Faith:
A story told by Bishop H. Burke Peterson of the Presiding Bishopric. This is a true example of the power of faith in Jesus Christ:
“Some years ago I was a bishop of a ward in the United States. We had a group of young people in our ward who were fine examples of what Latter-day Saints ought to be. They got acquainted with a young teenage girl who was not a member of the Church. This teenage girl was deaf, but she had learned to read lips with her eyes, and if you stood in front of her and spoke to her, she could tell what you were saying by reading your lips. She also had an illness of her heart. She was unable to engage in any athletics with the other girls. The Mormon boys and girls were friendly to her and considerate of her and understanding. She liked the way they treated her. She liked their example. Soon she was invited to listen to the missionaries give the lessons. As they concluded the lessons, she believed what she had been taught and asked her parents if she could be baptized. They also had heard the lessons, but they didn’t accept the truth as she did. They did give their permission for her to be baptized, however.
“One Saturday afternoon we gathered at the baptismal font as this young deaf girl entered into the water. After the baptism she was to be confirmed a member of the Church. The elders asked me if I would like to stand in the circle. I did. I knew she wouldn’t be able to hear the confirmation and blessing from the elder because she couldn’t see his lips, so I listened very attentively to the blessing of the elder as he confirmed her a member of the Church. I wanted to tell her what he said after it was over.
“The blessing was given by the elder. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard what he said, for he said some things that I would not believe possible. He had full faith that the Lord would grant the blessings he had given.
“After the confirmation and blessing I invited the young lady to come into my office. She sat down in front of me as I was prepared now to tell her of the blessing that the elder had just given her. I said, ‘Nancy, I would like to tell you of the blessing that the elder gave you.’ She looked at me and said, ‘Bishop Peterson, I heard the blessing.’ From that time on Nancy Fuller could hear. She was no longer deaf. From that time on she could play volleyball and play softball and play tennis because her heart had also been healed” (in Conference Report, Korea Area Conference 1975, p. 25).
