TMM Blog: Sammy Matters

Three weeks ago we met Sammy. We started giving him rides to church meetings and talking to him about his life. We saw his countenance change, even from that first day when he showed me the Plan-of-Salvation pamphlet and told me he knew it was true—that it rang bells for him. Like many who hear of Heavenly Father’s Plan, I believe he was remembering rather than learning something completely new. He started reading the Book of Mormon every day and gave up substances willingly in exchange for gifts of the spirit. Saturday we gave him a ride to his baptism. Brother Bermuda was conducting his first baptism service and performing his first baptismal ordinance. The opening prayer was given by new member Laura Botello. The closing prayer was by Sister Bermuda, who nervously told me she had never been to a baptism since her own. But this is a story about Sammy. The Bermuda children and the Botello children gathered around the font. A couple of the Botellos said they wished they could be baptized again, and then after a few tries with the sacred words of the ordinance, Sammy was washed clean in the waters of baptism. We all rejoiced with him as Brother Bermuda welcomed him as our newest “brother in Christ.” 

Sunday we picked up Brother Samuel Mackey and drove to the church where Elder Flanagan had been asked to confirm him and ask him to receive the Holy Ghost. Sammy chose to sit with us during the testimony meeting, so we had a front-row seat to his growing testimony. I showed him how to follow the hymns by verse. Elder Flanagan gave him a beautiful blessing. Sammy took the sacrament for the first time as a member of Christ’s church. When Brother Petters opened testimonies with his own heartfelt thoughts, Sammy wiped tears and whispered, “Oh, I needed to hear those words.” Other beautiful testimonies also brought tears of gratitude. He was amazed at 8-year-old JJ’s sweet words and Sister Nigliazzo’s inspiring stories of God’s tender mercies. Our seminary students students in that ward gave strong and faith-filled witnesses. At the end Sammy said, “You know, this morning when I woke up, for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged—not only to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but to Jesus Christ! It is the most wonderful feeling!” Then I was wiping away the tears. 

The little boy, one of the Bermudas’ children, wanted to know why you can’t wear shoes when you are being baptized. Sister Bermuda turned around and asked us. Elder Flanagan said, “Because we don’t want to get them wet!”