How to Be a Member Missionary

If you attended Seminary or have a child who has, then the simple command to "Chase!" probably conjures up all kinds of fun memories. Raising the bar for missionaries also means raising it for families. LDS families should be the greatest scriptorians! Knowing where to find specific verses is certainly a start.

Elder J. Thomas Fyans spoke to the men in the church at the 1977 Priesthood session of General Conference and encouraged them to dig into the scriptures more. Said he "Let these scriptures become worn and used so they will feel as comfortable in your hands as well-worn tennis shoes do on your feet." (J. Thomas Fyans, “Prepare Now for Your Mission,” Ensign, May 1977, 39) We only become comfortable with them when we spend time with them!

As your families gather for daily prayer or even at the dinner table each night, practice memorizing scriptures together. You can make flashcards of scriptures you want to learn or use the Seminary Scripture Mastery cards and help your teens pass off the 25 scriptures assigned for this year's course of study. Talk to a Seminary teacher to get ideas for memorizing as well as for playing games to reinforce what has been learned. When I was in the MTC I was so busy learning all of the discussions and language material that it was hard to fill my brain with more scriptures. The ones I used consistently during my mission were the ones I had learned during four years of Seminary.

You can also go through the book "Preach My Gospel" and pick out some of the scriptures listed for missionary discussions. Elder David A. Bednar has taught us to place ourselves in the scriptures and apply them to our life. He said "You hear the voice of the Lord when you feel the scriptures." I love the following two scriptures that remind us not to nibble but to feast on the scriptures:

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. (2 Nephi 32:3)

Sometimes we may feel that we make little difference in the world as we go through our normal daily lives and schedules. Sometimes we're knee deep in diaper duty (or should I say doodee?)that we wonder how we can possibly build the kingdom of God here on earth. Remembering that great scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 64:33 can help us keep things in perspective: "Out of small things proceedeth that which is great."

Do we really understand the power of the small things we do and the effect they have on the people around us and on the eternities? To you, washing the dishes may seem like a chore, but to someone it may represent one of the many ways you show love for them. To you, dusting the furniture may seem like a thankless task, but for someone in your family it might be a part of the beautiful home you created for them to enjoy each day.

So it is with missionary work. To you, waving hello at your neighbor as you pull out of your driveway may just be a common courtesy, but to your neighbor it could be a witness that someone good in this world cares about them. Every time you help in your child's classroom or treat a co-worker to lunch or bring donuts into the office you're showing the world what a Mormon is. Those small and simple things are acts of kindness and goodness that build the kingdom.

President Kimball once said “It should be clear to us that usually we must warm our neighbors before we can warn them properly. Surely, 'it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor'—and to warm them in natural, friendly ways." (“Regional representatives’ seminar, Sept. 30, 1976, Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2) So if all you have time for today is to say something kind to your neighbor, remember that you ARE doing missionary work!

Today's Conversion Story comes from Charlotte Meyer of Maquoketa, Iowa. Her story is a great example of the journey of faith many people have. It's also a great example of how simply inviting a friend to church can lead to miracles. These are her words:

I grew up in the Methodist Church and went to MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship,) but I never felt comfortable there. I now know that what I was feeling was a lack of the Spirit. My parents quit going to church because they didn't like the minister or something, but I wanted to keep going to church. There was a Christian & Missionary Alliance Church down the street and around the corner from us and some of my friends from high school went there, so I started going to their church. It was nice, but it was still lacking something.

One day Nicky Cruz came to town to conduct a revival-type meeting at that church. He was a gang member from New York City who had been converted to Christ and spent the rest of his life witnessing of Christ. I attended the revival and heard his testimony, but when they called people up to the front to give their lives to Christ I wanted to do it, but it still didn't feel right.

I tried to learn about the Catholic Church because I thought rosaries were really cool, but I knew my parents would have a fit about that. When I started junior college, I drove my best friend to college with me because she didn't have a driver's license yet. She was Mormon and although her family wasn't particularly active, she started taking an Institute class. Since the Institute teacher had to drive once a week from out of town, they only had one Institute class per semester and the teacher chose which one he was going to teach. She was taking LDS Doctrine and Philosophy. She was really excited about the things she was learning and she shared them with me.

I found what she had to say really interesting, so I visited her class one day. That was the day they were teaching "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become." (“Chapter 2: God the Eternal Father,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007),36–44) They said that God had a God, who had a God and so forth. Boing!! My head nearly exploded that day! However, it was really interesting and I kept asking questions.

Finally one day she asked me if I wanted to take the missionary discussions. Sounded good to me! I didn't think my parents would like that, so I took the discussions at her house on days when my classes got out earlier. My parents didn't have a clear idea of my schedule and didn't know exactly when I should be home, so I didn't have to explain being later on certain days.

The first thing that struck me was that the missionaries were MY age and they really knew the doctrine of their church! I admit it, I had a crush on one of the missionaries. But it didn't take me very long to get a testimony of my own. By the third discussion I knew the church was true and wanted to be baptized. But I do remember the day I realized I really had a testimony.

My friend's family had started going back to church and her father was called as a Sunday School teacher in the teen class. I visited that class with my friend and one of the teens seemed doubtful and was questioning what was said. I wanted to jump up and shout, "Don't you realize what you HAVE?????" That's when I knew for sure that I had a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel.

The time had come to tell my parents I had been studying about the Mormon Church. At that time the legal age was 21 and I had to get my parents' permission because I was only 19. My parents weren't happy that I had done this behind their backs and my dad said I hadn't studied the church long enough to know for sure. I asked him how long I had to wait and he said 6 months. During those 6 months California changed their legal age down to 18 so I no longer needed my parents' permission, but I waited 6 months anyway.

Exactly 6 months to the day, I asked my parents again, only this time I reminded them that I no longer needed their permission, but would like their blessing. My dad disgustedly said I was old enough to do what I wanted and wouldn't talk about it any more. My mother told me that if I got baptized, they didn't want to know about it. I was sad, but determined to do what I knew was right.

I arranged for my baptism to be a week or so later on the night of a youth activity so it wouldn't be so suspicious that I was going to the church that night. I made my own baptismal dress in the secrecy of my room. That evening I went over to my friend's house, put on my dress and had my picture taken. Then it was off to church we went. I was baptized by my bishop because by that time "my" missionary had been transferred to another area. It was a wonderful baptism and when I came home that night, I remember lying in my bed saying to my self, "I'm a Mormon! I'm a Mormon!"

My mother found out about my baptism four days later, but my father didn't find out for sure until several months later. That fall I went to San Diego State University and immediately threw myself into activity at the Institute of Religion, taking classes there, attending the College Branch, and even joining Lambda Delta Sigma. I was in hog heaven! A few years later, after I had finished college and started my career as a television engineer, I decided to go on a mission. My parents flew down to San Diego to talk me out of it, my dad saying that if I was out of the loop for a year and a half I would have a hard time catching up and getting a job again. It took a lot of courage and faith to say, but I said, "Dad, I am doing the Lord's work and he won't let me down when I get back, he'll help me."

Just before my mission in Japan ended, I started sending out resumes and I had a job offer lined up before I even got home.....in Salt Lake City! My faith had been rewarded!

Elder M. Russell Ballard, a living apostle, gave the commencement address at BYU-Hawaii in December 2007 where he marveled at this rising generation and all the technology it has to offer. He reminded the students that when President Hinckley was in charge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints', referred to as the Mormons, Public Affairs Department that the staff consisted of only one person - himself! We sure have come a long way since then!

Technology has provided some great new opportunities as well as challenges for missionary work. Elder Ballard remarked:

"The Internet can be used to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and can just as easily be used to market the filth and sleaze of pornography." (M. Russell Ballard, BYU-Hawaii, 15 December, 2007)

I've heard that the two most popular web site topics are complete opposites: genealogy and pornography. We have such an effective tool at our disposal in the World Wide Web. How will we use it to build the kingdom?

Elder Ballard continued,

"Yours is the world of cyberspace, cell phones that capture video, video downloads and iTunes, social networks like Facebook, text messaging and blogs, hand-helds and podcasts." The challenge is presented to all of us when he asked "How will you use these marvelous inventions? More to the point, how will you use them to further the work of the Lord?" (Ibid)

Within minutes anyone can create a blog and start sharing his or her testimony. Within minutes anyone can post comments on message boards or forums. There are so many places online where we can visit to receive encouraging and uplifting messages as well as give them.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29

Choosing our words carefully is extremely important since the reader can't see our facial expression or even detect when we're joking or using sarcasm.

Decide what your passion is and use your talents to build and bless others.

"Let him that is taught in the world communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." (Galatians 6:6)

If you're a mother of a missionary, then you're probably already counting down the days and minutes until you get that long-awaited phone call from your son or daughter on Mother's Day!

When it comes to talking to your missionary on the phone you need to keep a few guidelines in mind. Your son or daughter is a missionary of the Lord and needs to stay focused. Be positive and encouraging on the phone. Dallas H. Bradford served as a mission president and shared some good counsel for parents:

"If you are not careful, these phone calls can have a distracting effect upon your missionary." ...

"As with your letters, we encourage you to focus these conversations on the well-being of your missionary, the status of the work in his or her area, and the investigators and new members he or she is teaching." (Dallas H. and Marjorie S. Bradford, “Helping from Home,” Ensign, Jul 2003, 48–53)

I remember when I served a mission that it was often difficult to return my thoughts to my work after hearing about all of the fun things that were going on at home. Be sure that the things you share in your phone conversation help the missionary remain confident that being on a mission is exactly where he or she needs to be at that time.

The Lord set the standard for full-time missionary service when He said,

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:23-24)

Encourage your missionary to give it his all during his two years, because the time will quickly come to an end and he'll have the rest of his life to reflect on how he spent his time in the service of the Lord.

As soon as my son received his mission call in December I went online and joined every "Missionary Moms" Yahoo group I could find. I also registered both of us on his mission's web site. I can't tell you how helpful it has been to be able to chat with other mothers who are preparing their sons and daughters to serve full-time missions or whose children are currently out in the field. I love it and thank Heavenly Father every day for the Internet! Just do a Yahoo search under "Groups" and you're sure to find several sites that address general missionary topics, as well as specific missions around the world.

Even though I've served a full-time mission myself, I'm a real Greenie when it comes to being the parent of a missionary! Because I've never done this before I truly appreciate the comforting words and support of other missionary moms. When talking about missionary parents, President Thomas S. Monson, the sixteenth called prophet of these modern times, once remarked "

Fathers become justifiably proud and mothers somewhat anxious." (Thomas S. Monson, “Profiles of Faith,” Ensign, Feb 1997, 2)

What a blessing it is to live in a day and age when I can chat with the mother of another missionary where my son is going to serve and find out if I need to buy mosquito netting or a mattress protector!

Even more important, I love being able to hear from these other mothers about how they raised their children to want to serve the Lord. It is so heartwarming to hear their stories of wayward sons or daughters who struggled with their testimonies and now have a resolve to share the gospel of repentance with the world! It is truly an honor to share a corner of cyberspace with these valiant mothers.

If you're a mother, take a few minutes to read the powerful talk given by Julie B. Beck in the November 2007 Ensign (pages 76-78). It's entitled "Mothers Who Know" and challenges mothers today to follow the pattern of the women who raised those inspiring 2,000 stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon. She says

"The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Children are being born into a world where they 'wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.' (Ephesians 6:12)" (Julie B. Beck, “Mothers Who Know,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 76–78)

What a blessing it is to know other mothers and to encourage one another as we prepare soldiers for today's spiritual battle.

Serving a full-time mission is an honor and a privilege that will bless your life an hundred-fold. I recently ran across some quotes by President Kimball that I thought were worth sharing here. They offer powerful perspective on who has been called to share the gospel. The prophet spoke clearly of our duty. He said "I was asked a few years ago, 'Should every young man who is a member of the Church fill a mission?' I responded with the answer the Lord has given: Yes, every worthy young man should fill a mission. The Lord expects it of him. And if he is not now worthy to fill a mission, then he should start at once to qualify himself."

The Lord has instructed,

"Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.” (D&C 133:8)

President Kimball further added "Someone might also ask, 'Should every young woman, should every father and mother, should every member of the Church serve a mission?' Again, the Lord has given the answer: Yes, every man, woman, and child—every young person and every little boy and girl—should serve a mission. This does not mean that they must serve abroad or even be formally called and set apart as full-time missionaries. But it does mean that each of us is responsible to bear witness of the gospel truths that we have been given. We all have relatives, neighbors, friends, and fellow workmen, and it is our responsibility to pass the truths of the gospel on to them, by example as well as by precept. (Spencer W. Kimball, It Becometh Every Man, Ensign, Oct 1977, 3)

So, while I'm busy preparing my oldest son to enter the MTC next month I have to ask myself "Am I being a good member missionary today?" I'd love to be able to share conversion stories with him on his mission about people I've shared the gospel with!

The moment I met Congressman Tom Lantos I immediately adored him. It was my first day as an intern in his Washington DC office and the entire staff was whirling around the reception desk in an effort to get a bunch of letters signed, stamped and delivered in less than an hour. Everyone dropped what they were doing to pitch in, including the boss. My first impression was that this great man was a real team player who was willing to do whatever it took to get the task done, even if it meant kneeling on the floor with the lowly intern to lick envelopes and stamps.

Tom Lantos died Monday morning after a six week struggle with cancer, surrounded by his beautiful wife and family. If you were one of the lucky ones to receive his annual family letter and photo then you know how crowded that room was! He was a true family man. His wife, Annette, graciously took me under her wing while I was in Washington DC and kept me supplied with invitations to all kinds of banquets, receptions and events where I could eat for free and stretch my poor student budget while hob nobbing with the politically powerful.

While Tom was Jewish, Annette had been baptized by none other than Elder Jeffrey Holland! Elder Holland was the president of BYU at the time and since I was an intern from BYU she thought I was the greatest thing since sliced Hungarian bread. Elder Holland had done the missionary work, but I got to bask in the benefits of it. Tom's right hand man in charge of his Washington DC office was LDS and I felt an instant sense of home there with them.

Annette loved telling the story of the Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, who literally saved Tom Lantos' life. Tom was only sixteen years old when the Nazis occupied his homeland of Hungary and sent him to a labor camp. He escaped twice and eventually made it to Wallenburg's safe house. Tom was the only survivor of the Holocaust to become a United States Congressman.

Upon retiring from Congress earlier this year, Mr. Lantos said "It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family, and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of Congress. I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country." I think he showed that gratitude every day of his life by the way he chose to live it.

Among many accomplishments, Tom Lantos championed the cause for civil liberties and human rights all over the world. While he worked to make the world a better place he seemed to start with one person at a time. He made everyone feel important. On my last day in his office I had arranged to bring all of my BYU intern buddies with me so that he could speak to us and provide a question and answer session. Once we were settled in our seats I was told that an important vote was requiring his attention and that he wouldn't be able to keep his appointment with us after all. I knew he would never want to disappoint us or BYU, and sure enough, after waiting a few moments he emerged into the room with that charming smile on his face. Annette said that he really admired the church and its members. His visit with us that day was brief, but I'll never forget his kindness to a young intern and how he showed me that he was a man of his word and that people mattered.

I was the only Republican on Tom Lantos' staff. Either he never knew or else it simply didn’t matter. He was a gentleman and a statesman who knew how to reach across the aisle and make a difference. I may not have agreed with all of his politics, but I think everyone can agree that he was a great man who made a wonderful contribution to the world. Here's to you, Mr. Lantos. My non-alcoholic wine glass is raised to you to thank you for all that you did for me and many others. Oh forget the wine glass…I’d rather give you a big hug! Would that all of our politicians could reach across the aisle for a little hug every now and then. From the looks of Congress today, you can tell some of them really need it! Whether Jewish or Christian, let's all reach across the aisle that separates us and share the gospel message of love.

If you would like to visit the Guest Book for Tom Lantos and leave a memorial note for his family go to:

http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?I=GB000103197514

You know when you get a song stuck in your head and you just can’t seem to shake it out of your brain? That happened to me yesterday, but in a good way. I kept humming the words to Lee Greenwood’s patriotic song:

I’m proud to be an American
where at least I know I’m free

If that first paragraph sounded sappy, then you better stop reading now because it’s only going to get worse. The Twelfth Article of Faith tells me to obey the laws of my land, but I also think it means that we should contribute to our communities. I served as a poll worker all day in California and have the bags under my eyes and the official flag pin today to prove it. Despite the long hours, the time flew by fast and I scored a few amused grins when my humming turned into an occasional patriotic outburst. It was a great day in America. Polling booths were spread across the nation where citizens could have their voices heard.

From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea,
From Detroit down to Houston,
And New York to L.A.
There’s pride in every American heart
And it’s time we stand and say

I’m proud to be an American. There were plenty of glitches yesterday and I heard endless complaints from voters about why their precinct had been moved to a less desirable voting location or why there weren’t more fancy touch screens, but every single voter who walked through my polling site expressed gratitude for being there.

‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can’t take that away.

An excellent example of what this country stands for is the makeup of the poll workers with whom I spent the day. Abdul was born in Afghanistan and moved here with his family when he was young. He was charming, extremely well-educated and fascinated me all day long with stories of his world travels and experiences with other countries’ elections. He wore a suit and tie and took his role as Chief Inspector at the poll very seriously, spending countless hours before and after my appearance at the site.

Mario was a senior in high school who was earning community service hours for graduation by helping at the polls. He was one of the hardest working, most conscientious teenagers I’ve ever seen. His parents, like Abdul’s, came here also seeking a better life for their children. Mike was retired and a well-spring of political knowledge, eager to help, taking a break totaling about 20 minutes during the entire 15 hour work day. My oldest son and I completed the crew and felt honored to be a part of such a wonderful group of Americans who were more interested in contributing to this country than complaining about it.

Sure, our country has a lot of problems, but having the freedom to voice our opinions is a right this country was founded upon and one that should not be neglected. Like Abdul and Mario’s parents, we’re all seeking for a better life here. We may not agree on how it should be done, but we choose to live here because we know at least we can be heard. During our initial training to be poll workers we were emphatically counseled to never turn away a registered voter. A provisional ballot could easily be provided and that all-important “I voted” sticker rewarded. Each voice matters. Each vote is counted.

‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land…
God bless the U.S.A!

I've talked with many people who have joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, referred to as the Mormons, and I love hearing their conversion stories. Rarely does a person join the Church because of one member...it's usually the result of a variety of experiences with many members. Such is the case of this conversion story from Debi Onken. Her son is currently serving a mission in Boston and another son served in Venezuela.

I was about 12 or 13 when my mother joined the Church. We were living in San Marcos, TX. My mother was either just starting or just ending her second marriage. All of her children over the age of eight were baptised at the same time, including me. I remember the missionaries (Elder Bean and Elder Bower) and I remember some of their discussions (gospel lessons.) I have some vague memories of attending a meeting or two but that's about it. We were never active and when I went to live with my father (who was stationed in Germany) when I turned 14 that pretty much was the end of my contact with the Mormons.

Many years later when I was in my early 20's I had moved out to California and my mother moved to Hidden Hills (part of the Calabasas area where we still live). She lived across from a Mormon family - Ginny and Mike Purdy - who managed to "resurrect" the family's church membership files. For a very short time I lived with my mother and her husband and I remember having women (probably from the Young Single Adults ward) come to visit me. I always refused their visits.

Several years later I was married and my husband and I moved from Glendale into our first home in Calabasas (the same ward as the Purdys). Suddenly we found ourselves with "visiting teachers" and "home teachers." At this point in my life I didn't even know what Relief Society was, but I didn't want to appear rude by turning such nice people away from my door. My visiting teachers were Ellen Crane and Marcy Koch. I've long since lost touch with them but I will always remember them. Each month these lovely ladies would come, usually in the evenings while Martin and I were bathing babies in the kitchen sink or otherwise tending to chores, and they would stand in the kitchen and visit with us - never staying too long, often bringing vegetables from a garden or some other little thing. They usually left a small printed lesson which I would place on the refrigerator door.

Truthfully, I don't think I ever read them. Through these ladies I did inquire about some sort of "church christening" - first for my oldest and then for my second child which they then helped to arrange. Once, when my second child was still an infant, I broke my ankle and suddenly a stream of women began appearing at my door bringing meals to our family.
eThe visiting teachers were really the first contact that Martin had ever had with the church and for all intents and purposes, they were my first contacts as well. When we moved away from Calabasas for a year, I was genuinely sorry I would not be seeing them again.

I had become so accustomed to being visited that I was a bit let down when we arrived in our new home in Central California and were not visited at all. In fact, although I know our records had been sent, it was the elders tracting that stumbled upon us by accident. There were a few attempts at visiting us, but never with the steadfastness and spirit that Ellen and Marcy had brought to our home.

I believe it was the diligence of these fine visiting teachers that caused Martin and I to actually seek out the church once again when we returned to Calabasas. It was Ellen and Marcy and their friendly, caring presence that impressed Martin and relaxed any reservations he had about contact with the church. We started coming out to meetings - not every Sunday, but frequently. We had a third child by this time who was also blessed in the ward.

Once we returned to Calabasas, my husband spent a lot of time traveling to the Rocky Mountain states. He spent time in Colorado traveling with a devout Baptist who often spoke poorly about the LDS Church (Mormon) not knowing Martin had contact with the church. He also spent time in Salt Lake City traveling with a man who turned out to be a Ward missionary. This gentlemen spent a lot of time talking about the church (still not knowing about Martin's connections.) One day while in Salt Lake City Martin went to the Visitors Center. While there, he signed up for the missionary discussions. Of course the missionaries back home were only too happy to teach a family who was already occasionally attending meetings! While Martin went through the discussions (and several sets of missionaries) I had very ambivalent feelings. I was comfortable with my "part membership" and did not have a testimony. I enjoyed my association with the church, but I didn't make much of an effort to gain a testimony.

Once Martin decided to become baptized, I realized that I needed to come to some decision for myself. I picked up the Book of Mormon and read it and that was when I became converted to the Gospel. To this day I am the only active member of my family. Neither my mother nor my siblings has expressed any interest in resuming contact with the church.

Two missionaries planted a seed when I was a young girl but it was two visiting teachers who watered and nurtured and tilled the earth until the gospel was able to take root and grow. I often tell my story to missionaries now to let them know that even if they feel frustrated with their converts who seem to fall into activity soon after baptism, they never really know what will happen many, many years down the line.

I ran across this prayer given by President Gordon B. Hinckley today and thought it was particularly timely after Super Tuesday last week. I served as a poll worker all day and will share some of my thoughts about that experience with you in a separate post. Getting out to vote is a simple way to have your voice be heard. The Twelfth Article of Faith reminds us to be active in our communities.

"O God, our Eternal Father, Thou great Judge of the Nations, Thou who art the governor of the universe, Thou who art our Father and our God, whose children we are, we look to Thee in faith in this dark and solemn time. Please, dear Father, bless us with faith. Bless us with love. Bless us with charity in our hearts. Bless us with a spirit of perseverance to root out the terrible evils that are in this world.

"Give protection and guidance to those who are engaged actively in carrying forth the things of battle. Bless them; preserve their lives; save them from harm and evil. Hear the prayers of their loved ones for their safety. We pray for the great democracies of the earth which Thou hast overseen in creating their governments, where peace and liberty and democratic processes obtain.

"O Father, look with mercy upon this, our own nation, and its friends in this time of need. Spare us and help us to walk with faith ever in Thee and ever in Thy Beloved Son, on whose mercy we count and to whom we look as our Savior and our Lord. Bless the cause of peace and bring it quickly to us again, we humbly plead with Thee, asking that Thou wilt forgive our arrogance, pass by our sins, be kind and gracious to us, and cause our hearts to turn with love toward Thee. We humbly pray in the name of Him who loves us all, even the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Savior, amen" ("Till We Meet Again," Liahona, Jan. 2002, 105; Ensign, Nov.
2001, 90.)

This too is my prayer and hope for the nations of the world and each of God's children dotted across the continents and isles of the sea.

The Church held a special news release today, announcing the change in the First Presidency. With the passing of our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, many non-members have wondered how a new leader of our church is selected. Someone even compared our church to the Catholic church and asked me if white smoke comes out of the temple once the new president is chosen. I thought that was pretty cute.

With Mitt Romney running for president of the United States, many eyes have turned to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and wondered how things work. The process of succession is a terrific excuse to talk to our non-member friends and neighbors about our beliefs and practices.

We often feel uncomfortable or unsure of our answers when discussing doctrine or church policy with non-members. The beauty of missionary work is that we don't have to know the answers to every single question...we simply need to know where to find the answers. There are so many resources available to us and they're usually as close as a Google search! The following are a couple of helpful links to articles about the succession in the presidency:

www.ldsces.org/magazine/church_magazine_DC_West.htm#Succession

www.ldsces.org/inst_manuals/dc-ssg/dc-ssg-6.htm#succession

Irene Gilchrist from Calgary, Alberta, Canada has a son who is currently serving a full-time mission in Tempe Arizona. She recently shared her conversion story with me and I thought you'd enjoy it as much as I did!

A week before the missionaries came to my door, I had sent off another religious couple (not LDS) from my apartment. I was raised Roman Catholic and to this day have devoted parents to their faith.

Let me begin by letting you know, that when these two sister missionaries came knocking on my door, I was asleep not feeling very well. To my astonishment, when they told me they wanted to talk to me about Jesus Christ, I invited them inside (much to my own shock). I had not been active in my faith for many years.

Within the first 15 minutes of they're sharing the story of Joseph Smith, they invited me to a baptism. I must tell you that I had never been so touched by such an event and to this day I love pondering upon the first vision.

When we got to church (by taxi I might add, since I had lent my car to one of my brothers), the baptisms were for a fifth grade twin brother and his family. I was deeply moved by the baptism ceremony and the Spirit which dwelt in that room. That weekend was the most remarkable one in my entire life (up to that point). The missionaries invited me to attend church the next morning and I could not get enough of that warmth and peaceful feeling which permeated my entire being.

The first week of discussions were wonderful, I could not wait to hear about the next principle which I would learn about and put it into practice. Then, after speaking to some co-workers, I began to feel uneasy and scared I guess. I sent the missionaries on a bit of a goose chase. Not wanting to answer the phone or being available for appointments. Eventually letting them know that I was leaving the city. (Those poor missionaries, I must have disappointed them so much). Well Heavenly Father's hand did manifest itself in my life and within a week or so later during Fast and Testimony, I stood up and told the congregation that I wanted to be baptized.

I was baptized March 26, 1976 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. My future husband was quite involved with the missionaries and frequently asked about my journey into the church thus far. At the time, he was in the small French branch in Hull, Quebec and I had decided to attend the English ward in Ottawa instead. Although I am French-Canadian. Through some work on his part, I would help the French-speaking missionaries within the branch boundaries and eventually, we began dating - a very short while before he left for BYU-Provo to pursue his education.

Tom (my husband) completed one semester and came home (after proposing over the telephone) and we were married in April 1977. The date chosen had everything to do with his dad who had just been called as Patriarch over the Ottawa region. As we had hoped for a one year exactly after my baptism! My husband's family came from England in the 1800's and were part of the pioneers (Joseph Harker and Susannah Sneath). I am so thankful for their devotion and sacrifice, for the love which they have passed on to their posterity.

Although to this point, my family is still not interested in the church. I have no doubt in my mind and my heart that the Lord will assist us in touching their hearts when the time is right. My husband and I have been called to serve in the Young Single Adult ward (Brentwood ward in Calgary). We have five boys (2 have and 1 is presently serving his mission in Arizona Tempe Mission).

I love keeping in touch with my missionary! I actually dropped in while visiting Utah one Sunday nearly 2 years ago. She was thrilled (we both were), we hugged and remembered the special experiences we had when she was serving back in my home town of Hull, Quebec.

All together we have 5 sons, 3 daughters-in-law (one from Hyrum, Utah; one from Soda Springs, Idaho and one from Edmonton, Alberta) and 5 grandchildren. I cannot believe that the Lord's servants were able to find my rebellious soul and touched me in such a way by their sweet spirit and shared the message of the restored gospel.

What a wonderful journey! With life's ups and downs, I would not change anything for it. I love my Savior and know that he leads and guides me every day.