In the mouth of three witnesses

 In the mouth of three witnesses 

A missionary story

When I was at Weber College I had a good friend. We played golf together and had classes together. We graduated together and were in the same social club.

We got our mission calls to report at the mission home in Salt Lake at the same time. They housed us in the New Ute Hotel in the same room. We went through the temple together.

The Sunday we were there, he had his farewell in his home ward in Ogden. A couple of us went to attend. He spoke for almost the whole time. During his talk he told the following story.

He opened the letter from president David O. McKay calling him to serve in the New England mission. He was disappointed that he was not called to serve in a foreign mission. He wrote his letter to President McKay declining to serve. As he was going to the post box to mail his letter he met his bishop. The bishop told him he understood that my friend was disappointed that the call was not to a foreign mission. Also that he would know within six months why he was called to serve there. He went home without posting the envelope. A short time later the stake president came to talk to him and expressed the sentiment that he knew my friend was disappointed that he was not called to a foreign mission, but that within six months the reason for that assignment would be made known.

About a day before we left for our assigned missions we assembled in a large room in the church office building at 47 East South Temple where we were to meet with a general authority to be set apart. Three of the 240 were assigned to Elder Marion D. Hanks. My friend and I and one other were escorted to a small room. Everyone there was privy to the others blessing.

Elder Hanks on the setting apart blessing said he knew my friend was disappointed with not being called to a foreign mission, but that within six months it would be apparent why he was assigned to that mission. He received a wonderful powerful blessing.

When I was in Hildesheim, I went to a district conference in the latter part of 1954. Another friend from Weber College, Elder Glissmeyer, asked me if I had heard about my friend. The elder said that my friend had returned home because he had doubts about the gospel and could not bear testimony of the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

He had doubts placed in his mind by a professor at Weber who
made it his calling to plant seeds of doubt into the minds of his students.

Reading the Book of Mormon on my mission kept me grounded and rooted in the gospel.

The Lord inspired three different individuals to assure my friend that his calling was from the Lord. He had six months to gain a testimony in the area where the gospel was restored. He was given a chance to strengthen the faith that lay dormant in his mind and heart.

As far as I know he did not leave the church. He needed to gain something by bringing the gospel to others. It is a shame that he did not take advantage of the opportunity.

Please do not miss the opportunity to be a savior on mount Zion because you are not sure. Go forward with faith even though you may have doubts. As Elder Uchtdorf recently stated, doubt your doubts.

Love,
Grandpa