Elders Smith and Howell -Feeling What an Investigator Feels

This week at the Provo, MTC:

In my current district of Elders and Sisters at the MTC, there are two elders who are some of the most intellectually prepared I have met. They know the lessons, teach them eloquently, and have a rich knowledge of the scriptures. However, when it comes to understanding people, they have fallen flat time and time again. In one MTC-arranged practice lesson they were kicked out and told not to come back. In their 3 lessons with me (playing an investigator), their words had gone past me and the spirit had only touched me once, when Elder Howell had shared a personal testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.

For class today, I prayed that we might all deepen our understanding of how an investigator feels and desired from missionaries. I felt inspired to play the Bible Video, "The Good Samaritan" and invite the missionaries to put themselves in the shoes of the man who fell among thieves. The spirit was strong as the parable took on this new meeting. We learned by the spirit how desperate people are to be helped, loved, and listened to. It affected how they studied and the practices we did in class.

After class, these same struggling elders came into their 4th lesson with me and the effect of feeling what I was feeling was dramatic. They began by simply explaining to me that they were not perfect teachers but had been motivated to help me from the first time they met me because of some concerns I had brought up between me and my dad. They apologized for not explaining that. The first elder shared that his dad had passed away when he was young and the gospel has enabled him to be the head of the household. The other elder expressed that his father is currently very sick and although he does not know what will happen, the gospel has given him the courage to serve a mission. They then taught me a personal and beautiful lesson about how the restored gospel would help me in my trials as well. They listened and cared about everything that I said. The spirit was the guide and comfort of us all in that short 20 minute lesson.