Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
The Highlands Ranch Ward is a sharing of spiritual experiences, family history and inspiring Christian principles. The goal of the podcast is to help our members get to know each other better as well as inspire people to draw closer to Jesus Christ through prayer, scripture study, family history and living the principles Jesus taught.
Highlands Ranch Ward Podcast
Aaron Griffin
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Grant Stucki interviews Aaron Griffin about his spiritual journey. Aaron shares some of the inspirational stories from his life and the lives of others that has helped him draw closer to Jesus Christ.
All right, welcome back everyone to the How to Trans Work Podcast. Today, our guest is Aaron Griffin. Aaron, thanks for joining us on the podcast.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you're welcome. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. This is great. So we're we'll ask you the same series of questions we've pretty much asked everyone so far. The first one is how would you answer the question of how did you convert to the gospel?
SPEAKER_01So that's a that's a complicated question. Um I grew up in the church and uh my father didn't. He grew up Baptist, he joined the church at 15. My mom came uh and her family came across the plains with the pioneers. Well, not my mom, but her ancestors.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01So the uh really it's uh I I always had a testimony of the church and of the book of Mormon. Um, but there were things that I didn't uh I wasn't real confident in. So I did have a companion say, Well, you've never prayed about the Book of Mormon and you're teaching other people to do it. Well, you need to you need to do that. So I I did end up having to pray, and yeah, that felt a little silly about it, but I did get an answer on my mission about that. But um maybe a better story would be something I struggled with that I gained a testimony of. So I if that's if that's okay, or do you want to move on?
SPEAKER_00No, that would be great. Yeah, what what is the story?
SPEAKER_01So I I was working minimum wage jobs before my mission. Uh grocery store, I picked raspberries for a summer. I did some other things that were menial. Um, but the you know, the grocery store, you know, I think I got paid $4.25 an hour was minimum wage back then. Uh, so I didn't have a lot of money, and I was driving my parents' truck, and it was expensive to pay for gas, and there were things I wanted to do. And tithing was a real problem for me. I did it, but I didn't like it. So I hated paying tithing before my mission. So on my mission, I you don't pay tithing on a mission, but you pay fast offering. But the all the banks shut down, and we had I think I had some souvenir money or something for a bike. I wasn't sure what we had, some reserve, but basically we didn't have our monthly um uh not really sure what the word is in English. Um, our monthly allowance, I think it's called. And um the and there was no way to know how long it was gonna last. When the bank shut down down there, everything was shut down. So we had enough, about enough money uh for the the bus, and that was about it. And so um, I guess I I uh we we knelt down and prayed, and we were out. And so knelt down and prayed, and we had uh some some baker's flour in our apartment and some lemons, and that was it. Wow, we didn't have any food. We were you know at the end. Uh so and and uh we decided to fast that day and go out and and knock doors. And uh we went out in the first place we went to, we clapped at the door because you don't walk up to their house because they sometimes just had a curtain in front of their door. And the lady came out and she talked to us for a little bit, and she was real nice, but she said, I'm not really very interested. Uh but as she was talking to us, we got she had some avocados behind her that fell on the ground, and she said, You know, I've been having a lot of these lately. Would you like a bag of these avocados? And we said, Well, yeah, and these are the South American avocados, which are you know large, not like the little bitty ones we have here. So they were quite large. So we had a whole grocery bag full of avocados, and then very next door, the very next house, the lady said something very similar after we made our approach, and she gave us an equally large bag of Roma tomatoes. Wow, and so we had so much we couldn't carry it with us, we had to take it back to our apartment. So then around noon, um we had somebody give us this round bread, like uh it was about that tall and about about this this big. It was a round bread, just came out of the oven and it had bacon in it. And I was like, wow, and this their bread there was amazing. So they gave us uh one or two of those, I can't remember. And then at the very end of the day, we were it was dark, we were about to go back to the apartment, and we stopped by a member's house, and they was having uh he was roasting a pig on his front lawn. Well, or his front yard. They didn't really have lawns, but uh, and his little boy was turning a spit, and this big giant pig was just huge, and they were having people over, and it was gonna be a big deal. He's like, Hey elders, do you want you want something? It's like no no, we we've got to we've got to go back to our apartment. We're okay, we don't want to interrupt your gathering. He said, Wait, wait, just a minute. So he went inside and got a knife and some newspaper and sliced this some of this big giant pork, uh, some uh some meat, wrapped it in newspaper and gave it to us. And we ate better in those days that we didn't have any money than we did normally.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_01And so after that, after having my my faith tested and we, you know, and having to um having to wonder if we were gonna be okay, I never struggled with paying tithing or my fast offering again. So I've learned that it was a it was a blessing. That commandment's a blessing, and it's um something that has helped us in some financially hard times.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that's an incredible story. Thanks for sharing that. That's that's uh very faith-promoting. How cool the Lord provided for you when you were out of food. That's pretty cool. Next question for you is what is a family history story of yours that inspires you?
SPEAKER_01So I'm I'm the first um first griffin in my family to go on a mission, but uh my dad's the first member in our family that we know of. Um and he joined the church at 15. He was kind of alone in his family, grew up Baptist, and they had a broken home, and so things were hard, but he was struggling with some things, and I don't remember how old he was, 18 or 19, I think. And uh he went in to talk to his bishop, and he he um uh while he was in the in the interview, um someone came in and dropped off a book of Mormon. And it was one of those, it was a it was a triple combination, and it had the little zipper um to go all the way all the way around, and it was black, so I'm not I'm not familiar with that one other than the one we have, but it's dedicated to my father, and it's it's from a lady named Jean Waugamont. G-E-A-N, or no, no, J-E-A-N. Waugamont. And Waugamont is is my great-grandparents' name, but they don't know who this is, and they're Baptists, they're not members of the church, and they're not supportive. Uh they weren't very supportive. Um my grandfather Waugamott thought Mormons were bigots.
SPEAKER_00Oh wow, okay.
SPEAKER_01So they they were polite about it, they came to church with us. We went to church with them when we went to Oregon. Uh, but this person, Gene Waugamott, uh his Book of Mormon was dedicated from this relative, we suppose, um quite a bit earlier. I mean, I can't remember the date, but it's uh it was quite a bit before this event, but uh from her parents. And uh the scripture had this the the Book of Mormon and well the the triple that my father got was that was left with someone else waiting for to see the bishop, um, had something that would help him every time he had trouble. So it was um we're not sure who this person is. We never found out who this person is. We assume it's someone on my father's side with the name Wagamot. Uh, but he raced out to the parking lot right after she left and couldn't find her. Uh so we wonder if this is a you know, we wonder if this was someone beyond the grave that came and helped my dad. So we don't know that, but uh we've never been able to figure out who this person is.
SPEAKER_00Wow, that's incredible.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Very cool story. Um, next question is Do you have a favorite scripture story? And if if you do, what is it and why?
SPEAKER_01Oh, this is a this is a hard one. I have several, but I think I like Captain America in the in the uh the title of Liberty. Uh the original Captain America. Um, but Captain Moroni was cooler and he was tougher, and he was stronger. And and the what I really like about it is is he went out and he tried, he was he was a he was a military commander, but it when it really came down to it, he didn't use force to try to persuade other people. He tried to appeal to their uh and uh to their sense of patriotism and honor and to the things that are important, being able to worship, and uh he was able to um to remind them of what's important. Um but it says of him, if everyone was, you know, you know, everyone was like him, the gates of hell would be shut forever. And I I always like that because you know it really tells us that if you really are trying to be courageous in what you're doing, then uh you can really make a difference.
SPEAKER_00Yep. I love that too. It's such an incredible story. Um, yeah, and that concept that you know, I'm sure Miranda wasn't perfect, you know, uh the only perfect person was Jesus Christ, but that there is a standard that we could and should strive for and live at where the devil wouldn't have power, and we you know that's pretty cool stuff. Um, very, very cool. Well, good. Next question is Um what is a time you've struggled with something in your life and you felt kind of the power of Jesus Christ helping you through that trial.
SPEAKER_01Um just I don't know, various times on my mission was kind of hard. Um I don't know. I I don't have anything really specific for that. Uh but I have noticed when I'm struggling, I do have those little kind things that happen to you. A friend calls you, or you have a family member say hello. Um I I don't I don't have a really good one for that. So yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I like that what you're bringing up. Sometimes it's pretty subtle and it's can be seemingly small things that just give you that spiritual boost you need right in the right time. And I would agree, I I think that's people kind of acting in the name of Jesus Christ, representing him, and I think that's fair to say that he comes to us through other people and often and usually in subtle ways.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and maybe it's just sometimes it's that an opportunity presents itself for me to bear my testimony or in an unexpected place, and it just helps, you know, I'm able to help someone else, and that that's very, very nice, kind of lifts you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I love that concept too. That you know, maybe in especially in a trial, I think we're oftentimes praying for someone else to come help us, for God to come help us, and sometimes what He provides for us is a way for us to help someone else, and we're like, well, that's not what that's not what I need, you know. But if you follow that and you serve others, oftentimes I I've found that my own issues kind of I don't know, maybe they resolve themselves or they're put into a better perspective. But I think that's a gift, like you're saying. The the opportunity to serve someone in a trial is pretty cool. Next question is Is there something um whether it be unique or not unique, but something about our award that you have noticed is is a blessing in your life?
SPEAKER_01Um, I think all the missionaries this year, I think every every single graduate went on a mission this year, if I'm if I'm perceiving that correctly. Uh, that's remarkable. I've talked to some members at work and other places, and two or three of five go on missions or something like that, and that's they're pretty nearby. Uh but I think what we what do we have? 13 this year, and I think that's remarkable. Yep.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that is that's a good point. Very cool um for us as a ward to feel that spiritual power to hear their talks, um lot also coming home. It's just awesome to see the transformation that happens there. Yeah, I love that. Um, how about is there a recent time that you felt the spirit and how did you recognize it?
SPEAKER_01So this one was kind of a surprise to me. So this year I have the goal to read the old testament cover to cover in Latin. And um it's more of a more of a project. Um, it's kind of how I learned Spanish as well. President uh Hunter came to see us in the MTC, kind of telling you how old I am, because he wasn't around a whole lot a long time when he was president of the church. So um, and he told us, you know, he was a musician, he played five musical instruments. He was in business a lot, but what he told us about learning a language was very important. And he said, those of you elders and sisters are trying to learn a language, if you read out loud in the Book of Mormon every day, by the time you finish the book, you'll know your language. And I was really worried about learning Spanish. I was terrible at it in high school. So I I did that and I learned Spanish and I could speak poorly, but then I did it again and again and again, and then and I kept doing it after my mission. So this, you know, for several years I've been trying to figure out well, several cycles, I should say. Every Old Testament year I've been trying to do this, read the old testament. I finally got a pattern down, um, but I didn't expect a whole lot because it's a harder language. I've I've uh not anticipated it well, but this year I've planned it out and I've started doing it and I started accomplishing it, not overburdening myself. So I was I was doing it and it was a month or so in, and there's not a lot. I mean, it's been a long time since I had the classes in high in college, so I I don't remember a whole lot, and so um I'm learning this language, but I'm but I'm not expecting a whole lot out of it. It's the old testament and it's in Latin. And a month or two in I finished my my scheduled reading, and I was feeling the spirit reading the Bible in Latin. And I thought that is incredible. This is a witness that this is the word of God, and this is uh the spirit testified to me. It was it was I felt the spirit and I and I have after that um more frequently, uh not always, but just from time to time. And I can't I I can't completely understand what's going on. I do more now than I did in January. Um, but it's it's not completely clear. We're I'm in the book of Daniel right now, talking about Daniel and Chadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But it's yeah, you know, it's becoming more clear, but that's not necessarily what I expected. I expected to have to understand the words better, have the spirit witness to me about this book. And so um that was a surprise.
SPEAKER_00That's really cool. Yeah, well, um, I mean, first off, what a great thing to to do to read the Book of Mormon in Latin. It's pretty cool. Or old testament, sorry.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00But I think what you're describing is um something that probably a lot of us have witnessed, especially on our mission. I don't know about you, but we I was in Bolivia and we had many, I mean, many investigators who um I mean in Bolivia the literacy rate is very low, and most can't read or read poorly. But we would have people who couldn't even read, they were just listening, and me and my companion would read for them out loud, and sometimes it was only a few verses or maybe a chapter or two or three, and we'd ask them what they think, and they would say, I felt the spirit, you know, like I know this book is from God. And I mean, there are only a couple chapters into it, and just the faith and the sensitivity to the spirit sometimes just blew me away. That I mean, you just like you're saying, you don't have to understand sometimes every little nuance of each scripture and the history and all that to feel the power of the book.
SPEAKER_01Well, and you guys didn't always teach just in Spanish, I imagine. You probably taught in Quechua, is that right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Quechua and and Aymara was was the the two languages.
SPEAKER_01It wasn't Guatani.
SPEAKER_00Not in La Paz, uh no, uh the other side of Bolivia was, yeah. Okay, did you do Guatani?
SPEAKER_01No, Quechua. We had it get the Quechua Book of Mormon a couple of times, but wow, that was that was we didn't do it enough to know a whole lot, but I knew a few words, but that was it. We were northern Argentina, so it's it was there, and they had when the immigrants would come, sometimes they would speak broken Spanish and they were fluent in Quechua, you know, so we had to kind of muddle along, but that was not very often.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, sometimes it would just almost be comical to me because in Bolivia, uh, I don't know if you experienced this, but most of the people that we taught, like Spanish was their second language, and so their first language was Quechua or Aymara, or you know, very old Incan languages. And I mean, their second language is Spanish, they're not great at it. My second language is Spanish, I'm not great at it, and we're trying to fumble around with this like common language that none of us really speaks well. And I was just like, what are we doing here? But somehow still people would feel the spirit and convert, and their lives would change. I mean, it was just miraculous. Anyhow, pretty cool stuff. Um, next question. Well, last question is kind of um it's more of a what advice do you have for future generations? But the question. question is if you could go a hundred years in the future and talk to your posterity you know what what's one or two things you would want to tell them um there are there are a lot of things in my life I've worried about and I've really stressed over um mainly just to trust the Lord it's taken me a long time to trust the Lord with some things um it's hard yeah there are some things that we struggle with and just to be patient with those things and they will resolve themselves um and just to hang on to the just stay close to our Father in heaven if we do then we'll avoid some of the pitfalls in life so the the problems some of the problems that people have um the gospel of Jesus Christ can help us avoid the difficult well some of the more difficult things some of the things we're gonna go through anyway but um just just to be just to wait and and trust that things are gonna be okay maybe I love that I feel like that goes that message goes great with our recent come follow me readings and psalms especially last week um I I don't have much experience reading psalms so a lot of this it is great for me to to read through it but it reminds me of psalm 22 and 23 and so much of the psalms is like just like a sine wave or a roller coaster right like Psalm 22 is David saying my god my god why hast thou forsaken me why are you so far from me you know um I can't hear you I can't see you where are you like my enemies are surrounding me at I'm scared and then Psalm 23 is he's back up on the high and the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want and he restoreth my soul he walks with me in the valley of the shadow of death you know so clearly he's feeling God's presence um even in trial but I like that point and especially when you're in a dark place or trial sometimes it's you feel like God's not there you know and it's kind of scary but to trust and to keep hanging in there even when maybe it's a hard time and you're not quite feeling the spiritual power that you wish you were seems like if you hang in there long enough it comes you know but yeah one more thing I think may have like occurred to me as you were talking the uh my father is the first member in his family and most of the rest of his family didn't join the church and there's some patterns in my father's family that are not good that broken families uh some alcohol abuse and some other things and things weren't perfect for us growing up my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in uh 2024 and we all went home all of us were married in the temple all of us have kids we're not perfect uh but if you look at my father's family and the things that have the things that have changed for my father in just a couple of generations it's a significant change and it's a very very positive change and those things I would also point out that the gospel of Jesus Christ lifts people up and helps them be happy in life and that is also very important awesome yeah that is so true and such a powerful message and sometimes it's not immediate sometimes it's you know takes some time it sounds like in your family maybe it was years before you could say oh yeah for sure this is a gospel that makes makes me happy and protects me but very very cool well I appreciate you taking the time to share some of your spiritual journey some of your um bits and pieces of your testimony how you gained your testimony and um I always feel the spirit um when I hear you bearing your testimony and sharing these powerful spiritual stories. So thanks for doing that.
SPEAKER_01Well thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_00I appreciate awesome oh thank you and thanks for being a great um member of our ward your great husband and father um I've had the pleasure of being the seminary teacher for your two daughters when you guys first moved in and that was just awesome those girls are spiritual powerhouses and I'm so excited for their missions I'm just thrilled for them makes me a little emotional thinking about it.
SPEAKER_01My wife and I can't take credit for a lot of that some of it they came that way I've known families that were really good and they had troubled kids or something and I you know yeah we we tried but we you know um they are amazing kids by themselves seems like they're pretty special yeah they're gonna do great things in Arkansas and Norway I mean it's it's gonna be awesome to see all the things that happen there. So thank you.
SPEAKER_00All right well thank you have a good rest of your night appreciate you doing us