An Unyielding Heart Begins to Soften

My mother is the youngest of four siblings, with three older brothers. One passed away long ago, another is now ninety, and the youngest of the three—just four years older than my mother—has undergone five cancer surgeries with little improvement. He is currently going through a very difficult time.

Ever since he was young, my uncle was well-read and full of knowledge. He served as an elementary school principal and devoted his entire life to education. With his honest character and dignity, he earned deep respect from neighbors and colleagues. His sense of pride was especially strong.

About sixteen years ago, my sister and I tried to share the truth with him, but he firmly refused, saying he did not believe in any religion. He even warned us that if we ever mentioned church again, he would stop visiting us altogether. Although he once attended a Family Invitation Event at the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute, his determination not to believe in God remained unchanged. His heart was like an iron wall—spiritually impossible to approach.

But my mother never gave up. She and her brother were very close. She was very close to her brother, who was only a few years older than she was. Despite the difference in gender, they shared such a deep bond that they never once fought in their entire lives. Seeing him suffer always broke her heart.

Even though he attended several cultural events in Zion, his heart remained unmoved. When my mother encouraged him once more, hoping he would turn to God in his illness, he answered firmly:

“I’ve lived my entire life guarding my pride. I can’t bear the thought of people saying, ‘Now that he’s sick, he’s running to church to try to live.’ I’d rather die than go to church.”

Later, while living abroad, my uncle returned to Korea for treatment—but due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, he could not go back. My mother and I saw this as our last chance and encouraged him to stay with us in Busan. Realizing he would need to remain in Korea for a long time, he eventually moved to a place just five minutes away.

From that moment, my mother devoted herself to caring for him. She visited several times a day, cooked meals he could enjoy despite chemotherapy’s effects on his taste, and accompanied him on walks whenever possible. About a month after his move, she gently made a request:

“Brother, I have a little church homework. Could you listen to my presentation?”

“Alright,” he replied.

And so my mother began presenting one topic of the truth each day. Meanwhile, I earnestly prayed to Heavenly Mother for help. To be honest, we didn’t expect much. According to my mother, he kept his head down every time she spoke—expressionless, cold, barely responsive. She couldn’t even tell if his eyes were open or closed. Yet she continued, trusting God’s encouragement to be bold and courageous.

His first reaction was discouraging:

“I didn’t understand any of it.”

But the next day, he began nodding faintly, saying he could follow along a little. A few days later, when my mother gently encouraged him to receive baptism, he rejected the idea firmly—almost as if to extinguish that final spark of hope. Saddened, she said:

“Just as other members share the truth with their families they love, I also wanted to lead my precious family into Zion so we could receive blessings together. That is why I shared the Word with you.”

Two days later, my uncle called unexpectedly.

“What was it that you said we do at church?”

“Baptism?”

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

Even my mother, who heard the words directly, could hardly believe it—and I was just as stunned when she told me. My uncle came to Zion in a joyful mood and received baptism like a gentle lamb. Afterward, he quietly said:

“In my seventy years, I have never knelt before anyone. I always saw kneeling as defeat. That’s why I resisted baptism for so long.”

I truly believe it was the sincere love and earnest desire for his salvation that finally reached his heart. God broke down the iron fortress surrounding his heart and led him to salvation in a moment.

Through this experience, I realized once again that the gospel is entirely God’s work. Human reasoning and effort cannot move a heart—but God can. Heavenly Mother has repeatedly encouraged us, “You can do it.” Until now, I hadn’t fully believed those words. But through my uncle’s transformation, God gave me courage, confidence, and a chance to repent of my weak faith. From now on, I will preach more boldly and sincerely. Because in the gospel, everything is possible—and sincere love always works.