Elder Chad Wilkinson: A Missionary's Father Lives

We had Stake Conference this past weekend and the visiting authority was Elder Chad Wilkinson, an Area Authority Seventy. In his talk that he gave on Saturday night, he talked about one of the missionaries he had while he was a Mission President. 

Then President Wilkinson received a call from this missionary's family saying that his dad had had a massive stroke and would likely not live another 3 hours. Elder Wilkinson immediately drove to the missionary's apartment, 90 minutes away. He arrived just before 9 pm, but the missionaries hadn't arrived home from their labors for the day. He waited for a few minutes until he saw them returning. He brought them into their apartment and told this Elder what had happened. Together they called his mom, who told him what was happening and pleading with him to stay on his mission because that's what his dad would have wanted. 

At the end of the call, this Elder asked President Wilkinson to give him a blessing. In this blessing, President Wilkinson felt the impression to quote D&C 31 to the missionary, likening it to him. "[Elder Christian], my son, blessed are you because of your faith in my work. Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; nevertheless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church. Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation. You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned. Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your [father] shall live."

The missionary looked up at President Wilkinson and said "are you sure?" President Wilkinson said he was sure because he didn't have the confidence or hubris to make that promise and that came from the Lord.

President Wilkinson left. He checked in with the family the next day, and the missionary's father was still alive, but also still unresponsive. 

A week later he got another group of missionaries who came in and as part of their orientation, President Wilkinson sent them out with experienced missionaries, and one of those experienced missionaries was Elder Christian. The greenie came back after a day of proselytizing and said to President Wilkinson, "is this how it always is in this mission?!" President Wilkinson asked him to explain what had happened, and the greenie told him how they were walking down the street towards a couple who were taking their baby on a walk. They went up to them and Elder Christian asked how they were doing, complimented their baby, and after 3 minutes of talking, he asked them if they were married (a wise question in Costa Rica). They said they were, and he asked them if it was by the authority of a judge or a church. They responded it was a judge, and Elder Christian immediately asked them if they would be baptized. They said no, they didn't know anything about his church. He talked with them for 10 minutes about the Plan of Salvation, eternal families, and the authority of God on the earth. He then asked them again if they would be baptized, and they said yes. Shortly after, they were baptized and the father soon became the Branch President of this small branch. 

When President Wilkinson asked Elder Christian why he was so bold, he said that he was on his mission not just for himself or the Lord, but also for his dad. When President Wilkinson was released, Elder Christian was still in the field, but a few months later when he was released, he sent President Wilkinson a photo of him meeting his family when he returned home, with his father alive and fully healed, standing next to him in the airport.




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