For the Strength of Youth

November 23, 2015

It is really cold today.  The sun is shining and the sky is clear. The FM missionaries are about finished putting the Christmas lights up. This Friday and Saturday we have a Live Nativity and the lighting program to kick off the Christmas season. This also starts the very, very, very busy nights.  Last year we had about 40,000 cars drive past and 5-6,000 people come into the residence for cider and cookies. We will be open for twelve hours each day and our schedules will be crazy.  BUT it is amazing to greet and visit with so many people, most not members of our Church.

The leaves are all gone now and we can see the rolling hills through the trees.  This monument is captivating in every season.

Roger has had some interesting experiences this past few weeks, so he is going to put them on this post.

Roger:

I teach a small Sunday School class.  In the class are two foreign exchange students.  One is a Muslim from Tunisia; the other is a Roman Catholic from Rome.  There are four Mormon girls and one Mormon boy.  We have all sort of bonded.  We laugh and cry together and discuss the gospel, allowing everyone to say what they want.

Last week was one of those crying weeks.  Miriam believes devoutly in Allah.  Of course, last week was the Paris attack where 130 persons were killed by terrorists professing faith in Allah.  The lesson was on how we can stand up for our beliefs.  I asked, "have any of you ever had to speak up for your beliefs?"

Miriam's hand shot up.  "I have been on Twitter all night," she said. "We do not believe in killing people like this.  The Quran (Koran) does not teach this anywhere!"  It was such a stunning statement that we all started to cry.  I saw in the face of this little Muslim girl (16 years old) a hope for all the Muslim world, and a hope for the western world for peace with about one third of the earth's population.

Elder Brent Nielsen, of the Seventy, came to our ward two weeks ago.  He said of this refugee problem from Syria, "Perhaps this is the way the gospel will be introduced into the Muslim world."  As a soldier in Vietnam, I watched this very thing happen in Vietnam. While we were in that war none of us could see hope for that Buddha inspired nation.  But today thousands and thousands of Vietnamese people are members of the LDS Church.  Could it not be the same for the Muslim nations?

One other story.  Yesterday in class I wanted to play a small piece of video featuring Elder Uchtdorf.  As I put it up on the computer, the piece came up with Elder Uchtdorf speaking perfect Italian.  I don't know how it happened: I touched no such button, but there it was--perfect Italian.  Chincthia translated it for us and we went on, laughing and joying in the Spirit of Christ.