District Conference - Sunday, September 19, 2010

After getting better from Chinggis Khan’s revenge, Sunday evening from 4 to 6PM we attended the District Conference meeting at Royal Opera House. It was a very nice setting. One of the branches was asked to furnish a choir. All the girls were dressed in the same dress and the boys in ties and vests. Singing “I Believe in Christ” accompanied by a piano and cello, they sounded like an angel choir. Mongolians sing just beautifully! The little girl on the cello played “How Great Thou Art” as a solo during the meeting. It was stirring.

I marvel how the Spirit of the Lord teaches people truth to honest hearts. These people ARE Latter-day Saints. They struggle, they strive, they fall and they keep trying just like Latter-day Saints I’ve known everywhere else we’ve lived. The District President, his counselor and a member of the high council spoke to us. Their talks were honest and encouraging, expressing how the gospel has changed their lives and that they have received many blessings since joining the Church. One spoke about how important it is to do simple acts of kindness and service – beautiful talk! They all bore witness of Joseph Smith and the Restoration, and each testified that we are led by a prophet of God today who is President Monson.

In my heart I wondered how they know this and made changes in their lives to conform to the teachings of a Church from so far away, from a different country, and from a different culture. But then I realized that people of the scriptures believed in a Christ who WOULD come but hadn’t yet come during their mortal lives. One way or the other faith is the key, and having exercised faith having the Holy Ghost stamp it upon one’s heart. And it’s that simple formula: “We believe the first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sin; and fourth, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Our interpreter was a former missionary to Mongolia who is here for a visit. I can’t get over the number of missionaries who come back for a visit. I’ve met three in the two weeks I’ve been here. This young man served here at the same time as Caleb Larsen and remembered him. He understood Mongolian and was picking it up again pretty well.

Two young women who will soon leave to serve missions bore their testimonies to us. One is bound for Japan and the other will be going to San Bernardino, California. When they complete their missions they will add to the army of over NINE HUNDRED returned Mongolian missionaries. This country has the greatest number of returned missionaries per capita in the world!! And they are great young people!! They desire to go forward with their educations, they all strive to improve their English and they want to get married and contribute to the Church, establish strong families and help Mongolia. It is a wonder!!

Alma said, "For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God." (Alma 36:26)

We learned that things are not so good for Sister Mecham, the mission president’s wife. When they did surgery, cancer was found in her lymph nodes. She will have to go through chemotherapy which means they will be gone for a long time. We ask why. Why were they called when certainly the Lord knew how this would play out. This has to be an Abrahamic experience in which Sister Mecham showed the Lord she was willing to do anything He asked her to do.

In the meantime, Elder Powell is acting as president. Don and I have decided to call him “President Powell” because the young missionaries need that example and he deserves our support and respect. President Powell spoke at conference following a talk by his wife. He said, “I wish you could all have an angel for a wife like I have. But you can’t have her, she’s mine.” Everyone chuckled. Then he warned us that he’d be sharing a personal experience. He recounted how his first wife got cancer eight years ago. Each time before going to the doctor, he and his wife prayed together. He said their prayers were always simple, “Heavenly Father, please bless us with good news today.” And they would feel a great peace and warm feeling in their hearts and they knew things would be all right. They continued to pray for good news before every doctor’s visit, but each visit never brought good news. Finally, the doctors told them it would not be long until she would experience death. They were a little confused because of the sweet, comforting peace which had come to them every time they prayed. Finally, Pres. Powell’s wife recognized the message Heavenly Father kept sending them. The message was that Heavenly Father loved them and was in charge and they were not to fear. After a long battle with cancer, she passed away.

Pres. Powell said he didn’t think he could ever be happy again - until he could be with his wife again. He felt such great loss and loneliness. Then he met up with one of his wife’s dear friends. She had suffered a terrible divorce and had raised her three daughters alone. Pres. Powell asked her to dinner. From what we were told, he asked her soon after their first date if she’d like to go on a mission with him. She said she would. They knew they’d have to be married in order to go so they got married. He told everyone how that he knows that Heavenly Father loves him and us all. He said he is is happy again. They celebrated their first wedding anniversary last April!!

“The arm of the Lord has been revealed…” and the Lord knew this good man would be needed here in Mongolia at this time. Don doesn’t think Pres. Mecham will be returning due to the condition of his wife. The Lord alone knows. But Pres. Powell is here, now, giving his best effort to lead and strengthen the mission. I think this is a story about “five loaves and two little fish” and what the Lord can do with them.