A Book of Mormon Testimony - Sent by Gus Ralston

My childhood religious background consisted of various neighbors taking me to the particular denomination to worship. This did not result in any person commitment to the Lord Jesus on my part.

           

In 1967, when I was 28 years old, I was living with my Aunt Carrie and Uncle J. Baird in Grain Valley, Missouri. Book of Mormon events and characters were always discussed in their home, and I decided to read the Book of Mormon so I could participate in these conversations.

           

There is a passage of scripture in the book of Moroni which says, And if you shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth to you by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“Fair enough. I’ll do that,” I said when I read those words. I began to pray continually for the Lord to manifest the truth to me through some experience. For at least a year I prayed fervently for that experience, but nothing happened.

           

In the meantime I continued reading and studying. It occurred to me that from a theological viewpoint, the Bible and Book of Mormon were compatible. Therefore, I realized that the Book of Mormon must be what it claimed to be. I was baptized and became a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints. Then I was ordained to the office of priest in the ministry of the church.

           

Three years passed from the time my reading of the Book of Mormon commenced. I had just finished reading the book, He Walked the Americas and I was mentally comparing this book to the Book of Mormon. Suddenly, the Spirit of Truth descended on me in such power that I had to reach out and take hold of something to steady myself. This spirit was so powerful. It was physical, not mental, and it caused my very flesh to know that these books were true. Even the flesh in my little finger knew the truth.

           

I know beyond a shadow of doubt that the Book of Mormon is what it claims to be because of the totality of the experience that was mine, from the inception of the reading to the very powerful spiritual witness. Nothing would cause me to deny it!

           

The Lord may be slow in answering our prayers, but He is never late.

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. ~ John 14:17


From the book, To the Convincing by Ardie Launius page 63

Gus Ralston's Testimony

Gus was gracious enough to share how his family came to believe the restored gospel. Here is his story.

In the winter of 1913-1914 a blue norther (a blizzard with high winds, very low temperatures and lots of snow) was brewing in southeastern Colorado. A family, who was traveling in a covered wagon, stopped at a farm house to ask permission to park the wagon on the down wind side of his barn to protect them from the wind. Permission was given.

The next morning the wind was blowing fifty miles an hour and the snow was part way up on the windows of the farm house. The farmer’s wife turned to her husband and said, “You go out there get those people and bring them in the house. They can’t stay out there in this weather.” He said, “We have a small house and there isn’t room for all of them in the house.” She said, “You go out there get them anyway. We will just have to make do.” And so it was.

The storm didn’t let up for three weeks. The man traveling was an RLDS missionary and by the time the storm was over, he had converted the whole farm family. As he was preparing to leave, the farmer begged him stay a little longer, because he had family round about who needed to hear the message he had shared during the preceding three weeks.

Soon all of the farmer’s brothers and sisters and family were also converted. Before he left, everyone who was eligible to be baptized went out the stock pond for the service. A hole had to be chopped in the ice as the stock pond had six inches of ice on it.

Included in these baptisms were my grandfather August, grandmother Caroline and my father Wallace, who was eight at the time. The missionary was a well known missionary by the name of Bullard. The farmer was Christopher Ralston, father of apostle Russell Ralston.