Thanksgiving Day came and went here in Belize. Even though it's an American holiday, it was fun to celebrate it in Belize with the missionaries. We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, cranberry sauce, jello, rolls, and a yummy pumpkin crunch dessert. Where's the turkey, you ask? He didn't show up, so we had chicken instead and pretended like it was turkey.
Before our meal we watched, "In the Spirit of Thanksgiving". The video has random people on the Streets of New York City responding to one simple question: What are you thankful for?
After we watched the video we shared what we were thankful for. We all agreed that missionary service is on the top of our list of blessings this year.
We enjoyed getting pictures of where our children spent Thanksgiving this year without us. They were with different family and friends (from left to right) in Idaho, Montana, Utah, and California.
Speaking of being thankful to be a missionary, Elder Mérida's shoes tells it all of what it means to dedicate his life--well, two years of it (and his shoes) to serve our brothers and sisters here in Belize.
As we visit people we invite them to read the Book of Mormon. It is a second witness of Jesus Christ. I took a photo of one woman's open Book of Mormon, who we're teaching. She started reading it in September and is a diligent studier. It's the only book of scripture that contains a promise to the reader of how to learn of it's truthfulness, found in Moroni 10:4-5.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
Sometimes missionary work is a gas. Here, Elder Magnusson is moving the empty butane tank out to be filled. All residences in Belize have tanks for fuel. Ours lasted four months. We're just glad it ran out the day after Thanksgiving!
This morning during Sunday School Class Elder Magnusson taught about the #LightTheWorld initiative. Mormon.org explains what it is about:
No season of the year shines as bright as Christmas—and the brightest light is Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Once again we celebrate His birth by making Christmastime a season of service. Join us this year as we learn His teachings and follow His example to #LightTheWorld.
This Christmas season, how will you #LightTheWorld? Start today at mormon.org to learn how you can be like the Savior, Jesus Christ. Serve as He did helping light the way for others. So, I will echo the words from mormon.org. How will you #LightTheWorld this Christmas season AND all year long?
We were able to go to the Mérida Mexico Temple this weekend with 42 other members of the Belize District. As I anticipated the trip, I thought about a General Conference talk given by Elder Holland several years ago where he talked about members from the most southern town in Chile and their experience of attending the Santiago Chile Temple. Elder Holland describes the location of the stake where this story takes place as the "Church’s southernmost stake anywhere on this planet". Here is Elder Holland's description of their experience taken from the April 2004 General Conference:
The Punta Arenas Chile Stake is the Church’s southernmost stake anywhere on this planet, its outermost borders stretching toward Antarctica. Any stake farther south would have to be staffed by penguins. For the Punta Arenas Saints it is a 4,200-mile round-trip bus ride to the Santiago temple. For a husband and wife it can take up to 20 percent of an annual local income just for the transportation alone. Only 50 people can be accommodated on the bus, but for every excursion 250 others come out to hold a brief service with them the morning of their departure.
Pause for a minute and ask yourself when was the last time you stood on a cold, windswept parking lot adjacent to the Strait of Magellan just to sing with, pray for, and cheer on their way those who were going to the temple, hoping your savings would allow you to go next time? One hundred ten hours, 70 of those on dusty, bumpy, unfinished roads looping out through Argentina’s wild Patagonia. What does 110 hours on a bus feel like? I honestly don’t know, but I do know that some of us get nervous if we live more than 110 miles from a temple or if the services there take more than 110 minutes. While we are teaching the principle of tithing to, praying with, and building ever more temples for just such distant Latter-day Saints, perhaps the rest of us can do more to enjoy the blessings and wonder of the temple regularly when so many temples are increasingly within our reach.
Well, it turns out that we didn't spend 110 hours on a bus....our experience wasn't quite that long. We did travel 650 miles round trip which took us 24 hours of traveling time. We left our house on Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm. We returned home Saturday night at 10:00 pm. That is 30 hours that we were gone. During that 30 hours we were either on a bus (trying to sleep), going through immigration, transferring buses between Belize and Mexico, eating at a roadside diner at 2:00 a.m., buying ice cream from a street vendor in Mérida and, of course, we were 6 hours in the temple.
The temple is the House of the Lord. In it we truly felt our Heavenly Father's love for us, His children. Mormon.org describes the temple as: "A quiet, holy place where we can seek answers to prayers, reflect on life and its priorities, and learn eternal truths about the purpose of our time here on earth."
Elder and Sister Adams wrote a detailed description of what went on in a previous Belize District Mérida Temple trip on their blog, with additional photos. You can read about their experience by clicking here.
The top two pictures are of our group as we drove through Belize on a school bus to the border. The bottom picture is the bus we took from Chetumal, Mexico north to Mérida.
The next day we got up early to catch the water taxi, where we attended branch conference in the San Pedro Branch. As we and a member family returned to the wharf after the Sunday service to catch the boat for home, we were greeted by this beautiful rainbow. I looked at the rainbow as a beautiful ending to a wonderful weekend.
This is a picture of the sunset that we saw from our boat ride home.
On November 15th our church posted this video and commentary on mormonnewsroom.org. We are grateful to belong to a church that reaches out to aid others in their time of need.
In response to the generous help given following a series of recent unprecedented catastrophes, President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, expressed his gratitude. “In the midst of this suffering, people throughout the world have rallied to come to the aid of their brothers and sisters,” he said in representing the First Presidency. Following a rash of hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, famine and mudslides, members and friends of the Church have responded by giving generously of their time and resources to provide relief in their communities and across the globe. Hundreds of thousands have lost their homes, their belongings and in some cases even their loved ones through the tragic effects of natural disasters and conflict...
Yesterday morning we were able to welcome into the world Magnusson grandbaby #5. Janelle and Dave's newborn son-- a future missionary-- is doing well and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome this new little one into our family!
On transfer day, Elder Magnusson went to the airport to welcome five missionaries to Belize City arriving from El Salvador. The words of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ to his apostles in Jerusalem came to mind, as recorded in the final verses of the book of Mark, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word..."
And now, this scene-- missionaries walking daily on airport tarmacs around the world-- is a literal fulfillment of our resurrected Lord's teaching when he visited the Americas, as recorded in the Book of Mormon: "And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day; even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people...among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home." (3 Nephi 21:26, 28)
Elder Magnusson took this picture at the Belize Airport
when he picked up the missionaries on Monday morning.
On the way into town we stopped for this photo op.
On Saturday, we paused to remember our family members who are serving and have served in the military as we celebrated Veteran's Day. (George Magnusson- U.S.N., Kiefer Harris-U.S.A.F. and Bryce Jeppson, U.S.M.C.) It was fun to hear about Lisa's school honoring the family members of students and staff who who have served. The librarian collected the photos of the family members and made a beautiful Power Point with their pictures and music. Lisa said it was neat to watch the middle schoolers applaud to each picture. So, to all you veterans out there, remember the students at Butler Middle School are cheering you on!
Yesterday, we joined the sister missionaries in teaching this family in Corozal. The lesson they needed came from the Book of Mormon in Lehi's vision of the tree of life and it's fruit (the love of God to us, which is Jesus Christ), and continually holding fast to the iron rod.
You can read Elder David Bednar's interpretation of Lehi's vision of the tree of life found in 1 Nephi 8 by clicking here.
Another wonderful experience this past week was when we were able to show this film about the true story of the Italian pastor, Vincenzo di Francesca, and his finding a copy of the Book of Mormon in 1910, that had no cover nor title page. His subsequent discovery of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was powerfully portrayed in this 1987 film. I remember being touched by the story when I first saw the movie. I continue to be touched each time I watch it.
You can also see the video by clicking here and and going to 22:45
The story that follows is Brother di Francesca’s account of his remarkable conversion. It is taken from an article in the May 1968 Improvement Era, pages 4–7; from the Deseret News, Church Section, 28 February 1951, pages 12–13; and from a letter that Brother di Francesca wrote to Ortho R. Fairbanks. The letter, currently in the Church archives, is the only known account by the author in English of his forty-year struggle to join the Church.
As I think back to the events in my life leading to a cold morning in New York City in February 1910, I cannot escape the feeling that God had been mindful of my existence. That morning the caretaker of the Italian chapel delivered a note to me from the pastor. He was ill in bed and wished me to come to his house, as he had important matters to discuss regarding the affairs of the parish.
As I walked down Broadway, the strong wind from the open sea moved the pages of a book lying on a barrel full of ashes. The form of the pages and the binding gave me the idea that it was a religious book. Curiosity pushed me to approach it. I picked it up and beat it against the barrel to knock off the ashes. It was printed in the English idiom, but when I looked to the frontispiece, I found it was torn away.
The fury of the wind turned the pages, and I hastily read Alma, Mosiah, Mormon, Moroni, Isaiah, Lamanites—except for Isaiah, all were names I had never before heard. I wrapped the book in a newspaper I had bought nearby and continued my walk toward the pastor’s house.
After a few words of comfort there, I took accord of what I should do for him. On the way home, I wondered who the people with the strange names might be. And who was this Isaiah? Was he the one in the Bible or some other Isaiah?
At home, I seated myself before the window, anxious to know what was printed in the book. As I turned the torn pages and read the words of Isaiah, I was convinced that it was a religious book that talked of things to come. But unknown was the name of the church that taught such doctrine, because the cover and frontispiece had been stripped off. The declaration of the witnesses gave me confidence that it was a true book.
I then bought twenty cents’ worth of denatured alcohol and some cotton at the neighborhood drugstore and began cleaning the pages. For several hours I read the remainder of the pages, which gave me light and knowledge and left me charmed to think of the source from which this fresh revelation had come. I read and reread, twice and twice again, and I found it fit to say that the book was a fifth gospel of the Redeemer.
At the end of the day, I locked the door of my room, knelt with the book in my hands, and read chapter ten of the book of Moroni. I prayed to God, the Eternal Father, in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, to tell me if the book were of God, if it were good and true, and if I should mix its words with the words of the four gospels in my preaching.
I felt my body become cold as the wind from the sea. Then my heart began to palpitate, and a feeling of gladness, as of finding something precious and extraordinary, bore consolation to my soul and left me with a joy that human language cannot find words to describe. I had received the assurance that God had answered my prayer and that the book was of greatest benefit to me and to all who would listen to its words.
I continued my services in the parish, but my preaching was tinged with the new words of the book. The members of my congregation were so interested that they became dissatisfied with my colleagues’ sermons. When members began leaving the chapel during their sermons and remained when I occupied the pulpit, my colleagues became angry with me.
The beginning of real discord began Christmas Eve, 1910. In my sermon that evening, I told the story of the birth and mission of Jesus Christ as given in my new book. When I had finished, some of my colleagues publicly contradicted all I had said. They denounced me and turned me over to the Committee of Censure for disciplinary action.
When I appeared before this committee, the members gave what they supposed to be fatherly advice. They counseled me to burn the book, which they said was of the devil, since it had caused so much trouble and had destroyed the harmony of the pastoral brothers. I replied, “I will not burn the book because of the fear of God. I have asked him if it were true, and my prayer was answered affirmatively and absolutely, which I feel again in my soul as I defend his cause now.” I felt then that the day would come when the book would be no more unknown to me and I would be able to enjoy the effects of the faith that led me to solemnly resist the Committee of Censure.
Not until 1914 was I once again brought before the council. The vice venerable spoke in a friendly tone, suggesting that the sharp words at the previous hearing may have provoked me, which was regrettable, since they all loved me. However, he said, I must remember that obedience is the rule and that I must burn the book.
I could not deny the words of the book nor burn it, since in so doing I would offend God. I said that I looked forward with joy to the time when the church to which the book belonged would be made known to me and I could become part of it. “Enough! Enough!” the vice venerable cried. He then read the decision, which was backed by the supreme synod three weeks later: I was to be stripped of my position as a pastor of the church and of every right and privilege I had previously enjoyed.
In November 1914, I was called into the Italian army and saw action in France. Once I related to some men in my company the story of the people of Ammon—how they had refused to shed the blood of their brothers and had buried their arms rather than be guilty of such great crimes. The chaplain reported me to the colonel, and the next day I was escorted to the colonel’s office. He asked me to tell him the story I had related. Then he asked how I had come into possession of the book. I received as punishment a ten-day sentence of bread and water, with the order that I was to speak no more of the book.
After the end of the war, I returned to New York, where I met an old friend, a pastor of my former church. He interceded for me with the synod, and I was finally admitted to the congregation as a lay member. As an experiment, it was agreed that I should accompany one of the pastors on a mission to New Zealand and Australia.
In Australia, we met some Italian immigrants who asked questions about the errors in some Bible translations. They were not satisfied with my companion’s answers. When they asked me about it, I once again told the story of Christ’s appearance to the people of America. When they asked me where I had learned such teachings, I told them of the book I had found. The story was sweet to them but bitter for my colleague. He reported me to the synod, and once again they cut me off from the church.
I returned to Italy shortly after. Then, in May 1930, while seeking in a French dictionary for some information, I suddenly saw the entry “Mormon.” I read the words carefully and found that a Mormon Church had been established in 1830 and that this church operated a university at Provo. I wrote to the university president, asking for information about the book and its missing pages. I received an answer two weeks later telling me that my letter had been passed on to the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On June 16, 1930, President Heber J. Grant answered my letter and sent a copy of the Book of Mormon in Italian. He informed me that he would also give my request to Elder John A. Widtsoe, president of the European Mission, with headquarters in Liverpool. A few days later, Elder Widtsoe wrote to me, sending me a pamphlet that contained the story of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the gold plates, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. At long last, I had learned the rest of the story of the torn book I had found on top of a barrel of ashes.
On June 5, 1932, Elder Widtsoe came to Naples to baptize me, but a revolution between the Fascists and anti-Fascists had broken out in Sicily, and the police at Palermo refused to let me leave the island. The following year, Elder Widtsoe asked me to translate the Joseph Smith pamphlet into Italian and to have 1,000 copies published. I took my translation to a printer, Joseph Gussio, who took the material to a Catholic bishop. The bishop ordered the printer to destroy the material. I brought suit against the printer, but all I received from the court was an order to him to return the original booklet.
When Elder Widtsoe was released as president of the mission in 1934, I started correspondence with Elder Joseph F. Merrill, who succeeded him. He arranged to send me the Millennial Star, which I received until 1940 when World War II interrupted the subscription.
In January 1937, Elder Richard R. Lyman, successor to President Merrill, wrote that he and Elder Hugh B. Brown would be in Rome on a certain day. I could meet them there and be baptized. However, the letter was delayed because of war conditions, and I did not receive it in time.
From 1940 until 1949, I was cut off from all news of the Church, but I remained a faithful follower and preached the gospel of the dispensation of the fulness of times. I had copies of the standard works, and I translated chapters into Italian and sent them to acquaintances with the greeting, “Good day. The morning breaks—Jehovah speaks!”
On February 13, 1949, I sent a letter to Elder Widtsoe at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. Elder Widtsoe answered my letter October 3, 1950, explaining that he had been in Norway. I sent him a long letter in reply in which I asked him to help me to be quickly baptized, because I felt that I had proven myself to be a faithful son and servant of God, observing the laws and commandments of his kingdom. Elder Widtsoe asked President Samuel E. Bringhurst of the Swiss-Austrian Mission to go to Sicily to baptize me.
On January 18, 1951, President Bringhurst arrived on the island and baptized me at Imerese. Apparently, this was the first baptism performed in Sicily.
When I came up out of the water, I said, “I have prayed daily for many years for this moment.” As President Bringhurst and his wife left, I shook their hands tenderly and told them, “My dear Brother and Sister Bringhurst—you can hardly imagine how sweet those words brother and sister are to me. I say them with a feeling of affection and appreciation that I have never before experienced, for I know that you have led me through the door that will eventually bring me back to my Heavenly Father, if I am faithful.”
On April 28, 1956, I entered the temple at Bern [Switzerland] and received my endowment. At last, to be in the presence of my Heavenly Father! I felt that God’s promise had been fully fulfilled—the day had come indeed when the book would be no more unknown to me and I would be able to enjoy the effects of my faith.
This is a beautiful picture of the sunrise on our way to Corozal Sunday morning.
The highlight of the week was visiting with some families here in Belize City and teaching them about our temples. Below is a short video that explains, "Temples are the houses of God on earth, holy places where we seek guidance and peace and become closer to our Father in Heaven."
You can also see the above video by clicking here.
To see a more detailed video about temples that we showed our friends, click here . The video features Elder William Walker giving a tour of the temple while explaining why temples are important to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Children hold a very special place in our hearts and it was a pleasure to be involved with them several times this week. On Thursday night we were able to attend a baptism for three young girls from Belize City. It brought back happy memories for me as I was also baptized this week, 53 years ago. You can see the girls are getting some words of wisdom from the Belize City branch president before they were baptized.
I wrote this on my Facebook wall about my memory of being baptized: "Happy 53rd anniversary to me. I was baptized on this very day, October 31 - 53 years ago. I am so glad I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My decision at age 8 has brought me a lifetime of peace and happiness."
On Wednesday night we attended a practice with the children of the Spanish branch as they prepare for their Sacrament meeting presentation to be held later this month. They know their songs very well and sing them with conviction.
On Sunday we were able to visit the Primary in San Pedro. Elder Magnusson enjoyed coloring pictures with the children about Heavenly Father's love for them after we sang "My Heavenly Father Loves Me".
On Sunday after attending church in San Pedro, it was a quick dash to the water taxi wharf in the rain for the one and a half hour boat ride home.
The time passed quickly as we talked to different passengers on the boat each way. On the way over I was able to share a For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet to a father of teenagers. He was excited that I offered to give the pamphlet to him so he could read it with his children.
On the way back I talked to a woman who was the president of the disabled non-profit group for Belize. (Belize Assembly for Persons with Diverse Abilities)
She was very excited when I told her about our church's humanitarian services that has helped people around the world by donating wheelchairs to communities in need. Our church's humanitarian webpage states:
20 million disabled people need wheelchairs but cannot obtain one. Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who operates LDS Charities, provides wheelchairs and walking aids to those in need who cannot afford one. The recipient’s mobility, employability, and independence are greatly increased. Last year, Humanitarian Services provided wheelchairs to 55,000 people in 48 countries. They included 430 wheelchairs to Kazakhstan, 1,484 wheelchairs to Vietnam, and 330 wheelchairs to Madagascar.
I'm excited to contact LDS Charities to see if they can help our brothers and sisters here in Belize. I told the woman I didn't think it was by chance that we sat by each other.
These experiences that we are having here on the mission remind me that our loving Heavenly Father is aware of all of His children and it is an honor for us to be, at times, "His hands" to touch people's lives.
Here is another beautiful Belizean sunset from our front porch.
