When my mother invited me to learn about her new church, I laughed. Tired and hungover, I reminded her I was a communist. I didn’t believe in God, the devil, spirits—anything like that.
At the time in the 1990s, Mongolia was opening up to new ideas, and my mother was influential in our country’s transition to democracy. She organized a council and hunger strike that demanded more freedoms. The government eventually accepted the demands, and Mongolia took a major step toward a free society. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints soon began holding meetings and my mother was one of the first to be baptized.
I eventually did meet with missionaries. I pushed the elders hard with my questions. But after about a year, I was baptized in 1995.
From there, I continued my career in forestry. I probably would’ve become a big name in the field, but that’s not the life the Lord had planned for me.
After repeated invitations, I accepted a call in 2006 to direct the Church’s Seminaries and Institutes of Religion program in Mongolia. And three years later, I was called as president of the first stake in our country.
Today my favorite verse from the Old Testament is Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Knowing that the Lord knew me before this life and ordained me to serve in certain callings amazes me. That truth also gives me confidence. Because the Savior suffered in the garden and on the cross, He knows what it feels like to be scared to serve or unsure how. He knows perfectly how to help each of us.
The Savior is a fantastic friend. He doesn’t just come around once in a while to see if I’ve made a mistake. Instead, He is always trying to help me fulfill my missions in life. I’ve felt His encouragement and love surround me so many times. Together, we can do anything.
Editor's note: This article first appeared in the January/February issue of LDS Living magazine.
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