Miss Liz
Today I feel incredibly grateful for President Russell M. Nelson, the Lord's prophet on the earth today. I had a lesson with Miss Liz for the third time since I have been in Jacksonville. In this lesson I absolutely felt gift of listening and asking inspired questions being applied and it was the easiest lesson to give. I had to sit back and let the Spirit do the talking. Sister Cobb was having a hard time finding words so I ended up doing a lot of the talking this time. This lesson was going to be a "drop" lesson. Meaning we were telling her that she is not keeping commitments and so we will not be able to visit her as frequently. I went in with the my full intention to do so, but upon arrival the Spirit very politely told me to shut my mouth and listen to what God's child was concerned about. Liz asked questions which she never had before; bringing up concerns she had and we were able to lovingly resolve them. It included concerns of polygamy, church history, and modern day prophets. In that time we were able to recite the first vision as we reminded her of the power that comes with that testimony. This is the same woman who asked if she could "be baptist and mormon". Her family has been baptist for generations. Though in our time away from Miss Liz she was having her eyes opened. Sister Cobb asked Miss Liz if she thought the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the one true church on the earth, the correct church. Liz replied, "It might be". I then asked her what she liked about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She proceeded to gush about all the wonderful things she was learning and loving for what felt like 10 minutes. I then asked her what she liked about the baptist church. She said, "Well, I" there was a long pause. "I"......"Come to think of it Caroline (that's what she calls me) I don't know that the baptist church has much to offer me anymore."
I was then having a sort of wrestle in my mind. It went something like this, "Heavenly Father I can see she is beginning to understand more, but she is not keeping commitments. She isn't reading the Book of Mormon (that's because it's a bit small for her to read). She hasn't been coming to church (that's partially because she had surgery)." By the end of my wrestle I began to more clearly see Liz's needs. The Spirit then prompted, "Invite her to memorize a scripture from the Book of Mormon. Come back tomorrow to share another scripture and watch the Rome, Italy temple video. If she memorizes that scripture she is keeping her commitment and you will continue to teach her". So I turned her to 2 Nephi 31: 20, but then remembered how long that was and instead referred her to a shorter verse on the page of her choosing. She promised to memorize it and then that will be the perfect chapter to go over with her.
I was then having a sort of wrestle in my mind. It went something like this, "Heavenly Father I can see she is beginning to understand more, but she is not keeping commitments. She isn't reading the Book of Mormon (that's because it's a bit small for her to read). She hasn't been coming to church (that's partially because she had surgery)." By the end of my wrestle I began to more clearly see Liz's needs. The Spirit then prompted, "Invite her to memorize a scripture from the Book of Mormon. Come back tomorrow to share another scripture and watch the Rome, Italy temple video. If she memorizes that scripture she is keeping her commitment and you will continue to teach her". So I turned her to 2 Nephi 31: 20, but then remembered how long that was and instead referred her to a shorter verse on the page of her choosing. She promised to memorize it and then that will be the perfect chapter to go over with her.
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