Missionary Bus Stop

During the summer of 1976 I was a missionary in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. My companion, Sister Nancy Kowallis, and I had just attended a zone meeting where the speakers had lifted our spirits and had given us new enthusiasm and determination to persist in spreading the gospel that we loved so dearly.

Now the meeting was over, and my companion and I had three possible ways of getting home. We could ask the zone leaders if they would take us home, since they had a car and were going right past our apartment. We could walk home, which would take about an hour. Or we could walk a block to the bus stop and wait for the transit system to take us home. This would take about two hours, because we had to go out of our area and transfer busses.

For some reason, we chose to at the bus stop. Even as we did so, I kept thinking, “This is ridiculous. Why don’t we go back to the chapel and ask for a ride?” Nevertheless, we waited.

Soon a lady and her daughter joined us. The spirit of the conference was still strong and we were soon talking about the gospel. The woman politely told us that she had a brother in Victoria who was a Mormon, and if she wanted any literature she would get it from him. I told her that was a good idea, then pointed out that in order to know if the things she read were true, she must pray to her Heavenly Father about it. I talked to her about the Holy Ghost and asked her to pray about the literature she read. She was aloof, but I persisted in reading her two scriptures from the Doctrine and Covenants and testified of their truthfulness:

“Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall dwell in your heart.” (D&C 8:2.)

“But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.” (D&C 9:8.)

When the bus came, we all boarded and sat at the front on opposite sides of the aisle. I watched the woman’s facial expression, and I felt she was greatly disturbed.

At the transfer spot we disembarked. We had gone only a short way when the woman came running after us. We stopped for a moment, and she asked what had prompted us to talk to her at the bus stop. We explained that the Spirit is often able to direct us to those who are ready to hear our message. With tears in her eyes she indicated that she would like to have the missionaries visit her. We made an appointment for the district leaders in her area to visit her the following Sunday.

We were two excited missionaries as we headed home; but my excitement quickly faded when I found a message that I had been transferred to central British Columbia. I knew I might never see that good woman again.

Soon after I arrived in my new area, I wrote to her, telling her of my transfer and bearing my testimony. I received a prompt reply, telling me that she had seen the missionaries several times and she knew the gospel was true. She also mentioned that only a few days before she met us, she had been praying that God would help her find answers to her problems. She felt strongly that our bus-stop conversation had been the answer to her prayers.

Before long this sister wrote again, telling of her baptism and her progress in the Church. I was deeply touched when she thanked me for being so persistent that day at the bus stop. Seeing this woman find new peace and happiness in the gospel was one of the choice experiences of my mission.

Illustrated by Dilleen Marsh