“And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them.”
D&C 45:26
Reading the account of the Savior’s last hours on earth is always a sobering experience for me. I find myself wondering how I would have responded when confronted with Jesus’s suffering, trial, and crucifixion. I want to believe I would have stayed close to Him, that I wouldn’t have fled. But sometimes my heart is unsteady, untrue…obsidian black, and just as hard.
When I listen with hope of assurances that I might yet become one of those who follow Him, His answer is two simple words: “Follow me.”
Doing what He would do, loving as He would love, searching out the lost sheep and patiently gathering them in: These are the way of the disciple.
As I think about what moves me to action, it is examples of people seeing other people and blessing their lives with goodness. So today, I want to share just a few of those stories with you. Each one encourages me to see as Jesus would see. I hope they bless you as they have blessed me. And if you have a favorite story, I would love it if you’d be willing to share with everyone in the comments. (Comments! Comments! My kingdom for your comments!)
The $20 bill
“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.
There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean. The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.
The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.
The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.
The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.
The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?
Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."
The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.
He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."
My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.
Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.
That day I learnt the value to Give. The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.
The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there's always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.”
“The Lord knew there was such a person as Joseph Millett”
"Joseph Millett, with his large family, was suffering through very, very difficult times. He wrote in his journal: 'One of my children came in and said that Brother Newton Hall's folks was out of bread, had none that day. I divided our flour in a sack to send up to Brother Hall. Just then Brother Hall came. 'Says I, "Brother Hall, are you out of flour?" "Brother Millett, we have none." "Well, Brother Hall, there is some in that sack. I have divided and was going to send it to you. Your children told mine that you was out." “Brother Hall began to cry. He said he had tried others, but could not get any. He went to the cedars and prayed to the Lord, and the Lord told him to go to Joseph Millett. " "Well Brother Hall, you needn't bring this back. If the Lord sent you for it you don't owe me for it." "That night Joseph Millett recorded a remarkable sentence in his journal: " 'You can't tell me how good it made me feel to know that the Lord knew there was such a person as Joseph Millett'
Levi’s and a T-shirt
On one Sunday Sister Virginia Perry, whose husband, L. Tom Perry, was president of the Boston Stake, noticed a woman who had quietly found a space on the back row in the Weston chapel, having arrived a few minutes late for sacrament meeting. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and had come on her motorcycle. Sister Perry quickly sensed that the woman felt that she didn't fit in. Everyone else was wearing their Sunday best and was sitting with their families. So Sister Perry left her family alone, went to the back pew, and asked the visitor if she would mind if she sat beside her. When the woman smiled in the affirmative, Sister Perry put her arm around her. The next Sunday Sister Perry came to church wearing Levi's and a T-shirt.
The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M. Christensen
Billy
When my brother was a Blazer Scout, no one wanted to teach that class of often-unruly boys. My mother said, "I will substitute until you ind someone who will accept that calling" She taught that class of Il year-old boys for approximately 5 years. Now, more than 50 years later, I will occasionally meet a man who tells me of going to my par-at' home with other boys, eating waffles, and reviewing his Scouting requirements with my mother. Then, with emotion, he will say, "I earned my Eagle Scout Award because she helped me and cared about my achievement."
During that time, a boy I will call Billy moved into town. His family did not attend church, and his parents smoked. My mom thought Billy would be blessed by participating in her Blazer Scout class so she went to visit his mother. She asked if he could come to Primary and when she received an affirmative answer, she told him she would pick him up every week.
Primary was held on a weekday in those days. The first time Billy came to class, the other boys pinched their noses and started making fun of him because he smelled of cigarette smoke. Mother asked Billy to step out in the hall for a minute. Then she said to the other boys,
"If I ever, ever see you do anything like that again, I will bring your mothers to Primary every week! Now, Billy is going to come back in, and you are going to be nice. Not just today, but always!" Billy was invited back into the class, and that was that. No more poking fun at Billy!
Mother mentored Billy by saying things like this: "Next week I am going to give a lesson on the such-and-such Article of Faith. Why don't you memorize it so that when I ask questions, you can be the smartest one?" And the next week, when she would ask the boys questions, Billy always knew the right answers.
In time, Mother invited Billy to bring his little brothers and sisters to Primary, and he did. Then she invited them all to come to Sunday School and sacrament meeting and sit with our family.
Just before Billy was to become a deacon, the ward divided, and Billy's family was assigned to the other ward. But he didn't go to that the ward where he is supposed to go." She replied, "Bishop, when no love Billy like I love Billy, you won't have to beg him to come to our ward."
The bishop took my mother's counsel to heart. Eventually Billy's family moved away, but he continued to advance in the Aaronic priesthood. He later became an elder and married in the temple. For that to happen, "somebody" had to care and work in an inspired way to mentor him.
Joy in the Covenant by Julie B. Beck
Compassion at the KFC
This last story is in video form, and from TikTok, no less. FYI, the man eating bread and drinking water isn’t actually poor. He’s a popular TikTok’er who sets up situations like this to see how people respond. The one to keep your eyes on is the young woman who notices a need and responds. We can all be more like her, right? I know I often see a need but choose not to respond. The reasons why aren’t important. Sometimes there is a valid “why not” but far too often I just choose not to do.
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Said much more succinctly. go and do thou likewise.
Thank you Scott for sharing. My feelings are tenderly responding.
The family at the circus story, and the Billy story are my favorites. You had great parents. I especially love your Mom. What a true Christian woman. Thank you. I also love the Joseph Millett story.