Missionary Moments

"In a gospel-sharing home we do not just pray for the health, safety, and success of our missionaries throughout the world. We also pray for our own missionary experiences and opportunities and to be prepared to act on those impressions as they come our way. And I promise you, they will come."
- M. Russell Ballard, “Creating a Gospel-Sharing Home,” Liahona, May 2006, 84–87

The following Missionary Moments have been shared. Please send us your experience so others may benefit.

I was at the post office one day with my companion in Birmingham. We both had a feeling like we would be leaving the area in the coming weeks, so we were there to send some items home to our families. My companion was still in line to ship his things home and I was standing in the lobby area. An older gentleman was putting together some packages with old photographs of himself. We had just had a missionary district meeting and the subject was "Talking About the Gospel with Everyone." I decided to
give it a shot and opened my mouth and asked him how he was doing. He replied that he was putting together some packages with pictures from when he was a country gospel singer. We got to talking and I found out that he had been a Protestant preacher for a number of years (over 30, if I remember correctly). Recently he had been watching the BYU channel, and had listened to the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley concerning the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He had been touched and was praying for
an opportunity to find the truth. We spoke for half an hour in the post office lobby about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the Prophet Joseph Smith. He agreed to meet with us the following week. I got transferred the day that the appointment was scheduled, but other missionaries were able to teach him. Three weeks later, Brother Hudgens was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The day I learned of his baptism, I gained a stronger testimony of the life-changing effects our missionary efforts have on others.

Elder Steven Branvold - Alabama Birmingham Mission

Experience: I had the opportunity recently to accompany the missionaries to teach a man that is a Mason. He mainly wanted to know the difference between us and the Masons. It was one of the best teaching opportunities I've had since my mission. I testified that Joseph Sith was indeed a prophet of God and had restored the Church of Jesus Christ back to the earth. I bore testimony that the purpose of the temple and the ordinances therein were to lead us toward Christ, and toward no other goal. I used the scriptures to show him that without the Priesthood, the ordinances of the temple cannot carried out and that the endowment leads us to the crown jewel of the Gospel, Eternal Marriage. It felt great to bear testimony of
Heavenly Father's love for his children by providing for us the Priesthood, temples, ordinances, the restored church through Joseph Smith, and for His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The Spirit was there, and my testimony was strengthened.

Dave, Alabama

It was late one evening and my companion and I were tracting in East London in 1971. We knocked on a door and were invited in by a middle-aged lady. She was so energetic and hospitable that we were a little suspicious--and thankful to get in out of the cold. She introduced herself as a missionary for the Salvation Army Church. She explained that she spent most evenings on the streets or in local pubs preaching the gospel to the homeless. She was anxious to teach us the gospel as well, she said. We introduced her to the Book of Mormon and invited her to read it. She seemed very skeptical but accepted it. We discussed the context for the book, made a return appointment for the next evening, and left.

The next evening she again invited us in. She explained that she had not slept the whole night, having read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover. She said she knew it was true. She accepted the full set of lessons and was baptized a few weeks later. She became a strong member of the branch in East London. I returned and visited the branch near the end of my mission and she was a stake missionary. Still very assertive in her conviction of the gospel. Besides working with investigators, she still worked tirelessly with the homeless and less fortunate folks of East London.

This happened while I was serving in the British Mission, 1970-72.

Dwight Branvold, California

Experience: When my family and I moved to AK with the military my wife and
I were uncertain about a great deal of things. We then found that the
young couple living across the street from us was a part member family.
We stopped by to meet with them one night and found that we all had a
great deal in common. Specifically that the two of them and I really
enjoyed distance running. So, I asked if they would like to train for a
marathon together. Halfway through the training the wife was injured and
could not participate anymore. She pulled me aside and stated she felt
this was the opportunity her husband needed to be "fully" introduced to
the church, and that I was the guy to do it. So on our next run, 16
miles, we talked about gospel principles, the priesthood and eternal
families. These training runs/missionary sessions lasted for another
month until the day of the marathon. We both completed the run and were
feeling "great". He and his wife came to our house for dinner that night.
During dinner he looked at me and said "Rich, do you remember that quiet
lake we ran by around mile 17? Do you think that would be a good place for
you to baptize me?" Recently he and his wife were sealed for time and all
eternity in the House of the Lord. I was not able to see that as they
have since moved, but he called me shortly after and thanked me for
everything. I stated that I did nothing, it was all the will of a loving
Father in Heaven and that one day he will be given the opportunity to be
an instrument in the Masters hands.

Rich Watson
Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

I have had some "aha" experiences during my career. The latest one I have just recently experienced while
surfing for graphics to use for our NPL slide and bulletin. I came across the Norman Rockwell freedom of religion painting with people in the act of prayer and the caption of "each according to his own
conscience". I've personally felt as an unofficial emissary in the chaplain service to answer some questions for staff members and parishioners. I did my best to be helpful in helping students at Fairchild AFB survival school make it to church when they could. We even participated in performing a blessing for a sister there. The chaplain assistant serving on the survival side was a member as well. I found
opportunities to serve as assistant support and member support through this career. The greatest blessing has been the positive people: members and non-members. Networking and serving and learning and applying and little aha moments along the way.

RYAN N. PRICE, SSgt, USAF
Thule Base Chapel, Greenland

Miracle in Iraq
Just wanted to post this link to a video about Christianity being on the rise in Iraq. It really is a miracle and a strong testimony that Heavenly Father loves all of His children. Hopefully there will be a Church presence there soon, if not already. I can't help but think of the scripture...

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts

Isaiah 55:8-9

I recently had the opportunity to encourage a less-active member to come back to church to which she agreed. She also has a non-member friend who she has talked with about the church. I encouraged her to ask her friend to bring her to church. She did this and her friend brought her to a recent Fast and Testimony meeting. Her friend felt compelled to stand and share who she was and the positive experiences that she has had with everyone in the church she has met. She said these recent experiences have helped renew her own faith in the Savior. She later told me that she was not planning to change religions at this time and that she was going to look for a church that more lined up with her beliefs but that she would come back to visit with us. She said what turned her off from her last church was that they told her who to vote for in the upcoming elections. I shared with her our beliefs on this subject which lined up with her beliefs. We will continue to work with her. Her sister is a member in another state and this recent positive experience has helped her to renew her relationship with her sister.
-Jeff, Alabama

I had taken a Book of Mormon from the missionaries with the commitment that I would give it away. The book sat on my shelf at home for a month. As I was reading the Ensign I decided I would pray one more time in hopes that I would receive a definitive answer on who I should give it to. As I was praying a name came to mind. I was rather surprised at the name (and never would have thought of it on my own) and knew immediately that it was right for me to give her the Book of Mormon. I wrote her a letter (in which I told her how grateful I was for her friendship and bore my testimony) and gift wrapped it along with the book. I left it at the business where she worked (she wasn’t there) and prayed for the best. I was a little anxious to see here again, but when I went back two weeks later she greeted me with a hug. She told me how grateful she was that there were still people who were willing to share their beliefs with others. She proceeded to tell me she didn’t want to keep the book (which I was obviously disappointed to hear) but, she then told me when she opened the bag and saw what it was she immediately felt the Spirit touch her. It truly strengthened my testimony on the power of the Book of Mormon (that it could touch someone who hadn’t even opened the cover), and also of the Lord’s ability to guide us in our efforts to share His message with the world. And, even though, she told me she didn’t want to keep the book she has yet to give it back!
- Lisa, Wisconsin

Unexpected Phone Call...

Today I talked to a friend that I haven't talked to in a long time. She is planning on getting married, and I wished her the best of luck. We had discussed Temple Marriage and the sealing ordinance before, and this time we were able to discuss it again. I bore testimony that the reason my wife and I are happy is because of our faith in the marriage covenant, which strengthens our faith in Christ. The conversation ended on a very positive note, and she requested to speak with the missionaries.
-Dave, Alabama

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