2011
The Power of Kind Words
March 2011


“The Power of Kind Words,” Friend, Mar. 2011, 31

Friend to Friend

The Power of Kind Words

From an interview with Elder Rafael E. Pino of the Seventy; by Joshua J. Perkey, Church Magazines

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Elder Rafael E. Pino

If we love one another, God dwelleth in us (1 John 4:12).

I was baptized when I was 17 years old. My first responsibility in the Church was to pass the sacrament. I was very excited to exercise the priesthood and to do my part.

On my first Sunday to pass the sacrament, I tried to do my very best. But about halfway through passing the water, I realized I had been taking the tray back from the members too quickly. They didn’t have time to put their empty cups back into the tray.

I felt terrible. I felt like I had failed in my duty.

When the meeting was over, an older gentleman, Brother Ostos, came up to me and gave me a hug. He said, “Rafael, you did wonderfully.”

I shook my head. “No, I didn’t,” I said. “I didn’t give the members time to put the cups back.”

He just smiled and said to me, “That doesn’t matter, Rafael. You were so reverent. You did a wonderful job.”

It was such a short conversation, but this good man’s friendship and support made a lasting impression. It gave me strength and courage to continue serving in the Church. How powerful kind words can be!

Illustration by Greg Newbold