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Conversion Leads to an Eternal Family
When I arrived in the mission field, my first area was Juana Saltitopa in the Los Alcarrizos Stake in the Dominican Republic. With little knowledge of the Spanish language, my trainer and I worked with enthusiasm and good intentions to find, teach, and baptize.
During my first week in the area, I met Carlos and Arleny. Carlos had been attending church for a long time, but he usually went alone or with one or two of his three young children. Aleny wasn’t interested in the Church. Carlos had a brother who served as a bishop in a ward in New York in the United States who motivated and encouraged him to keep attending his meetings, hoping that one day Aleny would also accept the message of the Restoration of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
As missionaries, my companion and I struggled to help Arleny develop a strong enough testimony of the gospel to desire to be baptized. We taught her all the lessons and often read from the Book of Mormon with her. What helped the most was the support of an active family in the Church who lived nearby. They always accompanied us on our visits with Carlos and Arleny and bore strong testimonies of Jesus Christ and how the gospel is a blessing for families.
One day, we arrived at the couple’s home, accompanied by the family who had befriended them. During the lesson, Arleny realized she could not continue to deny the truthfulness of the message of Jesus Christ and that she wanted to be baptized immediately. In two weeks, Carlos and Arleny got married and prepared for their baptisms. Arleny called Carlos’s brother, who lived in the United States, and gave him the good news of her decision to be baptized. The brother bought a ticket and flew from New York to the Dominican Republic to baptize the couple on December 17, 2023. The next day, they were confirmed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, surrounded by their many Church friends.
Throughout my mission, I always kept in touch with Carlos and Arleny. They were given callings and served with great faith and dedication to the Lord. Members continued to visit them and helped them prepare to be sealed as an eternal family. Fourteen months after their baptism they told me they were going to be sealed in the temple on March 16, 2024, along with their three children.
I was able to accompany them as they received their endowments and support them during the sealing ceremony. It was a joy to see almost all the endowed members of the ward who had supported Carlos and Arleny throughout their gospel journey attend the temple with them. It was an unforgettable day. I could strongly feel the Holy Spirit during the ceremony.
What a blessing it is to have the hope that our families can be eternal through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I realized the importance of families in God’s plan and how important and necessary members are in missionary work.