Moroni Saw Me

Moroni Saw Me: Hope is the essence of faith in things that are true. Through the challenges of life, a young boy journeys for peace, acceptance, and joy. The story is about budding faith that grows into the thriving flowers of hope with the guided hand of the divine. Rodric, the boy, finds challenges that seem constant with the loss of a loved one or the challenge of standing alone. 

Longing for a paternal relationship he never gets, Rodric finds his Father in God as he turns to Him for support. He goes through humorous experiences, daring adventures and near-fatal rendezvous all with the same goal in mind, hope in something more, which he finds! 

The boy grows into a man dealing with more love and loss and the realities of racism even in the face of religion. Finding faith alone is not enough urges him onward to discipleship as he suffers greatly to refine himself more to become like his Master Jesus Christ. 

Experience the passion, the joy, the journey and the hope of one man under the prophetic eye of Moroni, an ancient American prophet who provided the guide that led Rodric to Christ. Hope is the driving force of the human condition to reach for greatness. Will it last? Yes! Reach with him!

Getting Personal With Christianity: Overcoming Doubt

I never thought of prophets as perfect. The Book of Mormon even claims prophets are not perfect. I did not believe in Jesus as a God until I read the Book of Mormon since I had lost my faith as a young Christian--if I had faith at all back then. I suppose I had tradition and I accepted the things that were familiar to me.

Over and over, the prophets in the Book of Mormon claim that if there are mistakes in the record, they are errors of men. To me, that is an admission that there would be mistakes--that we should expect some! Joseph Smith, Mormon, Moroni and Nephi were all important men associated with the coming forth of the book to us. If they made mistakes how do they diminish God's role in revealing to them the truth? It does not change the fact, in my case, that I spoke to God about their work/writings and He told me that they are true, a true testament to the divinity of Jesus Christ.

God told me in answer to my prayers certain things. I care, but less what Joseph did before he became a prophet or how many wives he had. And? 

It kills my spiritual high sometimes when people find out that I am a LDS Christian and they say, “Well, you know that they don't like Black people." 

I want to say, "Really? I am so glad you told me that! I've been in this faith for more than twenty years, and I just could not tell! I just assumed they were nice to me because they were Christian, but know YOU let me know that they were pretending! Yeah, and all the Black Mormons had to be pretending a nice also since there are so many of them in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now!"

Umm, yeah! The members of the church come in all the variety of humanity. I wish that I could say it and it be overwhelmingly accurate that because LDS claim to have the restored truth that it makes us better people. 
Who doesn't want to think their faith makes them the best? Humble people don't want to think that I suppose.  If anything, our faith makes us more accountable before God since we claim to have a direct line to God through a prophet, but people are people.  Israel had a direct line to God through prophets and look at what happened to then. They still worshiped false gods! 
People will be good or bad regardless of the religion. I hope that as Christians, we are more inclined to do good deeds rather. It has been my experience at the beginning of my walk with Christ that LDS earnestly endeavor to live the teachings of Christ. 
I have been a LDS Christian too long to assume someone will be nice to me just because we go to the same church. It is not the case. I have met people with racist ideas and notions. I have met rude people. I met these people in church!

So, do I believe that Mormons have been racist in the past and that some are still racist? Yes, I do believe that. Since when did being a disciple of Christ, mean that we are instantly perfect as a person, community or faith? It is not the church I am converted to per se, but the faith, the teachings of God through the imperfect people in the church.

People cannot accept that I asked God on many occasions about the church and His prophets and He tells me they are authorized to act and speak for Him. I trust God, so I accept the prophets as His official reps on the earth.

I still have my doubts and my issues about this or that doctrine or policy, which I speak about appropriately, but my purpose is to promote faith in others and challenge the things that make me doubt. I still have bouts with God about if He is there! I could see myself slip away from Him if I were to stop praying because then He becomes a distant memory and His revelations just the fanciful whimsy of my simple mind.

I choose not to indulge my doubts. I am sure President Thomas S Monson has issues that his family would confirm if they were inclined to do so. That would not change the fact that for me, God has told me Monson is a prophet. He, Monson, will have to repent of his sins just like I do, but he still represents the Lord officially as His spokesman.

Prophets can fall and lose their way just like any person, but they can also repent and be forgiven without losing their calling. They can also be wrong about something all the days of their lives and teach it as if it is right! That is the reason God gave us the Holy Ghost so that we can discern.  That is why we have 15 prophets instead of just one. We as a people have to learn to trust our personal revelation. We must also learn to keep the commandments so that we are not being led astray because the devil can give revelations too!

We are never to trust the prophet in a way that we exclude prayer and due devotion to God ourselves. If we did, it would be Satan’s plan: to follow blindly in obedience.

Apologists have the wrong idea. I used to be one before I came to my senses. I received such a convincing jolt to my misunderstanding of my faith that I rebooted. I found out that I knew only these two things: that God is real and the Book of Mormon is true. This happened post-mission 12 or so years ago.  Apologists rattled me to the core. I alarmed my wife and friends. They had warned me to stay away from it.

See, foolishly, I had stopped reading my scriptures much and praying with faith while I engaged in apologetics. I only wanted to debate with people about the LDS religion and its preeminence over all others. What rattled me was something that ended up being false anyway! I was just so far from my relationship with God my mind was weak. Doubt worked its way into my mind. Apologetics is great if it is tempered by sincere faith.

We do not NEED to prove the faith or make exceptions for it. I find it comforting that there are people willing to give intellectual explanations for things that are not clear. Those exercises on intellect should never replace sincere and abiding faith in Jesus Christ on a foundation of keeping the commandments He has provided.

Faith is to believe in the absence of proof, which comes with revelation after the trial of our faith. I can promise any of you who are struggling with your faith that read this blog that if you keep the commandments prayerfully, God will reveal the truth to you as many times as you need it.

He set it up this way so that we would seek Him. I know I would not pray as often if I had all the answers right now. What need would I have to talk to Him or develop an open communication with Him at all? It is hard! I have to put my remote down and stop entertaining myself to do that!

There is no proof of any religious belief other than personal revelation. God designed life that way so that we can have the freedom to pursue the gospel or reject it without condemnation if we lose sight of the truth.

For example, we know the law gravity exists, so if we jump off a building expecting it to go away, we will suffer the immediate consequences. It is not so with the gospel. If we choose to leave the gospel level of consciousness we espouse, Mormon, Baptist, Muslim, spiritualism, etc., we lose a little bit of our testimony at a time until it is all gone. We are not doomed to outer darkness but only to a lower kingdom which is still a part of heaven if we fail to repent. Atheists, in my estimation, still go to heaven! Devil worshipers still go to heaven!

I find comfort knowing I can still mess up and get a great reward. I have not seen God, so I do not qualify for outer darkness. But, oh boy for those who have seen Him and decided to reject Him afterward. There are few people with that reward. Nephi lets us know that the hell they will endure exists only for them, and the devil.

So, it is okay for you all to have your doubts. Just, doubt your doubts more than you doubt the things you know. Since many of us still have not seen God face to face, we can get away with more. However, since some of us have heard His voice, we need to think hard how we dismiss past spiritual experiences.

Mormonism is a culture, but the gospel is more than a culture, it is the truth, and I would give up all my heritage and cultures for that.

The Good Samaritan From Tucker, GA

While living in the Powder Springs Ward, I had the responsibility and opportunity to receive what is called a food order from the bishop for two families one being mine. In Tucker, near Atlanta, there is a Bishops Store House where people of any faith can be recommended by a bishop to get basic items to sustain the family.I provided the transportation, and filled the orders for both of our families.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have a system of welfare to assist the indigent members of the church and those who fall on hard times. Through an intimate process, members meet bishops privately to discuss the type of assistance needed and for how long. The bishop and the Relief Society president of the local congregation of the member work together to produce a plan of self-sufficiency.

This is a replica of my Escort

Source: Car Gutus

We owned a Ford Escort

At the time, we owned a Ford Escort that I drove 1 hour to Tucker where the actual building is located--a suburb of Atlanta. The night before taking that car,I felt impressed not to drive it for the long trip, because of mechanical problems the car has had at that time. I owned another vehicle, but the Escort is what I preferred to drive.

I could only describe my feeling as joyous on the way there. I did not have to worry about my family having proper sustenance because the bishop took care of the problem. This was during a time when gas that I purchased was less than two dollars a gallon! The drive there was uneventful.

This is a replica of my Escort

Source: James Dolan

The excitement began when the Escort was filled to the brim with groceries from the Bishop's Store House. I wrote excitement. It is the type of excitement that no one would appreciate. Everything was about to go wrong and become very eventful.

What signaled for me that misfortune was come is the tire went flat.

I figured it no problem. I would just go to the nearest gas station and put more air in the tire.

The tire unfortunately, had completely deflated before I reach the nearest gas station forcing me to pull over at a school to change the tire. I removed all the food from the hatch trunk, only to fine out that the tire iron was missing.

I thought I could just scream, but I did not. I loaded the groceries into the trunk again and went farther on the now destroyed tire to a Chevron Gas Station I saw on the way to the store house. As I pulled up a greasy man whisked by with the words, “We are closed,” apathetically leaving his mouth.

Yet, I did not let expletives form in my mind! I coached myself to remain calm though I was aghast! Here I was, hours away from home in a strange city at 7:30 pm, and the gas attendant says the station is closed. I told him I had a flat tire. He did not care. I at least expected him to allow me to borrow a tire iron, but he would not oblige,

"Some air please can I use" I petitioned and he agreed! He, however, failed to mention that when the station closes air pressure also shuts off. I parked my car at an insurance office next to the station and followed directions to a store given by another attendant at the gas station. I walked about a half-mile or almost a kilometer to the store just to find it closed.

I said a quick prayer and noticed an Advanced Auto Shop further down the street in the opposite direction. I entered that store confident I would be on my way. To my dismay, I only had $9 in my pocket and the tool I needed cost 10 dollars. I felt as deflated as the tire following that.

The technician behind the counter kindly searched my vehicle on the computer and matched his personal tire iron to my car.

He told me I could borrow the tool, but I must bring it back or God would get me! For some strange reason I showed him my Temple Recommend to assure him I would deal honestly with him. I doubt he knew for what purpose I showed my recommend. He gave me a peculiar look and shook his head in ascent as I went about my way with his gift.

I walked the long way back only to see a tow truck leaving with a car that resembled my Escort in every detail! My heart sank and I wanted to cry. Of course, I did not cry encouraging myself saying, you are a big Black man walking down the street in a shirt and tie with a tire iron, get it together. I have no idea why, but that stopped the tears.

Luckily, for me, some other poor soul's car rode atop the hauler. I prepared all the equipment to get the tire changed only for disappointment. The tire iron did not fit the car tire bolts! I blamed the Chevron Station and vowed never to go to that company for business. Then I put the blame on myself where it belonged for forgetting to place the tire iron in the car in the first place.

I did not know what else to do so I prayed again. I specifically asked God to send someone to rescue me from my then dilemma. After I prayed, the Spirit instructed me to stand outside of my car and wait, just stand there.

I was fine with that because I would not have been content with sitting in the car and waiting, my mind was racing with the issue of getting the iron back to the gracious man in the store and getting the food to its destination in a timely manner. I stood for too many minutes then began to question the wisdom of standing there.

I thought to myself “Who of all these people going by will be touched by the spirit to help me.”

It was dark out and I am Black man in a strange city. I thought the stereotype of being Black would discourage anyone but a Black person to help me. I was wrong, and the Lord tried to tell me. The Spirit told me that the person that would assist me would be unlikely to me. I assumed that a police officer would stop or something.

Each time I saw a tow truck, I took notice of it.

After standing near my car so long, I grew antsy and the spirit told me to walk back to the Store. Again, my heart sank at the idea--thinking of the long walk. I also reasoned the usefulness for me waiting, standing outside my car?

I shrugged it off thinking that it must have been necessary for some reason. I obediently obeyed the impression. The spirit directed me down a strange road, which I almost did not go because I am unfamiliar with Tucker, GA. I detested walking so far! To my surprise, I did not have to walk far at all! The road the spirit directed me to take took me to another street that led straight to Advanced Auto Shop.

With all the emotional uncertainty and nervous energy pent within me, I felt so grateful to get to the shop in such a short time. I noticed a tow truck in front of the shop and it reminded me that the person that helped me would not be a likely candidate in my estimation.

Once inside I related my mournful tale.

The clerk that lent me the tire iron then spoke to a customer about me as I returned his worthless though appreciated tool. I went to purchase some fix-a-flat because I knew I could not afford another tire iron.

The customer, a small, wiry White man, with tough dirty hands and dirty clothes told the clerk he would help me. I did not pay much attention to his answer because both the customer and the clerk seemed to be saying, “I would help, but…” in their responses.

I was so sure I would be walking home that night. I determined not to call my wife to come and get me because by this time, it was 9 pm and my kids were in bed. I asked the clerk to direct me to the Washroom and upon my return, which was brief; the customer who agreed to help me with my car tire issue had left the store.

I thought to myself, “I knew he wouldn't help me.” I proceeded to the counter to purchase the fix-a-flat.

With a puzzled look the clerk said, “What are you doing. The guy said he would help you. He will at least give you a ride back to the Chevron station and let you use his tire iron.”

“Oh,” I said surprised and delighted.

“Go on,’ the clerk insisted. “You don’t need that stuff,” he said referring to the fix-a-flat. “You have a spare. Go on, you’re holding my man up. He’s helping you!”

I rushed out to his vehicle and discovered it to be the tow truck! The man took me to my car with friendly conversation the entire way. He told me the clerk is a good friend of his. When we arrived at the car, the man changed my tire for me, and saw me safely off. I was impressed with this man! He smelled of cigarettes and oil, and was dingy, but his help was free and heart was full of goodwill.

He told me, “You’re good to go sir,” and gave me his business card when I asked his name, Mr. Lee Roberts.

After entering my car, a vision occurred to me while I pulled away from the insurance building.

I saw the reason the God instructed me to stand outside of my car and wait so long. God took into consideration that in my then nervous state I would worry myself to sickness unless I stood up and breathe in the fresh air around me outside the car.

I had to wait because if I had taken off at that time I would have made it to the shop before Lee showed, and missed my rescuer. I saw that my rescuer was someone who I would not expect, a cigarette smoking tow truck driver!

I thought that I should introduce Lee to the gospel, but the spirit told me, “Not now,” for him. He then helped me to see how someone unseemingly to me could show God’s mercy without making the covenants that I made. I understood that before, but now I have a witness that God works through who is available and willing, no matter their station in life or their faith.

Though Lee has no authority to officiate in ordinances, he has charity, which is the greatest of all gifts from God. Though a man may have revelations, and prophesy of great things, and command things in God’s holy name, except he has charity, he is nothing, and will not abide the Lord at the last day. Like the Good Samaritan, Lee stopped to help me when my soul was broken and in despair.

The spirit let me know that now was my time to receive a blessing at the hands of another, and not seek to bless at that time. Because of his kindness, he has won my business with his Tow Truck Company if ever I need such.

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