Families are Forever--By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them

I attended a convert baptism this evening. We all went. Candice's niece Christy's husband, Sean was baptized. Aaron is friends with him from his BNI group. I know through Aaron's example and unconditional love since Sean joined the family was instrumental in Sean's conversion. He is a very fine person and one of great character. He is so likable and genuine.

Just some background to the story. Aaron was asked by Sean to join him while the missionaries taught him in his home. His decision to become a member of the Church came over several years of the association he had with many fine individuals and examples. It is not unusual for friends of the church to observe how they interacted with one another in business as well as at home. He got an inside view of it through Aaron & Candice,her parents, siblings and their spouses.


A bond of friendship formed with Aaron, Sean and Mark Day, another business associate. Aaron had the privilege of being asked to baptize Sean and Mark gave a talk on the Holy Ghost in the baptismal service. Mark commented in his talk how one day at lunch they both bore their personal testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sean was touched and knew for a long time he wanted to be baptized. He even called the missionaries himself.

The baptism went very well. Sean was the only one baptized but the chapel had to be used because there were so many well-wishers there for him from his ward and BNI friends. The chapel was almost full.

Wes Dalley, Candice's dad gave a talk about baptism. He did a great job. He announced that Families can be together forever through the ordinances of the priesthood. I heard him and felt a strong witness as he spoke that the ordinance of baptism is one of the greatest events in our lives of this Restoration and dispensation. Baptism by immersion by one in authority was set by the example of our Savior at his own baptism.

Sean had a real glow about him and he was smiling a lot from the joy he felt of becoming a member of the Church. It brought back memories of my own baptism as an adult. It is not the same as one that is only eight years old, at the age of accountability. I truly felt a physical lightness of my body when I woke up the next morning after my Saturday evening baptism. I remember the song sung, "Count Your
Many Blessings." The songs chosen to sing tonight were unfamiliar to me, but had to do with Baptism.

The missionaries who taught Sean were asked to bear their testimonies afterward in the chapel before Sean and Aaron finished dressing. Both of them bore their testimony of having a living prophet. One quoted Gordon B. Hinckley and told of his own conversion a fews years ago and now serving his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I took pictures of Aaron and Sean before the baptism, and with Christy, his wife. The missionaries also had their picture taken with Sean. I will download them later, since I don't know where the connector cord is for my digital since the move.

It was a well spent evening with family and friends and I am especially grateful for my own sets of missionaries who taught me and bore their testimonies to me in the discussions where I knew without a doubt what they said was true! It changed my life for good, much good and blessed me to raise such a fine posterity.

I see the hand of God in my life in the eyes of my children and grandchildren. How fortunate can one be? Today, I saw the hand of God touch the life of a humble servant who made the choice to be baptized and take the first step toward his eternal life.