4 All the times Jesus saved my life
THE FLOOD
When I was a baby, as my parents told me, there was a huge flood in Tucson where we lived. My siblings were having a fun time evading the rescue helicopter while cruising around on their raft. Meanwhile for me the baby, it just so happened that my parents had taken me with them on a trip. I wonder what would've happened to me if I wasn't on the trip. I count that as my first time Jesus saved my life physically.
THE FIRE
When I was 5, I was sleeping in my room upstairs one snowy night in Boulder, Colorado. My brother Dave's scream to the smoke awakened me, our older brother and sister Chris and Shannon and parents.
My dad was scrambling in the closet for a ladder. Then he passed out to a premonition that all of us were dead on the ground. Then he knew to abandon his ladder search and just get us out.
My brother Chris guided us to crawl down the hall on hands and knees to avoid breathing smoke. My dad under adrenaline and divine guidance knew to toss us one at a time through 2 different 2 story windows, taking a gasp of fresh air with each toss.
I still remember feeling like I was floating down the free fall onto the tree, that caught me like an angel. Jesus blessed me and all our family to come out alive.
FROM DROWNING
I have a dream or a memory from long ago. One of those surreal ones, but that has never left me. Was it real? Well, doubt carries greater risk than faith, so I'd rather not doubt.
I was at a hotel swimming pool
with my dad and brother Dave, maybe just old enough to talk. Ever curious, I walked into the deep end. Then I start walking on the bottom, without any fear. My brother or an angel dives in to rescue me.
ADDICTION
As a teen I struggled with an addiction. Jesus' power to change hearts and His inspiration to my bishop Carter to overcome my demon. Bishop had a vision for my future to give me hope, he exclaimed, "Steve! You will go on a mission and get married in the temple!"
Bishop counseled me to read scriptures and pray every day. I went to the salt lake city, UT temple square visitor center to see a new church film about Jesus' visit to the Americas from the Book of Mormon and life from the New Testament.
Feeling so unworthy of Jesus, yet as Jesus smiled from the screen I felt a warm, electric feeling envelop me as if Jesus was looking at me directly and bathing me with His love.
JESUS SAVED ME FROM SHAME AND DOUBT
In the missionary training center I felt great anxiety, shame and doubt over my own worthiness to serve a mission. Then I came across a verse in Hebrews and then it was add if the words were from Jesus directly to me "I the Lord remember your sins no more."
RUSSIA
I felt guided and protected while serving a mission in Russia to share the good news of God's love through his gospel of faith in Jesus Christ and repentance. I never got beat up, threatened violently, kidnapped, mugged, or killed. The worst I got was slapped by a man and written on by youth. I count that as a blessing because Russia can be scary.
AUTOMOBILE INCIDENCES
Twice I've lost control on the freeway as a teen, once on gravel and once on snow, doing 180 to 360 turns without a scratch. My brother Dave was backed over at 4 years old and was saved with a priesthood blessing by my dad from Jesus. Dave said soon after, "Jesus came down and picked me up."
THE CONCUSSION
In May 2006 while hiking with my brother Dave, I was kinda reckless and slide headfirst on a tarp down a hillside toward a grove of trees. Dave had happened to learn, by miracle, the week before where to walk for phone reception. Also, there happened to be a hiker with a cell phone. I know these were not coincidences but blessings from Jesus Christ, saving my life.
HE SAVES MY SOUL FROM SPIRITUAL DROWNING WITH SACRED COVENANTS AS PRIESTHOOD ORDINANCES
I received the covenant of baptism in Gaithersburg Maryland at 8 years old from Jesus by my brother Bret and laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost by my dad with the Melchizedek priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. You can chat with a missionary at mormon.org/chat to talk about faith I Jesus Christ repentance and making and keeping sacred covenants with God through priesthood ordinances.
I received the Melchizedek priesthood and soon after, the temple initiatories -washings and anointings- and endowment on Dec 17, 2003 from Jesus Christ at the mount Timpanogos temple in American fork, UT.
I was sealed together forever to my sweet wife Tiffany and our would-be children to receive all the promises of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob- which is to become as God is. This sealing ordinance was from Jesus Christ by brother Featherstone at the mount Timpanogos temple in American fork, UT on July 6, 2007.
JESUS SAVES ME FROM SEPARATION FROM HIM
In fall, 2017 after getting through really tough times, I fasted and asked for a special dream like my ancestor Sanford Porter had. Then Jesus came to me in a dream and hugged me. And I feel his presence ever so close, leading kindly as we grow stronger and closer to Jesus.