The Scriptures Really Work

After completing an apprenticeship as a mechanical fitter, I was employed by the Rockhampton Power Station in Queensland, Australia. It was a hot and dirty coal-fired power station, but I learned a lot at this job—and not just about the work.

As a “newbie” I was given some of the worst assignments. They were often in grimy, confined spaces, and sometimes I had to ask others to pass me the tools I needed.

One man, who just happened to be the son of the boss, seemed to delight in making my life as miserable as possible. He would often throw water over me, and once, while I was working on a boiler in a very limited space, he lit an oily rag and threw it in with me. Afraid that I’d be burnt, I was thankfully able to put it out without injury. My animosity for this man increased significantly—he became my mortal enemy.

I was always taught that the answers to all problems can be found in the scriptures. I decided that my work situation was a problem that needed a solution, so I started to read the New Testament. I did not have to read far before I came across Matthew 5:43–44:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

This passage hit me with great impact. The man at work certainly seemed to be my enemy, who hated and persecuted me. If the scriptures were true, then I needed to change.

So the next day—and for many months thereafter—I looked for opportunities to be the first to help this man. If he was struggling to lift something, I would run across and help him. If he needed a tool, I tried to be the first to give it to him. Every night I prayed that things would improve and that I would not be persecuted as much. Interestingly, while the episodes started to reduce, they did not stop.

After six months, I left that employ to attend college in a different city. My rough experience at the power station had compelled me to strive for a better life, so I earned a scholarship to become a high school teacher and did very well in my studies.

A year later I went back to the power station to visit my “old buddies” and looked for the man who had made my work life difficult, anxious to see what he would do to me this time.

He was at the far end of the workshop when I walked in. As soon as he spotted me, he ran towards me, and I instinctively braced myself for some unpleasantness.

Surprisingly, he reached out to shake my hand and asked how I was doing. He said he had missed me and inquired about my training as a teacher. Nothing unpleasant this time. Instead I felt a warmth that I had never experienced around him before.

When I left, he wished me well and invited me to return again when I could. It was then that I realised the teachings in the scriptures really do work. All we have to do is seek the answer and apply the principle attached to it.

Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21 teaches that every blessing is predicated upon obedience to the law upon which it is based. It’s not easy to love those who persecute you, but I obediently lived that New Testament principle and eventually found peace with my enemy.