016 - The Lord Helped Me Through My Trials
Many of us have an experience in our lives that significantly impacts us. It could be something big or something small, but it moves us in a way that delivers us back to Christ. For Jonathan Plummer, he encountered a major event many of us cannot fathom that changed his trajectory and showed him the true power Christ has.
How did Jonathan join the church?
When missionaries came to his house in 1986, his mom wanted his sister to tell them she wasn’t home. His sister responded, “Mom, I thought you told us not to tell lies.”
Because of that, his mom invited the missionaries inside. She had a notepad with questions no religious person had been able to answer. And, little by little, the missionaries resolved his mother’s concerns.
Once her questions were answered, Jonathan wanted to join.
One major life event changed his life.
Jonathan and his friends went out one night. Before work the following day, he checked in on his friend, Sean. He stopped by his home to find Sean wasn’t there.
Jonathan walked to the sidewalk, only to find a police car with Sean in the back seat.
The policemen then handcuffed Jonathan and put him in the backseat of the car.
Why were they arrested?
After they got home from their night out, Sean realized his doors were locked. And because his incredibly strict step-dad had the keys, he decided to stay outside for the night.
Sean decided to go to another party. But, on his way there, he stumbled across a crime scene.
People had broken into a store and stolen merchandise, setting off the alarms. Soon the shop owner, residents, and police arrived, only to find Sean instead of the perpetrators.
Jonathan’s time in prison.
He and Sean were questioned at the police station, but their matching stories made the officers split them apart.
They moved Johnny to a cell with murderers and robbers, figuring Jonathan would be truthful once they beat him.
Luckily, a man in the cell recognized Jonathan, and another knew his dad. Because of that, nobody messed with him.
That night, Jonathan awoke around two o'clock in the morning and completely broke down.
At this low point, he reached out to God, saying, “If you help me to get out of this situation, I will serve you for the rest of my life.”
Jonathan’s release from prison:
The next morning, the prisoners decided to have a boxing match.
As the new guy, they volunteered Jonathan to fight against a much larger guy.
The man landed a hit right in Jonathan’s eye, and he saw stars. Enraged, Jonathan went in on him like Mike Tyson and took him out.
About an hour later, the officers let Johnny go because they had no charges against him.
On the other hand, Sean spent about two months in jail because he was at the crime scene.
What did Jonathan learn from this experience?
Jonathan never looked back from the experience and continued to serve Christ with all his heart.
When you put your trust in the Lord, he never deserts you. And if you reach out to Him, the Lord will answer.
Jonathan later received the Melchizedek Priesthood and served a full-time mission in Jamaica.
After his mission, he moved to the United States and served in multiple religious organizations and schools, pushing the Lord’s word forward.
Jonathan’s advice to someone trying to change:
If you genuinely want to change your life, go on your knees and ask the Lord for help.
God might not do drastic things to change your life, but what's important is recognizing when something in your life is the Lord speaking to you.
Did Jonathan’s story speak with you? Contact him on Facebook or LinkedIn, at plummer35@gmail.com, or (954) 588-9918.
MUSIC CREDIT: Audio Jungle
(Note: This podcast is not an official podcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
