There is a young single sister in our ward. She has born her testimony a few times and I noticed her. I never really talked to her except the normal greetings “Bonjour, comment ca va?” She seemed to be struggling in life by her facial expressions and staying to herself at church.
Tim and I went to the Bern Temple a few months ago. We took another senior couple from Geneva to the temple with us to get to know them. They are James and Kim Powers, also serving in the France Lyon Mission.
While I was in the endowment room, I kept looking at the back of a young woman and I wondered if it was the one from our ward. I don’t even know her name. I still don’t. In the dressing room, I saw her come out from a dressing stall and I said you are from my ward. She said yes, I recognize you too. She spoke pretty good English. I said how are you. Then she started to pour out her heart and soul to me. She told me of how she came to the temple today to seek answers. I said what are your questions. She said I have a boyfriend, and he is not a member, and he doesn’t want to be. He doesn’t like my standards and wants to live together. I am afraid if I say no, he will leave. I said you came to the right place today. You are worthy to come to the House of the Lord to receive revelation just for you. How did you feel today. She said I feel as though I should leave him. I said then you have your answer. She said now will be the hard part, breaking up. I said yes it will be hard. But sometimes we learn the most from going through the hardest times. I said, I am so proud of you for knowing where to come for help from the Lord. He has spoken to you. What a blessing that is. I love you. I believe that we are here together because I can physically give you a hug from your Heavenly Father and tell you He loves you. I love you. When one door closes another door will open. I promise you that. We hugged and that was a very spiritual moment for both of us. AND I DIDN’T”T EVEN KNOW HER NAME!! But I knew her.
Here is a picture of my temple friend Anne-Flore and her new boyfriend! July 14, 2024
A few months passed and my son Zane was visiting us in Lyon with Zane, Weston and Bennett! I was on the stand to lead the music, and I saw her! By now, I knew her name: Anne-Flore. She was beaming and looked so happy. I went to give her a hug and she said, “I will never forget you. Thank you for talking to me in the temple. I want you to meet my “new “boyfriend!” She emphasized “NEW”. He is the brother of the 2nd counselor in our bishopric. He is a member and temple worthy!!! What a miracle!!! Heavenly Father knows each of us by name and He loves us, and He will help us through our trials and sometimes he will use those around us as His hands on earth. We need to always be willing to open our mouths and our hearts when we are prompted to do so even when we don’t know them by name. It doesn’t matter that I don’t know her name because I know her, and I love her. When she said I will never forget you, I said I will never forget you either!
Tim and I have been serving as missionaries in Lyon France for 9 months now. We are halfway through our mission. We have had some sweet miracles that I don’t want to forget so I am going to write about a few of them.
We had some missionaries (Elder Adams and Elder Brown) call us and ask if they could come over and bring one of their special “Ami’s”. They said you will like him. So we set up a time and they came for dinner in May 2024. This young man just turned 21 and is one of the most Christlike individuals I have ever met. He met the missionaries last January 2024. He had just left the Jehovah Witness congregation and noticed our missionaries wearing white shirts, ties and name tags. He started asking them questions. Those two missionaries were Elder Sumsion and Elder Beard. They were our zone leaders in Lyon and some of the best missionaries. They taught him about the church. He soaked it up like a sponge. He has since gone through several missionaries and when we talk to him, he knows more about the Book of Mormon and Bible than most members. He wants to be baptized but his parents are Seventh Day Adventist, and his grandparents are Evangelists I believe. They are not happy that he has broken with their traditions and their faith. He was told if he was baptized, he would have to move out and take care of himself. Basically, they would disown him. Oh how sad. He is such a good young man. So, for now, he attends church every week and participates in every way but has not been baptized. We had him over a few nights ago for the second time and the missionaries as well. He said his parents are on vacation for two weeks. I said, “Yes, you can get baptized, and they will never know!!!!” Haha. He did chuckle but wants them to support and be happy for him. So, in January it will be a year that he has chosen to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are hoping and we pray that Clemont’s parents’ hearts will soften and can sustain him in his decision to be baptized. I hope he will be baptized while we are still here, or we will have to fly back – I love this young man that much. When I looked at him, I told him – we are here for you. He is one that we are in Lyon to support. Maybe his parents will come to dinner at our apartment. I do know that the Lord puts people in the paths of others for reasons. Here is a picture of Clemont, Elder Adams, Elder Brown, Tim and me.
Also, the two missionaries that first met him. Elder Sumsion and Elder Beard who are home now.
Another sweet missionary miracle is Segolene Perez. Segolene is in our Port des Alpes ward in Lyon. I would see her on Sundays sitting by an older woman and man that I just found out are her parents. They did not smile much and were very quiet. We have lots of French members that do not smile much and are private and quiet. It seems to be the culture here until you get to know them. So, I taught Relief Society a month or so ago. I had written some of my personal stories that I wanted to tell them in French, and I wrote the words phonetically so I could read it correctly. I have not learned French as I hoped. But I don’t let it hold me back. I had a power point with quotes in French and pictures of my family so they could get to know me. I never shy away from telling my weaknesses or what trials I have gone through. I have been through some tough tragic events that I believe I went through so I can help others go through tough times. I am not afraid to tell hard stories if it can help someone else. So, I told a few from my life. I told of how members of our ward and stake had shunned my sweet daughter and me because she had gotten pregnant at a young age. I talked about how it is our choice to be offended if someone treats us badly or we think they are treating us badly. Sometimes we think they are being mean but most of the time people just don’t know what to say or how to act. It is out of ignorance on their part. There was a new older widow in our ward in Relief Society that Sunday named Jennine Roux. I asked her when her husband died was there anything we could do to make her feel better? She said no. I said what about us coming up to give you a hug and tell you we love you? She said that was comforting. I said the only thing we can do is not ignore but at least offer love and maybe take a meal in or give them a ride or take them grocery shopping, etc. Ignoring someone when they are hurting is the worst thing to do. I made a comment about being on the floor when my husband died, and I couldn’t get up. I prayed and Heavenly Father sent angels to lift me up off the floor. I talked about let’s be each other’s angels to help us off the floor when we need help. So now I get to the story of Segolene. She had never talked to me before, but I could tell she was touched in the lesson. She came up to me and said, “some of us in this room today are still on the floor.” What a profound statement and I gave her a hug. The next Sunday she came up to and told me she is married to a man who is not a member. He has started to ask questions. I told him about your lesson last week and he said I could invite you and your husband over to dinner at our home. MIRACLE!!!! I said we would love to. So, we went over last week. Tuesday, July 30, 2024. They have a lovely, very nice apartment on the 7th floor of a nice building. It has a deck around the entire apartment and air conditioning. We had a wonderful time. Her husband’s name is Serge. He was so kind and pleasant. We want to be friends, and we are friends. We talked about his family and our family, hobbies, jobs and education, etc. We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. We will have them over to our apartment when they are back from their vacation in a few weeks. We are here in Lyon for Segolene and Serge Perez.
Here is a picture of Serge and Segolene Perez and Tim and me.
When reading the Book of Mormon, I try to do so with a theme in mind. Several times, I have read the Book of Mormon from the perspective that the events leading up to the first coming of our Savior are a sign and a type of the events that lead up to His second. There are times I read it for history, other times, I am looking for doctrine. On one reading, I read the Book of Mormon from a missionary perspective. This reading, I am reading with President Nelson’s statement from the October, 2022 conference in mind.
“So many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns “with power and great glory,” He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.”
That is a powerful statement. One can apply this citation to not only the Book of Mormon, but to all scripture. Any miracle, any manifestation we read about in the scriptures will be manifest and more in these latter days. Here are but a few examples:
1 Nephi 4, Laban is delivered into Nephi’s hands.
1 Nephi 16, Lehi and his family are guided by the Liahona.
1 Nephi 17, Nephi is instructed on how to build a ship
1 Nephi 18, Nephi miraculously calms a storm
2 Nephi prophesies of the last days
Jacob 7, Sharem demands a sign and is smitten
Mosiah 18, the people of Alma flee from king Noah. Even their children and pregnant women out pace the soldiers of Noah.
Mosiah 24, The people of Alma are persecuted but their burdens are made light, then they miraculously escape from their Lamanite persecutors. This is one of my favorites.
Alma 14, The people of Ammonihah reject Alma and Amulek and then destroy the believers in front of them. The prison walls tumble to the earth and their persecutors are slain.
Alma 15, Alma heals Zeezrom, a lawyer who was astounded and converted by the teachings of Alma and Amulek.
Alma 17, Ammon slays the enemies of the king at the waters of Sebus.
Alma 18, Lamoni, a king of the Lamanites is miraculously converted
Alma 24, The conversations of Lamanites when the Ammonites willingly laid down their lives
Alma 30, Korihor, an anti-Christ challenges Alma for a sign. He is struck dumb and eventually trodden down by the Zoramites
Alma 31, Missionaries are filled with the spirit and go their separate ways to preach the gospel
Alma 56, the Sons of Helaman fight with miraculous power
Helaman 5, Nephi and Lehi are preaching to the Lamanites and are cast into prison. Clouds of darkness overshadow the prison, the prison shakes and Nephi and Lehi converse with angels. There were 300 Lamanite witnesses.
Helaman 11, Nephi calls a famine down on the land, Nephi and Lehi receive many revelations
Helaman 16, Samuel the Lamanite prophesies and cannot be slain
3 Nephi 1, the signs of the Savior’s birth
One of my favorite stories is about the prophet Nephi who led the righteous saints just before the death, resurrection and appearance of the Lord. I marvel that his ministry to the saints preceding the coming of the Lord in the meridian of time, will be surpassed in our day. It is worth including passages concerning his ministry.
3 Nephi 7:17 And he did minister many things unto them; and all of them cannot be written, and a part of them would not suffice, therefore they are not written in this book. And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority.
18 And it came to pass that they were angry with him, even because he had greater power than they, for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily.
19 And in the name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people.
20 And the people saw it, and did witness of it, and were angry with him because of his power; and he did also do many more miracles, in the sight of the people, in the name of Jesus.
The power the adversary wields in our world today is seemingly unbearable and insurmountable. We fear for our children and the whirlwind of lies, subterfuge and deceit that envelop them. Without hope and faith in His plan, it all seems hopeless. The Book of Mormon is replete with miracles that will be duplicated and surpassed in our day. It is not a coincidence that the bulk of the Book of Mormon, from Mosiah to 3rd Nephi, is dedicated to the years before His first coming. They are a mirror of our days. The miracles of those days will be made manifest and more in the dispensation of the restitution of all things and I have mentioned only a few of the events that transpired among the righteous who lived in the time preceding his first coming. We need always remember that the Lord is aware and in charge. He is wielding His power with finesse and authority far beyond our feeble understanding. We, in our day and our time, will witness and be surrounded by many of these miracles. We will see them individually as well as collectively as our Lord works tirelessly though us to gather the remnants of his flock before the whirlwind of his judgment.
6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith. (Ether 12:6,12)
Yes, the Lord promises to try our faith and he will not manifest His power to those who have no faith. But as with the faithful people of Alma, surrounded by trial and persecution, they were also surrounded by miracles. The power of God has and always will surpass in glory and light anything from the adversary.
That is why we are serving a mission. We are here because of a faith that the Lord will magnify our feeble efforts to bring about His will, and add to the uncountable miracles transpiring in these last days. We have faith that the blessings poured out on our families will far outweigh our absence. We testify of this work. The Lord is pouring miracles, small and mighty upon his people and all those seeking righteousness in the time before He returns.
I was jumping up and down on the sidewalk outside our apartment in Lyon. My GIRLS are coming to visit!!! Whoo hoo!! Aubrie and Ben landed in Paris on June 22, toured Paris and Normandy, and then visited a castle in the Loire valley on the way to Lyon. France is a beautiful country full of history and castles. I am thrilled to have my daughter Aubrie and her family here. I see them!!!! The first one I see is Little Penelope sitting on her mamma’s lap in the front. They stop in the middle of our tiny one way street, which is what the French do, and turn on their hazard lights. Penny gets out but the door is in the way and I can’t grab her and hug her so we walk around the parked car and I take her into my arms. YAYAYAYAY!! Then Mae, Reese, Eva, Aubi and finally Ben. Hugs all around. Tim and I are excited to host our family! We take them into our apartment while Ben and Tim go and park their car. Parking is hard here in Lyon. Sometimes you have to drive around for a while and then you have to pay for parking. So Tim parked our car in a parking space earlier in the day, then pulled out so Ben could park his car while Tim parked our own car in our underground parking garage.
I took the girls and Aubi to our mailbox and told them “here is what we do everyday”. We walk up, open the box and say “nobody loves us”. Of course I was a bit over dramatic, but I think it worked. We put all of their bags in our tiny elevator and Aubi went with the bags. We ran up the one flight of stairs to meet the elevator on the 1st floor. I opened the door and they were able to see our apartment and all of the pictures of our grandchildren and families that are taped to the wall. Lots of pictures of Jesus and temples as well. It is a missionary apartment for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for sure.
They were all famished, so we heated up some taco meat, made burritos and had some fruit, French bread and cheese. I also bought some croissants, plain and chocolate, and some assorted desserts from a Patisserie. After showing them around we went for a walk down Roosevelt Boulevard to the Rhone river. We then decided to cross the bridge to see the beautiful Bartholdi fountain, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi who had earlier designed the Statue of Liberty in New York. It was fun to talk them to some beautiful parts of Lyon. Eva stayed home and slept.
The next morning Tim took Ben, Aubrie, Eva and Mae on the metro to the Basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière. I needed to stay at home and save my feet from our trip to Avignon that afternoon. Penelope, Reese and I stayed at our apartment, drew pictures, laughed, talked and enjoyed just being together. I sure love these girls.
We all loaded up and drove to Avignon which is about 3 hours away. I had arranged for us to stay in an apartment very near the Popes Palace. Parking was terrible. We enjoyed seeing the huge palace and we walked through some shops. The girls love to shop. We had a great dinner and headed to bed. We had hoped to see the Lavender fields of southern France. We did see some but to see the hills covered with Lavender we needed to drive off the main road, so that was a bust. The next morning we got ready and drove 2 1/2 hours to Annecy. On our way to Annecy we lost Ben and Aubrie and their phones didn’t work so we had no contact. We had Penelope and Reese with us and drove to the hotel, which was our only meeting point. Finally, Aubrie and Ben stopped in Annecy, borrowed a man’s phone and texted me. I gave them the address and we met there at the hotel.
Annecy is known as the Venice of France. It is a beautiful city in the Alps by a lake and the town has canals and bridges like Venice. WE LOVED ANNECY!! See the pictures. We sat and put our feet in the cool water and walked all around. We ate ice cream and had a yummy pizza dinner outdoors like the French enjoy doing. It was such a lovely day and we were so blown away by the beauty of this beautiful French town.
We got back to the hotel, showered and my heart started to feel heavy. I knew I was going to have to say goodbye to my girls the next morning at 5:00 am. It was hard to sleep. We got up and the girls got ready. I gave big hugs because I knew I would not hug my sweet girls for another 11 months. ugh! Little Penelope walked down the hall and kept looking back and my heart sank. I miss my family more than I can bare sometimes. I am trying to stay focused and commit to my Savior as His disciple. Sometimes it is very hard and then miracles happen, like the miracle we had at church the next Sunday, but that is another post.
I love you Ben and Aubrie! Thank you for bringing Eva, Mae, Reese and Penelope to France to see us. It meant the world to me. Now you know where I am living and can relate to things you see in pictures. May 6, 2025, Nana and Tim will be home.
Several weeks ago, I taught Relief Society. I had a month to prepare, although some of that time was taken with some special family events. I was asked to teach on a Conference Talk by Ulisses Soares on being Confident Covenant Keepers. I speak little French, and many of the Sisters in the ward speak no English, so I made a power point presentation on parts of the lesson in French and had sisters read them. I also had a sweet translator named Helena. She is 18 years old and is the Relief Society Presidents daughter. I had lots of pictures of my family in the power point and I told a couple of personal stories. The reason I told those stories was so the sisters could see how I got through some very hard things in my life by staying true to the covenants I had made in the temple. That gave me strength. I am pretty honest and told of my weaknesses as well. I told a story of being on the floor and I couldn’t get up after my husband Zane died. But I remembered my eternal covenants and I prayed for help. The Lord sent angels to help me get up. The lesson went well and we had lots of discussion. One sister came up at the end and said some women in this room are still on the floor. That was interesting. The French people tend to be very proud and private. Most of the sisters would not ever tell a personal story let along reveal weaknesses. BUT, here is the miracle!!!! A cute sister that I see each week who is very quiet and does not engage with anyone came up to me after sacrament meeting the next week. She was nervous but she came up to me and said, “you don’t know me but I was in Relief Society last week and heard your lesson. I went home and told my husband about your lesson. He is not a member. He has not been interested in church although we have a son serving a mission in Africa right now. He told me I could invite you and your husband over to dinner in the next few weeks”. She said he is changing in some ways. I said Tim and I would be so happy to come over to dinner.
I told Tim about this on our way home from church and he said there are reasons we are here. More and more miracles happen when we turn our hearts over to God and let Him lead us. We just need to be willing to go where he asks us to go. There have been several people that we have met and I have looked them in the eye and I know we are here for them. I have told them that when I feel that so strongly. Here are the few by name because I want to remember when I said this: Machilo – baptized in May. Yebei –from China and still investigating. Clarmont – I love this young man. He will be a Bishop someday. His family are 7th day Adventist and are very against him being baptized. Members I know I am here for – Theresa, Martine, Munashe, Laetitia, and all our missionaries who we love!
God is a God of love. We all need to be loving and kind and welcoming. I am grateful to be a missionary in the Lyon France Mission.
When Tim and I first got to Lyon last November we were very sick with COVID. It took us a few weeks to recover, and the first activity we were able to attend was a ward Christmas dinner. We struggled to find our church building which is indistinguishable from the surrounding apartment buildings. Several floors of apartments were remodeled to make our meetinghouse. On the 3rd floor, a large room with a baptismal font is where we have baptisms and ward dinners. It is not very big but we manage. I was a bit overwhelmed with not speaking French, but was drawn to a cute couple from Zimbabwe. I walked across the room and started talking to them. The girl was so cute and her name was Munashe, his name was Machilo. We started to talk and I asked him a ton of questions.
When I found out he was not a member, I was shocked because he acted like a member, was so kind and had all the right answers. I remember saying , “why aren’t you a member, whats holding you back”? He started to laugh and said I am working on it. From then on we hosted them and the sisters who were teaching him at our apartment once a week for lessons and dinner. We did that from December through May. What a joy to have this wonderful young couple in our home.
They had been trying to get married for months. Assembling the paperwork necessary for a wedding license was difficult as they needed a number of documents from their home government. France does not recognize weddings in a church. It has to be done by the government and then after that you can go to a church and do a wedding ceremony. In the meantime, Munashe was expecting a baby in March. I remember early on Machilo said “ Should I get baptized first or get married first?” I loved that! I said you need to get married first, otherwise you would have to move out!! We laughed! We had such great lessons.
The sisters were Sis. Fraga, Sis. Ariiotima, & Sis. Molinet. Sis. Molinet was giving a lesson and she challenged Machilo to be baptized on May 4th. I remember thinking that was so far away. But it was very inspired especially a month later when they got their wedding date from the government. Machilo and Munashe got a wedding date from the government for Saturday April 27th. I realized then that God is in charge and we need to trust Him.
On March 26th little Elsie was born. What a sweet little baby. We all are in love with her. Machilo and Munashe call us her “Gogo” and “Khulu” which are grandma and grandpa in the Zimbabwe tribe they are from.
Then they were married on Saturday April 27th. Then on Saturday May 4 we all came to the church building. I worked with Laetitia (RS president) and Bishop Nelson and we planned a beautiful wedding and baptism feast. Machilo loves white cake with white frosting and I made him a wedding cake. We bought flowers and decorated very simply. I had fun with the decorations. We had the baptism and then we cut the cake and had a party. It was so fun to celebrate. The french like to eat long meals and party into the night. Bishop was worried but it was all done in 3 hours. So fun to celebrate Machilo. Just for information. Last Sunday June 23, Machilo was called to be the Ward Clerk. He was made an Elder. We are so proud of him.
We had many discussions with the two of them, answering questions and testifying of the truthfulness of the Gospel and the church Machilo was joining. Meeting after meeting, the spirit filled our tiny apartment. He is one that the Lord prepared for us to meet.
We had the occasion to assist with a self-reliance devotional in Caen, France. The self reliance devotionals are a ward or stake wide event, where members and non-members alike are invited to hear about the churches self-reliance groups and sign up for a group appropriate to their needs.
Sister Frodsham with Gisele, a good friend taking our EnglishConnect class
We worked with the Snyders, the WSR (Welfare, Self-Reliance) missionaries who live in Paris. They also spend several days a week staffing the Paris family history center.
Frodshams and Snyders at the family history center
Caen was a major objective in the WWII invasion of Europe, Operation Overlord. Since we were already in Normandy, we took the opportunity to spend several days exploring the places of such bloodshed and heroism almost 80 years ago.
The Museum at Utah Beach
We stayed at a little bed and breakfast in Saint Clair sur l’Elle, and on an early morning walk, I went to the town square and was fascinated by a WWI statue dominating the square. It had been vandalized, arms broken off, the rifle broken, and I wondered at it’s history. An old gentlemen (and by old, I mean about my age) walked up to me to chat, and I asked him about the statue. It was built after WW1 to commemorate the soldiers who had given their life in the war from that small town. When the Germans occupied the town, they vandalized the statue, braking off anything they could without actually bringing in a truck or other vehicle to pull the statue down. The statue remains in the square as a symbol of defiance and freedom.
WWI statue in the town square of Saint Clair sur l’Elle
Our Bed and Breakfast in Saint Clair sur l’Elle
Sainte-Mère-Église, attacked by parachutists of the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions, was one of the first towns liberated during the invasion. A replica of parachutist John Steele hangs from the spire of the local cathedral. Parachutists overshot their landing zone and dropped directly in the town.
Saint Mere Eglise
In the church of Angoville-au-Plain, two medics Robert Wright and Ken Moore, treated civilians as well as American and German soldiers alike, When the town was briefly retaken by the Germans, the medics declined to leave. German soldiers honored request of the two medics and left their rifles at the door. During the conflict, a mortar pierced the ceiling, but did not explode. during a later restoration, the local members of the parish decided to preserve the blood stains on the benches.
The Church at Angoville au PlainRobert Wright grave marker, Angoville Au Plain
The cliffs at Pointe du Hoc were scaled by the 2nd ranger battalion, who suffered a 70% casualty rate in finding and destroying guns overlooking Omaha and Utah beaches. Had these guns been brought into operation, casualties would have been much higher for the allied landing.
At Pointe du Hoc, the bomb craters from the aerial and naval bombardment proceeding the landings are still visible.
On Utah Beach where general Roosevelt stormed the beach with his men. Strong currents swept them from their landing spot. “Well start the war right here. As with the battles throughout Normandy, it was the bravery of a few men who turned the tide of the battle. Utah beach had far less casualties because of the accuracy and precision of aerial and naval bombing of the shore batteries moments before the landing.
It is in some ways reassuring to see people playing and enjoying where so much devastation and hardship in the name of freedom had occurred 80 years earlier
German batteries near Longues-sur-Mer fired at allied forces on D-Day, but were damaged by allied naval bombardment. They were captured the next day and played no further part in the war. They are one of the only remaining intact gun batteries along the Normandy coast, and a testament to the forces to be overcome by the allied soldiers.
German Batteries at Longue sur mere
For me, the most poignant was the cemetery at Omaha Beach and the beaches themselves. now a playground with horse trotting and skim boarding. There is still a spirit of the thousands of men to struggled here, many of them giving their last full measure of devotion. The American cemetery a testament of the sacrifice of so many young men.
The German cemetery near Omaha is a testament as well to young men who were following their leaders. The feeling at the German cemetery is much different than that of the American, a feeling of hopelessness and loss. In both, the spirit of brave men who gave their lives for their country.
Through out the Normandy battle sites and museums, the horrors of war were apparent. The evil intentions of a very few lead astray whole populations, something king Benjamin and King Mosiah warned about in the book of Mormon
Mosiah 2:18,19 Behold, ye have called me your king; and if I, whom ye call your king, do labor to serve you, then ought not ye to labor to serve one another? And behold also, if I, whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!
Mosiah 29:16,17 Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you. For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!
We may not call them kings today, but many act as such, bringing whole nations to sin and unbelief. Events in the Book of Mormon tell us of the wickedness and suffering that can be caused by one individual or a handful of people. Unfortunately, people today are looking to a leader to change the nation, leaders who will right all the wrongs in our countries. What will permanently heal our nations will come from the bottom up. It was apparent as we toured the battle sites of Normandy that is was a few who turned the tide of war. A few who let to victory operations that were doomed to defeat. The future will be shaped by fathers and mothers, teachers and leaders changing our world one family at a time, which is why we are here serving a mission.
There are thousands of reasons why not to serve a mission, and Catherine and I can check the boxes on most of them. I have my first two grandchildren getting married this summer and another special sealing in Catherine’s family. Both of us have family with medical conditions, and it wrenches our heart not to be there to help, console and simply be present for them. In the next year, Catherine and I have four special grandchildren that will be baptized and a new grandchild on the way. We also have a high school graduation of a sweet granddaughter.
Grandsons and tonsils
We will be missing priesthood ordinations, family reunions, graduations and of course, 40 birthdays among our grandchildren and 22 among our children and their spouses. Why did we pick this time to go on a mission? Why so early after our marriage? Why did we not wait until things were more calm in our families, with fewer family events? Why now?
A fathers blessing
There will always be family events, celebrations and hardships no matter when we choose to serve Him. To be frank, there is no “good” time to go on a mission. The ‘right’ time will never come. Our advice to anyone considering a mission, and even to those who are not, Go Now. There may be extreme circumstances why you need to postpone a mission. The Savior understands and will prompt you to the right course to take. Otherwise, Go Now. Your lives will certainly be blessed, but more important for Catherine and I, His spirit will intervene, comfort, guide and bring gently home our children and grandchildren, those who matter most.
As Senior missionaries, there are times when it is appropriate to take a quick trip home. We are planning one trip home during our mission to be present with our families for some life changing events. I believe the Lord aware of the conflicting demands on senior missionaries, and understands the needs for us to serve our families as well. Here is a quote shared with us in one of our central Europe Area devotionals.
Christmas
Elder Bednar, Adriatic North Mission, April 2023
“To you couples, I promise that the most powerful testimony you will ever bear to your children and grandchildren is your absence. Those grandchildren will pray for you now in a way that they will never again pray for you.”
“When you return home, the testimony you bear in person will be magnified because you weren’t there. Your testimony of absence will be far more powerful than anything you can do now or in the future. It will augment that testimony in miraculous ways. I promise in the name of the Lord.”
The little events
For the younger generation; prepare now. plan your finances, your job, your retirement and most important of all, build that mindset now. There is every reason to postpone a mission, but there is one good reason to go: Serve Him. We have been in tears a time or two, aching to be with our families at a time of crisis or celebration, but we both feel an overwhelming peace from Him that we are in the right place. Some of the celebrations we are missing are precisely because we are here, events that are happening at home because His Spirit is working on our children and grandchildren in our absence. Our advice to any senior couple: Go now. Don’t wait for the right time, don’t wait for the right finances. Don’t wait. Serve Him and the blessings will be poured out on your family. Yes, you will miss them and yes, there will be times of almost overwhelming sorrow because you are not there, but His spirit is behind you and He will carry you gently in His arms.
Grandson singing at conference
You will also experience times of unbounded joy, peace and satisfaction for the time you spend in His service.
When we were filling out our mission papers, Catherine listed her extensive experience in introducing the church’s self-reliance program. She helped establish a pilot program in her ward and stake as a Stake Relief Society President as well as the stake Self-Reliance specialist. It was no small surprise that we were called as Welfare Self-Reliance (WSR) missionaries, certainly a big surprise that we were called to France.
“The aim of the self-reliance initiative is to help individuals help themselves become self-reliant. Self-reliance is more than having a good job, food storage, or money in the bank. Self-reliance is ‘the ability, commitment, and effort to provide for the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family. As members become self-reliant, they are also better able to serve and care for others,’ and work is enthroned as a ruling principle in their lives” (Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 6.1.1).
Over the last five months, We have been studying the self-reliance program. There are four core classes in the Self-Reliance initiative:
Personal Finances Find a Better Job Starting and Growing my Business Education for Better Work
In addition to these core classes, the church offers two courses for learning English:
EnglishConnect 1 and 2
There is an EnglishConnect 3 course which is taught through BYU pathways and is to help individuals learning English prepare for entering the BYU Pathways education system.
There are four additional courses offered by the church to strengthen self and family:
Emotional Resilience Strengthening Marriage Strengthening Family Addiction Recovery
Churchofjesuschrist.org
In studying these programs, I have come to better understand the meaning and purpose of Self-Reliance as taught by the church.
“Without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak.” (The Celestial Nature of Self-reliance, Marion G. Romney, October 1982)
President Thomas S. Monson taught: “Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle” (“Guiding Principles of Personal and Family Welfare,” Ensign, Sept. 1986)
“All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal” (D&C 29:34)
“We invite you to diligently study and apply these principles and teach them to your family members. As you do so, your life will be blessed. You will learn how to act on your path toward greater self-reliance. You will be blessed with greater hope, peace, and progress.” (The First Presidency, in the introduction of all self-reliance manuals)
As a young father, I remember talking with one of the members of our ward. He was well off, but his whole demeanor, his entire focus was on making money. He was sincere in his belief that the difference he made in God’s kingdom depended on the amount of money he had to further His work. Once he was really wealthy, he would “make a difference in the church”. He wasn’t quite there yet, but his spacious house, large boat and other earthly possessions told a different story. He entirely missed the point. If all the Lord is after is money, he knows where all the riches of the world are hidden and has but to direct his leaders to untold wealth. Self-reliance does not separate the temporal and the spiritual. They are one. Being self-reliant does not dictate we have a lot of money and need to rely on no one else.
“Self-reliance is not the end, but a means to an end. It is very possible for a person to be completely independent and lack every other desirable attribute. One may become wealthy and never have to ask anyone for anything, but unless there is some spiritual goal attached to this independence, it can canker his soul.” (The Celestial Nature of Self-reliance, Marion G. Romney, October 1982)
President Léporé of the France Lyon mission and his son holding up a list of items to be included in homeless kitsMissionaries in Nice, France writing messages of faith and hope to be included in homeless kits
Could not a homeless person, or a homeless family be self-reliant in the eyes of the Lord? Missionaries in the France Lyon mission assembled homeless kits, not as a dole, but with the goal to include messages of hope and inspiration, hand written notes to lift up heavy hearts, to distribute these kits as the spirit directs to those whom they encounter during their service.
What is the Lord’s view of someone who is self-reliant?
churchofjesuschrist.org
The widow giving her mites at the temple may have been ‘dependent’ in the world’s view, but she was one of the most self-reliant people mentioned in the New Testament. I love the image of the widow as a young woman with children, teaching her children about trust, faith, action and service. In other words, to be self-reliant.
“Self-reliance is evidence of our trust or faith in God’s power to move mountains in our lives and to give us strength to triumph over trials and afflictions.” (My Foundation, Self-reliance is a principle of salvation)
Self-reliance has little to do with our ability to make money, the extent of our possessions or even the amount of food storage in our closets. Self-reliance is doing all that we are capable to spiritually and physically prepare ourselves to care for our families, care for others and wear ourselves out in His service.
Early in our mission, Roland Léporé, our mission president requested that we help with a service project. At each zone conference, he wanted the missionaries to put together homeless kits that they could give out to the homeless they encounter during the course of their work. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has decided, however, to focus on larger humanitarian projects which impact many people. Smaller projects, such as homeless kits, are no longer approved for funding by the church.
After several months of work, we started a homeless kit project with the mission. Using a bit of creativity and finding local sources for materials, we put together, over time, sufficient supplies to have each elder and sister assemble two homeless kits; four per companionship. During the last sequence of Zone Conferences, the missionaries took the time to assemble the kits, and more importantly, write personal notes to put in each kit. After searching the web for resources on homeless kits, I came across this site, which gives many good recommendations on what the homeless need.
With the help of the office elders, we transported the materials, boxed up for each zone, to the mission office. For each zone conference, the supplies would be organized on tables for the missionaries to assemble kits.
We have already received posts and videos from missionaries who have given these kits to a homeless person they encountered during the day, tender stories of love and encouragement. It is our hope that over the next few weeks, these kits are distributed with love and care, as the spirit directs, to homeless individuals in the mission.
A hand written note is one of the most important components in a kit. Tracts and other mass-published items are quickly recognized and tossed, but a hand written note makes a profound difference. They are all children of a loving Heavenly Father and recognize the touch of his spirit. It is our prayer that the tender messages written by these missionaries will touch lives, however gently.
We also pray that as the missionaries give out these kits, they will feel the same love for them as the love emanating from our Heavenly Father over all his children. These are the last days, and we are tasked with gathering Israel. Sometimes this gathering takes place in the smallest of ways, a hand-written note of love and testimony, a kit at a time, one by one.
Latter-Day Saints 