Personal Challenge- Pray, Do, Write, Reflect

This challenge came at no better time for me. One of my closest friends is in a great struggle with his testimony. He has been a member his whole life, served a mission, and lives the commandments, but inside he is having this great inner struggle that is consuming him. We have been great friends for 4 years and he just told me about his issue with the church in December. I could not believe it because I had always seen him in the light of a strong, dedicated church member. I was beyond belief. He said he had been struggling years now and that it has just progressed and he is very much considereing leaving the church. It all stated with Joseph Smith and polygamy and has leaked into almost every other aspect of the church. It became all we ever talked about over the last couple outings we had. Hours and hours we would talk about it. Me taking the churches side and him throwing every arguement of how the church can't be true. It really started getting inbetween our friendship. His mother died, and he said it has stemmed from that. I love him to death and understand that this is a legit struggle for him, but am so annoyed that he can't open his eyes and heart. I feel that the spirit has left him and he is just being prideful. We always end our arguements by agreeing to disagree because we never get anywhere. When I tell him to just work on gaining a testimony, putting aside all the anti-stuff he reads and just dedicate himself he comes up with an arguement of how he's already tried that and God hasn't given him an answer. When I tell him to leave the church because he doesn't believe it anyways and staying for appearance is being a hypocrite he argues to stay! It's definiatly a lose-lose conflict. I always end up frusterated and hurt. I pray all the time that he'll get his answer and be happy again. You can just see how much it has taken a toll on him and is literally consuming his heart and mind.
For the past week I have strictly decided to not debate with him or argue why the church is true, but to just listen and hear where he is coming from and to just use all the strategies I have learned in class, read in the book, and gave my group presentation on.
It has made a great difference. Although he says things about the church or gospel that irk me because I don't agree with them at all, I have made an extra effort to let him share his thoughts and feelings of the matter without being interrupted. I have gained a better understanding of his struggle and how he does want to overcome it. It was a struggle to listen more than talk but I think it didn't just help me, I think it helped him. Later he told me how much he appreciates that I just listen. He says he feels that though he knows it's hard for me to watch him struggle, he knows that I love him the same and that makes him feel better- because if anything he does need to feel love, especially why he is going through this trial. It made me appreciate my testimony all the more. I see small miracles every day unfold of how I really, truly know that this church is true. I have no doubt in my mind- I just wish that he can find out for himself.
Listening is definitly an aquired skill that we all have to work on and try harder to be better at. But it helps others and inturn, it helps ourselves. This was a great challenge and it really helped my friend. And i'll do anything to help him in getting his answer.