As he occupied the pulpit, I marveled at his fervent testimony of prayer. Raised in the Pentecostal Church, his only exposure to personal prayer was through the minister and his praises to their God. “I struggled to feel the spirit” he said and continued in his Twi language as he told the story of his conversion. “As an active member of this villages governing council, and by virtue of my position as the presiding bishop of the districts Pentecostal Church, I was looked up to as a man of God; though I was not one of those described by Alma in the Book of Mormon, “First the rich and the learned, the wise and the noble….” I was rich with many farms of Cocoa. I was learned in the ways of the world and in speaking to convince the people of my beliefs. I was wise in that I knew who my enemies were and how to conceal my true intentions, and I was noble with rich tribunal heritage who were tyrants to the people.” There is not a soul in this village that has not been touched by this man directly or indirectly in some way, either for good or for evil, over the years. “I was proud of my filthy wealth and showed that often in riotous living and fine dress. I mocked the people of other churches and social status. I took advantage of my neighbor and robbed the poor.” Could this be the same man bearing testimony of how prayer changed his life? He continued with soft tender feels of thankfulness expressed in his native tongue. “I one day looked into my soul as if not to be in my body. I was a wretched man and had no feeling towards God. I would preach at the top of my voice and sing louder than the congregation just to drown out my emptiness and demons within. I had only known of memorized prayers to offer, yet to whom, I did not know.” His speaking stopped as he bowed his head. There was that several seconds that all was quite in the chapel. I watched with intensity to the scene that unfolded, of a humble man who was just sustained by over 490 faithful saints at our District Conference, as the first High Councilor, ever, in the Abomosu District. “ I am not a pioneer of this faith, I am not a wealthy man as before, I am not a influential man as I once was, and I am not a proud man of my past. Yet I welcome your show of hands in a sustaining sign that God has forgiven me and caused me to be who I am today. He answered my humble prayer 7 years ago when I fell to my knees and sobbed for relief of this life I had lead and to know the true God.” He continued, “He knows me, and I now know him, and his joyous ways of love. I have learned to hold fast to the Iron Rod even when partaking of the sweet fruit or the love of God. We must always holdfast to that word of God called the Iron Rod, for as we do, we are washed by the atoning sacrifice of our brother Jesus Christ.” With tears of joy on his and our cheeks, he continued. “I submit myself to this grand work of the Lord. It will bring salvation, it will bring family unity, it will bring peace to your troubled mind, it will bring direction for your life, and most important is it will bring you to your previous knowledge of the love God has for his sons and daughters. I pray your individual suppers with the Lord be as filling and ever flowing as mine have been over these last 7 years. I humbly bear my testimony of the Savior’s atonement and the cleansing power that lies within his love. In the name of Jesus Christ, my brother, Amen.” There was a silence as he stepped from the stand and took his seat in the rear of the building. President Oppong, who was conducting, even waited until the moment passed that we had all witnessed, before rising to the pulpit and proceeding with the remaining program.
And thus we see “that by small means the Lord can bring about great things”. Our greatest blessing in life is the knowledge, power, and fully immersing ourselves in the wonders of the atonement. Offered to all men who will freely sup with Him, with His arms extended open to bond or free, rich or poor, learned or uneducated. I testify of the love that only He can afford us all and the mighty miracles that change men’s lives for the Shepard’s work - even Alex Agyei, the first Abomosu District High Councilor.
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