Making Friends:
Growing in Faith—
Yondonjamts of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

By Don L. Searle and Julie Wardell

Church Magazines

Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could not teach the gospel to the people of Mongolia until 1993. Under communist rule from the 1920s until 1990, Mongolians were discouraged from participating in a religion. Today 10-year-old Yondonjamts and his father, Bayartsengel; his mother, Gantsetseg; his brother, Monkhsaihan, 14; and his sister, Bolor-Erdene, 16, are grateful they could become members of the Church.

Faithful Prayers, Baptism, and the Priesthood

Before Yondonjamts was baptized and confirmed, he prayed constantly that his father would join the Church too. He was very thankful when his father decided to be baptized. After his baptism and confirmation, Yondonjamts knew it was important for him to prepare to become a deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood. It was also important for his father to receive the priesthood. This young man prayed often that his father would receive the priesthood, and he did. Everyone in the family agrees that Yondonjamts is a faithful young man who knows the importance of prayer.

Forever Family

Just more than a year after his dad was baptized and confirmed, the family traveled to the Hong Kong China Temple. Yondonjamts was glad his family was sealed in the temple so they can be a forever family. While at the temple, he asked that a woman’s name be put on the prayer roll so people in the temple could pray for her. He was concerned about her injured leg, and he was grateful when she got better.

His Favorite Things to Do

1. Play basketball.

2. Draw.

3. Make finger puppets.

4. Go to church.

5. Eat rice soup and grapes.

6. Visit the east side of the city.

School

A fourth-grader, Yondonjamts likes math and origami (folding paper into shapes). He is studying English and Mongolian in school. His favorite book is The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. His mother says he is a good student who is very obedient. The school is just a five-minute walk from his home.

Family Home Evening

In family home evening, the family reads the scriptures, acts out plays, sings songs, does Church history quizzes, and eats treats. Yondonjamts enjoys reading in the Book of Mormon about Alma praying for his son to learn the truth and repent. Yondonjamts likes the fact that Alma the Younger did repent and change his life (see Mosiah 27:8–31).

Preparing for a Mission

Yondonjamts wants to serve a mission someday. He is preparing to be a missionary by praying, reading the scriptures, attending his Church meetings, and trying to be faithful and righteous. He is also taking piano lessons. Because the weather in Mongolia is very cold in the winter, a mission in Hawaii appeals to him.

Where in the World Is Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia?

Mongolia is a mountainous country located between China and Russia. Ulaanbaatar is the capital.

Primary

It takes the family about 20 minutes to travel by bus to attend the Bayanzurkh Branch. In Primary, Yondonjamts likes singing and listening to the music. He enjoys sharing time too.

Photographs by Don L. Searle

Illustrations by Thomas S. Child

Yondonjamts’s school