WEEK 20 - Sound Of Spirit

“Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out…” (1 Kings 19:11-13)

How can you hear the Spirit, this still small voice, when you have lost the ability to hear? 

This was the question I had pressed upon my temple as Elder Lawyer and I drove to our new friend, Sonia’s house. We met Sonia just two days before in the streets outside of an apartment complex we regularly visit. We usually go to this particular apartment complex because a Spanish speaking family in our ward lives there and the wife was recently baptized. I first saw Sonia on the side of the road, walking towards nearby houses. Talk to her. Something told me this, so I did. I exclaimed, “Hey! How’re ya doing?” because that’s what I always say to strike up conversation, but Sonia kept walking. She completely ignored me. In fact, it was as if she hadn’t even heard me. 

Go to her. I parked my bike and walked up to her, motioning with my hands, trying to talk to her once more. Nothing. This time, however, she turned and faced me and within seconds I realized that she hadn’t heard me because she was deaf. She made inaudible sounds as she tried to point towards where she was going, but I didn’t speak sign language and she couldn’t hear me, so attempting to converse was difficult. Elder Lawyer, who saw this affair from afar, had parked his bike and walked up to us as I said to him, “she’s deaf.” He turned around saying, “let’s go then.” But, that same voice that told me to talk to her, that same voice that told me to go to her, said something once more. 

No. Stay. So, I did. I pulled out my phone and typed a note saying: English or Español? She peered at it and pointed to English. Perfect. I pulled out some pass along cards–cards that have pictures of Jesus and our website, as well as places we can write our information down–and started writing. I gave her a pass along card, too. Within seconds we were having a conversation in the middle of the street. We could hear each other without speaking a single word. I got her information, inferred that she had met with missionaries in Houston before and loved Jesus, and decided we would set up an appointment with her over text two days later. So, how can you hear the Spirit when you have lost the ability to hear, or been born without it? 

The second my car door shut, that questions really set in. We had set up for a sister missionary I know serving in Arkansas, Emma Stanford, to translate for us over zoom as we taught Sonia, but I was worried everything would go wrong because cellular data in Sealy is terrible. Something told me everything was going to be fine. And it was. Without the use of audible words, the Spirit was felt so strong with Sonia. She had met with missionaries before, remembered Joseph Smith’s first prayer, and loved Jesus. But, she also loved us. She kept saying that she loved us when she barely even knew us. The Spirit was impressing those feelings upon her. There was nothing we could say, nothing we could sign, that would cause her to feel that way. The Spirit communicated with her. And in her own special way. 

Now, I continue to listen to the sound of Spirit, watching, as if from third person, as I am able to learn ASL at an increased rate. All of a sudden, people who can speak ASL are popping up within our ward, a returned missionary who is home from BYU who served ASL speaking, an ASL translator, and many more coincidences that are not coincidences, yet devine occurrences that clarify and solidify the veracity and the truth of the Spirit of God. 

Much like Elijah’s experience, we must go forth and stand upon a mount before the Lord. We must go forth, out of our comfort zone, and into the middle of the street. The Lord will not be in the wind. The Lord will not be in the earthquake. The Lord will not be in the fire. The Lord will be in that still small voice. That still small voice that tells you what I am saying is true and the same still small voice that told me to talk to Sonia. I have nothing left to do except invite you to follow that voice and I promise once you hear it, or once you feel it if you cannot hear, you will have nothing left to do except go out and follow its counsel. Never stop following the Sound of Spirit.