For one year, I have been praying and fasting for Marcus to be baptized! I was able to teach him for six months while I was in my first area. Near the end of those six months, we were waiting for special permission for Marcus from the first Presidency before we could baptize him. We were in a long waiting period for over six months.
In the middle of this waiting period, Marcus had some really scary health issues. He had some major heart attacks that somehow resulted in him going into a coma. I was able to give Marcus a blessing when he was in a coma, right before I got transferred out of my first area. In the blessing, we received some strong impressions that God had a specific plan for Marcus; we were not sure if he would live or not. This is how I left him in my first area, personally thinking that I would never see him again and would have to do his temple work.
I got transferred and tried my best to keep tabs on how he was doing. While he was in a coma and very sick, my mission president informed me that The Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and his counselors had written him a letter and gave direct permission for Marcus to be baptized. What a joy that was, but we were still not sure if he would make it out of his medical issues.
About four or five months later, I got a phone call telling me that Marcus had survived and was recovering greatly. The best news was that he was staying in a rehab center that was in my zone, and I had permission to go teach him and help him prepare to be baptized! That was about a month or so ago.
We taught him multiple times a week and to my surprise, he was still very sharp with his knowledge of the gospel! In fact, he was even sharper than before. The lessons were more of a review than anything. My mission president was able to meet with him and interview him one last time before he got baptized.
Well last week it finally happened! I was able to drive down and meet my trainer, Elder Lopez, there and we helped him perform the ordinance. It was amazing! The baptism happened one year to the day that we first met Marcus and taught him. The Lord does things in His time!
As I was reflecting on the experience I had at the baptism, a prompting took me back to the first presidency message in PMG, where it says, "more happiness and joy awaits you than you have ever experienced." I truly felt that joy in my heart this weekend. It was so strong that if I had one wish, I would show any struggling missionary that feeling and try to help them taste and feel the Eternal Happiness that I felt as I was able to see a man that I came to love make a covenant with God and access the fullness of the atonement. I will forever be in debt to my Heavenly Father for this blessing. Does it get any better than this?
What a miracle all of this was! It was certainly a great week!!!
We had a good lesson this last week and we finally worked out some of the concerns he had about being baptized. Michael had backed out of four baptism dates before this one. But this baptism was very special! Mike has such a strong testimony of the gospel! It blows me away the faith he has. He is going to make such a great member of the church! He looked so happy after the baptism and even said that he felt so different. He said, “I feel amazing!” And it showed!
This weekend was packed with miracles! My companion performed the baptism--I was really happy about that because he worked so hard for it, even before I got here and he goes home next week. I gave a talk at the baptism and I felt lucky to do that as well.
It is crazy to think that all of this started by him watching the Simpsons and he heard a Mormon reference and found Mormon.org. The Lord truly gathers His Elect! (D&C 33)
I love this work, it is so amazing!
Keep the Faith!
- Elder Kaleb Bingham
