Send us Fan Mail Shawn Record sits down with his longtime friend and legendary missionary companion, Elder Jacob Pack, who served in Ukraine. Their conversation centers on Principle Two: Revelation Leads to Conversion, focusing on the reality that we cannot truly love the people we serve until we first experience the healing, sanctifying power of personal repentance. Pack shares a profound spiritual journey of moving from a state of heavy, anger-fueled guilt to becoming a consecrated instrument filled with Christlike charity. The Burden of Guilt and the Walk of Joy As a teenager, Jacob carried a heavy emotional weight, struggling with unresolved guilt that manifested as a constant, underlying anger. At age sixteen, during a Thursday night meeting at EFY, a counselor posed a piercing question about the reality of the Savior’s individual suffering. In that moment, Jacob experienced a deep godly sorrow, realizing his own sins had directly contributed to Christ’s agony in Gethsemane. This awakening set him on a rigorous path of repentance. After months of trying to carry the burden alone, he finally followed the Spirit's nudge to meet with his bishop. Walking out of that office, he received a clear, undeniable spiritual witness that he was clean, leaving him literally jumping and dancing for joy in the middle of the street. Perpetual Readiness and the MTC Covenant While in the Missionary Training Center, Jacob faced a painful lesson in spiritual preparation. Following a rough day of complaining about his struggles with the Russian language, his companion asked him for a priesthood blessing. Feeling spiritually unprepared, Jacob declined. This refusal brought back a familiar, heavy sense of guilt. That night, he knelt in deep humility, pleading for forgiveness and making a covenant with the Lord that he would never again allow himself to be spiritually unprepared when called upon to bless another soul—a promise he has kept to this day. From Competitive Pride to Consecrated Charity Two months into his mission, Jacob received a joyful call from his close friend, Elder Cody Akuda, who had just baptized a large family. Instead of rejoicing, Jacob found himself wrestling with bitter feelings of competitive jealousy over his own lack of baptisms. Ashamed of his selfishness, he immediately fell to his knees in repentance. He recognized that he did not yet truly love the people he was called to serve. From that night on, Jacob fasted and prayed daily for the spiritual gift of charity. The Lord answered his prayers, completely changing his heart, allowing him to lose himself in the work and view the Ukrainian people through the lens of pure, Christlike love. Witnessing the Sanctifying Power of the Spirit This transformation of heart unlocked a ministry of remarkable spiritual power. While teaching a seeker named Yuri, who described feeling the Holy Ghost like "static electricity" when reading the Book of Mormon, Jacob was asked to confirm Yuri's wife, Tanya. Terrified of his limited Russian, Jacob spent two weeks fasting and praying for spiritual strength. When he laid his hands on Tanya’s head, human words faded away; he was enveloped by a powerful, sanctifying peace, feeling as if he were standing in the very presence of God. Later, at the baptism of an investigator named Zena, Jacob watched as her countenance literally glowed in white during the singing of "The Spirit of God," serving as a physical witness of her cleansing. Closing Elder Pack’s experiences stand as an inspiring witness that repentance is not a shameful punishment, but the ultimate gift of joy that unlocks our capacity to love. True conversion is a process of sanctification that begins when we choose to lay down our burdens at the feet of the Savior. We are invited to stop waiting, step into the repentance process today, and let the Holy Ghost transform our hearts from the inside out.
