A story that Rebecca told at the baptism concerning her brother, Jared, being saved when he fell out of a car.

141003 a story that Rebecca told at the baptism re Jared’s being saved when he fell out of the car. 

(About six months ago our granddaughter, Abigail Bills, was baptized in this church. Her mother, Rebecca, told this story at the baptism to remind Abigail that the Holy Spirit is a great help. Having it brought again to mind I wrote it down.) 

I want to tell you a story about something happen to us about 25 years ago.

Many of you know where we live. It’s about 100 yards east of here on 3700 N. When this incident took place we had lived in our home for about two or three years.  Our oldest daughter, Rebecca, was a freshman at BYU living in the dorms and we had seven other children at home, ranging from our one-year-old baby- Paul, to our oldest, Nephi, 16. As you may know our house is the first house facing 3700 N. on the right side as you go east along 3700 N. from the chapel. It is the corner house where 250 W joins 3700 North from the right. Our driveway is on 250 W. The street 3700 N. has always been one of the main roads that connects North Provo to South Orem.  25 years ago it was much narrower, one lane each way, with a little bit of the shoulder in some places. But it did not have the circle which is near the chapel in the road which slows traffic down. It was a straight three quarter of a mile shot from West of Provo River to University Avenue and sometimes people went fairly fast. One afternoon Janice had to take the children somewhere, perhaps to music lessons, and they all loaded up in our older white station wagon.  In this time before strict seatbelt laws, some of the youngest children were in the back bay of the station wagon.  Janice waited at the stop sign until it was clear for her to turn right onto 3700 N.  As she made the right turn headed eastward towards University Avenue, the back door of the station wagon popped open-it sometimes didn’t latch properly-and our four-year-old son, Jared, tumbled out of the open door onto the pavement.  Luckily, the first car headed in the same direction that Janice was driving rather slowly and came to a stop safely away from where Jared landed.  Jared landed well and scrambled to his feet unhurt.  And with the help of two joggers, went to the side of the road. Janice immediately stopped to get him. Needless to say we were all very grateful that no harm was done and that he was very safe.  We thanked God in our prayers.

However, the story doesn’t end here.  In a way, God heard our prayers and told us, “You are welcome.”  As I said our oldest child, Rebecca, was a college student at BYU attending a student ward.  About a month after this incident she told us the following story.

She and other students got a ride back from a church activity to their apartments with several students. One of the occupants was a women in the ward to whom she hadn't talked with before.  In the context of sharing stories about listening to the spirit, this student related a story that had been told to her mother by one of her mother’s visiting teacher.

Her mother’s visiting teacher lived in Orem. One day she had business in North Provo and was traveling east off the Orem Hill down to the River Bottoms area along 3700 N. in Provo. About a quarter of a mile before University Avenue- in short just north of where this chapel now is-, she heard a voice from an unseen source say, “slow down.”  She said that she looked down at her odometer and that she wasn’t speeding but nevertheless she slowed down.  She said that at that moment she saw a white station wagon pull out of the cross street her right in front of her.  As it turned the corner on to 3700 North the back door of the station wagon popped open and a small child rolled out onto the road.  She said that she was startled but was able to come safely to a stop. She felt very grateful that she had listened to the voice that had told her to slow down. “Otherwise,” she said “I might have hit the child.”

As you might suppose, that sister was the driver of the car that did NOT hit our son Jared.  We were once again very grateful for God’s watching out for us and we were very, very grateful to know about it.  

And now I would like to ask you to join with me in doing some wondering:

First, which is the greater miracle? That the woman was warned and listened, thus sparing our son injury? Or

 Our coming to know about it?

And second, what does our coming to know about it tell us about the nature of the world?

When an honest person looks at the convoluted path the information took to get to us- three links after the driver- they might conclude that this could be more than coincidence. It was not as though this story was making the rounds among everybody in Utah County. Likely, it you never had heard it outside of our ward.  I am grateful to acknowledge that God wanted us to know that we were being watched over.  This was very important to Janice, our children and me.  I look at this as a “tender mercy” from God.  It came at a crucial time in our lives, reminding us that we are not alone. 

At the same time I would like to call attention to how it was that the information first was communicated from the driver, who listen to the spirit, to another person.  Because if she had not spoken of what it happened to her, we could never have known.  Note, that it was through visiting teaching that the information came to the mother of the student in our daughter’s BYU ward. 

The prophet Alma declared.  (Alma 37:6) "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise."  Not only did the driver listen to the spirit’s voice telling her to slow down, but she did her duty as a visiting teacher.  We are so very grateful to this sister, who we do not know, and may never know in this life, for both listening to the spirit and also for her doing her duty as a visiting teacher in visiting her assigned people and sharing her experience in being guided by the Holy Spirit. In this way, a path of information was started so that we might know that, in fact, there were angels watching over us.

I have come to believe because experiences like this that we are being watched over and preserved many more times than we know.  I am grateful for people doing their home and visiting teaching, listening to the spirit, and the other small and simple things that people do to make the world better.  These accomplish great things.

At the beginning of this dispensation the Lord directed the Latter-Day Saints to collect the revelations that had come in bringing forth the Book of Mormon and establishing the church. The book was given the name the Book of Commandments. As more revelations were later added to it if became what we now call the Doctrine & Covenants. The Lord himself gave the preface for the book of Commandments.  It is D & C Section 1.

“23 That the fullness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.

 24 these commandments …were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.

 25 And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;

 26 And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;”

In president Uchtdorf’s talk in last October’s general conference: “Lord, is it I” he echoes this thought saying “In these simple words, “Lord, is it I?” lies the beginning of wisdom and the pathway to personal conversion and lasting change.”

I’ve been asked to speak with you today about the subject of the plan of salvation and the role of learning in that plan. 

As a physical scientist I put much stock in the role in our understanding the universe of careful observations and questions that come from these observations in formulating a plan for new observations. I have loved Wisdom, knowledge and understanding the way some people, desire fame or fortune.  I know the importance of trying to listen humbly and carefully to what mother-nature tells us. I know the importance of having our thoughts hypotheses and favorite theories brought into question.

As a Latter-day Saint, I know that we can’t do experiments on God and the angels. Our experience is this regard is more like that of the astronomers who cannot tell the heavens what phenomena they would like to observe, but instead they must patiently seek and carefully observe phenomena that is always there, make records of it and share their experiences with others. 

Thus I present to you my fellow Saints, particularly the children these stories and thoughts:

1.    God and the angels are there behind the veil where we usually can’t see them ready to help us. We may think that seeing angels would be a wonderful thing.

2.    We may think that hearing the voice of God would be wonderful. It can be. But there are many ways to hear the voice of God. Can you see how we heard God saying, “Yes, I am looking out for you. And you are welcome that your son was not injured. Try to be more careful.”? We did not hear his voice like Joseph Smith in the Grove, but we got his answer through the good people around us.

3.    Little things can make a big difference in the universe. I especially think of the prayers of little children. 40 years ago the president of the church, Spencer W. Kimball asked the Latter-Day Saints to pray that the barriers to the gospel being taken to all the nations of the world, would come down.  The people did pray, women, men and little children, and to our surprise less than 15 years later the Soviet Union began to crumble and in its wake missionaries could begin visiting countries in Europe and Asia that previously they were forbidden to go to.  I believe that little children, their brothers and sisters, parents and friends praying for important things like, for example, that we have rain and snow, lessening the drought in California and the West, can have a positive effect.

4.    Sometimes people think seeing angels and hearing such celestial things is the greatest spiritual gift. But the greatest gift is the one that we all receive through baptism and confirmation that is to have the Holy Spirit with us as companion. It is the one we should esteem the most. It takes much practice to get good at hearing God’s direction in what is called the “still small voice.” And everyone who is working on this will tell you that you still can make mistakes from time to time.  But it is definitely worth the effort. It is one of the reasons we are here on earth.

And that brings us to the last points.

5.    There is a Scripture in the gospel of John that the choir just sang and the children will hear in primary. Jesus taught, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” He that believeth on him is not condemned:” 

6.    The President of BYU, Kevin Worthen, gave a talk in early January where he spoke of the importance of learning to fail successfully. “Failing is an essential part of the mortal phase of our quest for perfection.  How we respond when we fail will ultimately determine how well we will succeed,” (Google it and listen to it if you haven’t heard it.) We have time on earth to make mistakes and to fail, from time to time, in our effort to become like God. This is how we learn.  The reason we have time, and can repent and be forgiven, and helped in our failures, is because God is with us.  We have a Savior.  As the prophet Abinadi said “I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.” (Mosiah 15:1)  I bear testimony that this is true!

There are many things to learn while we’re here on earth and after our time on earth. But the most important thing to learn is to recognize God’s voice among all the voices that are in the world. For that will guide us in finding the path that brings us to the home of the Heavenly Mother and Father. I am so grateful for those who have taught me and are patient with me as I continue to learn. And I pray that I will be patient with you also.  God is great, loving and merciful. Of this I bear grateful & joyful testimony in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.