My Other Companions

by Sandra Stallings

They were with me every day, and they always helped me.

When I was a new missionary and found out a whole hour of my daily schedule was set aside for personal scripture study, it seemed like plenty of time. But as the weeks passed, that time alone with the scriptures seemed too brief.

I had met most of the scriptures, but we were just casual acquaintances. As I set out, studying to answer questions and searching for meaning, the standard works became my companions. Most missionaries discover that scripture study builds testimonies—those of their investigators as well as their own.

“Reading the scriptures is like getting filled up every morning,” said Henry Schwendiman, who served in the Germany Duesseldorf Mission. “As a missionary, if I didn’t read my scriptures, it was like running on empty. They were a great source of strength to me.”

Some people are reluctant to read the scriptures, but once they get a taste, they get excited. Henry said, “My companion and I were teaching a lady, and she never would do the reading in the Book of Mormon that we asked her to do for our next appointment. Finally, we decided we would spend a half-hour reading with her. We started in 3 Nephi, chapter 11 [3 Ne. 11], and read about the appearance of the Savior to the Nephites. After that she always read the Book of Mormon because she found out how great it was.”

Sometimes we discover more for ourselves when we help others learn the truths of the gospel. A scripture often takes on new applications, and fresh meanings become apparent.

“We were teaching an investigator a lesson about the Ten Commandments,” said Henry, “and we read the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21 [D&C 130:20–21]: ‘There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.’

“When our investigator heard that he got so excited. I was impressed by his enthusiasm to learn a truth—one I had taken for granted.”

Bill Devenish, who recently returned from the Oregon Portland Mission, said: “The scriptures are one of the most important parts of missionary work. To teach by the Spirit you have to become familiar with the scriptures. That’s where you learn the doctrine and nourish your testimony. If you read first thing in the morning, it sets the perspective for the whole day.”

Kyle Dopp, who served in the Scotland Edinburgh Mission, said he had an experience which brought a new focus to his scripture study. “One of our investigators, Carol, was studying with missionaries from another church when we started to teach her. We explained some of the basic doctrines of the gospel. She said what we had taught her would make an interesting discussion with the missionaries from the other church. She had a study session planned for Monday.

“We gave her a Book of Mormon, read her the promise in Moroni 10:4–5 [Moro. 10:4–5], and scheduled an appointment for Tuesday. The next week when we arrived, Carol was waiting for us—and so were two men. She had changed her study session from Monday to Tuesday.

“We sat down and began talking about the differences in our beliefs. We talked and talked, and I remember not being very well informed on their doctrines or even our own. I wasn’t able to cross-reference my scriptures well enough to know what was going on.

“Carol finally brought our discussion to a close and asked the two men to leave. ‘I want the Mormon missionaries to stay for just five minutes,’ she said.

“‘Oh, here we go,’ I thought. ‘She’s going to tell us to take a hike and give the Book of Mormon back to us.’ The two men left, and I asked her if she was completely confused.

“‘Oh no,’ she said. ‘I’m not confused. I know now just what I want. Up to this point I thought the other church I was studying had all the truth. But I can see now that I have to read the Book of Mormon because I know there is more. I need to know what is actually true.’

“She said her views about a premortal life and the personality and nature of God were very similar to what we had taught her. She already believed in those things, but she couldn’t defend them against the other church because she didn’t have any knowledge of the scriptures.

“We came in, and with a basic knowledge of what the scriptures actually teach, were able to explain to her those basic doctrines. The Lord blessed her to be able to see the truth through the confusion of the discussion that Tuesday, and she knew then she had to investigate to find more truth.

“I received a transfer when Carol was still reading the Book of Mormon, but I later heard that she and her husband were baptized.”

This experience changed Kyle’s focus during his scripture study. He felt he could have used the scriptures more effectively by being able to cross-reference. Tying together several scriptures to explain one doctrine gives a fuller meaning and brings greater understanding of the topic.

“I realized you can’t just take one scripture out of context to prove what you believe or teach. You have to give the whole picture, supporting the scripture with the events that were going on when it was written.

“I studied more intently after that experience. I studied for a purpose—to answer questions. I wanted to learn something—not just read.

“I think in preparation for a mission it’s good to read the scriptures and to know their story line,” Kyle said. “It’s also important to know the scriptures that support the doctrines you believe. You can prepare for your mission by knowing what you believe and trying to live accordingly. If you can feel what you’re trying to teach, you can be a more effective teacher because you relate to the people better.”

Our knowledge of the scriptures should be used to show, with love, the truth God has revealed. “I went through a period when I used the scriptures argumentatively, but that’s the wrong way,” said Kyle. “The right way is the way the Savior used them, as examples.”

Re-exploring the scriptures for yourself can be as rewarding as helping someone else discover them for the first time. Todd Rich, who served in the Thailand Bangkok Mission, said, “There were some aspects of faith that I just didn’t understand. I had been pondering on it quite a bit, and in my personal scripture study one day I read Alma 32 [Alma 32]. Beginning in verse 19 [Alma 32:19] was the answer. It helped me understand faith and cleared up my questions.”

Carmen Corts, who served in the France Paris Mission, said, “Studying the scriptures was very profitable to me. I feel my personal scripture study is where my testimony really came from.”

Seminary classes also helped her develop her testimony. “We were always taught to fill our minds with good things. Doctrine and Covenants 88:118 [D&C 88:118] had a great effect on me: ‘And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.’

“I had tried to fill my mind with good things and study good books. I studied my scriptures every day all through high school.”

If we gain an understanding of the scriptures, the Lord can bless others through us. “As a missionary I found that what I studied in the morning I used that day,” Carmen said. “I used the things I studied in the scriptures, and if I read a story in the New Era or Ensign I used it too.

“When I was in a teaching situation, I often remembered a scripture I had studied that morning, and an application for those people I was teaching would come to me. I would be so amazed because it was the influence of the Spirit—it wasn’t really me. But because I had studied my scriptures the Spirit was able to help me call it forth when I needed it.

“I met a couple in Rennes, France, who had been members for several years. The story of how both of them gained testimonies by reading the Book of Mormon showed me the importance of the scriptures in the conversion process.

“Missionaries stopped by the Segaud home one day while tracting and left a Book of Mormon with Sister Segaud, the only one home. She put the book away with some other books and forgot about it.

“Brother Segaud had a growing interest in the Bible at that time, and spent many hours discussing it with one of his neighbors, who belonged to a Protestant church. Brother Segaud didn’t belong to any church because he believed all the churches differed greatly from the Bible.

“Several years passed, and once again missionaries knocked on the door of the Segaud home. This time Brother Segaud was there, and they talked with him and his wife about the holy scriptures and a book called the Book of Mormon. Sister Segaud said she thought she had that book somewhere around the house and disappeared in search of it. She returned a few minutes later with the book.

“The missionaries asked how they got the book. Brother Segaud said he had never seen it before. Sister Segaud explained that two young men had given it to her a few years ago, but she hadn’t even looked at it.

“The missionaries explained the book and its origins and asked the couple to read it. Brother Segaud said he’d like to read a book like that, but Sister Segaud wasn’t interested.

“Brother Segaud read the Book of Mormon and received the missionary discussions. He accepted the challenge to be baptized, but he wanted to wait for his wife. She was not so willing to accept the message the missionaries brought. She avoided the meetings with them and often hid the book from her husband. Still he never stopped hoping.

“He left the Book of Mormon in places where she could easily see it. He left it open to passages she might be interested in. But she never touched it. He continued to study the Book of Mormon, and he shared with her his thoughts and feelings about what he learned.

“Slowly, as the months passed by, her curiosity grew. She began to read a few sentences. Then she’d shut the book and put it away—away out of her thoughts. But her desire to know what the book said continued to grow.

“She began to read it secretly, and soon she was discussing it with her husband. Finally she wanted the missionaries to come and teach her the gospel.

“One year after Brother Segaud had accepted the challenge to be baptized, he and his wife entered the waters of baptism and became members of the Church. Now years later, they still bear powerful testimony of how the Book of Mormon changed their lives.”

As a missionary I saw the scriptures influence and change many lives. I felt my own testimony grow as I studied and pondered the standard works and discovered their power. I had many companions during the 18 months I served as a full-time missionary. But I also found a companion to keep. Whether you’re a missionary or not, the scriptures can be one of your best companions.

Illustrated by Mark Robison