Never Underestimate the Effect You Can Have
We must never underestimate the profound effect we can have in gathering Israel, Elder Nelson said. He retold an instance where his willingness to simply lend a battered copy of the Book of Mormon to a young woman changed her life and the lives of many others in generations to come.During the Korean War a young army nurse named Beverly regularly assisted Elder Nelson in performing operations. At the end of one particular operation, she asked him: “What makes you different from the other surgeons I work with?” Elder Nelson took that opportunity to bear his testimony and lend her the Book of Mormon.
“One week later, her husband returned the book and said, ‘Thanks a lot.’” Elder Nelson replied, “‘You didn’t read it, did you?’ ‘Please take it back and read it prayerfully and then I want my book back.’ When they returned, they said tearfully, ‘We have read the Book of Mormon. We know it’s true. We want to know more.’”
Elder Nelson tells missionaries they have a legacy to fulfill, and must never doubt the life-changing power of the Book of Mormon. “The Book of Mormon is the most effective book available to help you teach of the Lord,” Elder Nelson says. “It is a tangible sign to the world that the promised gathering of Israel has begun.”
From One Simple Gesture, 309 Conversions
Elder Nelson went on to baptize both of them and, 30 years later, was reunited with Beverly at a conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. He found that because of his simple gesture, 80 people had been converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2012, the list had expanded to 309 people.“The Book of Mormon is the most effective book available to help you teach of the Lord,” Elder Nelson said. “It is a tangible sign to the world that the promised gathering of Israel has begun.”
Elder Nelson
