This blog covers the years 2014-2016 when we (the Robisons) were at the Ghana MTC. To see the blog covering the period 2016-2018 click on this link: http://ldsghanamtc.blogspot.com/
"Five months ago, my wife, Diane, and I
went to Africa with Elder and Sister David A. Bednar. The sixth and last
country we visited was Liberia. Liberia is a great country with a noble
people and a rich history, but things have not been easy there. Decades
of political instability and civil wars have worsened the plague of
poverty. On top of that, the dreaded Ebola disease killed nearly 5,000
people there during the latest outbreak. We were the first group of
Church leaders from outside the area to visit Monrovia, the capital
city, since the World Health Organization declared it safe to do so
after the Ebola crisis.
On a very hot
and humid Sunday morning, we traveled to a rented meeting facility in
the center of the city. Every available chair was set up, totaling 3,500
seats. The final count of attendees was 4,100. Almost all who came had
to travel by foot or some form of inconvenient public transportation; it
was not easy for the Saints to gather. But they came. Most arrived
several hours before the appointed meeting time. As we entered the hall,
the spiritual atmosphere was electric! The Saints were prepared to be
taught.
When a speaker quoted a
scripture, the members would say the verse aloud. It did not
matter—short scripture or long; the entire congregation responded in
unison. Now, we do not necessarily recommend this, but it was certainly
impressive that they could do it. And the choir—they were powerful. With
an enthusiastic choir director and a 14-year-old young man at the
keyboard, the members sang with vigor and strength.
Then
Elder Bednar spoke. This, of course, was the anticipated highlight of
the gathering—to hear an Apostle teach and testify. Clearly with
spiritual direction, partway through his remarks, Elder Bednar stopped
and said, “Do you know ‘How Firm a Foundation’?”
It seemed that 4,100 voices roared in response, “YES!”
He then asked, “Do you know verse 7?”
Again the entire group answered, “YES!”
The
arrangement of the mighty hymn “How Firm a Foundation” sung by the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir for the last 10 years has included verse 7,
which was not sung much previously. Elder Bednar instructed, “Let’s sing
verses 1, 2, 3, and 7.”
Without
hesitation, the choir director jumped up and the Aaronic
Priesthood–bearing accompanist immediately began to energetically play
the introductory chords. With a level of conviction I have never felt
before in a congregational hymn, we sang verses 1, 2, and 3. Then the
volume and spiritual power was elevated when 4,100 voices sang the
seventh verse and declared:
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
In one of the most remarkable
spiritual events of my life, I was taught a profound lesson that day. We
live in a world that can cause us to forget who we really are. The more
distractions that surround us, the easier it is to treat casually, then
ignore, and then forget our connection with God. The Saints in Liberia
have little materially, and yet they seem to have everything
spiritually. What we witnessed that day in Monrovia was a group of sons
and daughters of God who knew it!
In
today’s world, no matter where we live and no matter what our
circumstances are, it is essential that our preeminent identity is as a
child of God. Knowing that will allow our faith to flourish,
will motivate our continual repentance, and will provide the strength to
“be steadfast and immovable” throughout our mortal journey.
Elder Joseph Ssengooba is from Uganda.
His father died when he was seven. At age nine, with his mother and
relatives unable to care for him, he was on his own. At age 12, he met
the missionaries and was baptized.
Joseph
told me of his first day at church: “After sacrament meeting, I thought
it was time to go home, but the missionaries introduced me to Joshua
Walusimbi. Joshua told me that he was going to be my friend, and he
handed me a Children’s Songbook so I wouldn’t have to go into
Primary empty-handed. In Primary, Joshua put an extra chair right next
to his. The Primary president invited me to the front and asked the
whole Primary to sing for me ‘I Am a Child of God.’ I felt very
special.”
The branch president took Joseph to the Pierre Mungoza family, and that became his home for the next four years.
Eight years later when Elder Joseph Ssengooba began his mission, to his
great surprise his trainer was Elder Joshua Walusimbi, the boy who had
made him feel so welcome on his first day in Primary. And his mission
president? He is President Leif Erickson, the little boy who stayed away
from Primary because he was terrified about giving a talk. God loves
His children.
When my wife, Kathy, and I were in Africa a few weeks ago, we visited
Mbuji-Mayi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Because the chapel was not
large enough for the 2,000 members, we met out of doors under large
plastic coverings supported by bamboo poles. As the meeting began, we
could see dozens of children watching us, clinging to the bars on the
outside of the wrought-iron fence that surrounded the property. Kathy
quietly whispered, “Neil, do you think that you might want to invite the
children to come in?” I approached District President Kalonji at the
podium and asked him if he would welcome the children outside the fence
to come join us inside.
My dear brothers and sisters, while
living in Africa, I sought advice from Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the
Seventy about helping Saints who live in poverty. Among the remarkable
insights he shared with me was this: “The greater the distance between
the giver and the receiver, the more the receiver develops a sense of
entitlement.”
This principle underlies
the Church’s welfare system. When members are not able to meet their
own needs, they turn first to their families. Thereafter, if necessary,
they can also turn to their local Church leaders for assistance with
their temporal needs.1
Family members and local Church leaders are closest to those in need,
frequently have faced similar circumstances, and understand best how to
help. Because of their proximity to the givers, recipients who receive
help according to this pattern are grateful and less likely to feel
entitled.
The concept—“the greater the
distance between the giver and the receiver, the more the receiver
develops a sense of entitlement”—also has profound spiritual
applications. Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are the
ultimate Givers. The more we distance ourselves from Them, the more
entitled we feel. We begin to think that we deserve grace and are owed
blessings. We are more prone to look around, identify inequities, and
feel aggrieved—even offended—by the unfairness we perceive. While the
unfairness can range from trivial to gut-wrenching, when we are distant
from God, even small inequities loom large. We feel that God has an
obligation to fix things—and fix them right now!
What has happened in Africa since we returned to Provo in late January?
1st - Two Apostles visited Africa in February and March - Elder Andersen led the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple in Kinshasa and Elder Rasband visited the Saints in Ghana including the MTC.
Elder Andersen met with the missionaries, all of whom we trained in the Ghana MTC, and shared publicly stories of one of them.
Elder Rasband gave inspired counsel to the missionaries about the importance of going through the temple prior to entry into the mission field.
He taught from Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants (the dedicatory prayer of the Kirkland
Temple) He had missionaries read verses, 22,39, 59 and 73. He spoke about
Joseph Smith preaching to men going forth into the mission field, armed with power, and that angels will be round about them (and you). These
servants will be going out to various parts of the world, and now it's Africa, to gather the Lord's elect. The church is coming forth out of darkness.
He said to these missionaries in the MTC that their temple endowment will give them power to be one of the Lord's servants.
22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;
23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends
of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou
hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the
mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.
39 And whatsoever city thy servants shall enter, and the people of that city receive
their testimony, let thy peace and thy salvation be upon that city;
that they may gather out of that city the righteous, that they may come
forth to Zion, or to her stakes, the places of thine appointment, with songs of everlasting joy;
59 We ask thee to appoint unto Zion other stakes besides this one which thou hast appointed, that the gathering of thy people may roll on in great power and majesty, that thy work may be cut short in righteousness.
73 That thy church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners;
2nd - Prayers were again answered from on high and a temple in Zimbabwe was announced. We could hear the cheers from across the ocean.
This is one of the three operating temples in Africa. It is located in Nigeria but very similar in appearance to the one in Ghana. The official rendering of the temple in Zimbabwe has not yet been released.
Harare, Zimbabwe - News Release from lds.org
Zimbabwe is home to approximately 14.2 million people and over 26,000
members of the Church. The temple planned for Harare, Zimbabwe’s
capital and most populous city, will be the first in the country. The
Church has three operating temples in Africa (Aba, Nigeria; Accra,
Ghana; and Johannesburg, South Africa), one under construction
(Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo) and three more announced
(Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Durban, South Africa; and Harare, Zimbabwe). The
closest temple to Harare is in Johannesburg, a 13-hour drive.
If you would like tips on how to prepare for your career after your mission, go to a blog that I maintain weekly called "Decrypting Your Job Search". In this blog you will find tips for interviewing, preparing your resume, and charting your path.
Painting hanging in MTC foyer by Emmalee Glauser Powellby Michelle A. Lizon
When young people want to join the church, they frequently encounter
opposition from friends, relatives, and parents. It takes a great deal
of faith to leave your family and join with Christ in His restored
Church. So it was with Bishop Kofi Sosu of Kumasi, Ghana.
Sosu was baptized as a young adult, despite his parents’ severe
opposition. Shortly after he became a member, the government initiated a
“freeze” on the Church, forbidding members from worshipping. The
Ghanaian mission was closed, and all the missionaries were sent to other
missions or were sent home. Sosu tried to show devotion inside his
home, but he was hindered in his efforts to study the gospel and nurture
his faith by his parents’ threats to inform the police.
After the freeze ended, Sosu began to meet with the Saints again. Soon
he became determined to serve a mission. However, his parents threatened
him again, promising to disown him if he chose to don the suit and
nametag for two years. Sosu chose his faith and was renounced by his
family.
While serving in Nigeria, Sosu sent a letter to his family once a week,
but not one was answered. After two years he arrived home with no one to
contact but his branch president, who found him a place to stay
temporarily. Unsure of where to go next, Sosu prayed and fasted. Despite
his apprehension, he felt he should return to his father’s house. As
Sosu approached the gate, his father saw him and asked who he was.
“I am your son,” Sosu replied.
“My son?” his father said.
“Yes—your son, Kofi.”
Tears came suddenly to his father’s eyes. No longer able to subdue his emotions, Sosu’s father embraced him.
“Oh, my son, my son. I am so sorry,” he said, pulling away for a moment
to look at Sosu’s face. “I have not had a moment’s peace since I
disowned you. I know you did the right thing, and I accept you as my
son.”
As they mature and grow in the gospel, many young people are able to
heal broken family relationships. Their parents see the growth these
young people have experienced and can appreciate the great blessings
that come to those who live the gospel. Similarly, Bishop Kofi Sosu was
able to renew his relationship with his father and feel the joy of being
accepted by his father.
But for some of those people who choose to leave their families and
follow Christ, there is no joyful reconciliation in this life. For those
faithful Saints, though, their loving Heavenly Father embraces them and
comforts them as they follow the Savior in faith.
Excerpted by Marnae Wilson from “Faithful Portraits,” Michelle A. Lizon, BYU Magazine, Spring 2008 Painting “Bishop Kofi Sosu and His Father: Forgiveness of Father and Son,” Emmalee Glauser Powell, Ensign, July 2009, p42
“I
have always marveled that in October 1831, when there would have been
only a few hundred members of the Church, the Lord made this powerful
declaration through the Prophet Joseph Smith: "The keys of the kingdom
of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the
gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut
out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled
the whole earth" (D&C 65:2).
One of the quiet confirmations of the restored gospel is the miraculous way this promise is being fulfilled.
On Wednesday, February 17, at 11 a.m.,
while traveling from Zimbabwe to Botswana, Kathy and I, along with
Elder and Sister Carl B. Cook of the Seventy and Area President in the
Africa Southeast Area, met with the branch members in Kasane, Botswana.
Kasane, a small town with only a few thousand inhabitants, is far from
the Botswana capital of Gaborone, where we have a stake. Isolated from
other large population centers, the branch is not part of a district or a
stake but is watched over by the mission president.
It
was a blessing for Kathy and me to hear the histories and testimonies
of the branch members. The branch president, Brother Tebogo Khombane,
joined the Church as a student in Durban, South Africa. Sister Cornelia
Rautenbach came to Kasane for work from Zimbabwe and was introduced to
the Church by friends in Harare. Brother Meshack Keimetswe and Sister
Nametsegang Keimetswe were family friends as children. Both eventually
joined the Church and moved to Kasane shortly after getting married. The
Lopez family is from Mexico and have a daughter, Aurora, serving a
mission on Temple Square. Zambia and Kenya were also represented.
Several had joined the Church in Kasane since the branch had been
organized. A sister who had just recently been baptized this past
December spoke of her desire to be an example to the six in attendance
who were not yet baptized. I exclaimed to the branch, "And you did all
this without missionaries?" They quickly and kindly corrected my
declaration. "We are the missionaries," they responded!
The
Spirit of the Lord filled our meeting together. We were sad to leave
but left as friends and fellow disciples of Christ. I was deeply moved
by their conviction of the Savior and the restored gospel. They
reconfirmed what I already knew: the gospel is moving across all the
world, and righteous people in every nation, among an amazing array of
cultures, languages, and economic situations will greet the Savior when
He returns. And while it is not easy to be apart from a large body of
Church members, every disciple of Christ has access to his or her Father
in Heaven through prayer; every baptized member has the right to the
gift of the Holy Ghost; every committed Latter-day Saint can keep the
commandments and study the scriptures; and to have the guidance of the
prophet and the ability to have the strength of the sacrament and the
other ordinances, we are deeply blessed.
Kathy
and I were pleased to meet with Sister Cornelia Rautenbach who has been
instrumental in the Growth of the branch in kasane.”
‘Early Days’ of their ‘Group’ in Kasane, Botswana…
First Sacrament meeting was held in a Members Home on 9 May, 2010
Meeting in a Member’s Home…
With President & Sister Poulsen, their Mission President Couple
Cornelia was Baptized in Harare, Zimbabwe…
For
her first 5 years of membership in the Church while living in Kasane,
Botswana, 3-4 times a year Cornelia drove and crossed the border from
Kasane, Botswana to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and then caught an hours
flight to be able to partake of the Sacrament. She FASTED & PRAYED
for a ‘Branch’ to be started in Kasane, Botswana!
She
is now living in Maun, Botswana (600km from Kasane) where her
non-member Parents live.Over the past few months she has been BLESSED to
find 17 other Members of the Church who live in Maun…
Her Prayer once again is to be able to start a Branch in Maun and to be able to partake of the Sacrament!!
By 1978, men and women of faith
all around West Africa had been waiting patiently for years for the
opportunity to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. Anthony Obinna and his extended family and friends formed a
small congregation in their village near Owerri, Nigeria, and studied
the Book of Mormon. Joseph William Billy Johnson, Rebecca Mould, and R.
A. F. Mensah founded similar congregations of unbaptized Latter-day
Saints in Ghana. Some of these individuals and groups had petitioned
Church leaders for missionaries for over a decade.
Then on June 8, 1978, President
Spencer W. Kimball announced that “all worthy male members of the Church
may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color”
(Official Declaration 2) and that all worthy Latter-day Saint men and
women could participate in temple ordinances.
This dramatic announcement
lifted a restriction that had long been in place and opened the way for
Church growth and local leadership in most of Africa. Church leaders
moved quickly to ensure that the blessings of this revelation were
extended widely to members in West Africa and other parts of the world.
Within weeks of the June 8
announcement, Edwin Q. Cannon and Merrill J. Bateman went on a
fact-finding trip to help Church leaders decide how to proceed. The
result of that July trip was the call of two pairs of missionaries to
West Africa in September of 1978: Rendell and Rachel Mabey and Edwin and
Janath Cannon. The Mabeys and Cannons arrived in Nigeria in November and captured some very significant events in modern Church history on film.
Finding Anthony Obinna
Anthony Obinna’s letters to
Church leaders contained some of the most passionate pleas for a Church
presence in West Africa. But the return address on his letters consisted
only of the name of a small village near Owerri, Nigeria. On November
18, 1978, the Cannons and Mabeys set out to locate the village.
The First Branches in Nigeria
On November 21, Anthony Obinna
and 18 other men and women were baptized, and the first branch of the
Church in Nigeria was organized in Aboh Mbaise. After this branch was
established, the Cannons and Mabeys visited other locales in Nigeria
where groups of people were awaiting baptism.
One of the most iconic
photographs in modern Mormon history was taken on March 4, 1979. It is a
photo of more than 60 baptismal candidates from the Nigerian village of
Ikot Eyo lined up waiting for baptism in a nearby stream.
The Morning Breaks in Ghana
In addition to organizing
branches in Nigeria, the Mabeys and Cannons visited Ghana and helped
baptize those who had been waiting for many years for the Church to be
established there. The first baptisms in Ghana occurred on December 9,
1978, at what has become known as “Baptism Beach” near Cape Coast.
This painting of baptism beach is also on display in the foyer of the Ghana MTC
The Mabeys and Cannons served in
Ghana and Nigeria until October 1979. The branches they helped organize
formed the nucleus of the early Church in those countries, where today
temples have been constructed and the Church has a vibrant presence.
We sometimes hear the story of
Wilford Woodruff baptizing hundreds of Methodists who had been
spiritually prepared for his arrival in England. What would it have been
like to be there? Wouldn’t it be amazing to have photographs or video
footage of those events? Your sons are in Ghana and are experiencing a period of rapid growth in the history of the Church in Africa, not unlike the Nauvoo period.
