LDS in Nigeria 1: 1960-1980

From News of the Church,  Feb1980, "A Miracle Precedes the Messengers," Janet Brigham.

African Christians in Ghana (green) and Nigeria (orange) had been writing to the church since at least 1960, asking for more information, for "holy books," and for any opportunity to learn more about the Church. While I was in Nigeria, my hosts noted that the two most popular types of book that you can find everywhere and anywhere are religion and self-help (aka get rich). Visa problems kept the Church from sending representatives until August, and then Nov 1978. Within 14 months, there were 1700 converts.

And the friendliness of the people in Ghana and Nigeria compensates for other difficulties. The couples reported to President Spencer W. Kimball: “We have never been anywhere in the world where it is so easy to engage a stranger in gospel discussion—opportunities [are] at every hand. One need not go from door-to-door—just have your tracts ready. Even busy people walking on the street will stop and talk. Workmen on construction jobs carry the tracts in hand for long periods of time. If you go by an hour or so later, it isn’t unusual to see them reading” (see Ensign, May 1979, p. 106).

The first missionary couples found a people who had been heavily prepared in many ways to receive the gospel:

Africans learned of the Church from other Africans who had studied in the United States. They came across some missionary pamphlets. No one now knows how those pamphlets got to Africa in the 1950s—but the effect was remarkable. Many who read them recognized the truth. Then—independent of each other and without knowledge of the other’s actions—several groups of blacks in both Nigeria and Ghana started their own religious organizations, patterned after the Church. However, visa problems prevented representatives being sent to officially establish the Church.

The groups built small meeting-houses and met regularly. They copied organization, doctrines, songs, and titles after the Church, as much as they were able to discern from the literature they received. Occasionally they had contact with members of the Church visiting Africa.

The Africans even proselyted. One man, after a stirring spiritual experience, “was constrained by [the] Spirit to go from street to street … to deliver the message which we had read from the Book of Mormon and from the pamphlets.” Despite some “persecutions” and sometimes being labeled as an “anti-Christ organization,” the “missionaries” were undaunted. 

“We persisted with the word and won forty people that day even to the admiration of the Muslims around,” one man reports.

Among the many letters sent to Church headquarters asking for more light and knowledge was this on

"We here are the true sons of God, but colour makes no difference in the service of Our Heavenly Father and Christ. The Spirit of God calls us to abide by this church and there is nothing to keep us out.”

The author of that letter, Anthony Obinna, was later to become the first black western African baptized and called as branch president.

What is your daddy like?

I gave Hyrum and M the same lesson for family home evening and for home teaching. As part of that, I drew an implicit analogy between their fathers and our Heavenly Father. I first asked a series of questions about their fathers I figured they could answer, then the same questions about God.

The answers I got were not quite what I expected.

Hyrum's:
What is faith? "In the Lord!"  [We had a short discussion about faith in Jesus]

Who is your daddy? [point at me]
Where does your daddy live? "At home."
What is your daddy like? Tell me about your daddy. "Daddy's home."  --- coming home from Nigeria was clearly a highlight of his life.
Mommy tried to help me: What does Daddy look like? "Sunday." --- Yes, I was in a white shirt still.

Who is God? "Jesus!"  [We had a short discussion about the Godhead]
Where does God live? "In Heaven."
What is God like? "He likes it when we pray to Him."



M's answers:
Who is your daddy? [point at her dad]
Where does your daddy live? [points at her heart.] He lives in your heart? [Flustered, she points at the floor.] He lives on the floor? [She whispers to Mommy that he lives here.] Yes, he lives here.
What is your daddy like? "Spicy food!" [We all bust out laughing.] "Daddy likes spicy food."

Who is God? "Jesus!"  [I'm beginning to see a pattern here. We all talk about it.]
Where does God live?  [points up] The ceiling? "He lives in the sky."
Her mother asks what that place in the sky is called. [ponders] "The Kingdom of Heaven."
What is God like? [points at her daddy] "All in white." [She then confers in a whisper with her mother that God is good and that He loves her.]

Conversations with a Toddler

"Mommy, feed me breakfast."
Hyrum, will you feed me breakfast?
"Mommy, feed ME breakfast."
Yes. I will feed you breakfast. Then will you feed me breakfast?
"No. You can make breakfast for yourself."
O-ho-ho! And when will you be able to make breakfast for yourself?
"... When I'm five. But I'm three."

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Today Hyrum spelled out "Toy Story Mania," "Buzz," "Woody," and "Rex" phonetically before running out of O's to do "Slinky Dog"

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Hy and Mommy played "The Book of Mormon Challenge" today, Hyrum winning handily both times. Even though he had won, he insisted Mommy also finish the game and make it to Heaven.

When Mommy landed on the square that says "You forgot to pray," she told Hyrum that they really had forgotten to pray. They set the board aside and prayed. Then Hyrum told Mommy she didn't have to lose a turn because now she had prayed.

Comment on the road to Damascus

Pres. Uchtdorf spoke about us "waiting on the road to Damascus" for a Paul-like heavenly manifestation that wipes out our doubt. He commented, among other things, that we gain a knowledge of truth by living it and moving forward, that answers come on our feet as often as on our knees.

I note that when Saul was on the road to Damascus, he was on his feet, doing the things he believed God wanted him to do. It was in that circumstance that God turned him around.

Helping in the Vineyard

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has given us a new way to serve and build up the kingdom. "Helping in the Vineyard" is currently a limited edition beta effort to crowd-source various tasks that will help the Church get the word out. More tasks will be added over time, I gather. At the moment you can (and I just did)

• Upload and/or tag photos and videos
• Proofread Church materials
• Translate materials to/from a variety of languages
• Help with family history

You sign in with your LDS Account (those of you in the Ithaca Ward, if you aren't set up yet, talk to me and I'll help you get set up) and select which jobs you are interested in and any foreign languages you speak. Any time you want, you can log in and it'll give you the next item they need help with.

I tagged a number of scenic pictures, mostly rocky, wave-crashing shorelines. I made sure that a number of paragraphs from the Ensign had been scanned properly, adjusted a Spanish language Primary manual's paging on using our talents, and proofread a German language lesson  manual on revelation. I translated instructions for the new FamilySearch website into German.

The crowd-sourcing is a particularly good idea for the translating, and they have a good system set up. You can vote on the translations of your fellow helpers to help confirm that a particular translation is accurate or offer your own edition. Once a threshold number of positive votes are scored, the page is approved. There are helps available throughout of approved terms, similar phrases that have been translated elsewhere, and a Google translation to help you out. You can also sign in to be notified when changes have been made.

I recommend it as a nice way to get in a few minutes of service easily - particularly for my insomniacally-inclined friends and family. Matt 20: "The harvest  truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." Jacob 5: "Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare  the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good and the most precious above all other fruit. ... the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few. And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come."

Family Home Evening this week

I taught Hyrum about the counsel in Heaven today. He did not have good looks for Satan. Then we had put Satan in the forest and that is where he usually likes to put his little spirit person (I have told the part of the story in flannel about us living in heaven and being children of God previously) and he didn't want to put his spirit person in the forest with Satan. Good boy! We removed Satan from Heaven and Hyrum happily went about with his pretend heaven play. He is a great kid and was very willing to say that we should follow Jesus :D

Book Review: Understanding the Book of Mormon

For Christmas I got Grant Hardy's Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide. It came recommended by Bushman, a name I respect even if I haven't read his work yet, and looked like a different kind of scriptural study than I had done before. Hardy was the chief editor of the Reader's Edition of the Book of Mormon published a few years ago, so he is intimately familiar with it and its structure in ways few others are.

I like it overall and there are several parts of it that I'm going to take particular note of and jot in my own scriptures; but it also has some pretty large flaws (to my way of thinking) that prevent me from universally recommending it. In this post I'm going to talk about the book itself and in another I'll stick to specific things he talks about that I want to comment on or remember.

Hyrum really really sings

I know I've reported on Hyrum's progress in learning how to sing and called it Hyrum sings. Today he really did it!

He is currently enamored of the Hallelujah Chorus and Hark All Ye Nations, both with fairly recognizable rhythms. Today at church Hyrum ran up to a random member and sang, "Dun dun da-dun dun! Dun dun da-dun!" The fellow looked at Hy for a moment, and responded with the next line of the song, also in dun-duns. Hyrum looked very happy and ran off again.

In other cute news, Joy and Hyrum walked in to the chapel as the bishop was welcoming everyone. Hyrum looked up at him and said, "Hello." The bishop was surprised, but recovered quickly and welcomed Hyrum in particular, "Hello, Hyrum."

The number one part of going home or being at home is the Christmas tree lights. He just wnats to see the lights and talk about the lights and touch the lights and put toys in the lights (or talk about Mario - tonight the Angel Mario visited Mary, who then visited her cousin Peach who gave birth to baby Luigi. The Angel Gabriel visited Joseph Smith instead.)

I Thank Thee Dear Father

At some point, Hyrum transferred our requirement that he eat five different foods at a meal in order to get a cookie into praying for "five things" before he can say Amen. He starts most prayers like this, "Dear Father Heaven, thank Thee for five things" and waits for me to show him my closed fingers ready to count off whatever his precious little heart is thankful for. After five, I will prompt him "Please" and he closes, "Please bless me be good, be happy, Jesus Christ Amen" in varying degrees of understandability, speed, and volume.

What is Hyrum thankful for?
Most frequently some combination of:
MommyDaddy [we're a packaged set]
this morning with Pop and Boo
Buzz, Woody, and/or Bob the Builder [usually in a set]
Marioparty, Disney SingIt, or any other Wii or board game he played that day
Cookie or Halloween candy

And on occasion:
Steve and Emie [if we've been visiting]
bowling and strikes [last night for Joy's birthday]
various songs he loves
Buzz, Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, Ham, Rex....
pajamas
Petersons
Toby train
numbers
General Conference
church or his tie
Family fun time
Muppets
potty stickers

In one prayer he was thankful for: Toy Story, Toys, 2, 3, 4....

This morning after we read about the Sermon on the Mount and what Jesus said about prayer, I sang "I Kneel to Pray" to him. He joined me in singing the entire second verse laying out the prayer. It was most impressive.

A morning with Hyrum

Hyrum likes reading his Shel Silverstein "pooms." His new favorite is the Crocodile and the Dentist.

Today Hy is wearing orange and there's a Tigger on his pants, so he isn't running everywhere. He's going "boing boing boing!" and running into things more.

We read about Jesus getting baptized today. I asked him, "Do you want to be baptized?"
"No," he says.
Uhoh. Patience ... "Why not?"
"I want to stay here."
Oh. "Do you want to be baptized when you're eight?"
"Yes."
Oh good.

While reading about John the Baptist, Hy made some unusual connections. I read that people asked John how they should live.
"Like Pinnochio!"
?? He said they should keep the commandments, tell the truth, and
"Like Pinnochio in the cage! Tell the truth."
Yes, Hyrum, just like Pinnochio in the cage. *ahem* John the Baptist was a prophet of God.
"Like Pinnochio!"
No, Hyrum, not like Pinnochio.

Bednar on Balance

From a fireside in Ogden this Sunday, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles shared:

First, Elder Bednar posed the question "How do you obtain balance?"
"Somehow, someway, we find that there is this desire for optimum equilibrium where there is this perfect harmony and balance in life," he said. "I have figured out a few things. You can really only do one thing at a time. And, if you are only doing one thing everything else is being neglected. Therefore, can you at any moment ever be in perfect harmony? The answer is no."

On the many demands on our time:

When you say no to something that is nice but not necessary, ultimately you are saying yes to something that is essential.

Unless of course you are saying yes to something completely inconsequential but entertaining. He also addressed revelation, dating (get rid of the lists of what other people should be and focus on lists of what you want to become), and his testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Recitation: Doc & Cov 101:16

For those who don't speak toddler, that's

"Doctrine and Covenants 101:16 says, 'Therefore let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God."

We've explained to him that when we remember that God is our Father and that He loves us, we can have peace and be still even when things aren't going well.

Next up: John 3:16 (Why he's learning this)

One person's faith vs anti-Mormon literature

The person is Greg Smith. Last year he explained to a conference of people interested in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that at one point in his life someone had thrown some anti-Mormon literature at him. He had to figure out what he was going to do about it. Below the fold is most of what he said about his personal journey to find answers.

In short, his prayed that he would trust God and not leave Him, then asked if following up a line of serious research and study on the question would damaging to his spiritual life. His spiritual life and commitment couldn't wait the years it would take to answer his questions thoroughly. So he had to make a choice first and trust God for the rest. It was a consecration of his mind. He testifies that that particular prayer was answered and that the results of his further prayer and study have more than repaid him for any sacrifice he might have offered along the way. The bottom line is: Do you trust Father?

A resurrection

Some of you may remember Hyrum's fascination with Fantasia 2000. For a while, Pomp and Circumstance (Duck Song), Carnival of the Animals (Yo-Yo Song), Pines of Rome (Whale Song), and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (Firebird Song) were all that were played around here. During church one Sunday when we kept him reverent by drawing pictures of cars for him, he asked me to draw Firebird.

Then one day he got scared of the Firebird. He started whimpering during it. He would say "No no no" when she got near the volcano (smart boy!). He started saying no only when the music was playing. It really fell out of favor.

It fell so far out of favor, I took it off the play list. It's not even there.

But on Sundays the play list is a little shorter, particular for the cartoons we watch after his daily scripture clip on TV. So I offer Duck Song or Firebird or VeggieTales or the Choir or something else. Today he wanted Firebird.

Are you sure? You want Firebird? "Yes, I want watch Firebird." Okay. I guess I'm glad Joy is in the shower....

We sat on the couch and I held him, stroking his hair as she neared the volcano. I told him, "Now you remember his eyes are going to pop out, right?" He didn't even jump or blink when the firebird showed. He didn't cower. He didn't hold my hand. His breathing didn't change (an attentive father am I) as the firebird ravaged the land and killed everything in sight. He didn't flinch at all when he ate the spring spirit! Dude.

Then he said, "again."

What?

"Firebird again. Go back." Well that's a new phrase.

I went back and we watched the firebird jump out and devour everything ... again. He was very calm. He asked for it yet again, but I said, no, let's finish watching it. And as ever the spring spirit is resurrected and restores the land to health and life, fulfilling the cycle of "Life, Death, and Renewal" Angela Lansbury introduces. A beautiful testimony of the power of the Savior's Atonement and Resurrection.

He's asked for it all day long. I'm not sure what happened, but ... It's baa-ack.

Hyrum recites 1:1

At stake conference in my parents' ward, we heard the son of a general authority praise his mother for being a strict scriptorian. ... unless that's scriptorienne. In either case, he urged us all to begin memorizing scriptures post haste.

I realized this would be an ideal way to teach Hyrum. He enjoys repetition like nothing else, so our family fun time now includes a brief scripture recitation. ... But where to start? I know!

After one week, here is our 2.5 year old reciting his first memorized scripture with something not far from glee. [Blogspot is still having problems with videos. Hope this works.]

For those of you who don't speak toddler [Mommy needed to hear it twice], that's the first article of faith "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." The first take was pretty hilarious. He said, "We believe in God the Eternal let me see the pictures please" as he reached out for the camera. The camera has a silent mode, but I prefer calling it the stealth mode: he performs much better when he doesn't know he's being preserved.

We think the next few will be short statements about each member of the Godhead. Not sure which we'll do for the Father [Mos 4:9? 2N 2:24? Matt 6:9-10?], but John 3:16 and John 14:26 are likely to be the next two. Section 130:22 may feature in there somewhere too. We'll see. There are so many good scriptures to choose from! Especially if you include short statements from longer passages.

Not that there's any rush. It's just exciting.

LDS in Europe

Pres. Monson's involvement with my former missionary stomping grounds is fairly well known. I did not know about Elder Nelson's responsibilities:

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve currently has "first contact responsibility" for the First Presidency over Europe — an assignment he first received a quarter century ago when open borders, recognition of religions and allowance of missionary work were unthinkable.
He recalled the first meeting of the First Presidency and the Twelve after President Benson succeeded President Kimball after the latter's passing in November 1985. At the meeting, the twelve apostles were given their new worldwide supervisory assignments.
"They started at the senior end of the circle and got around to the junior end where I was and said 'Brother Nelson, your assignment is to be in charge of the church in Europe and Africa, with a specific assignment to open all the countries that are now under the yoke of communism,' " he said.
"I'll never forget that day."

I bet he won't! You want me to move which mountain where?

Upon receiving the assignment, Elder Nelson made two lists of European countries — one of nations where the church was then established, and one where it wasn't. "There were more countries where it was not established than where it had been established, even though we as a church had been in Europe for 150 years," he said.
... "Brother Oaks and I told President Benson before he died (on May 30, 1994) that the assignment given me in 1985 was now completed, with the church established in every country in Europe."

As Pres. Monson said in 08, let's go move some more mountains!

There remain, however, areas of the world where our influence is limited and where we are not allowed to share the gospel freely. As did President Spencer W. Kimball over 32 years ago, I urge you to pray for the opening of those areas, that we might share with them the joy of the gospel. As we prayed then in response to President Kimball’s pleadings, we saw miracles unfold as country after country, formerly closed to the Church, was opened. Such will transpire again as we pray with faith.

A Baptism

One day at church, I was surprised to see a colleague with the sister missionaries. She was surprised and delighted to find a familiar face amidst a sea of unfamiliarity. She and her family had visited Temple Square where a sister had told them about eternal families and their hearts were touched by the Holy Spirit. They asked to know more.

I joined her and the missionaries when they met together; I stopped by her office occasionally to talk about religion and food policy; Joy and I had her over to dinner and she returned the favor. It soon became apparent that the question was not whether or not she would discover the truth of the gospel but when she would realize she already knew. Other members stepped in to support, answer questions, and befriend.

Then came the happy day when she declared that she had learned through prayer that Jesus Christ had spoken to Joseph Smith and called him as a prophet, that the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, and that this is God's church on earth. She asked me to baptize and confirm her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This was a glorious and beautiful day to me. Though there were people I had taught as a missionary in Germany who were eventually baptized, I had not gone into the water to baptize anyone before. (In fact, even if one of them had asked me to do it, I would have tried to give the honor and the connection to a local member who would stay in the area longer than I.) It was a deep honor and an answer to over a decade of prayer.

The day of the baptism (the 14th) was a beautiful one. It felt like being at the temple. The bishop mentioned he had never been to a more Spirit-ually charged baptism. Her faith and courage are amazing. She is almost certain to face persecution for her choice among friends and other colleagues. But she stood valiantly and declared her willingness to answer to any person why she believes in the gospel. Many people were moved. Hyrum hasn't stopped talking about it either. How supremely thankful I am that we're still in Ithaca so that I could be there to be one part of supporting one of God's children, whom He had clearly prepared long before this to accept the truth when it was presented to her.

My clever Dad: Fractured Proverbs

From my dad's Sunday School lesson -- he'll tell you the wrong proverb, you come up with the right form.

a. Debt goeth before destruction.
b. Train up a show dog in the way he should go.
c. To every thing there is a mass, and an atomic number to every atom under the heaven.
d. CAST thy socks upon the washer: for thou shalt find it after many days.
e. A good lawyer turneth away wrath.
f. For as blood pumpeth in his heart, so is he

LDS urban legends: Cain

From the FAIR:

The notion that Cain somehow lived on, survived the Flood, and roams the earth today, is based on a single claim of David W. Patten supposedly meeting “a very strange personage,” dark and hairy, who “was a wanderer in the earth and and traveled to and fro.” (Thus managing to tie Cain to another popular urban legend: Bigfoot.)
This account was published in a biography of Patten written by Lycurgus Wilson in 1900. Wilson had a letter from Abraham Smoot giving his recollection of what Patten said. In historical parlance this is what is called a late, third-hand account—the sort of thing most historians would dismiss. This kind of testimony is simply unreliable, tainted by the passage of time and the fog of memory.
The story probably would have been forgotten if then-Elder Spencer W. Kimball hadn’t included it on pages 127–28 of The Miracle of Forgiveness. Kimball’s book has become a staple of Mormon reading, the book that many bishops give to members struggling with sin and many mission presidents assign their missionaries to read.
The passage where Kimball quotes Wilson is ... almost as a passing idea, “an interesting story” about Cain.
And so, quite innocently, Spencer W. Kimball perpetuated a Mormon myth that could (and should) have died out long ago.

Science and Religion sounding similar

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Marilynne Robinson
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

STEWART (at 2:52 in the above clip): I’ve always been fascinated that the more you delve into science, the more it appears to rely on faith. You know, when they start to speak about the universe, they say,
‘Well, actually most of the universe is anti-matter.’
‘Oh really? Where’s that?’
‘Well, you can’t see it.’
‘Well where is it?’
‘It’s there.’
‘Well can you measure it?’
‘We’re working on it.’

And it’s a very similar argument to someone who would say,
‘Well, God created everything.’
‘Well where is he?’
‘He’s there.’

Hat tip.