One Wednesday night, as a 15 year-old, I decided that I wasn’t going to go to my young men’s activity. I’m not quite sure why my parents didn’t make me go, but they didn’t. So I was at home doing homework when the doorbell rang.
When I went to the door, there on the porch was Brother Richardson, my Teachers Quorum advisor, along with 4 or 5 of the other boys from the quorum. “John.” He said. “We miss you. Why didn’t you come to our activity?”
“I have a lot of homework.” Was my lame excuse.
“We’re going to Dairy Queen to get blizzards,” Brother Richardson said. “We’d like you to come with us.”
I love blizzards and wanted to go get one, but I felt like if I were to just go for the blizzards it wouldn’t be right. So I declined the invitation.
Brother Richardson didn’t budge. “No—we’d really like you to come.”
I don’t remember how many times I refused and how many times he insisted, but I do remember I went. And I never missed another mutual.
I’m not quite sure why Brother Richardson sought me out that night. I do know that if he had sent me a text message I would have ignored it. But when he came to my door, that made all the difference. That rescuing effort on his part made a tremendous difference in my life.
In Ezekiel 34:12, 16, the Lord says, “As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day….I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick”
I love this imagery, and wonder if the Savior had it in mind when he said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11).
One of my favorite talks about seeking after the lost sheep was given by Elder Arnold. I guarantee you’ll laugh at the images…and feel the love!
(I know the below video says “The Savior’s Parables,” but if you click on it, it’s queued up to go straight to the Elder Arnold video.
