Battling the Adversary

Many years ago when I was a young married man in Rosemont, California, I decided one evening to drive out into the country to pray. I drove along the freeway until I found an exit well away from the city lights. In my car I began to pray. Immediately a very strong and dark force began to press down upon me, frightening me. I tried to continue praying but the power became stronger and stronger and more frightening. I started the car and gave up my plans to pray in the place. It was not my first experience with the Dark One but a very memorable one.

For the past few weeks we have been teaching a young man, whom I will call Raul. He is one of the most golden investigators we’ve had the opportunity to know. The Adversary has been at work with this young man ever since we started teaching him. First, his girlfriend, who is a member and his main contact with the Church, jilted him. He was very much in love with her. To my amazement he showed up for that week’s discussion, though we spent the whole time telling him that things would get better. During that discussion he talked about the second thing that had happened to him, a nightmare. In this nightmare he was warned against continuing to take the discussions. He woke up twice having heard a very distinct and angry voice forbidding him from listening to us. Yet he continued.

Finally, just a week before his planned baptism, I got a call from him telling me for the first time that he couldn’t make to our discussion. He was on the way to the hospital. It seems in a fluke accident scalding hot water had been spilled on him. Giving him several severe burns. Despite the pain, he came to Church today.

As missionaries, Chrise and I and the many thousands of other missionaries across the world are on the front lines of a very real spiritual battle. All of us have witnessed things like those that have happened to Raul occur as Satan tries to stop our very important work.