Brother Filiatreault's Missionary Experience

I had a pleasant experience joining the missionaries with an investigator last Friday after work. The investigator is an international student from India and he showed an awesome eagerness to learn about the Gospel. He reminded me of myself when I came to Gallaudet University in 2005 from Canada, and how wonderful it was to learn the truths taught by the missionaries.

It is always a nice feeling when you see someone genuinely interested in learning more. It helps you remember the joys of the Gospel, brings back memories of your conversion process, and the powerful feelings of love from your Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, as you go through a spiritual transformation and move closer to Them.

I'm ever so grateful for Prophet Joseph Smith, who endured much persecution and many obstacles, and yet accomplished mighty miracles. One such miracle was restoring Christ's true church to the Earth, and by doing so, restoring the Priesthood so we may perform blessings and ordinances with full authority from God, and also build and dedicate Temples to redeem our ancestors and be sealed to our families for all time and eternity.

And, of course, none of this would be possible without God's Plan of Salvation for all of us, which includes Christ's Atonement and Resurrection. I'm ever so grateful for that as well.

I testify that if ye seek the truth, ye shall find it in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that ye shall know this by a warm, burning feeling in your heart, which cannot be denied nor mistaken for something else. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

-Paul

Never to Young to be a Missionary

Okay, this is actually Freddy's missionary moment.  I later told the mother of that friend about their conversation in the car.

 

Recently about two weeks ago I was taking Freddy's friend home from the after school program they have and noticed their conversation.  I had sunglasses on so Freddy didn't know I was watching.  I got bits and pieces since I was driving.  This is the gist of it:

 

They were discussing the gospel and Freddy was telling Skyler about the earth and how having rain will keep it green and not wilted.  Talked about how coffee is not good for you.

Talked about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ who they are.  It was a good 10-15 minute conversation.

 

Freddy knows more than he lets on and as they say "out of the mouths of babes"!  He really amazes me at times.  He's going to be an awesome missionary some day!

 

I know that Heavenly Father loves his children and wants them to share the gospel too no matter what age they are.  Never too young or too old.

 

Deanna

Parable of the Pearl - From President Kendrick

There once was a man who found a pearl.  It was large and beautiful, perhaps the largest and most beautiful pearl ever found.  Instead of keeping it to himself, the man wanted to share it with the world.

He went to a jewelry maker and asked him to make a box to put the pearl in, where it could be displayed for people to come and see it.  The jeweler did so.  The box was of dark walnut wood with jewels and gold inlaid on the sides and lid.  The inside was lined with dark velvet and the pearl was placed in the center.

The man was very pleased and took the box, with the pearl, and put it on display for all the world to see.  People came from far and wide to view the pearl.  As people passed by, the man grew more and more sad.  The comments of the people were about the beauty of the box, rather than magnificent pearl inside.  They were coming from far away and then not even recognizing the true beauty and value of the pearl because of the box.  The man was so sad that he closed the exhibit and the pearl, with the box, were taken away.

What does this parable mean to you?  How can it be applied to the gospel, the church, our lives?  Please come to the blog and leave your comments.

Missionary Experience from Brother Forkner

This simple gospel principle can greatly impact people: We have the duty to carry the light of Christ that people might experience light and joy. Important things we can do include simply smiling and lifting people with a positive attitude. I remember that Sister Doris Millos taught us the principle found in the Doctrine & Covenant 50:22: “he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.” Doris used to always smile at her friend on Gallaudet campus. That friend always remembered how Doris had smiled at her. She was lifted up and it would help her have a good day. Her friend later decided to join the church because of Doris’ example set by simply smiling. I wanted to share my experience that applies this lesson taught by Sister Millos. On Friday, April 23^rd, 2010, as I entered the elevator, I saw a lady with a sad face. I smiled and greeted at her, which led to a short conversation. Somehow her countenance started to shine. As we stepped out of the elevator and were about go in opposite directions, she stopped and turned around and she asked if she might with my wife to get some needed advice. I welcomed her to our place. She chatted with my wife, Melissa, for two hours. She asked questions concerning the purpose of life on this earth, and Melissa helped her to understand our perspective of God. Melissa and I could see the Spirit of the Lord affecting this woman. We perceived that she felt happy and comfortable in our place. She was surprised and thrilled to learn that we have an LDSSA organization on Gallaudet campus. She said, “I wish to know about LDSSA organization earlier, nobody ever told me about it. I would like to join.” She also said, “Why don't you advertise the organization?” She also said, “I think that I found right church.” She wanted to learn more about the Church and wants to investigate further. Melissa and I pray with all of our hearts that she will follow the Spirit and develop a desire to learn more about the Gospel. Our hope is that she will stop by our place for another conversation once we finish our final exams.

Missionary Moment from Brother Filiatreault

Guess what I did Friday night!?

I went with the missionaries to share the Gospel at a new investigator's home with her two young children. We showed up on time for the appointment, and the investigator was just leaving out the door! She had forgotten about the appointment! If we had been a minute late, we would have missed them! Later, at the end of the meeting, she told us that they were supposed to leave at 6, but her oldest daughter was napping and she said that God told her not to go.

Cool.

We shared the story of the First Vision, and it's interesting that the thing she was astonished about was that God the Father and Jesus the Christ are two separate persons (with another separate, but invisible Holy Ghost), not three-in-one (Trinity). I reminded her of an important scene in Jesus Christ's life the night before the Crucifixion, where He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, and asks the Father to remove the cup so He wouldn't have to go through with it (Matthew 26:39). I asked her whether He was praying to Himself? She was intrigued, pondered the question, and said she would ask the pastor at her current church about it.

The Elders gave her a Book of Mormon and assigned her to read 3 Nephi 11 where Jesus Christ visited the Americas after the Resurrection. She said she would definitely read it, and that she's looking forward to the next meeting.

Brothers and sisters, I had an uplifting time helping the missionaries teach this beautiful daughter of God. I felt the Spirit more than once throughout and continued to feel good even afterwards. I testify that the Lord wants us to have missionary experiences, to help teach investigators with the Elders, and to partake of the blessings associated with this work. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by the living Savior and that He, with our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost, work together in one purpose to carry out the Plan of Salvation, to bring us back home. I also know that Christ will come again soon and that that day will be a joyous day. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Brother Filiatreault

Brother Spanbauer Shares His Missionary Experience

Missionary Experience from Brother Forkner

On Saturday, Feburary 27th, Kilee Bennett was greatly excited and energetic to invite six Gallaudet deaf friends to accompany us to the Deaf Branch party. Kilee and I realized that we had invited too many non-member friends and didn't have enough room in my SUV. Kilee borrowed Amanda's car so they would be able to go with us. Our non-members friends had a good time with Kilee and the other Deaf members. They enjoyed the talent show. While I was cleaning the gym, I watched a conversation between Chris, (Kilee's friend) and Brother Spanbauer about Mormon beliefs. Chris wanted to understand why Mormons taught about Word of Wisdom and other doctrines. He thought that two angels had come to see Joseph Smith. Brother Spanbauer was about to teach him about Joseph Smith's first vision, but Chris had to leave early with his friends. They rode with me back to the Gallaudet campus, and while I was driving, I prayed in my thoughts and in my heart that one of them would be willing to hear the Gospel. I asked them to assist my wife in walking to the dorm while I looked for a place to park the car. I then saw Melissa sitting in the RA office with Amanda Hackett. I joined in their conversation, and when I was about to leave in order to do my homework, I felt the promptings of the Spirit suggesting that I rest and stay in RA office, and not worry about homework, but rather that I do my homework after church. Chris found me in the RA office, and he was so curious about Mormon beliefs that he wanted to learn more about the Church, since he didn't finish his discussion with Brother Spanbauer. He asked me many questions about why our church has the Book of Mormon, the Word of Wisdom, and the role of Joseph Smith. I shared the story of Joseph Smith's first vision and how Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, came to him. He thought it was two angels but learned that it was in fact Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ who appeared to Joseph Smith. I also taught him about the history of the Book of Mormon and the Word of Wisdom. I impressed him, because he was listening carefully, seeking clarification, and asking a lot of questions. Chris and I had a long conversation about Mormon beliefs for three hours in the RA office. In that moment, I felt the Spirit had guided me in order to be there to answer all of Chris' questions. He often expressed that my explanations made sense, and was impressed with the church. I invited him to come over my place for more discussion and to give him a copy of the Book of Mormon, and add an application on his Iphone. I also invited him to receive discussions from the missionaries whenever he feels he is ready to listen. I learned that Chris' father is a preacher in his church. I prayed to Heavenly Father that I hope we will find more men who will join the true church and will honor the priesthood and desire to serve the Lord.

Listening to the Holy Ghost

by Patrick Peters

Listening to the Holy Ghost is not an easy job, as we often don’t listen to or forget to trust the Holy Ghost. Here is one example from my life of why this is important. In the early 1990’s, my friend and I were planning to go out somewhere. We stopped at "K" street, waiting for the traffic light to allow us to cross the street. All the sudden, I had a feeling like someone is tapping me and telling me to move away from the traffic light pole. So, I asked my friend to move further away from the traffic light. My friend didn't understand why I asked her to move. A few seconds later, out of the blue, an old, blue car came toward to us. The driver seemed to be confused or drunk. As a result, he crashed his car into the very traffic light where we had been. I was surprised that I had moved away, and had listened to my feelings. That feeling came from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost was telling me to move, and if I hadn't listened to it, the car would have struck either me or my friend. I am very glad that I listened.

What is the Holy Ghost? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints explains that "the Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit, without a body of flesh and bones. He is frequently referred to as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, or the Comforter." The Holy Ghost generally talks with us gently and guides us to find either the right path or find answers to our questions. But it isn't always a simple thing to pay attention to the Holy Ghost. I constantly try to do my best to listen to it, because the Holy Ghost is always available to help people in need around the world.

The last thing I want to share is a list of a few links from Ensign Articles from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[LDS.org - Ensign Article - “Always Have His Spirit”]

[LDS.org - Ensign Article - A Comforter, a Guide, a Testifier]

[LDS.org - Ensign Article - Fire and the Holy Ghost]

Missionary Moment from Brother Wilson

Having been home from my own Mission for almost five years now, I had forgotten about how much double planning and looking for back-up appointments we went through. The 2 missionaries in our branch are great back-up planners. I got to go on exchanges recently, which put their planning skills to test. The only appointment they had that night didn’t show up. after a quick break down of who lived closest, they decided it would be most beneficial if we visited a nearby member.

It is inspiring to associate with individuals who spend all their waking hours studying, pondering and teaching the gospel. You can’t help but feel the spirit they radiate from the mantle they carry.

The Kendricks and the Festival of Lights

“For several years now, Emma has played soccer with a girl named Bridget Kennedy. They happen to live just around the corner from us and so our families have developed a good friendship. They are very aware of our dedication to our faith and Dave Kennedy (the father) has even been to LDS church services when he was in boot camp because they would let the mormons off base for longer times due to the three hour length of time we go to church. We decided to invite them to the visitor’s center this year to look at the lights, see the nativity sets, and have a nice time. Samantha also brought a friend with us. We watched Luke 2 with them and talked about the symbols of Christmas. We had a nice time and are hoping that more experiences like these will open them to the gospel message.

The Kendricks”