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Teaching Fratello Mandrioli |
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2 Marzo 2001 -
It's been a bit since I've written in this here journal - I've been too busy w/ other thoughts and activities - That's not a good excuse but at least it's an excuse. I finally made time to write because I had one of the coolest experienced of my life today. Wanna hear it? Here it goes:
The other Anziani, Anziano Carpenter & Shamy have been meeting w/ an inactive member for a while now: Fratello Mandrioli. He got baptised over 40 years ago - he's extremely intelligent and loves to read and think. He was baptised quickly and then he received the D&C and that's when things fell apart. He studied that thing like no other man ever has. He tore into it.
As he reads anything he makes extensive notes and commentary and then compares those notes w/ other reading and notes he has done. He is very old so has nothing else to do w/ his time except study study study. Well, today we did scambi and I got to go visit him w/ Anz. Shamy (The extremely diligent, fireball, bouncy, great missionary)
We met w/ him and listened to him pull out all his human wisdom and knowledge, all his interpretations of the scriptures and all his conclusions made through endless hours of study arriving, finally, in a big ball of confusion between all the different books and writings of men in the world. We talked w/ him about only finding truth FROM GOD and not from other mens' reasoning and not from our own reasoning - He went on to say that whenever he's asked God he's always felt that he's had to continue studying and searching.
He continued trying to support his conclusions saying that he has studied, literally, hours out of every day for the past 40 years on the subject, we kept saying that we had NOT studied so much but we had a strong experience with the source of all knowledge, that is, God, and asked HIM and received an answer.
This continued for a while, while we continued to invite him to pray and ASK GOD about it. Finally a thought developed in my mind. I remembered a talk given by Elder Gene R. Cook to our mission that I had read a while ago in which he writes a math problem on the board, asks the missionaries how they would do it, then went on to show them a much simpler easier way that they had never known saying that there was an easier way all the time but they didn't know it.
I wanted to share this with him but I didn't remember the problem nor the solution so it would have been pretty weak as an example. So while we continued to discuss, my mind continued to search for an example similar that I could share. Finally my mind rested on the fact that I had my Yo-Yo in my bad.
I quickly grabbed it and let it unwind so the Yo-Yo was at the end of an unraveled string. I asked Frat. Mandrioli to make it so I could use it, that is, to wind it up. So he took it and started slowly wrapping the string around the axle. (It was expecially slow because he is missing a thumb and it was kind of hard for him)
At the end I said - "Yeah, that's how most people would do it - it took you a minute or 2 to do it... Now let's see if there's an easier way." At that I unwound the string again. I put the one end on my one finger and with a flip of the other wrist started the Yo-Yo spinning - it climbed up the string into my palm in about 1 or 2 seconds.
I said, "it's possible to spend a lot of time on something when all the while there was an easier way... That's what we're offering, a simpler way - really the only effective way."
We discussed a bit more and finally he decided to pray right there. We knelt down (Anz. Shamy and I because Frat. Mandrioli's way too old) and he said a silent prayer. As I was kneeling I said one of the most intense prayers I have ever said, inside my head. I prayed w/ everything I had that this man, this son of God would receive an answer. In all actuality my prayer turned into supplication for myself also because recently I have been having doubts and questions floating around in my head. (I felt the help of God and also the inspiration to read Enos) As I raised my eyes I saw a completely different expression on the face of Fratello Mandrioli - it was one of surprise or stupor. He went on to tell us that he had just finished the most intense prayer of his life. He said that he felt God tell him to throw away all his books. I told him that I felt he should read Enos. He responded, "yeah, but READ it not make a commentary and deep study." I said "si'"
The spirit in the room was very strong and so we left immediately so that he would remember it and recognize it. We went outside and said a prayer of thanks to have been able to see a miracle.
As we left the gate and started walking down the hill next to his house I was filled w/ an almost indescribable joy. I felt like I was floating - it was a warm feeling of love and peace that flowed through my body. Tears filled my eyes and gratitude stretched the seams of my heart.
As we came down off of the hill it seemed I was descending from Heaven to the earth again, but somehow I wasn't one of those mere earthlings so pre-occupied w/ the affairs of "normal life" - somehow I was closer to the understanding and knowledge of the real purpose of life - to love, be loved and to help and be helped, to learn and progress spiritually and become closer to our Father in Heaven.
I watched the other people - running here and there, speeding from stop light to stop light, and wondered if everyone had felt the same way at some time in their life... if not I wished they could... and so I returned to being a missionary.
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