In the Strength of the Lord

While I was back in Utah, my sister Julia and I went to volunteer at the MTC. I have really missed the MTC after working last year. We volunteered to have the missionaries teach us in the TRC. Since there were more investigators than missionaries, they had some of us act as members. I said I would love to, so I came in with the first companionship to teach my sister and an older gentleman who was also volunteering. The first companionship really struggled as they were teaching. Their lesson was all over the place, and they kind of let the gentleman's questions fluster them. By the end of the lesson one of the Elders had just given up. I could see it in his face; any time his companion asked if he wanted to add something he just shook his head, slumped his shoulders and said no.

After the lesson, their teacher, who I had taught with while I worked there asked me if I could give them some feedback and help them. I was more than happy to pretend I was still working at the MTC, even though I didn't have my white tag.

I asked the Elders how they felt their lesson went and they just shook their heads. The Elder who had given up looked at me and said, "I can't do this. I just can't do this." He was on the verge of tears. I looked at him and told him that the people in the room needed to feel the spirit. His response was that I better find a different missionary. Since they had a chance to go back in to the same people and re-practice the lesson, I asked his companion if we could let this Elder take the lead this time. His companion said that was fine, but the missionary got really nervous and said he didn't know what to say. He kept saying over and over that he couldn't do it.

I finally looked at him and said, "You're right. You can't do this. But the Lord can and he has called you to be here for him." He finally said he would go in, so they grabbed their scriptures and we went back in to teach.

The Elder apologized for being so nervous, then opened his scriptures and shared Alma 26:12:

" Yea, I know that I am ^anothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will ^bnot boast of myself, but I will ^cboast of my God, for in his ^dstrength I can do all ^ethings; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

He shared how hard it had been for him to come on a mission and just talked about how he had struggled a lot in the MTC, but that he knew that the Lord had called him and that with the Lord's help he could do this. The spirit was really strong as he shared his personal testimony.

When we left the lesson the second time, the Elder looked at me. He said, "Well, I just realized something. I'll never be able to do this without the spirit."

All I could do was agree with him. I told him that if he could remember that and stay humble he would be an amazing missionary.

It was neat to see the difference in the missionary before and after the lesson. He had exercised his faith and the Lord had blessed him to see how he really could bring the spirit into a lesson and teach.

I think that is true for all of us. It was a good reminder for me that we really can't do things on our own, but in the strength of the Lord we can do all things.