Knowing Christ-Chapter 1

The Seed of Faith

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee,

the only true God and Jesus Christ,

whom thou hast sent." John 17:3

Falling to his knees, overcome with relief, love and overwhelming gratitude, the  simple, humble man called out, "My Lord, My God."

This story starts in a Sunday School classroom in Moraga, California.  I was a fourteen year old boy and loved my teacher. Brother Paul Cox told the most amazing stories.  He was an up and coming Botanist finishing additional doctorate work at Cal Berkeley. An expert on rain forests and all they contain, he told the most amazing stories of his adventures studying the jungle.  He talked of sleeping in trees. "I was ok as long as the snakes didn't get me," he said. He found people who had never seen a white man before and lived in primitive huts. He discovered a unique form of pollination in the jungle through bat droppings and would later single handedly save a rainforest from destruction.  We all loved going to his class and hearing his stories but the one that made the biggest impact on me was more of a fable and it goes like this:

There were three men who died and went to the spirit world.  The first was shown into a room and invited to sit down at a desk where a man was seated.  The man asked him one question, "What can you tell me about Jesus Christ?" The departed man had generally been good while on the earth.  He was an honorable husband and had once served as a member of a bishopric. He responded saying that he was the Son of God and that he had come to earth to die for man.  The man at the desk thanked him and he was shown into one of the doors behind him.

The next man was then brought into the room.  He had been a man of high standing in the church.  He had served faithfully in his callings which included leadership positions such as Bishop.  The man at the desk smiled warmly and asked him the same question. This gentlemen was very knowledgeable and expounded on the scriptures starting with Jesus' pre-earth life and his central role in formulating the plan whereby we would all come to earth with the chance to return.  He discussed the scriptures that foretold of his miraculous birth. He outlined his mortal ministry, his teachings and the miracles that he performed. He talked of his crucifixion, of his atoning sacrifice for man and his glorious resurrection. He discussed his visitation to both the apostles in Jerusalem and his disciples in America and how he established his church in both locations.  He described his return many centuries later to another fourteen year old boy, Joseph Smith and how He restored his church again to the earth. Again, the man at the desk thanked his visitor and showed him to a door behind the desk.

The last man had many struggles through his life.  He struggled to overcome destructive habits he had acquired which caused him great heartache and shame.  He had found the gospel and through a long repentance process had changed his life. Though he never held any positions of "great esteem" in the church, he was a faithful father and husband.  He was a diligent home-teacher, motivated by a great love of The Lord and gratitude for his blessings. This was the man who,, as he entered the room, he fell to his knees, and cried, “my Lord, my God. Rising up, he embraced his Savior who lovingly said, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

This fictional story bothered me and caused me to ponder a great deal.  At that time, I knew that should I enter a room where Jesus sat in normal clothes like any other man, I would not recognize him.  Like the seed of faith described by Alma, that story planted in me a desire to know my Savior. I wasn't sure what to do about that small little seed, but it had been planted and I wanted it to grow.