They matured in the gospel

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood Session of the October 2009 Conference.

My favorite talk this week was one by Elder Yoon Hwan Choi called "I Love Loud Boys," and the title really sums up the talk! It thought it was sweet to read about the ways that Elder Choi came to love a group of rowdy boys in his ward:

Most of them were not good students in school and were considered by many to be troublemakers.

I was a young father of two sons, who were seven and nine years old at the time. I did not know what I could do for these young men. They were so rowdy that once my wife, Bon-Kyoung, asked me if we could move to another ward so that our sons could see good examples from other young men. I pondered and prayed to Heavenly Father to help me to find the way to help these young men. Finally I made the decision to try and teach them how they could change their lives.

A vision came upon my mind very clearly. I felt that if they were to become missionaries, their lives would be changed. From that moment on, I became very excited, and I tried to spend as much time as possible with them, teaching them the importance of missionary service and how to prepare for a mission.…

The boys visited our home almost every weekend and even on some weekdays. We fed them and taught them. We taught them the principles of the gospel as well as the application of the gospel in their lives. We tried to give them a vision of their future life.

They sang together every time they came to our home. Their loud sound hurt our ears. But we always praised them because listening to them sing was far more enjoyable than seeing them get into trouble.

Through the years these activities continued. Most of these young men matured in the gospel, and a miracle happened. Over time, nine of the boys who were not members were baptized. They changed from loud, rowdy boys into valiant stripling warriors.

I'm not serving in Primary anymore, but this talk made me think so much about what a difference love and patience can make in the lives of children. A couple of my primary classes definitely had some "loud boys" in them, and it was so easy to feel impatient with them. (Not to mention the six "loud boys" I have in my own family, ha!) I love this reminder that the gospel is helping all of us mature; it's helping all of us become who we need to be! We can be patient and let God do His work. Even loud boys are beloved children of God, and it's our job as parents and leaders to help them realize it.

Other posts in this series:

Just happy to be obedient—by Rozy