God Puts Us Where He Needs Us

In the April 2006 General Conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard said the following: "In a gospel-sharing home we do not just pray for the health, safety, and success of our missionaries throughout the world. We also pray for our own missionary experiences and opportunities and to be prepared to act on those impressions as they come our way. And I promise you, they will come" (M. Russell Ballard, “Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home,” Ensign, May 2006, 84). This is true.

I recently experienced a miraculous series of events confirming the truthfulness of this promise. As the ward mission leader, I frequently pray for opportunities to find investigators and fellowship less active members. Three weeks ago, I started working for a new employer. Two other individuals, Mark and Dave, had started working in the same office just weeks earlier. One day, as Mark and I were chatting, I mentioned I had learned a foreign language as a missionary. Mark lit right up and asked if I were LDS. When I answered that I was, he indicated he was too but had been less active. Just before moving to this area, he had taken steps to become active again and hoped to start attending the singles ward here. He said he would prefer to meet someone he knows on his first Sunday so that he wouldn't feel alone or out of place. I told him I knew a few people in the singles ward and could ask them to call Mark. A few days later, I called Travis who lives in our ward boundaries but attends the singles ward. He said he'd be happy to call Mark and meet him at Church. We chatted some more, and he mentioned he had just started a new job. Miraculously, he was hired by the same company Mark and I had just started working for. Once he gets settled in, I'll be able to introduce Mark to Travis, and Travis will be able to fellowship him throughout the week. Because we work for a large company with thousands of employees, it's unlikely Mark would have met Travis and learned he is LDS.

Elder Ballard's promise came true in another way. I mentioned that I started working with two individuals, Mark and David. A few days after this experience with Mark, I learned that David is married to a less-active member of the Church. David has a close relationship with his wife's family who are mostly active and living in Utah. I don't know what missionary work I'll be able to do for David, but because some people don't gain a testimony of the gospel until after they've had many contacts with the Church, the Lord probably put me here to be one of those contacts for David. I'll continue to pray that the Lord will bless me with opportunities to share the gospel with him.

I know Elder Ballard's promise is true. As we pray for opportunities to share the gospel with other, the Lord will grant us our desire. We must then have the courage to act on it.