Investigators at Church

One of the most difficult tasks missionaries have is to get investigators to come to church. Most of the humble and teachable people the missionaries find do not have cars. Typically they get many people to commit to come each Sunday. They wait expectantly by the front doors with their cell phones to their ears trying to find out why those who said they will come are not there yet. I call it the pacing and calling time for missionaries. In spite of all their best efforts the missionaries are often disappointed. There are exceptions. Unfortunately, it is often a shock to missionaries that have had their hopes dashed so many times.

When investigators really do want to come to Church they will find a way. This is such an account from one of the missionaries:

“Despite not talking to people as much as we should have, this has been a pretty great week with miracles. They mostly deal with an investigator named ______. A little less than a month ago, while waiting for a member to pick us up for a meal appointment I was talking to people that would pass by. Just before the member drove up, ______ came by. We talked and got a return appointment. The member commented to us that he was probably meant to be a little late so we could talk to that person. At the time I was just happy that he saw us talking to him because I felt that it was helping us build member trust. We didn't think much of ______ at that time because we make appointments with many people that don’t keep them. However, after having to reschedule we did meet with ______ and taught him a short Restoration lesson on a Friday afternoon. We committed him to read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, come to church told him the bus route he would need to take on Sunday. To our surprise, he was sitting in the chapel before we arrived. In our next appointment with him we asked him about the Book of Mormon. He told us that he knew it was true. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and set a date for his baptism. The next Sunday was Fast Sunday and he came again. I sat next to him and explained about fast and testimony meeting to him. Halfway into the meeting, he asked me if he could go up. When he got up, he said how much he liked this church and he said that he knew that the Book of Mormon was true. "Something told me that it was true," is how he said it. We met with him at the end of the day. We found out that he had walked home from church both Sundays. We estimate that it is about 8-10 miles to where he lives.  When we asked him about it he simply said how much he loves going to our church. From now on we'll make sure he gets a ride home so he won't have to walk.”