"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." — Ether 12:27

I am a missionary serving in the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands Mission. As members of the Church, but especially as missionaries, we are encouraged to focus on virtuous things.

A qualification for missionaries is to keep one's "eye single to the glory of God." There are many challenges we face in opposition to this, and being a missionary in Europe a particular problem is to focus on the work in the midst of worldly advertisements and media.

While working specifically to stay focused on the work and not the world or media, I was blessed with a special experience.

On our way to interviews with our mission president we travel by train. This time, I happened to notice an inappropriate picture in a newspaper someone was reading. Normally distracted by such situations, I tried the counsel of having a scripture memorized or humming a hymn to clear my mind. I began singing softly to myself and the hymn that came out was "Joseph Smith's First Prayer."

I began to visualize Joseph Smith as I sang. I pictured him doing chores, washing up and preparing for the day. I saw him walking through a field towards the grove of trees where he had planned to pray. I wondered what he thought as he walked. It all became real to me. I saw him kneel, the pillar of light descending upon him. I saw him converse with God and Jesus Christ. The Spirit filled my heart as I pondered and softly sang. It became a special, sacred experience.

As I look back on that experience I had while traveling to interviews I recognize it as a fulfillment of God's promise in Ether 12:27 about making our weaknesses become strengths. That amazing experience was triggered by fighting off a negative thought, something that could have weakened me spiritually, and turned into a spiritual experience I will never forget.

—Elder Andrew James Henry, Belgium Brussels/Netherlands Mission

"Living by the Scriptures" is another in a series of Church News reader response articles. Was there a time when a particular scripture touched you, when it offered comfort, guidance and much-needed support? If so, please describe your experience in 250-300 words, giving the scripture reference and telling how it affected you.

Send your submission to Church News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Fax (801) 237-2524. E-mail: churchnews@desnews.com