Beyond Our Vision

I had the most amazing experience on Sunday.

When my husband woke me up to get ready for church, I told him about the vivid dream I had had. In my dream I was teaching Mission Prep as usual. There was the usual contingent of a few teenagers and the ward missionary couple. The lesson was going okay, but nothing special which frustrated me a bit. I read a passage out of the manual (something I try not to do in class) and then looked up and was shocked. The room was full. There were probably 30 people there of all races and ages 18-80. They were very interested in the lesson. One Jamaican girl kept asking really sincere, true questions. I loved her immediately. She was truly a seeker of truth and was hoping to find it here. She was wonderful to teach. Before the lesson ended I woke up.

The dream left me with a hope that my lesson on Baptism would be a good one. I was worried it would be boring. I went in to teach and nobody showed up. (The background is that the bishop's son set up a "rival" mission prep class that is a lot cooler because they can talk sports, so often the students go to that one. The teacher isn't called, he just teaches because he likes to.) My husband was with me as usual and the ward missionary, Bro. H and his wife came. They're called to attend the mission prep class, though Sis. H often doesn't come as she can't hear the lesson. Bro. H checked and found that all the students were indeed in the other class. We discussed what to do and decided to go to Gospel Doctrine. But we chatted for awhile longer and it became too late to go into that class. I had asked Bro. H to make the decision since he is kind of the one over the class. He said that he wanted to hear the lesson. And it resonated with my stubborn attitude of "I'm called to teach so I'll teach whether nobody shows up or not." So I began to teach a simple lesson on baptism to this elderly couple who have been active members for decades. It was an awkward lesson at first teaching really only Bro. H. But the Spirit entered and we began discussing baptism for the dead, how it was done and the details of it. The Spirit came in stronger and when it was over I felt uplifted and glad.

As I headed for Relief Society I suddenly felt as though I had run into a glass door. I was physically stopped and my dream came vividly before my eyes. I felt an impression and knew that those people had been there. I was not teaching to an empty room. I was teaching to those whose names had been submitted and were contemplating accepting the ordinance of baptism prior to the work being done, as it soon would be. I knew they were there.

Now, I don't know if every empty chair at church is filled with the departed. But I do know that that day I was called to teach and even though it seemed I was teaching to an empty room, it was full. God called me and I taught. It was an amazing experience.