Edler Riggs from Japan - GUIDElines a Big Boost!

ELDER RIGGS


Dear Brother Parker - 30 Aug 1990

Thank you so much for GUIDElines.  What a Big Boost!  I was uplifted when I heard about the success of my brethren that my soul almost separated from my body so great was my joy (see Alma 27:14-16) :)

A good friend of mine said something very true.  He said that only the proud and the rich are sent to Japan.  Now, we know that Elders Porter and Huish are sent for the latter reason, but I, Myself, must be credited with the former.  Luckily, recently I've conquered humility.  I don't know about you or the rest of my brethren but there's nobody more humble than me.  I'm so humble that I['m proud of it! :)  (I think SWK was wise when he said, "The minute you've recognized your own humility, you've lost it.)

Anyways, despite my weaknesses, the Lord continues to bless this person over here.  I'd like to share a wonderful experience that happened a couple of months ago that has relations to you, my Dear Brother Parker.


My companion and I really wanted to see a baptism in the month of June.  So we entered into a covenant with the Lord in order to see this wonderful blessing.  We would sacrifice certain things to show God that we were serious about receiving this goal.  We prayed with faith, and worked with faith.  We knew that if we would remain worthy and faithful, the Lord would bless us with this baptism.

We had an eternal investigator who had been listening to the discussions for two years.  He knew the Church was true, but he didn't have that personal witness/confirmation to make the plunge.  We decided to concentrate on him as our baptism.

By the 119th of the month he hadn't progressed at all well.  My faith started to slack off.  No change for two years.  Why would he change now?  But thanks to your wonderful daughter, who was worthy and sensitive enough to receive inspiration, on the 20th of June, the day I was thinking about dropping this fine man, I received a letter from your daughter.  She had written a P.S. on a memo while she was at work  She sent it to me and it said, "Don't be discouraged if your investigators don't keep the commitments.  My Dad didn't budge for 9 months before he was baptized."

That was just what I needed to hear, Bro. Parker.  So with renewed faith we met with him on Tuesday the 22nd.  It was a wonderfully spiritual lesson.  He accepted the baptismal commitment!  The next day he was interviewed and received baptism on the 24th of June.  He is now a strong member in the ward.

Brother Parker, God Lives!  He leads and guides this Church.  Revelation and Inspiration are real.  I will be eternally grateful to Leslie for receiving that inspiration and acting according to it.

The Lord works in mysterious ways.  I am so grateful to be on His side.  Fighting for Truth.  Fighting against the Destroyer and proclaiming the gospel of salvation.  This Church is True, Brother Parker.  I know it!  I love you, and I love my brethren.  Take care.  Elder Ryan Riggs