Ray Snelson (Story)

While Ray Snelson was in the Air Force, he went to a special training school. One of Ray's teachers was a Latter-day Saint. Ray's teacher spent many evenings teaching Ray the gospel. Soon Ray was baptized.

When Ray told his parents about his baptism, they were very unhappy. They did not want to know anything about Ray's new church. Ray's father even made him promise never to talk to him about the Church.

Several years passed. Ray saw his father many times, but he always kept his promise and never talked to him about the Church. Then, one day Ray's father said to him, "You never are going to talk to me about the Church, are you?"

"No," Ray answered.

"Well, then," said his father, "would you answer a couple questions for me?"

Ray could tell by the questions his father asked that he had done a lot of thinking about the gospel. "Dad, I know two fine young men who can answer all your questions," he said quietly.

"All right," said Ray's father, "but no one's going to make me be baptized." Ray promised that he would tell the missionaries that all his father wanted was to get a few questions answered.

The next Tuesday, Ray listened to the missionaries tell his father about the gospel. Ray was surprised when his father said that he believed everything they said. The next night, the missionaries taught Ray's father again. When they were just about ready to leave, one of the missionaries turned to Ray's father and said, "Brother Snelson, would you be baptized?" Ray jumped up from his chair. He was just about to tell them that his father was not interested in being baptized, but his father's voice stopped him. "Yes, I will," his father said. Ray was so surprised, he could hardly speak.

This missionaries made another appointment to teach Ray's father the next lesson. Ray could hardly believe what was happening. For the past several years, his father had not even wanted him to say one word about the Church. Now he wanted to know everything, and he wanted to be baptized.

That Sunday, while Ray was sitting in his living room, the telephone rang. It was Ray's brother. With tears in his eyes he spoke very slowly and quietly. "Ray," he said, "Dad is dead. He had an automobile accident." Ray put the telephone receiver down and cried.

Ray missed his father very much. He felt sad that his father had died before he could be baptized. But Ray was thankful that he could go to the temple and be baptized form him. When Ray stood dressed in his white baptismal clothes in the temple, he thought about the time his father had spent with the missionaries and how much his father had changed during their visits. As he thought about this, Ray felt a warm feeling inside, and he smiled to himself. Ray knew that his father was happy that he was being baptized for him.

Later, as Ray knelt at an altar to do more temple work for his father, he felt the same warm feeling again. He turned his head and looked up at the temple president, who was standing near the altar. There were tears in his eyes.

"Ray," the temple president said, "tell me about your father." Ray started tot ell the temple president how much he loved his father. "No," the temple president said, "tell me what he looked like." As Ray explained what his father looked like, the temple president smiled.

When the temple work was finished, the temple president asked everyone to leave the room so he could talk to Ray alone. He took Ray by the hand, and they sat down next to each other. Soon they both had tears in their eyes. "Your father was here, standing right behind you," the temple president said. "I know," Ray said softy.

Adapted from Ray J. Snelson, "Through the Veil," Ensign, April 1980.