Temple Lights and the Christmas Eve Shadow

Temple Lights and the Christmas Eve Shadow - Fishing

By Rob-roy (25 Dec 2007)

Friends,

I am asking for prayer for a few people Steven and I met this Christmas Eve night 2007. We started at the Temple where the LDS Christmas Lights were being shown. The lights are bright and attractive which sure draws a crowd. We walked through the visitor center. While we were in the room that had a number of nativity scenes from various countries we were approached by a young lady. Her name tag read "Sister Harper". She asked us if we were enjoying our visit and we shared with her that the nativity scenes were amazing. Impressive!

I asked her what she did at the visitor center and she said she was "just being a missionary". I asked what that meant and she said sharing the gospel. I said that is what Steven and I were doing as well and later we where headed to Tempe to do more. She responded "that's great... we are on the same team!" I thought about how the book of Mormon teaches that those like me who do not belong to the LDS church are really members of the devil's church which is an abomination and whore of all the earth (1 Nephi 14:9-10). Does that sound like the same team? I let it go and moved into small talk to learn a bit about Sister Harper. It was easy to feel compassion for her. She had zeal for God but not according to knowledge (Romans 10:1-3).

During some small talk it turns out the Sister Harper is 7 months into her mission which she started once she turned 21 and will complete in less than a year from now. She grew up in a LDS family and is from Idaho. I asked how she came to be "saved" and she explained there came a time when she needed to determine for herself whether the book of Mormon was true before she went on a mission to proclaim it to others. In the process of doing that and reading the book of Mormon she gained a feeling and/or testimony that it is true, the LDS church is true and that God speaks today through his living prophet.

I shared my testimony with her. How I had spent the first 35 years of my life thinking I was saved when I was not. I had not followed Jesus but yet claimed to have. That was followed by a period of being very determined to make a decision to follow Jesus. Even then I had been sorry for sin but lacked true repentance. I thought I had really trusted in Jesus but I had never done that. I had said the words but I had not really done what I had said. The truth is I was trusting in myself to follow Jesus which slowly resulted in complete failure and brokenness. It was that day that I truly repented of my sins for the first time and surrendered all my trust to Him and was born again. I had been sorry for sin and had considered myself saved for most of my life but it was not until that day I was saved. Instead of a decision for Jesus I actually had Jesus. What a difference. And ever since I have followed Him walking in the power of the Holy Spirit which gave me life and submitting to the command to be baptized.

I told her though that in her eyes I was probably not baptized correctly. That when she was baptized she had it done by a person with the right authority. She said yes that she was baptized by the right authority and how she could trace the authority all the way back to Joseph Smith who had it restored to him through Peter, James and John (JS-H 1:72). She asked who baptized me? I told her it was another saved believer (not LDS) who did so which would mean that person did not have the authority to baptize me.... right? She said that's right. I said, "Without the right authority then I'm in big trouble aren't I?" She said yes I was and then smiled and said so all you need to do now is get baptized with us. So much for being on the "same team" I thought. Clearly we are miles apart. The truth came out.

Then she looked at us with a smile and said "You guys are LDS aren't you!" I assured her we were not. She said that sometimes they have people pretend to come in and quality check them so to speak and maybe we were "them". I guess she thought we were like secret shoppers or something. I told her that we were not LDS and in fact that Steven was wearing a cross which she noticed and then believed us. LDS do not wear crosses. That is another story for another time. She asked if I had read the book of Mormon. I told her I had. She asked what I thought. I told her the truth. That the book of Mormon was not God's word and that I had serious questions about it.

I asked Sister Harper about 3 Nephi 11 where Jesus declares the gospel and warns not to add more or less to it. Nowhere does Jesus declare Temple Marriage or Baptism for the Dead as his doctrine and gospel. She was not familiar with that and turned quickly to it. Then a missionary shift change occurred and she needed to go to a different part of the center. She stayed long enough to play "name that verse" in the book of Mormon and a trip through LDS doctrine.

We started with Moroni 10:32 which commands to deny all ungodliness (be perfect) and only then will grace be sufficient. 1 Nephi 3:7 says that God provides a way to keep what is commanded including the command to be perfect (Matt 5:48) and deny all ungodliness which is true repentance according to LDS prophets. The book of Mormon requires that you deny all ungodliness BEFORE you get grace. What would your life look like if you gave up all ungodliness? Perfection! Is that possible? LDS prophets say yes! When do you get grace? When you are perfect! . She understood.

She agreed that true repentance was important and that false repentance would get us nowhere. She said that being perfect for her might not occur until the next life after she died. She backed off of that when I asked if she had read Miracle of Forgiveness and referred to Alma 34:30-35 which she remembered. It states that there is not a second chance in the next life but now is the time for repentance or the final state of the wicked (those lacking true repentance) is to be sealed to the devil. This is a Mormon teaching.

So now is the time I asked? She agreed. And you repent every day? She said she does every day. The I asked if she was familiar with Joseph Smith saying that daily repentance is that which is not pleasing in the sight of God (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p147)? She said yes that just a few days ago a friend showed her that. I asked her what did that mean? Is God happy with her repenting day after day after day. She told me that it meant that God is not happy with that. That she has not truly repented and that she needed to be perfect and that she hoped that one day she would become perfect to the point she would never need to repent again. She almost said it with a straight face. Her pride had her at least saying she had hope she could be perfect. It is so sad.

As circumstances would have it our time was up at that point. Before we could possibly move on to grace and the good news she needed to move to her next post which involved some sort of behind the scenes work. Sometimes it works out that all we are able to discuss is the law of God (using Mormon verses) and we do not get to grace although in my testimony I was able to share it upfront. I believe seeds are planted with Sister Harper. She knows LDS teaching and our prayer is that she will be humbled by the impossible gospel of works she can never attain and therefore seek after the true Jesus that has paid it all on the cross.

As we left the visitor center an older gentleman with a nice tie, jacket and name tag talked with us asking about our visit and we again shared how impressive the nativity scenes are. He said that we must be LDS and I let him know that we were not. He asked what brought us here and I told him that this is a great place to come and pray. That we like to come here and pray. He understood what I meant by that and kindly told us that we were welcome to come back anytime. I shook his hand and thanked him. When we come to the Temple we pray and when approached we talk and ask and answer questions. We have been able to talk with about 8 missionaries in the past few weeks as a result of doing this.

At that point Steven and I headed up to the college streets with some water bottle to give away. When we got there it was very quiet. It was the last hours of Christmas Eve. Right away though we met a couple and their dog who slept on the streets last night and will do so again tonight. Then we met I guy named "Shadow". He knew some of the other guys we have met in the past such as "Physco", "Turtle", "Nice Guy" and "Matches". He told us he was sleeping on the streets again tonight.

Shadow is 22 years old. He has been on the streets on and off since he was 14. He claimed to have been up for almost 48 hours. He is afraid to go to sleep because when you sleep on the streets there is the real possibility that you will not wake up. He said tonight sucked because it was another Christmas Eve gone bad. And this year would be worse than ever because not only is he alone but usually his parents are there to make it less lonely. But he has not had contact with them since before he went to jail. He was in jail for about a year. Got out about 5 months ago and when he did his parents were gone. Had moved and he is not able to find them. He believes they are hiding from him.

I looked around for some place that was open on Christmas Eve at 9 PM and everything was closed. Thought we might be able to get him out of the cold for a few minutes and order some food. We were in front of a Greek restaurant so I stepped in expecting the door to be locked but it opened and three guys looked at me like the door should have been closed. I asked if they were shut down. They said yes except for drinks if I needed something. I explained that if they had anything already cooked or sitting in the back I would pay for it so the guy outside could have something on Christmas Eve. They looked outside and then said yeah we can cook up something. They made a nice Gyro with rice and charged very little for it. I was able to give them a million dollar bill tract in addition to a tip to thank them.

Steven stayed with Shadow and talked with him while I got the food. Shadow wasted no time digging into the Christmas Eve Greek feast once it was ready. Steven continued to talk with him. I asked him if he was familiar with some of the shelters near by. The one I mentioned he had not heard of. The other one I mentioned he had heard of called Home Base but it is for 21 and under. He is 22. He has been at that shelter before but cannot stay the night since he is 22. I got on the phone to see if a shelter was open. I got directed to a shelter called [deleted] which is in downtown. A guy answered and said they had a spot for him. I hung up and told Shadow.

Shadow said he knew about [deleted] and they do not treat him very well. That it is located in what is called the "zone". He said the zone is dangerous. The look in his eyes told the story. He was afraid of that place. He told us that the streets in the college area have become much tougher the past 2 years but that it was much safer than in the zone. A lot more drugs and crime. In fact he said it was safer for him to sleep out doors on this street than to sleep in doors at that shelter.

So tonight Shadow is making his home on the streets. I asked him how often Christians talk with him about Jesus. He says almost every day. Then he added that he is "saved." I asked him what he would tell me if I did not know how to be saved but wanted to be. He responded with a solid telling of the gospel message and had a bible in the duffle bag that not only contained all he owned but was his seat on this section of the street. I have found that the percentage of homeless people who know the gospel accurately seems higher than those who I talk to that claim to attend a church. I shared that with Shadow and asked him why that was. With out delay he told me it was because for him and those on the street "Jesus is all we have." He continued that it is hard because sometimes he feels beat up on by God but that he keeps his trust in Christ all the same. Where else would he turn was the conclusion?

In fact he went on to say that today had been one of the worst days he has had in while especially factoring in it being Christmas Eve. But that it got a bit better with some food and us praying with him. He agreed that we were not there by accident but because God brought us to him. Even so it is definitely one of those times it is difficult to only provide food and prayer because the heart wants try to do everything and fix everything for someone who is hurting and in so much need. However, God knows where Shadow is and Shadow has some choices to make that we cannot make for him.

Please pray for Shadow and for Sister Harper. Tonight was a Christmas Eve to remember.

Love,

Rob-roy