Dear Folks at Home:
Three weeks ago Sheila and I were given an assignment to
personally invite 60 members of the Franklin ward to attend Stake Conference.
These would be members that were not in church to receive the letter of
invitation from the Stake Presidency. I reset the odometer on our SUV when we
left the church that day. As we prepared to leave for Jamestown last Saturday I
checked the odometer. 1485 miles in 10 days traveling the Ward. As we did so we
learned some wonderful lessons. At every home we always would ask if they would
share their conversion story. Some took place in the 1970s and a couple were
from this past November. We found it touching that regardless of their present
activity in the church they had deep emotions and strong and tender feelings
about their conversion to the gospel. Every story was different on what helped
them know the church was true. One sister told us that when she opened the door
🚪
and saw the missionaries standing there she immediately knew something was
different about them. The young Elders themselves were a gospel message to her.
Another said she lived at the top of a hill and looked out her front window and
saw two young Elders knocking on doors at the bottom of the hill in a blizzard.
They did not get in a home and she became fascinated to see when they would
give up. They continued working their way up the hill and when they got to her
house she met them at the door. There in her doorway were a couple of frozen
blocks of ice that resembled the young men she had watched all afternoon. She
began to weep as she shared this story. She and her family had been members now
for well over 30 years. She recounted the covenants and Temple blessings that
they had experienced. All because two young men did not give up but instead
kept trying and kept working. Even after all these years the events of that day
were vivid in her mind. And those two young missionaries will forever be
remembered by her family.
Another brother told us that he felt the spirit whisper to
him that the church was true when he walked into church for the first time. The
prelude music was being played and something in the melody of the hymn touched
him and testified to him. By and large the Book of Mormon was the most
important tool in helping these souls
come unto Christ. No one that we visited with had needed to pray to know
if it was true when they finished reading. They had already received the
witness many times as they read the Book of Mormon. Their prayer instead was
one of gratitude.
Another Gospel Doctrine that converted many was the Plan of
Salvation. Many had lost a loved one and had been left without hope. This
comforting doctrine was something they cherished and helped them to embrace the
gospel.
Our Sister missionaries took Sheila and I to a home that had
not been visited by church members in over 3 years. As we sat down with them I
asked them about their conversion. Their story was much the same. And it was
just as tender to them as any other we had heard. It got a little humorous at
that point. They wanted to know if there had been any changes in our meeting
time. That led to the question of any other changes. Sheila and the Sisters
enjoyed sharing with them every thing that had happened since President Nelson
became the President of the Church. With no contact with the church for over 3
years it was a little overwhelming to them.
It was a wonderful visit and we are invited back and hopefully can see
some blessings take place in their lives.
It was while I was in their home that I had impressed on my
mind an important lesson. As missionaries we help others receive revelation in
three important ways. Through prayer, reading the Book of Mormon, and by
attending church. When a convert is baptized and receives the Holy Ghost , that
should be the beginning of revelation in their lives. As I carefully considered
the many homes we have visited I can see how revelation is the essential part
of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. What works to help convert us
also helps to keep us converted. Revelations that come to us from prayer,
scripture study, and church and Temple attendance and keeping covenants is
essential to our staying on the covenant path. And when we stop praying, stop
studying the word of God, and stop attending church and the Temple, we stop
receiving revelation. So when we invited these many families to come to Stake
Conference we were actually inviting them to receive revelation.
The Jamestown NewYork Stake center is a little bigger than
the Pingree building. It was the first time since January 6th that we had heard
an organ. That was only for the Sunday General Session. There are some
wonderful things about this Jamestown Stake that were touching to us. One is
that no one is assigned to put up chairs. We had the Saturday afternoon session
and a Sister had requested (had not been assigned ) that she could make a meal
for everyone in that meeting. With the long distances involved it was not
possible for anyone to travel home before the Saturday evening session. It was
a wonderful meal and then everyone there attended the Saturday evening session.
Following that meeting, without assignment , everyone as a group went in to the
cultural hall and put away the tables and set up chairs for Sunday Morning.
Following the Sunday session the same thing happened. Without any assignment
everyone put away chairs and help clean up. There is also a genuine love that
exists in Jamestown. It’s a struggle to be a member here and they have a bond
with each other that is touching.
I would like to close with a story about my Mission
Companion. One of the reasons we are able to get into so many homes is that
Sheila is standing there with a loaf of home made bread 🍞
for them. She makes about a dozen loaves a week and they are gone by Friday on
a slow week. She radiates love and as we serve in the Franklin Ward we are
finding that it is love and kindness that is missing in many peoples lives. And
so they respond to her with affection and open arms. I’m becoming convinced
that as we serve here in Pennsylvania that the amount of good we are able to do
will be in a direct relationship to how much we love. And considering who my
companion is all I need to do is drive. We love you and hope you have a
wonderful week. I know we will.
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