Ned B. Roueché
October 2004
When I was a young missionary serving in Mexico , I was called to serve as branch president in a small town in the state of Veracruz . When my companion and I were reviewing the membership records of our little branch, we found the record of a brother who had been ordained a deacon but had not been attending the meetings.
We arranged to make a visit with him. While visiting him, we invited him to come to the meetings and serve in his priesthood responsibilities. The following Sunday he came but was not properly dressed and was unshaven. So we taught him about being clean and neat when he officiated in those sacred priesthood responsibilities, which included passing the sacrament. His life changed considerably as he served faithfully. That branch was my last assignment in the mission before returning home. When I was ready to leave the branch, this good brother came and put his arms around me, picked me up, and with a big hug swung me around. As he did, the tears rolled down his cheeks, and he said, "Thank you for coming and helping me."
Sometimes we just lose our focus and drift away. Sometimes we have our feelings hurt or some other problem occurs. It all ends up the same, and we fail to claim the blessings that can be ours.
Priesthood, April 1999
A number of years ago I received a telephone call that would
change my life--my eternal life.
A good sister from my ward called to invite me to perform a dance
floor show number at a Mutual activity evening that was being held in a
couple of weeks. Dancing was a hobby of mine, and I was studying
ballroom dancing at a studio in Salt Lake City. I had never been to a
youth MIA dance before, and I was excited to accept the invitation to
perform.
My partner and I arrived on the appointed evening and were greeted
enthusiastically. I was surprised to find that we were the only ones on
the program. It was an exciting experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed the
evening.
The following Sunday morning, I decided to go to church in our
ward for the first time since I was ordained a deacon. At that time,
none of my family was active. I found people who welcomed me warmly, and
they demonstrated a genuine friendship and caring. These experiences
started me on the road to activity and service in the Church that has
been a joy to me throughout the years.
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