A Faithful Little Girl

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M. Russell Ballard
Recently a stake president shared with me a tender story:

He said that both the Relief Society and the priesthood had been working with a family in their stake but had failed to make progress with the parents.  Primary leaders found the answer.

Permission was given by the parents for their young daughter to attend Primary.  Their one condition was that she had to want to go badly enough to get there on her own.  Rides to church could not be provided.  Because she had to go through a rough part of town, the ward council saw to it that someone would drive along beside her as she rode an old bicycle to church.  Through summer heat, through rain and even snow, she persisted in going to church.

One young man, who with his family was assigned to escort her on a snowy morning, was so touched as he watched the commitment of this little girl pedaling through the snow and cold that he decided to serve a full-time mission, citing this experience as the turning point in his life.

At Christmastime, a family in the ward gave this faithful little girl a new 10-speed bicycle.  This so touched the parents that they too began attending church.  In May 1999 this young girl was baptized.

What made the baptism even more special was that it was performed by the newest priest in the ward, her recently activated father.

“Now Is the Time” - October 2000 General Conference - Elder M. Russell Ballard