unto one he gave five; unto another he gave two; and unto another he gave one.
8) And while he was gone he that was given the five envelopes wrote five letters, and in his zeal wrote he five letters more.
9) The same with him that had two envelopes; he wrote two letters and then two letters more.
10) But he that was given the one self-addressed stamped envelope became slothful and careless. And he lost the envelope, even that which was given him.
11) And when the missionary came home he went unto all his friends. And he that had written 10 letters was warmly greeted.
12) The same with him that had written four.
13) But he that had written none at all was given nothing more than a fishy-grip like handshake.
Chapter 6:
1) And it has been said: Blessed are the letter writers for they shall receive mail in return.
2) Blessed are they that keep in touch with a missionary for they shall know of all that happens to him.
3) Yea and your letters are the light of a missionary's day.
4) A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
5) Neither do men write letters and put them in a desk, but in an envelope that it giveth light unto all that are around the missionary.
6) Let your letters be so read by missionaries that they may see your good works and show an increased love unto you.
7) And we give unto you the parable of the prodigal letter writer.
8) A missionary had two friends while he was laboring in the field.
9) One was faithful and wrote every week unto the missionary.
10) Meanwhile the other friends spent his stamp money on riotous living and wrote no letters.
11) But after twenty and three and a half months he felt deep sorrow and did write a letter unto the missionary.
12) Who when he received it did go and kill the fatted macaroni and cheese box and did feast, for he was merry.
13) For it was meet that he should make marry, for the letter writer which was lost was now found.
Chapter 7:
1) Unto you is given some stationary, and some paper, and some envelopes, and some pens and some pencils.
2) For the writing of the letters, for the cheering up of the missionary, for the improving of your English skills.
3) Till the missionary returns home, till we all come to be gathered together again in the bond of friendship.
4) To everything there is a season and a a time and a purpose.
5) A time to contemplate writing and a time to write.
6) A time to put letters in the envelopes and a time to stamp the envelopes.
7) A time to mail the letters and a time to start the process over again.
8) Now we beseech you brethren concerning the coming home of our missionary and the gathering together to meet him.
9) That you be not soon shaken in mind, nor troubled, neither by word nor by any letters from us that the return of the missionary is at hand;
10) Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come unless there first be an abundance of letters; and the man of mail be revealed a true friend.
Chapter 8:
1) And the missionary said unto his friend, Lovest thou me?
2) And the friend said, Of course I love thee! Then the missionary said, Feed my mailbox.
3) He saith a second time, Lovest thou me? And his friend saith, Thou knowest I love thee. he the said, Feed my mailbox.
4) He then spake a third time saying, Lovest thou me? And the friend said, Thou knowest all things and thou knowest that I love thee.
5) Then the missionary said, STUFFEST MY MAILBOX!
6) And the vision is become unto all as the words of a letter which is sealed in an envelope that men deliver to one who is not serving a mission saying read this I pray thee. And he saith: I cannot, for it is not mine.
7) And the letter is delivered to him that is serving a mission saying, read this I pray thee. And he answereth, Why sure!
8) Therefore you should proceed to do a marvelous work among a missionary, even a marvelous work and a wonder by writing a letter.
Chapter 9:
1) And the word of the missionary came unto his friend saying, Moreover thou friend of mine, take thee one piece of paper and write upon it for the missionary, and his companions, and the house of the Iowa Des Moines Mission.
2) And then take thee and envelope and write upon it for a missionary and for his companions, and for the house of the Iowa Des Moines Mission.
3) And join them one to another into a letter, and they shall become one in the hand of the mailman.
4) For what doth it profit a man if he say he hath thoughts, but write not a letter? Can thoughts save him?
5) If a brother or sister have a birthday,
6) And he say unto them, Happy Birthday! Notwithstanding you give them not a cake with candles, what doth it profit?
7) Even so, thoughts without letters are dead, being alone.
8) But if we say we have no thoughts, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9) Therefore, since ye have thoughts, write ye letters.
Chapter 10:
1) And now we wish to tell you the story of the anti-letter writer.
2) And there dwelt in the land at the time a certain anti-letter writer who went about convincing the people that there was no need to write letters.
3) Indeed so persuasive were his arguments that many people did cease to write letters to missionaries.
4) Then a returned missionary did confront the anti-letter writer and didst dispute the arguments.
5) Then it came to pass that the anti-letter writer did ask for a sign that letters should be sent: then he would believe.
6) Then the returned missionary said, As surely as letters are to be sent, thou shouldst be struck down.
7) And then at that moment, the anti-letter writer was run over by a mail truck and was dragged even unto the post office, where he was subsequently mailed to Zimbabwe.
8) And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the mail; and thus we see that the mailman does speedily drag them down to the Post Office.
9) Now when the general public saw this they were pricked in their hearts, and said, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
10) Then the returned missionary said unto them, Repent every one of you and write then letters unto each missionary, that he may forgive thee of they thoughtless state.
11) So now we leave you. Be of good cheer; remember this last vision.
12) For I saw the dead small and great stand before the judgment bar, and another book was opened which was the book of letters; and the dead were judged by the letters, or lack thereof, that they had written to the missionaries.
13) So now we ask, what manor of men ought ye to be? Verily, you ought to be LETTER WRITERS!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Trying To Do The Job Alone
Dear Sir:
I am writing in response to your request for additional information for my insurance claim. In block 3 of the accident claim form I put "trying to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain that statement more fully. I trust the following details will be sufficient.
I am a bricklayer by trade. On the date of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carrying the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth-floor level. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks.
You will note in block number 22 of the claim form that my weight is 135 pounds. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building
In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull and broken collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain.
At approximately the same time however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in block 2. As you might imagine, I began a rather rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks. Fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my presence of mind, and let go of the rope. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope so it came down and broke my legs.
I hope I have furnished information required as to how the accident occurred, because I was trying to do the job alone.
Sincerely, The Bricklayer
*We know that we never have to do any job alone. As missionaries, we have companions. When we are married, we have a spouse. Throughout our whole lives, we have the Gift of the Holy Ghost as our constant friend, guide, and comforter. And, of course, we always have our savior, Jesus Christ. Isn't it a blessing to know we never have to explain that we did the job alone.*
I am writing in response to your request for additional information for my insurance claim. In block 3 of the accident claim form I put "trying to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain that statement more fully. I trust the following details will be sufficient.
I am a bricklayer by trade. On the date of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carrying the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth-floor level. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks.
You will note in block number 22 of the claim form that my weight is 135 pounds. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building
In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull and broken collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain.
At approximately the same time however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in block 2. As you might imagine, I began a rather rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks. Fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my presence of mind, and let go of the rope. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope so it came down and broke my legs.
I hope I have furnished information required as to how the accident occurred, because I was trying to do the job alone.
Sincerely, The Bricklayer
*We know that we never have to do any job alone. As missionaries, we have companions. When we are married, we have a spouse. Throughout our whole lives, we have the Gift of the Holy Ghost as our constant friend, guide, and comforter. And, of course, we always have our savior, Jesus Christ. Isn't it a blessing to know we never have to explain that we did the job alone.*
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
What Does Salt Taste Like?
"I will tell you of an experience I had before I was a General Authority which affected me profoundly. I sat on a plane next to a professed atheist, who pressed his disbelief in God so urgently that I bore my testimony to him. "You are wrong." I said, "there is a God, I know He lives!"
He protested. "You don't know. Nobody knows that! You can't know it!" When I would not yield, the atheist, who was an attorney, asked perhaps the ultimate question on the subject of testimony. "All right," he said in a sneering, condescending way, "you say you know. Tell me how you know."
When I attempted to answer, even though I held advanced academic degrees, I was helpless to communicate.
Sometimes in your youth, you young missionaries are embarrassed when the cynic, the skeptic, treat you with contempt because you do not have ready answers for everything. Before such ridicule, some turn away in shame.
When I used the words Spirit and witness, the atheist responded, "I don't know what you are talking about." The words prayer, discernment, and faith, were equally meaningless to him. "You see," he said, "you don't really know. If you did, you would be able to tell me how you know."
I felt, perhaps, that I had borne my testimony to him unwisely and was at a loss as to what to do. Then came the experience! Something came into my mind. And I mention here a statement of the Prophet Joseph Smith: "A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus." (TPJS p. 151)
Such an idea came into my mind and I said to the atheist, "Let me ask you if you know what salt tastes like."
"Of course I do," was his reply.
"When did you taste salt last?"
"I just had dinner on the plane,"
"You just think you know what salt tastes like," I said.
He insisted, "I know what salt tastes like as well as I know anything."
"If I gave you a cup of salt and a cup of sugar and let you taste them both, could you tell the salt from the sugar?"
"Now you are getting juvenile," was his reply. "Of course I could tell the difference. I know what salt tastes like. It is an everyday experience! I know it as well as I know anything."
"Then," I said, "assuming that I have never tasted salt, explain to me just what it tastes like."
After some thought he ventured, "Well...I...uh, it is not sweet and it is not sour."
"You've told me what it isn't, not what it is."
After several attempts, of course, he could not do it. He could not convey, in words alone, so ordinary an experience as tasting salt. I bore testimony to him once again and said, "I know there is a God. You ridiculed that testimony and said that if I did know, I would be able to tell you exactly how I know. My friend, spiritually speaking, I have tasted salt. I am no more able to convey to you in words how this knowledge has come than you are to tell me what salt tastes like. But I say to you again, there is a God! He does live! And just becuse you don't know, don't try to tell me that I don't know, for I do!"
As we parted, I heard him mutter, "I don't need your religion for a crutch! I don't need it."
From that experience forward, I have never been embarrassed or ashamed that I could not explain in words alone everything I know spiritually.
The Apostle Paul said it this way: "...we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (I Corinthians 2: 13-14)
Boyd K. Packer, Ensign Jan 1983, pp. 51-56
He protested. "You don't know. Nobody knows that! You can't know it!" When I would not yield, the atheist, who was an attorney, asked perhaps the ultimate question on the subject of testimony. "All right," he said in a sneering, condescending way, "you say you know. Tell me how you know."
When I attempted to answer, even though I held advanced academic degrees, I was helpless to communicate.
Sometimes in your youth, you young missionaries are embarrassed when the cynic, the skeptic, treat you with contempt because you do not have ready answers for everything. Before such ridicule, some turn away in shame.
When I used the words Spirit and witness, the atheist responded, "I don't know what you are talking about." The words prayer, discernment, and faith, were equally meaningless to him. "You see," he said, "you don't really know. If you did, you would be able to tell me how you know."
I felt, perhaps, that I had borne my testimony to him unwisely and was at a loss as to what to do. Then came the experience! Something came into my mind. And I mention here a statement of the Prophet Joseph Smith: "A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the spirit of revelation; for instance, when you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas and thus by learning the Spirit of God and understanding it, you may grow into the principle of revelation, until you become perfect in Christ Jesus." (TPJS p. 151)
Such an idea came into my mind and I said to the atheist, "Let me ask you if you know what salt tastes like."
"Of course I do," was his reply.
"When did you taste salt last?"
"I just had dinner on the plane,"
"You just think you know what salt tastes like," I said.
He insisted, "I know what salt tastes like as well as I know anything."
"If I gave you a cup of salt and a cup of sugar and let you taste them both, could you tell the salt from the sugar?"
"Now you are getting juvenile," was his reply. "Of course I could tell the difference. I know what salt tastes like. It is an everyday experience! I know it as well as I know anything."
"Then," I said, "assuming that I have never tasted salt, explain to me just what it tastes like."
After some thought he ventured, "Well...I...uh, it is not sweet and it is not sour."
"You've told me what it isn't, not what it is."
After several attempts, of course, he could not do it. He could not convey, in words alone, so ordinary an experience as tasting salt. I bore testimony to him once again and said, "I know there is a God. You ridiculed that testimony and said that if I did know, I would be able to tell you exactly how I know. My friend, spiritually speaking, I have tasted salt. I am no more able to convey to you in words how this knowledge has come than you are to tell me what salt tastes like. But I say to you again, there is a God! He does live! And just becuse you don't know, don't try to tell me that I don't know, for I do!"
As we parted, I heard him mutter, "I don't need your religion for a crutch! I don't need it."
From that experience forward, I have never been embarrassed or ashamed that I could not explain in words alone everything I know spiritually.
The Apostle Paul said it this way: "...we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (I Corinthians 2: 13-14)
Boyd K. Packer, Ensign Jan 1983, pp. 51-56
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