The Key to the Thompson Branch

When my wife and I arrived at our missionary assignment in the city of Thompson, Manitoba, we found a lovely little chapel, a baptismal font, and a few stalwart members who had to struggle to pay the heat bills to keep the meetinghouse warm in the subzero winter weather of northern Canada.

The branch president’s comment to us was, “It seems we have a lovely building and not much else.”

Our mission president had told us to work with the members. We were to try to get the branch going, and to “enjoy our mission.” But there were problems in the community. In addition to low membership, many people in Thompson considered the Church to be a cult. The only bookstore in town sold anti-Mormon books.

We concentrated much of our initial efforts on the Turnbulls, a less-active family in the branch. We visited them, took cookies to them, and invited them to come to church with us.

After a few weeks, the Turnbulls agreed that their son, Jamie, could go to church with us. We quickly became close friends of Jamie’s, and we took him to church with us every week.

Each Sunday morning, Sister Jensen would say to the Turnbulls, “We sure would like to take Wendy with us, too.” At last, one morning, Jamie came out with his adorable five-year-old sister, helping her through the snow to the truck. A few weeks later, little Devon joined her brother and sister. We enjoyed acting as grandparents to these sweet children.

After a few months of hard work, things were going a little better in the branch, and we decided that we should ask Heavenly Father to bless our efforts in the city of Thompson.

We organized a mall display to try to help change the attitude of the people toward the Church.

The night before the display, our little group met at the chapel. It was forty degrees below zero outside, and the wind was blowing, making the windchill seventy degrees below, but out we went into the church parking lot, which overlooked the city. We could see the residential areas as well as City Hall and the Provincial Building in the distance.

The street lights glistened, and fine ice crystals blew as our humble little band of stalwart members formed a circle and sang “The Spirit of God.” Never had those words sounded better (or more determined) to us.

A sister in the branch opened the meeting with prayer, then we sang “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.” I then asked for blessings on the city of Thompson for missionary work.

It seemed that almost immediately, things began to happen. Attitudes began to change. A few days after the dedication, our phone rang. “This is Debbie Turnbull, Elder Jensen. You won’t need to pick up the children Sunday morning.”

My heart skipped a beat. She continued, “I have a friend I am bringing to church a week from Sunday, and I’d better come at least once before I bring her.” Her chuckle was wonderful to hear. We knew that a lot of prayers were being answered in remarkable ways.

That Sunday, Debbie Turnbull came to church, and she brought Jamie, Wendy, and Devon with her. The following Sunday, she brought her friend Susan Nykiforuk and Susan’s two daughters, and the next Sunday Susan’s third daughter and a son also came. They made arrangements to be taught the missionary discussions, and a miracle began to unfold.

Susan and her four children, as well as Jamie Turnbull and a young couple, were baptized into the branch that month. Our hearts were full. We could see Heavenly Father’s hand in the miracle in the Thompson Branch, and we eagerly look forward to the day when the goal of its members to become the Thompson Ward, and then the Thompson Stake, will be realized.