A New Feeling

Lina Persson, who joined the Church in 2013 in southern Sweden, had a strong desire to share the gospel with others. As she sought opportunities to share, she recognized the help she received from the Holy Ghost in her efforts. “I could feel so much love,” she said. “It was a really strong feeling of peace.”

One day she received a friend request on Facebook from Mattias Krekula, a young man she had never met. In a direct message, Lina asked Mattias who he was and why he had sent her a friend request. Mattias could not recall sending the request, but the two began messaging each other. Eventually, Lina asked him what he knew about the Church.

Mattias, who was raised atheist and saw no need for religion in his life, did not respond, and the conversation ended.

Later that year, Lina received a spiritual prompting that she should message Mattias again. “No way,” she thought to herself. The prompting continued for several days, but Lina resisted, nervous about resuming contact. Finally, two days before Christmas, she sent a simple message wishing him a Merry Christmas.

Mattias did not respond.

Lina was confused. “I had this feeling a long, long time, and he doesn’t even answer?” she thought. Certain she had been prompted, she tried again. “Hi. Are you there?” she typed. Mattias answered the following day, and, after messaging back and forth all day, Mattias made plans to fly to Lina’s hometown so the two could meet.

During the visit, Lina introduced Mattias to the missionaries. After his visit, Mattias contacted the missionaries near his home and continued to investigate the Church while his and Lina’s relationship continued to blossom. “My life before, I lived because I had to live,” Mattias said later. “And then when I met Lina and she told me about the Church, I felt a new feeling I never had before. I can’t describe the feeling; it was just wonderful.”

In March 2016, Mattias was baptized, and three months later he and Lina were married. The next year they were sealed in the Copenhagen Denmark Temple.

Having met on social media, it is not surprising that Lina’s and Mattias’s desire to share their happiness and the gospel found an outlet in that medium. Their Instagram and Facebook pages, “Swedish Latter-day Saints,” have garnered followers from all over the world. They have also established a YouTube channel featuring Latter-day Saint songs in English and Swedish. “I have a really huge happiness feeling inside of me,” Lina said, “and I realize that that feeling of happiness became even bigger when I tried to make others happy.” Mattias adds, “My life is so wonderful right now because Lina and I have the gospel and that’s everything I need.”