Invitations from a Prophet: Paige Sommer

Sister Sommer & Her Son Cannon

 How I Share the Power and Peace of Jesus Christ.  

"We have the sacred responsibility to share the power and peace of Jesus Christ with all who will listen." President Nelson

Apartment Buzzing

Many years ago, I served as a missionary in Milan, Italy. Most people lived in apartment buildings in the areas where I served. In order to "knock doors" we would have to stand on the street and call people one by one through their apartment buzzers and ask if they would let us in to talk with them about Jesus Christ. As you can imagine, this was a very ineffective way to get people to listen. I remember only one occasion when we were let into an apartment by contacting this way and it was such a huge shock that my companion and I were almost laughing with delight the entire time we shared our message.

Street contacting in Italy

Since this apartment buzzing wasn't very effective, we often did street contacting instead, honestly, also not super effective, even with our three-sided display board featuring pictures of Christ and messages of eternal families. Most people would say they weren't interested or communicate "don't even ask" by giving us a little shake of the hand before we even asked them to stop. This kind of constant rejection wasn't easy to take but we kept trying, I kept trying, even though it sometimes took all my courage to ask someone to talk with me. Why keep trying? Because of our desire to share about the power and peace of Jesus Christ with everyone, the reason why we serve in the first place. The reason why all of us serve. We accept callings and minister because first, we love our Savior. 

Elder Cannon Blaser in Texas

Now my son is a missionary, currently serving in College Station, Texas. He's knocking on a lot of doors to a lot of apartments and not finding many people home. It's hotter and more humid than anything he's ever experienced before, but he happily puts on his missionary attire and he and his companion keep trying every day to share about the power and peace of Jesus Christ.

 

My desire to share about the power and peace of Jesus is still the reason I keep trying--why I keep trying to be a patient and kind mom and stepmom, why I keep trying to be a caring YW leader, why I keep trying to see others through God's eyes. A friend of mine recently said she sees Jesus in everyone she meets and knows. This perspective has helped me look at sharing Jesus differently because I try to see the light of Christ in everyone and wonder what they can teach me about being a better disciple, a better friend, a better Christian. Am I perfect at this? No. Will I keep trying? Yes. Why? "We love Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19).

By Paige Sommer, Angel Crossing Ward

The Peace of the Savior Subdues the Whirlwinds of the World

I have been pondering this question for a few days now, “Why do I choose to believe” and the answer that I keep thinking is that it is scary to think of what the alternative is. The Gospel brings me peace and hope. My daughter is serving a mission in Newport Beach California. When people ask me how she is doing I can’t help but smile. She brings light into my life; I can see the light of Christ in her eyes and I can feel the spirit (she calls them spirit chills) when she shares her experiences with us and all the tender mercies she is experiencing even in a Pandemic. People are looking for this same peace and hope that we already have and she gets to share the Good News of the Gospel with them. I feel so blessed each day that I know that God knows me, that he hears and answers my prayers. I am so grateful for the tender mercies in my life and my children’s that strengthen my testimony and remind me that God Is there, that he is in the details.

One of our family’s favorite movies is “Signs” and there is a quote that I think about often when things happen that give me the spirit chills. It is “People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than a coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just as a happy chance…See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, that sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky?”

I know that the more we recognize the Hand of God in our lives, the more we see it. “The peace of the Savior,“ said Elder Neil L. Anderson, “subdues the swirling whirlwinds of the world.” Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are and knows that we have faith in Him, love him, and keep his commandments, even and especially amid life’s devastating trials and tragedies. (Elder Cook)

~Wendy Johnson

Women Who Know

"Ye shall meet together oft." (3 Nephi 18:22) What a blessing it is to meet together each Sunday to partake of the sacrament and strengthen our testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 As a stake relief society presidency, we attend the meetings where the young sister missionaries in our stake speak before they leave and when they return from their missions. Today we were uplifted by the testimony of a beautiful daughter of God who will leave her family in three days, five days before Christmas, to serve the Lord in Atlanta, Georgia. We were touched by how articulate she was and her beautiful testimony of Jesus Christ.

President Russell M. Nelson said, "We need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world. We need women who are devoted to shepherding God’s children along the covenant path toward exaltation; women who know how to receive personal revelation, who understand the power and peace of the temple endowment; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen children and families; women who teach fearlessly."

Time after time we witness young women who are strong and are fulfilling this call from a prophet of God. They choose to venture far from the comforts of home and carry the light of Jesus Christ to the world. It is truly inspiring and a blessing to get to know and listen to these young sister missionaries from our stake. #LightTheWorld

The Many Shepherds of Christmas

It was the shepherds in the fields who became the first missionaries of Christmas. Having heard the good news from the angels, and then having received a witness for themselves of the miracle that had come to pass, they went out among the people to declare the message of peace, hope, and joy.

The Stone Creek Ward sent many missionaries into the field this year. They each serve different people in very different parts of the world, but their message is the same: our Savior lives! We hope you’ll enjoy hearing their testimonies of the gospel and will feel of their love for the Savior as we share with you the message that they are now declaring to the flock of their own fields.

Elder Brandon Wallis
The message I would like to share with members of the Church for Christmas is this: we have a great blessing of knowing of the gospel and its comforting message. Just like a great Christmas present that you want to share with other family members or friends, we have an amazing gift we can give to our spiritual brothers and sisters. That is the message of the Restoration, the fact that we have a Savior and Redeemer; that HE LIVES, and that through Him we can have eternal joy.

By reaching out and giving this gift to our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members, we can also receive the gift of the Spirit and love of God more abundantly in our lives.

A great way to measure one's conversion and love of the Savior is how often we share His gospel with our brothers and sisters. It doesn't always have to be something big. Be a good example always. We are all representatives of Christ. We may not all have a badge on, but we all should have Christ written on our hearts.

I leave you all with a challenge that I also extend to myself. That challenge is to improve daily in developing Christlike attributes. Choose the right for the right reason. Choose to open your mouth and share your testimony. Choose to listen to your family members and try to understand each other to avoid contention in your home. Choose to align your will with the will of our Father in Heaven. Choose to do all these things out of the love you have for the Savior.

Last of all, I want to thank my parents for teaching me these principles, and leading by example. I hope to be at least half the father to my children as my Dad is to me. I also hope to find at least half the amazing woman my Mom is. I also thank my sister for being my best friend, and a great example of how to be charitable in life. I love my family. I love this gospel and the opportunity I have to share it with my brothers and sisters.

I Put My Trust in the Lord

by Coleen O. Simmons

In 1998, my husband and I received a mission call to Nairobi Kenya. We really had uncertain thoughts about going to a third-world country. Especially when my daughter told us about the headhunters that were there. We put that aside and thought of Nephi 3:7, "I will go and do the things which the LORD hath commanded."

We proceeded to get prepared to go with a few reservations. There were so many things that needed taken care of before we left--the taxes, our utilities, family matters, our home and many other things.

One day when I was talking to a friend she told me to be sure that when I was set apart to be sure that they told me that I would return. So when we were called to go see the presidency, they did set us apart and they gave us beautiful blessings, but they did not tell me that I would return.

The Friday before we were to leave, the terrorists bombed the American Embassy in Nairobi. Of course, this really upset us. We were not sure that we wanted to go. On Sunday, I asked LeGrande to give me a blessing and tell me that I would return. He gave me a beautiful blessing, but he did not tell me that I would return.