A Thousand Souls
When Lee Nelson became a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he was set apart by Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the quorum of the twelve. He was told in this blessing that he if he kept the commandments and remained faithful, he would be instrumental in bringing a thousand souls to the truth. He was so startled by this promise that the rest of the blessing was a blur. A thousand souls? In Germany during the sixties? None of the missionaries he had talked to from Germany had baptized more than a few people, and many had baptized none at all. As he left the office, he felt overwhelmed.
“I hoped with all my heart he was inspired, but as I left his office that day I felt a new burden resting on my shoulders. If I didn’t keep the commandments and have enough faith, perhaps a thousand souls would be denied the gospel. What a terrible burden to place on the shoulders of a young man who was slow of speech, and didn’t even know the church was true.” (page 19)
Brother Lee began his mission with this promise firmly, if fearfully in his mind. He set out to gain a true testimony of the church, and then to find those thousand souls. Along the way he had some surprising successes, and some memorable failures. He was a…creative missionary and zone leader, and sometimes that creativity got him into trouble, even though it also led to some impressive baptisms. After all, how many missionaries make use of a Catholic priest to get hundreds to listen to the gospel…or is it a Catholic priest? And what is a nun doing in this story? Or for that matter, why is he announcing he won’t baptize someone even if he begs? Well, the methods are unorthodox, but the results are entertaining, inspiring and thought-provoking.
What Lee Nelson learned on his mission is also what I learned as a stake missionary, and it’s an important lesson for any child of God about what counts. Brother Nelson’s story, while probably not a good missionary tool, is an excellent story for members, especially prospective missionaries. Missionaries will gain a better understanding of the conversion process and of the importance of their work.
Brother Lee is a highly respected writer who has written more than thirty books on Utah history and culture. He was honored by a special proclamation by the Utah State Legislature. Previous books include a biography of Ronald Reagan, a book on Genghis Kahn and the bestselling Storm Testament.