Salvation is found in Meijer

Last week I went to the store for some routine things.... eggs, flour, toothpaste, etc. While I was contemplating which toothpaste to buy (because I'm still indecisive and they were on sale), a man came down the aisle. I was bent over comparing boxes when he spoke, "Is that Brigham Young University?" I was confused, and then looked at my hoodie- it gave me away (although I don't know how he read it because it just says Cougars down the arm- not BYU). I replied in the affirmative and we exchanged some pleasantries about school, majors, Utah, Ohio- ya know, regular small talk. This was around 3:00pm. Then he "went for the jugular" as my mission President would have said- "Do you practice the Mormon faith?" I knew right then and there I was not getting out of that store unless an angel came down and spoke with the voice of thunder saying, "let my Ally go".

This man was so sincere! I really did not feel attacked or threatened in any way as he explain how he felt about our faith and about the truths found in the New Testament. He was sure OUR Christ is different from the Christ in the NT, that we believe in a godhead not taught in holy writ and that my salvation was in peril because of my religious affiliation. Most of his understanding and insight about the LDS faith came from the book Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie. I tried my best to testify that the doctrine we proclaim comes from the scriptures we profess to be the word of God, not from personal opinions (even if they are apostolic opinions). I was touched that he was so earnest in his efforts to help me see the truth. As we talked, my mind raced through conference talk after conference talk of truths taught by living apostles and I was more grateful than ever for what Elder Holland testified of just the weekend before: " The Savior warned that in the last days, those of the covenant, the very elect, could be deceived by the enemy of truth." Elder Holland testified that the Book of Mormon, a book which this man disregarded and considered to be of naught, was in fact the keystone, the spiritual anchor in a sea of uncertainty, the truth of God for our troubled and deceitful times. I'm so grateful for this man to have strengthened my testimony, unknowingly on his part, of living apostles and living scripture. It was exactly as Elder Holland stated- that one would have to crawl around, under or over the Book of Mormon to deny its validity- and that was exactly what this man had done. Salvation at Meijer? It's a good thing.

P.S.-by the time I left it was 4:45.