“Pedaling Back to Activity,” Ensign, Oct. 1997, 62–63
Pedaling Back to Activity
When I was 15 years old my father became less active in the Church due to a misunderstanding with a Church leader. As a young man, I had no idea what the nature of the problem was, but I felt something was lost in our family. I wondered how I could help him come back to church again. At the time I was the only active member of my family in Indonesia. I had learned I should stay close to the Lord no matter the circumstances and so continued to attend regularly.
A year after my father stopped attending church, I had an opportunity to attend seminary. This was a very rewarding experience, and I loved my teacher, Brother Eddy Hardjono. One day I asked him about the institute program and if someone like my father could attend. He said my father would be welcome. I formed a simple idea that if I could get my father to attend institute classes, he might change his attitude and return to church.
It took courage for me to approach my father, and I was surprised when he showed interest. He asked me to accompany him to meet the teacher. Because we were poor, my bicycle was our family’s only transportation, so I gave my father a ride on my bicycle. From then on, whenever he went to the institute class I always accompanied him. Even though it was tiring to give him a ride for the six miles back and forth from our home, I loved to do it. I had a strong desire to help him come back to church again.
My father, the oldest student in the class, became the most regular in attendance and asked the most questions. Two years passed. One day the lesson was about King Saul, who hated David and sought to take his life. Yet when David had an opportunity to slay King Saul, he said, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing … seeing he is the anointed of the Lord” (1 Sam. 24:6).
This lesson sank deep into my father’s heart. He realized he should honor his Church leaders no matter who they were. After this lesson, he began to change his feelings about the Church leader who had offended him. Yet his stubborn heart still kept him away. At times I felt very discouraged.
Two more years passed, during which my father’s testimony continued to grow strong. Finally he returned to activity, and on the day he first returned he bore his testimony. I knew then that my four years of devoted service in pedaling my father to institute class had not been a wasted effort. I learned for myself the importance of the scripture that says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).