December 8, 2014
Dear family,
This week was super tough. Two weeks ago, our recent convert
John went to the temple and helped do baptisms for his two deceased brothers
and his mom. It was super awesome to get to hear him talk about the temple and
answer his questions about temple work. But John is very curious and always
wants to know everything. On Wednesday, John asked us some pretty deep
questions about the temple and wanted to know about the ordinances and what
exactly goes on inside the temple. We explained that this stuff is sacred and
that in a year he could go through the temple and learn for himself then. We
gave him a temple prep booklet, and we thought that was the end of it. But I
could tell something was wrong. He wanted answers to his questions and he
wanted them now.
On Friday night, John called the Bishop and said that he wanted his records
removed and that he didn't want contact from anyone in the church. A few
minutes later, John sent us a text saying, "This text is to let you know
that I am resigning from the church. It's not the messenger, it's the message.
Bye."
I was ticked. After 5 months of working with John, a goodbye over text just
wasn't going to cut it. The next day we went over to John's apartment and
knocked on the door. John opened the door and was genuinely surprised to see
us. He said, "I truly wasn't expecting for you to come by. I thought after
I sent you my text that that would be the end of it." And Sister Haynes
said, "Oh John. Don't you know us by now? We care about you too much to
just let you walk out of our lives."
Immediately as John started talking to us, I could tell that
he didn't have the spirit with him. He told us that he had gone on the internet
and started researching the temple. We had warned him against anti-Mormon
misinformation, but that's exactly what he found. He told us that he didn't
even sleep one night and just looked up "information" against the
church for 24 hours straight. As missionaries, we hear everything about
anti-Mormon material. We hear the most ridiculous lies to the most subtle lies.
John had read everything. He had done thorough "research" and told us
every lie about Mormons that I had ever heard on my mission. IT was awful to
hear him deny what he knew to be true.
John has always loved and had a strong testimony of the Book
of Mormon. From the get-go, the Book of Mormon has been his favorite part of
the gospel. So I asked him, "Do you believe the Book of Mormon is true,
John?" He sat there for a long time and finally said, "No." I
couldn't control it, I broke down and sobbed. I have never cried so hard on my
mission. Then John said, "The best people I have ever met have been in the
church. I'm really going to miss everyone." He went on the express his
gratitude for Sister Haynes and me. At that moment, even John cried.
Ugh! It was the worst. You could tell John was so different
and that Satan had quickly gotten a hold of him. Within 24 hours, Satan's work
was done.
Don't be stupid and go searching online to find answers to the gospel.
Anti-Mormon misinformation is poison. It destroys faith. Hold on to your
testimonies of the Book of Mormon. I'm truly heartbroken that John-who did
baptisms for the dead two weeks ago-has fallen so far. Being a missionary and
watching this happen is heartbreaking. I feel true sorrow for John right now.
But I know that Jesus Christ suffered for every pain and sorrow that we will
ever experience. Everything wrong in this world will be made right through the
Atonement. So I'll just keep on keeping on!
Love
Hermana Angus
