As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. - John 15:9.
World War II had ended. I had left home for good when I was only 16 years of age. As time went by, I worked in the orange groves of Southern California, in a grocery store in Reno, Nev., and then in a restaurant washing dishes in San Francisco. It was while I was in San Francisco, I began browsing in one of the many small shops that were so abundant at that time. One day I found a small pocket-sized edition of the New Testament and bought it.
I had never read the scriptures before in my life. On a sunny afternoon while I sat on a park bench reading about the life of the Savior, I wondered if the Savior cared for me. I was alone. I had no one. I had virtually no friends and no family in that large city. So I wondered as I read the New Testament - was Jesus Christ aware that I even existed? Did He care for me?
As I pondered these thoughts, a warm feeling enveloped me. It was almost as if a loving friend was putting his arms around me. Though it was a sunny day, this was a different warmth. It was the first time I had ever felt the spirit of God touch my soul. And though I belonged to no church, I knew that my Savior knew me and that He cared for me.
I know now that He was leading me step-by-step into His true church by the gentle whispering of His spirit. It began as I sat on a park bench in San Francisco many years ago searching for something most precious in my life. An assurance of my Savior's love.
After being a member of His Church for over 50 years and now a sealer in His holy temple, I am so grateful to my Savior for the sure knowledge that He cares for each of us in our lonely hour and always.
