An old friend of mine lives in California and has a teenage son ... I think he's 18 and a freshman at a community college in his town. I am not going to give his name or location because of what he just experienced ... he's a little "gun-shy" of me telling this story and I promised to keep him anonymous.
He was sitting in a popular hangout sandwich shop/coffee house studying for an upcoming test when two LDS missionaries entered the establishment. The moment they entered, the tone of the atmosphere changed and suddenly the missionaries were being taunted and ridiculed because of their faith. The young man I speak of is an active member of the church and planning on a mission ... (he'll be 19 in the summer). I quote him now:
" I have never experience hate before ... I have never been persecuted for the sake of righteousness ... I have never known the kind of fear that the tormented missionaries were faced with. I sat there thinking I should say something to stop the ridicule and persecution. I didn't. I just sat there. Two guys proceeded in ridiculing the missionaries concerning the churches involvement with proposition 8. I don't get it ...a country that's founded on freedom of speech and democracy and this is happening before my eyes...I thought I stood for something, but when my character was tested, I hid my faith from the tormentors. Two guys had blocked the door and the missionaries stood motionless. One , had tears in his eyes, but he never backed down or shied away. I was shaking inside thinking that the elders were going to get hurt ... the only thing I did for them was say a silent prayer on their behalf. Someone ... I think it was the store manager threatened to call the police and so the tormentors backed off and allowed the missionaries to leave. Life resumed in the shop as though nothing had happened, but something had happened ... to me. I didn't stand up for the missionaries ... I was afraid, so no-one in that sandwich shop knew what I stood for. In a few months I will be one of those missionaries ... I need to be strong enough to stand. all that day I thought of what happened there ... I love the Lord ...I want to be steadfast and immovable .. , I want to be strong enough to stand up! I thought of all the scripture stories I had ever known ... I thought of Daniel in the Lion's den...I thought of Nephi ... I thought of Joseph Smith ... I have some work to do but I am determined! My cousin is fighting in Iraq and can face a mortal enemy without flinching! I admire him ... I need to face the ultimate destroyer with the same bravery! He can't take my faith from me, unless I allow it!!"
My friend told me her son was visibly shaken ... not by the acts of the tormentors , but by his reaction to them. I thought of a song a friend of mine, James Marsden wrote some years ago and I share some of the lyric now ...
"All eyes are watching
to see what you'll do.
Will you shun the ways
of the world
in a moment of truth?
The trumpets are sounding,
the drums start to roll,
the tempter is waging
a war for your soul ...
and victory is promised
to those who will fight to the end!
Let's stand up and take each other's hands,
stand up ... with His power we can ...
stand up ... determined to win in the battle at hand
together we stand!"
Dear readers, this is what becoming steadfast and immovable means ... it means being strong enough to stand for truth and righteousness, unyielding, unbending and OUT LOUD!
And to my frind's son ... I have no doubt that you are becoming strong enough to stand! I hear the urgency in the words you wrote me so I could share this story!
3 comments:
Wow! Powerful story. Thanks so much for sharing it. It's scary sometimes to be the "different" one.
That's intense! I've been in similar situations, not that bad but where I had to decide if I was going to allow what was going on to continue in my presence and it is not an easy choice! Obviously he learned from it but, buddy, don't ever beat yourself up for the choice you made-even those missionaries would understand! And I know you will have many more opportunites to make a choice like that again! I am so sorry your friend was put in that situation! It is getting to the point that I think this kind of stuff will be happening more and we all need to be ready to make that choice!
I don't think we really know how we would react until we are in that situation. it's one thing to stand up for what you believe when others disagree, but when there is threat of violence you don't want to add to the fire. I think he did the right thing by saying a prayer on their behalf. A testimony builder for him. He may be faced with these same circumstances soon enough when he is wearing his full-time missionary badge. thanks for sharing this story!
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