James saw some information on Instagram about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and made a request to meet with the missionaries. That’s when he was first taught by Elder Andreasen and Elder Cox. James shared he wanted to surround himself with the right kind of people and had this strong feeling he should start going to church again.
Preach My Gospel teaches us, “Heavenly Father may have blessed the people you find with valuable spiritual preparation. The steps they have already taken may have prepared them to make covenants with God through baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” This was definitely the case with James. Heavenly Father had been giving him important spiritual impressions that had prepared his heart to “receive the word” (Alma 16:16-17).
16 And there was no inequality among them; the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—
17 That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, but that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God.
Alma 16:16-17
James loved the principles he was taught by Elder Cox and Elder Andreasen. While he was being taught, Elder Johnson was transferred into the Gray Ward. James came to church and felt the love that the members of the Gray Ward had for him. Soon he was invited to be baptized, which he accepted and continued to work towards this goal..
James continued to progress and even watched a session of General Conference with the missionaries. While he knew that baptism was the right thing to do, he wanted to be sure it was a choice he was making for himself. He didn’t want to blindly follow and he wanted to know for himself that the things he was being taught were true. He prayed about it and felt good about it, especially the Book of Mormon, and knew this was the right thing for him to do.
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James was then baptized October 12, 2024 and confirmed the next day in Sacrament meeting. James has been able to see the joys of the gospel enter his life as he continues to study and come to church and feel the blessings and power that come from making sacred covenants with God.
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Barlows in TKM 