I want to tell you about Barbara Fitzsimmons who I met on my mission. She was being taught by the missionaries when I was transferred into the area she lived in. My new companion was Elder Wild and his previous companion was Elder Wasden. They started teaching her before I arrived. Elder Wild and I continued the teaching. She seemed interested in the church, but her husband was not. He did not have a problem with us teaching his wife, but would not stay in the room when we were there. This was not the best situation, but everything we tried did not spark any interest in him.

Her progression through the discussions was slow. I was half exception that she would tell us not come back. We kept giving her lessons and she keep inviting us back. We tried to get her to commit to be baptized, but she had some things to work through. Finally she committed to be baptized. We were concerned about her and worried that she might back out of the commitment. We decided to fast and pray for her. The day that we fasted was hot. Many people that we talked to that day were not friendly to us, to put it mildly. We were hungry, discouraged and I was getting dehydrated. It was not a good day. We talked to her that day and she didn’t cancel.

The baptism plans continued. She had things to work out which we helped her through. She ask Elder Wild to baptize her and she ask me to confirm her a member of the church and give her the Gift of the Holy Ghost. She told us that her husband would be at the baptism to support her. That was great news.

I really wanted the baptism to be a good experience for her and be something that might spark some more interest in her husband. I prayed about this. I particularly prayed about my part. I wanted to make the confirmation be great. I ask my Heavenly Father to bless me so the words of blessing I would give her to be eloquent and powerful.

The day of the baptism came. It was a good meeting. She was baptized and then it was my time to confirm her. I said all the right words and then started to give a blessing, but the words did not come. I gave a simple blessing and closed in the name of Jesus Christ. I was hoping to give her a grand blessing, but that did not happen. I felt very disappointed in myself. I must not have prepared enough. I felt like I had let her down and let her husband down.

In a couple of days we got a letter from Sister Fitzsimmons. Here is what it said.

To My Dear Elders,

I’m writing this letter in hopes that it will make your day a little more worth while. I feel that you should know how happy I am this day after baptism. I feel that you should know how grateful I am. I feel that you should come over for dinner May 20th. (thought I’d throw that in.) If the Lord be willing.

Truthfully though, you men have helped me and brought me through a very trying time in my life. And I have no doubts about the step I took yesterday. That’s all that I wanted, was to be sure. I was then and I am now.

Our Heavenly Father has blessed me with a testimony on some things in which I was weak. I have a testimony of tithing, of the word of Wisdom, but something I was weakest, the Priesthood authority. Yesterday was a beautiful day. The beginning of my life. When the gift of the Holy Spirit was sent unto me I felt it. It was a familiar feeling of warmth, a calm and peaceful feeling. I didn’t expect to actually feel anything. But I can bear my Testimony that I do have the gift of the Holy Spirit. And therefore you do have priesthood divine Authority and therefore this is the true Church. I know that this is the Holy Spirit because I have been influenced before. I know that it’s the true teachings of the Lord.

I pray that I will always be in tune with my great Gift and obey it’s soft voice.

I thank you both and Elder Wasden for putting up with me. But mostly for not giving up on me. I know the Lord has blessed you and you will be further blessed. Thank you for your Love.

Always
Your Sister
Barbara Fitzsimmons

I was so excited that she felt being baptized was the right thing to do. It was reassuring to know that her testimony meant so much to her that she wanted to express it to us in writing. The part that stuck up to me the most was what she said about her confirmation. The confirmation was the part that I though I had failed at, but in fact it was the best part to her. I did not give her a flowery blessing. Through simple works I confirmed her a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and gave her the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I had been looking past the important part and had focusing on the less important.

The simple words of this important priesthood ordinance came to her with great power. How could any words of blessing have been more powerful than bestowing the Gift of the Holy Ghost. A gift that blessed her that day and will continue to bless her forever. Straightening her testimony of the priesthood was not what I had planned to do. I’m so glad that Heavenly Father had other plans. I’m glad to have been part of this important event in her life.

I learned that day I should not overlook the important things just because they happen often. For example, how many times have I sat in a Sacrament meeting and partaken of the Sacrament. It starts to become routine, almost trivial. But it is the most important thing that I will do that day. It is the most important thing I do all week. Can the Sacrament be as important to me each week as the confirmation was to Sister Fitzsimmons. Can we be blessed each week to “always have his Spirit to be with” me and feel the Spirit each week. I hope I can, and I hope we all can feel the Spirit each time we partake of the Sacrament and make it be as important to us as the confirmation was to Sister Fitzsimmons.

Ron Alder

Here are images of Sister Fitzsimmons letter.