Sent: Monday, November 19, 2012 8:54 AM
What
a way to end a week! I've mentioned in
past letters that Elder Neilson of the Quorum of the Twelve would be coming to
the Dayton East Stake. It was a
spectacular experience to say the least.
He related to us the message of the Restoration. (As found in Preach my Gospel) He then
related it to the family. He emphasized
the importance of having the children in the families knowing those
principles. What a prophet is. That Christ established a church. There was
an Apostasy. Even more importantly he
emphasized the Book of Mormon, and how crucial it is that a family reads it
together. The most important thing that
he touched upon was how we all are children of God! He had all of the Primary Children stand up,
and sing the 1st verse of 'I am a Child of God'. The Spirit was even more invited into the
room as the song was sung.
Elder
Clay and I had the chance to shake his hand.
We got pitched off the stage as soon as we shook his hand so he could
meet and greet with the Children! We'll
the kingdom of heaven is theirs.... The
Seventy that accompanied Elder Neilson was Elder Smith. He was a Senator (He didn't mention which
state), and you could tell that he knew how to talk! The story he shared was
while he was a Senator.
He
was in his office, and his Secretary told him that he had a call. She said it was a foreign man, and that he
said that he knew Senator Smith. The
Secretary told him that she wouldn't have taken the call, but it was from Salt
Lake, and that he always took interest with calls from there! Senator Smith
asked who the person was, and the Secretary replied that it was Dieter
Uchtdorf! Senator Smith quickly took the
call!
Elder
Uchtdorf related the issue. Italy for
the longest time hadn't given The Church full recognition as a national
religion. It was difficult to build
chapels, officiate as clergy in hospitals, etc.
Elder Uchtdorf asked if a meeting could be set up with someone in Italy
to make an appearance. To make a long
story short, Elder Smith was able to set it up, and months later he found
himself in a room with Elder Uchtdorf, and two Italians. The first Italian was the official, and the
other a professor of religion. Elder
Smith opened, and turned the time over to Elder Uchtdorf to make the
appeal. The official looked at the
professor and asked, “what do you think?"
The
interesting thing is that this wasn't what sealed the deal. While the professor
was on temple square he met two Italian girls who were there as missionaries. He was extremely impressed how they presented
themselves. He replied to the official,
"That the church would be a blessing to the Italian community. Changing girls into great women!"
This
story is an example that we need to be examples ourselves in all things and in
all places. It is true. The greatest way to share a testimony is by
example!
Oh
I also found out a church secret! Elder
Neilson will be speaking at the MTC this Christmas! As a side note: The Grand-daughter of one of the people he
was able to baptize while in the army will also be speaking!
Love
you all lots! Hope you have a great
Thanksgiving!
Para
Siempre,
Elder
IpsonThe Great Ohio Columbus Mission
