Hank Smith:                  00:03                Welcome to another followHIM Favorites. This is where John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week’s lesson. John, Doctrine &Covenants 64 through 66, you’ve told me you have a story to share. I’m ready for it.

John Bytheway:             00:16                I do. It makes me laugh. I have kind of a connection to it too. Here we go. This is from Elder Michael J. Teh, T E H. In October, 2007, he said, when I was six years old, Uncle Fred was my worst nightmare. He was our neighbor. He was always drunk. One of his favorite pastimes was to throw rocks at our home. He’s kind of an Ernest T. Bass character. Because my mother was a great cook, single adult members from our small branch frequented our home. One day when Uncle Fred was sober, these members befriended him and invited him into our house. This development terrified me. He was no longer just outside. He was inside our house. This happened a few more times until finally they convinced Uncle Fred to listen to the missionaries. He accepted the gospel and was baptized. He served a full-time mission, returned with honor, pursued further education, and was married in the temple.

                                    01:12                He’s now a righteous husband, father, and priesthood leader. Watching Uncle Fred today, one would find it difficult to believe he once brought nightmares into the life of a 6-year-old boy. My mother was a great example of helping others by giving them a boost. She taught us many important lessons. The one lesson that has had the most lasting effect on my life was her desire to help anyone in need who visited our home. It bothered me to see so many of them leave with our food, our clothing, and even our money. Because I was young and we were poor. I did not like what I saw. How could she give it to others when our family did not even have enough? Was it wrong to attend to our needs first? Didn’t we deserve a more comfortable life? For years, I struggled with these questions. Elder Teh says, much later in life, I finally realized what mother was teaching.

                                    02:04                Even as she struggled with the effects of a crippling disease, she could not stop giving to those in need. Wherefore, Elder Teh quotes scripture, be not weary in well-doing for ye are laying the foundation of a great work and out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Now, Hank, Elder Teh is from the Philippines. One time I was in the Nauvoo Visitor Center and I could hear some people around the corner speaking Tagalog, and I don’t speak it very well, but I understand. I could hear it. I walked over there, I said, Hey, is that Tagalog guy here? And they’re like, yeah. I started talking. I said, I heard there was a typhoon and everything, and I think Elder Teh talked about it. He goes, I am Elder Teh. You’re like, oh, oh, sorry about that. He looked so young, so we had a wonderful conversation. Love the Philippines, but that just made that story even better for yeah, these people, that’s our food. That’s our clothing, that’s our money.

Hank Smith:                  03:09                Oh, wouldn’t that be funny? There’s his mom handing all this stuff and there’s this little boy in the car. Is that, that’s glaring at you. That was mine. That was mine.

John Bytheway:             03:18                It reminds me of my mom a little bit because she taught in a difficult part of Salt Lake City. She taught elementary school. She would make these cookies we’re like, yay, we come walking up to take one. She’d like slap your hand. No, those are for my kids. The burnt misshapen ones over there. Those are for you guys.

Hank Smith:                  03:36                You can have some of those. What was that uncle’s name? Uncle.

John Bytheway:             03:40                Uncle Fred.

Hank Smith:                  03:41                Uncle Fred

John Bytheway:             03:42                My worst nightmare.

Hank Smith:                  03:43                Yeah. I wonder if there’s anybody in the Nephite times who are like, Alma the younger. He was scary and now look at him. We’re supposed to go and listen to him at church. Right.

John Bytheway:             03:54                Good point. Four sons of Mosiah. They ransacked the neighborhood.

Hank Smith:                  03:59                Yeah. There’s people with PTSD sitting in church. Cowering be not weary in well-doing. Do you remember we had a guest on Frantz Belot made this great statement. I get tired in his work, but I never get tired of his work.

John Bytheway:             04:15                He’s a mission leader right now.

Hank Smith:                  04:17                Yeah, right. He’s probably a little tired in the work.

John Bytheway:             04:20                Yeah.

Hank Smith:                  04:21                Out there in Orlando. We hope you’ll join us on our full podcast. It’s called followHIM. You can get it wherever you get any podcast. We’re with Dr. Jason Whiting this week. He talks about forgiveness from his expertise as a marriage and family counselor. It is unbelievable. Then come back here next week we’ll do another followHIM Favorite.