Our Missionary Friends

Every Member a Missionary

A Happy Neighbor

One day while seven-year-old Ramsey was playing with his friend, two missionaries knocked on the door and were invited in to talk to his friend’s family. Ramsey was so excited about what the two elders said that he asked them to come over to his house and talk to his parents too.

Ramsey’s family were also impressed with the message of the missionaries and invited them back again and again to teach them more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Soon Ramsey’s parents and his two older brothers were baptized members of the Church. The next year Ramsey had his happiest birthday. He was old enough to be baptized too! (Ohio-West Virginia Mission)

Words of Wisdom

A-Pui’s face was bruised and swollen. He had three teeth missing and a bandage on his chin. Four days before Fast Sunday, he fell off a bicycle. But during the meeting he stood and bore his testimony that he knew that God lives and answers prayers. His beautiful spirit touched the hearts of many others that day.

Even before A-Pui joined the Church, he was always eager to help the missionaries in Hong Kong. His older brother and two older sisters were baptized first and then A-Pui became a member.

Now A-Pui and his brother and sisters have accepted the challenge of helping their parents learn more about the gospel so that they too might become members of the Church. The missionaries in Hong Kong feel sure they will be successful!

Something Beautiful

One day Julie Ann Christensen, 12, of Arcadia, California, went to visit her friend Lori Bontempo who had just moved across the street. The Bontempo family were sitting around the kitchen table talking about different religions, so Julie told them about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When everyone began to question her about the doctrines of the Church, Julie recited the Articles of Faith and explained something about each one. Everyone was amazed that such a young girl knew so much.

Julie later took them a copy of the Book of Mormon, and she explained that the missionaries would be glad to come and tell them more about the Church. On February 9, 1974, Paul, Carol, Lori, David, and their father and mother were baptized.

“Julie seemed to radiate something beautiful when she was talking to us about the Church,” Mr. Bontempo said. “She really has a special spirit about her.”

Strangers at the Door

On the evening of October 26, 1973, two missionaries in Kanazawa, Japan, felt an unusual spirit of warmth and peace as they went from house-to-house. They walked into a small garden and rang the buzzer at the Aburantani home.

Two children, Yuka and Tadakatsu, opened the sliding door. They were surprised to see two tall young men there. Tadakatsu ran back into the dining room. “There are strangers at the door,” he cried.

His older sister, Yuka, said quietly, “I think they are Americans.”

The children’s mother went to the door. The missionaries explained they were representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and asked if they could tell her family about it. She talked with her husband, and the missionaries were invited to return.

Yuka and Tadakatsu were eager to help their family prepare for baptism.

The wonderful night of baptism finally arrived. Tadakatsu’s dark eyes shone with happiness as he watched his mother and father and sister. Now he is counting the days until he is old enough to be baptized too!

A Primary Missionary

My name is Leeih Siu-Ling and I am a Latter-day Saint girl who lives in Hong Kong. Even though I have been a member of the Church only five months, I realize how important the gospel is and I want to share this happiness with my friends at school.

I decided to introduce one of my friends to the Church. I invited her to go to Primary with me. She said, “I go to Buddhist school so I can’t go to your church with you.”

I told her she would be welcome to go with me even though she was not a member of the Church, and she decided she would. She felt a warmth and happiness in our Heavenly Father’s house, and she said going to Primary made her want to keep all the commandments of our Father in heaven.

I tried to tell her about the gospel too, and so her faith grew stronger and stronger. Then she asked if she could hear the missionary discussions.

Now she and I go to Church meetings together!

Guess What?

My name is Philip Crook, and I am nine years old. I am the oldest of four children in my family. The others are Ricky, 7, and my sisters Janene, 5, and Kristene, 3.

Nearly three years ago we moved to Cheney, Washington, so my dad could go to college and get his degree. One of my friends named Kathy asked if I could attend Primary with her. My folks thought it would be all right, and after I had gone with her several times, the Primary president gave me the Book of Mormon. I learned about prayer in Primary and my parents let me say a blessing on our food when we ate.

The first time I was ever in a program was in a sacrament service. All of my family went to hear me. When the meeting was over, my dad looked at Mother and said, “Guess what! The missionaries want to tell us more about their church. We ought to let them come since everyone has been so nice to Philip and us.”

The missionaries came every week, and each time they left, my mother and dad would sit on the front steps talking long after dark.

After two months Mother wanted to join the Church but Dad felt he was not ready because he could not give up his pipe. But before long he did, and then they were baptized.

We do a lot as a family now. I often hear my folks say, “I don’t know what we ever did without the Church.”

Now when we have problems we know our Heavenly Father will help us to understand and solve them.