Praying over a bolt solidifies convert’s testimony

Conversion Story of Nick Melnik

Editor’s Note:

When I have told investigators and members that God can hear and answer prayers, I have thought about it in terms of big things.  Who you should marry or what job you should take.  Until Nick shared his conversion story I had never thought about praying over a missing bolt.  However, to this new convert finding this missing bolt was an urgent task.  When the day was done he had the bolt and his testimony was strengthened because he found the answer he needed that day.

Nick wrote:

In 1972 I moved to Calgary to further my education as an electrical engineering technologist. While at SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology), a fellow student, Don encouraged me to come on a blind date to visit a couple of girls who lived in a basement suite. Don wanted to meet a girl named Sheila, and my date would be Delma.

The day for the date arrived and we drove to the suite. As we met and were introduced to the girls, something odd happened. I don’t know what initiated this change, but I ended up with dating Sheila, and Don ended up dating Dalma.

I discovered that both girls were Mormon. This was O.K. because all I knew about Mormons was that they could have more than one wife. Sheila  quickly informed me that this was not true.

Of course the next step was to meet Sheila’s parents and family, of seven children. This was easy because they all seemed very acceptant of me and extremely friendly and supportive. Grandma and Grandpa were even neat, because I had never seen my own grandparents.

Naturally they had to invite me to church. Going to church felt good . What they taught me felt good. People were again very friendly and acceptant of me.

I had been raised with a knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ, but this was a shallow understanding. I knew Jesus was crucified but I did not realize that he died on the cross for me, and that he could take upon him my sins. What these members of the Church taught me made perfect sense, and I felt it was true.

I don’t know at what point I had this feeling, but I knew that if Sheila was to have anything to do with me, I would have to join this church. I could see that it was that important to her, and no matter how good looking I was, or even what kind of car I drove, this church was more important to her.

Sheila and her family invited me on a weekend trip to Jasper National Park. We went up the mountain on the Gondola. Then my girlfriend’s father and I walked up higher on the mountain. We talked and visited. Roy answered all my questions about the church. He had a great answer for each of my concerns. I gained a deep love and respect for this man, who shared his knowledge, and his testimony with me. It was a very spiritual occasion for me.

Of course I agreed to the missionary discussions. Everything that Elders Miller and Whiting taught me seemed to make perfect sense. So? Would I like to be baptized? Sure, why not. 2nd year of school was almost over. My girl friends family was going to Fort McMurray because their older daughter’s boyfriend was being baptized so, they invited me to come along, and be baptized at the same time with him. Sounded good to me.

We left for the long drive to McMurray. On 23 of June 1973 I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by Leroy Jones.

I then moved to Medicine Hat. Here I had no support group, because I was too afraid to go to church alone.  I didn’t know anyone there and I didn’t feel comfortable.  The real reason was I didn’t have a testimony.  I liked what I heard, I agreed with what I had been taught, but I didn’t have a testimony.  I knew it was important to Sheila.

When I dwindled, I didn’t stop believing.  But my actions didn’t reflect what I knew.  I knew should do, but I didn’t have the support group.

Eventually my girlfriend moved to Medicine Hat, and got a job here. Very quickly she was given a calling in the Sunday School. On the 20th of April 1974 Sheila and I were married civilly in Calgary.

Influence of old friends.  Had to break with those and had to make new friends.  Could not have stayed active with these friends. 

We lived in a basement suite in Medicine Hat and both ended up working at the North West Nitro Fertilizer plant. I was still struggling with the word of wisdom and also with tithing.  My understanding was not enough to convince me to stop taking it. As my testimony grew, I was able to stop taking these things.

I remember fixing my Dad’s John Deer tractor. I was working on it in our garage that had a dirt floor. We needed the tractor to go bailing early the next morning, so I was frantically trying to get the tractor together. I was almost done but I had lost a special bolt that was critical to operating the tractor. I had searched and searched in the dirt but could not find it.

One of the lessons in church had been on the power of prayer. But I couldn’t pray for a silly bolt, that I had lost, so I kept on searching.  I was crouched under the tractor and finally decided that I had exhausted my own talents to find this bolt. I was already kneeling so I bowed my head and closed my eyes and pleaded with the Lord, for this silly bolt.  My testimony now is if it is important then you ask for it.  As I concluded and opened my eyes, there caught up about half way down the tractor, directly in front of my face was my lost necessity.

I knew then that the Lord was listening to my prayers and that he could answer them immediately if needed.

A fellow who was a member started working there also. He was a good influence on me and he shared much good advice with me.  We had met two young couples in the church and they were great friend shippers to Sheila and myself. We did tons of things together and my testimony grew tremendously. I was given a calling as Elders Quorum secretary.  Then SS Counselor, SS President.  Now Bishop.

My Bishop talked to me about tithing and finally convinced me to test the promise, that the windows of heaven would be opened to me if I sincerely put it to the test.

I was farming a plot of land we had bought. I had been thinking and praying about tithing. I was going round and round, and noticed how many gophers there were, this particular spring. I was wondering how I could control them, when a hawk swooped down and picked one up, soon another hawk grabbed another gopher. By the time I finished this 50 acre field, there were twelve hawks circling about cleaning up my gopher problem.  The Lord had whispered to me, and said that if I would faithfully pay my tithing that he would take care of my livelihood and also me.

On the second of April 1977 my wife Sheila and I were sealed to each other and to our 8 month old son.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know that he allowed his son Jesus Christ, to come to earth and be crucified, so he could take upon him, my sins, and everyone else’s, so that we could some day be with them again. I know that I will be resurrected someday, because Jesus showed me this by his example.

I believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, as well as the New and Old Testaments. I know the gospel has been restored to the earth in these the latter days thru Joseph Smith. I know that a living prophet directs the true church on earth today, and that it is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I believe that as I follow the commandments of the Lord, and as I follow the council of our living prophet, that I will be blessed, in every aspect of my life.

Nick Melnik

18 Oct. 2006