Like A Rock by Elder Hineman

This blog comes from one of my former mission companion's blogs The Hineman Factor by Elder Hineman. This is his story of how he came to know the Book of Mormon is true. It's a story that I've heard often from him but every time I have it brings the spirit in and is a testimony to me that Elder Hineman truly knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Check it out:

Like A Rock     

Who was George Herman Ruth Jr. ?

          The Sultan of Swat. . .

          The King of Crash. . .

          The Colossus of Clout. . .
          The Great Bambino !!!!
           BABE RUTH !!!!!!!

    Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player that ever lived. He started his career as a pitcher but ended it as a full time right fielder hitting 714 home runs. He was the face of baseball in the 1920's. Still today he is regarded as one of the greatest athletes period.

    Each time Babe hit a home run, he would notch his bat. Needless to say, he had a lot of bats with a lot of notches! The only other baseball player in history to truly pass the Babe's long ball record was Hank Aaron in 1974.

  

       When I was in my younger days, there was a challenge in my priest quorum. That challenge was that whoever could read the entire Book Of Mormon as a priest, would get a louisville slugger baseball bat with their name and favorite scripture on it. The bats were so sweet! I had played baseball most of my childhood so I knew exactly what they were. I wanted one so bad, and as I watched each of my close friends get theirs, my yearning for one increased.

        So I decided one day that I was going to finish reading the Book Of Mormon before it was too late. I was stuck in the book of Alma for a while, but with effort and patience I made it through and continued reading until one Sunday in sacrament meeting I finally finished ! I couldn't believe it.

        I was so excited to finally get that bat! But soon after I finished reading, I felt a different feeling come over me. I kept dwelling on the last few chapters I had read, the testimonies of Mormon and Moroni, and the promise that if I asked God with a sincere heart, I would know the book was true by the power of The Holy Ghost.

        I already knew it was true. At least, I wanted it to be. I knew that it was the word of God and I knew that no man could have written a book like that unless he was inspired and instructed by God to do so. So I took up Moroni's challenge and decided to ask Heavenly Father.

        I went out to the parking lot and got in my truck, hesitated for a little bit, but after I made up my mind what I was going to do I began to pray. I didn't get knocked to the ground, or struck by lightning. What I felt was a peaceful, burning feeling inside. As sweet assurance that I already knew the answer to my question. I knew The Book Of Mormon was true.

       The next week in church I was handed my Louisville slugger, engraved with my name on it and my favorite scripture.  It had a notch right near the label.

    I don't remember hitting a lot of home runs when I played ball, but I remembered how it felt. It felt good, like I'd done something great. This felt the same, like I had accomplished something amazing.

       The more and more I look back on the memory of finally achieving my goal, the more I begin to realize of what I really gained from it.

       As awesome as my bat is, its just a piece of wood. It will hang on a wall or sit on a dresser somewhere someday where I can see it and reflect on what it means and what it took to get it. But the real prize was the testimony I gained from reading The Book Of Mormon. I know it is true and that it is the word of God. It is what it says it is right on the front cover: Another Testament Of Jesus Christ. I know this to be true, and I know that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet and instructed to translate ancient plates into what we know as The Book Of Mormon.

       There are many ways to prove if the book is true or not, but it all comes down to the way that will truly testify for itself. Read it, and ask God. Out of any geological evidence, or theological thinking, this way will surely reveal the best answer. That of The Holy Ghost, which will bear witness to anyone who sincerely asks God in the name of Christ.

      4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

      5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

                                                                                                    - Moroni 10:4-5

                                        Moroni's promise still stands true today, and always will.

    

The Sandlot: Knowing Jesus Christ

In the classic baseball movie "The Sandlot" the main character, Smalls, finds himself and his buddies in what he calls "the biggest pickle of his life".
The Sandlot gang was in need of a baseball one day in order to be able to play. Smalls, who was new to the game of baseball and its history, went home and swiped his step-dad's autographed baseball so they could play. What he didn't realize at the time was that he was taking an autographed baseball signed by non other than the iconic baseball player Babe Ruth . Despite his friends constantly talking about "The Great Bambino", aka Babe Ruth, all the time Smalls, not wanting to look foolish, always plays it off that he knows who this is. This really comes back to hurt him though.
   As he brings the ball to his buddies they tell him you got the ball you get to bat. Smalls amazingly hits his very first home run off of the first pitch sending his step-dad's autographed baseball flying over the fence and into the infamous Beast's territory behind the ball field. As the team rejoices in the home run Smalls is struck with fear. In his mind his step-dad is going to kill him for what he's just done. As his buddies circle around Smalls to see what's wrong Smalls tells them that that baseball wasn't his. Click to Watch Scene They quickly learn that Smalls never really knew who "The Great Bambino" was and the also quickly realize that a Babe Ruth autographed baseball has just landed in the Beast's possession.

    How many of us are like Smalls? Smalls kept saying he knew who "The Great Bambino" was but truth be known he didn't. This lead to some serious trouble as they attempted to get the ball back. How many of us say we know Jesus Christ when we really don't? Are we just saying we believe in Him not to look foolish around our peers? John 17:3 says "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
   If one of our main purposes in life is to truly know Christ we better strive to be able to say as Job said in the Bible "I know that my Redeemer liveth (Job 19:25).
  We need to gain a strong knowledge and faith in Him so that we aren't just saying we believe to please others. We need to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us. If we will come to know Him in this way we won't find ourselves in the biggest pickle of our lives on judgement day.



To view another Sandlot/gospel blog by Sister Weir Click here.