Shining moments: Fruit of example
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Jason Leindecker is a living witness of the far-reaching effects of a good example. His membership in the Church comes as the result of example, and his wife-to-be was strengthened to join the Church because of good example.
While growing up in Chicago, Jason knew he belonged to an organized religion, though he was generally unmoved by spiritual feelings.
But dating a young woman in high school who was a member of the Church sparked a spiritual journey. She was firm in her standards and definite about her desires to marry in the temple.
Something about her convictions spurred him on a quest for religious answers. He attended worship services of different religions. He spoke with various pastors and studied literature. All the while, he kept coming back to the missionaries as representatives of the only religion that could answer his questions.
Three baptismal dates and six missionaries later, he was baptized.
He attended Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) for a semester before serving two years in the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission from 1999-2001.
Having been blessed by the good example of another, Jason then shaped his future by being a good example to his colleagues at work. Each day he and his friends of different religions ate lunch and occasionally discussed gospel topics. Among the group was Angela Dell, the daughter of a Protestant minister who was well-founded in her beliefs.
In their lunchtime conversations, Jason was neither shy nor overbearing in sharing the gospel. In time, Jason and Angela began dating. She was taken by his giving nature, such as his practice to donate blood. She watched how he blessed others in simple conversation, how they came away feeling good about themselves. He cheered most everyone, she said. He liked to make people smile, including a gloomy sales clerk.
Angela recognized the truth of the gospel early in their relationship. She was baptized in June, 2 1/2 years after they began dating. Three weeks later, they were engaged to be married — the fruit of good example.
— Shaun Stahle
