Meet the Twin Latter-day Saints - Africa to America

When people enter into a new setting, they like to see things that remind them of themselves. The same thing occurs in church, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When African Americans join the church, they find in many areas that no one in their congregations actually provide them with a visual reflection that matches their own. Seeing so few people that reflect can cause social trouble and loneliness.

Ghana Temple

Source: Travelers Palm - Bewildered Greeny

Members of Twin Latter-day Saints & Friends and Family

Abba Nigeria Temple

Source: www.ksl.com

Members of Twin Latter-day Saints Friends and Family

The Need

Dale Wight saw a need in the Latter-day Saint community for something to help this minority in its US LDS community, Black Latter-day Saints. He calls it Twin Latter-day Saints.

The term Twin Latter-day Saints refers to the people on the other side of the world that look like African Americans who are joining the church and become examples of faith and strength.

What happens when you look in a mirror? You see your reflection! Your reflection looks like you and moves with you, but it is different in that it does the same thing on the opposite side. It will not disturb you because you know that it is a reflection of what you are doing.

In Africa, there exists a great many Latter-day Saints who look like their twin brothers and sisters in America, African Americans.

This group of twins to the African Americans purpose is to be lodestars of faith of people that look like them and are also Latter-day Saints!

The church is slowly growing among African Americans--too slowly in the view of many. Yet it is flourishing in Africa.

In the feature film Meet the Mormons the bishop as shown below is one of thousands of faith Latter-day Saints who identifies as African American

It is believed that African Americans ostracized in the LDS church after joining because many give up traditional cultural ties to music and worship to associate with the predominately White congregations in America.

With so few Black Latter-day Saints to associate with, these new members may find it tempting to leave despite the burning witness that the teachings of the church are true.

The cultural ties among African Americans as in any ethnic group can be very powerful being that African Americans had to depend on themselves as a group mostly through their Black churches over the decades after slavery and through the Civil Rights Movement.

Cultural connections pale in comparison to the blessing of the gospel, but they do exist. Dale Wight’s idea of providing a way for these members in America to see people that look like them participating in traditional Latter-day Saint practices is an unofficial step to move toward alleviating that issue. Dale said,

Part of the inspiration for this group came from an encounter my wife and I had with Elder Sitati in 2009. He spoke at the Los Angeles Stake's conference shortly after joining the [First Quorum of the Seventy]. My wife [Barbara] asked how we could get more missionaries from Africa to work in the black communities in the US like [the one] she came from.

Though the answer Barbara Wight sought did not come directly because of Elder Sitati, it came in the form of her husband. On the Twin Latter-day Saints Facebook page it reads:

This group is for Black Latter Day Saints and their friends and families. It also is for those who may be interested in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of this group is to share testimonies, uplifting messages, scriptural quotes, references, questions and answers, upcoming events and activities, poetry, good clean comedy, and FamilyHome Evening Ideas.

Twins are two people who look alike but have had different experiences. "Twin Latter-day Saints" refers to the Black Latter-day Saints in Africa and in America; they look alike but have had very different experiences. The Church is strong and growing rapidly in Africa. Already, there are more than twenty stakes in Nigeria alone. So far, there only have been two black stake presidents in the US.

One purpose of Twin Latter-day Saints will be to become a forum to leverage the Church's strength in Africa to provide missionary and fellowshipping support in the U.S. This may be simple things like posting videos and photos of stakes and wards in Africa so our [church] members and others in the US can see and hear parts of the Church [in Africa] in which they would be like all the other [areas of the church].

Johannesburg South Africa Temple

Source: www.mormontemplepics.com

Not yet under construction. This picture is of a Meeting House call a Ward Building in Durban, RSA

Source: Durban South Africa Temple (Announce 2011)

Tales from Umtata: Golden Investigator

Missionary Experiences Are What You Make Them

As missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we take the opportunity to study the gospel daily so that we may use that knowledge to lead people to Christ. Being a missionary does not exempt us from our human frailty, however. My weakness is in full bloom this morning.  

Wake up Elder Johnson,” Shouts Elder Thompson gleefully. “It’s time for comp’ study.” 

Glaring momentarily at him, I roll around n bed a bit before rising. Elder Thompson wakes me up in the middle of such a beautiful dream, resentment. I had a new companion in my dream. 

It was no secret that Elder Thompson and I have friction in our companionship, except to Elder Thompson. I hide it from him out of resentment. Younger than I am and chippier every day, I envy.

“What are we going to study today, Elder,” I said attempting to hide the irritation in my voice. Not that it matters. This guy is so oblivious to my issues with him. Or is he?

Elder Thompson furrows his brow and suggests, “The first discussion. If we study it today, we will teach it.” 

Resentment and all, I believe him. Tossing the word out there so often is annoying, but I resent him because he is such a good person even though I want him to be evil so that I could feel justified in being upset with him. I cannot stay upset long. He is too cheerful! I am not a morning person. He is not a good leader either. I have a detailed list of all his flaws. All of them!

After Breakfast and personal study, we go over the plan for today. We were told that planning in the morning is highly effective. We want, if nothing else, to be productive. So, we plan to do some street contacting for the morning and service at the Hospital counting pills. We scheduled a few appointments with the hope that they will not fall through. We have no backup plan because the concept eludes Elder Thompson. 

I am his “Greenie,” and I resent it! Did I say I resent it? I really resent it!

After coordinating some last-minute plans with the other two Elders in the boarding, Elder Danisa, and Elder Streadbeck, we shove off to start our day. About noon, we return to the boarding to lunch for two hours—planning not to return for dinner. 

Elder Thompson and I are off to work. All of our appointments seem to be canceling as we get to their homes! On top of that, we walk in the sweltering sun uphill both ways! How is that even possible! Only in Umtata (Mthatha now)!

Well, okay, maybe not both ways—but it feels like it. After rescheduling all of the appointments, Elder Thompson suggests that we tract Singqangana Crescent. (When saying this word, Singquangana, the "q" makes a popping sound. Xhosa is an exciting and beautiful language!) I agree fully expecting to find some good people to teach. finally. Resentment is at an all-time low due to the heat and tiresome walking.

The Heat Beats Down. 

We two, heads high, armed for battle, marched up to the first house to begin our adventure. Every door we go to no parents are home or they cannot speak English! A few said "No," which is uncommon in Xhosa Culture when it comes to having messengers of God. I remember that day like it was this morning, though it was 20 years in the past.

Discouraged, we shoved on with little faith in finding anyone. We tracted for 5 hours and it was getting dark. Elder Thompson wanted to turn back and do something more effective but we resolved to tough it out until the end of that long uphill street. After a few more rejections or no contacts, I gave up and wanted to go home. I was sick of no success. Elder Thompson felt the same way, but he looked at me, and then looked up the street. We had five more houses, and we wanted to get them. 

“Let’s just do a few more,” he said. “We might have some success.” 

“Well, if we are going to have success, we are teaching at the next house.” 

“We will teach at this next house,” promised Elder Thompson with determination wanting to get a good investigator for us to teach. (A person interested in our message was an investigator. Missionaries call the friends where I live currently.) We had prayed for such an experience. We hoofed it to the door and knocked but no answer. As we, crestfallen, moved to leave, the door crept open revealing the face of a lovely middle-aged Xhosa woman. She regarded us intently waiting for us to explain our presence at her door at such an hour in the night, about 7 pm.  

Spiritual High

“We are missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints,” began Elder Thompson. “We have a message about a plan that God has for us to be happy and we want to share it with you and your family. Would you be interested?” 

“O yes, I would like for you to share it with us, but I have nowhere for you to sit. In our house live others who I let out to (rent), and my family and I only use this one room.” 

“We don’t mind,” I said. “We are here to share with you not for comfort, but out of love.” 

“Is your husband home,” asked Elder Thompson. 

“No, I am divorced,” she responded. Red flags went off in our minds. We knew better than to enter a woman’s home without a male escort with us. It would look shady to the neighbors and our Mission President. Something burned inside of us to teach, though. 

“Can we teach you outside before the night becomes too dark,” says Elder Thompson. 

English was not her first tongue, though she spoke it beautifully. Elder Thompson and I had grown into the habit of speaking very simply and directly among our Xhosa-speaking family. So, if the dialogue seems contrived, it is.

“Yes," she responded agreeing to meet with us, "On my stoop. I will get you some chairs and I will sit on the stoop.” She went inside. We looked at each other, knowing our goal to teach families. We questioned each other with our eyes. 

We walked around the house to the open area where the stoop was, “Do you think we should teach her," I asked. 

“Yeap.” 

“I do too, I hope it goes well.” 

We sat well in the open where neighbors and passersby could see and commenced the introduction of ourselves and the discussion, the first discussion. Immediately the Spirit attended us. Her name is Nomakwasi Magwensthu and she listened to us. I felt as if my heart would burst with joy as I spoke and listened—bearing testimony of my companion’s words and those of my own. 

She believed all. I asked, "If we gave you a copy of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, will you read it?” 

“Yes, but I cannot have it now.” I was crushed by her response. Did she not feel the spirit, I questioned internally? “I will take it later because I have no money to pay for it now. How much does it cost? I will send my son after it.” Immediately my soul delighted again.

“Nothing,” answered Elder Thompson gleefully, “It is a free gift to you from us.” 

With that, she took the book, hugged it, and caressed it. We continued with the discussion and scheduled another appointment to follow up. With that discussion, we knew a baptism would come. Our walk downhill to our boarding seemed almost effortless as we floated on the feelings we experienced just moments before at Sister Magwentshu’s. My respect and love for Elder Thompson increased and my acrimonious thoughts of him ceased too.

Street Contacting On Umtata's (Mthatha) Town Square. Missionary Stories.

One of the hottest days that I could remember is in February,  the middle of summer in South Africa! Being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was one of the dreams of my life I fulfilled as I went about with Elders Thompson, Streadbeck, and Danisa doing community service at the medicine dispensary counting pills and putting them in bottles.

The city, Umtata (now Mthatha), was always alive with pedestrian activity in the center of town near the government buildings. We four headed there to do some street contacting to tell any interested passerby that we had a life-changing message to share.

Any and everybody who is anybody passed through that town center in front of the courthouse on business—at least once a week. So of course, it was the best place to open our mouths to the public.

As usual, we four prayed and separated to do our work. We always made sure we remained within earshot of each other, but on this particular day, earshot rules proved challenging to keep. Missionaries follow rules that protect them from things, kidnappings, and scandals in the local area that would cause the locals not to listen or trust them and the Church. The rules also help to keep the Church out of the news in the wrong ways due to the misbehavior of its representatives.

Street contacting was not one of the things I enjoyed doing because of the rejection that usually followed and how public and embarrassing those rejections could become. Being a new missionary at the time, I really did not want to be out there. Cold-calling with faces is what I called it--my face to another person's face who might spit in mine!

Remembering that I was there to share the truths that I had come to know because I loved God, I pressed forward. "Excuse me, sir," I said to a smartly dressed man walking in the courtyard in front of the Courthouse. "I am a missionary from the Church of--"

"I no English," was his brisk reply as he moved on dismissively.

"Excuse me, Sir," I said to the next man near me. "I have a message from the Lord!"

"You are so young to teach me emfana (young man)," the other man laughingly retorted before moving passed me with an incredulous smirk on his face. I hate rejection. 

Rejection was not so bad in Umtata (Mthatha). It came so infrequently because of the pleasant nature of the Xhosa people that I learned to look past it. Those who did accept my invitation were not precisely the ones I targeted. Black Americans did not frequent Umtata. I was a novelty. That little bit of celebrity would get attention as the people strained at my message only to get a chance to speak to a Black American.

I recorded their names and weeded them out by inviting them to Church. If they pitched up at Church, we would teach them the message we promised would bring them joy in life. The ones whom we targeted, capable men, I hesitated to pitch on occasion. We were discriminant of whom we tried to actively teach. Such discrimination was not due to any belief that boys, women, or girls would not add value to the Church. We proceeded that way so that we could find men with wives and children who could, as a family unit, explore the Gospel together. That was our goal, families. We targeted men because women tend to be more willing to seek out the missionaries on their own. The best way to get to whole families was through the husband, we determined. 

In this mode of discrimination, I found myself when I jolted at a sight. There I stood in a suit in the sweltering hot sun of South Africa when my estranged girlfriend walked up! At least that is who she reminded me of the moment I saw her. I spoke to her.

"Hello," She said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm sharing a message about Jesus Christ,” I returned overcoming my amazement. I saw two gentlemen pass by who looked as if they would speak to me, but saw I was engaged with this young woman of marital age and moved on. Frustration began to well up inside of me because this woman made it hard for me to think clearly.

"That is good,' she continued."I too am going about speaking of God and His word."

Deciding to make the best of this I said, "So what church do you belong to?"

"Jehovah’s Witness, I go to the Kingdom Hall"

Yes! I shouted within myself. If I tell her I'm a "Mormon," (though we prefer to be called members of the Church we belong to) she will run away in fear. "Really, I have an older brother in that church? I am a Mormon." She did not move.

“I attend The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons.” Still, she did not move.

“What church is that?” she returned interrogatively. 

She had a smile on her face and she kept the sweat from her eyes with a white kerchief. I thought profoundly of my estranged love and how much I missed her; but also on my mind were the dozens of potential priesthood holders passing me by as I explained things to this woman, who looked like the woman I loved!

Also, Jehovah's Witnesses tended to not appreciate "Mormon" Missionaries in the United States. Apparently, that was not the case in the good old Republic of South Africa, RSA!

For some reason, my companion had not rescued me from this lengthy conversation with the girlfriend look-alike. The rule is if the conversation went too long, the other missionary would come and join the conversation or save the other from mobs, which Elder Thompson had to do several times for me. But he was engaged with someone too!

The purpose of this young woman was to convert me to her beliefs. I could tell after a few minutes. She and others of her faith were in the square competing for proselytes,, and I was the enemy. Her whole purpose was to keep me occupied as the others sought out candidates after she discovered I was in direct competition with her beliefs. 

“Elder Johnson," called Elder Thompson finally coming to my aid after the woman left.  "How come you did not end the conversation and move on?" I had moved out of his eyesight during my interview with the South African girlfriend doppelganger.

I shrugged it off, and he never let me too far from his sight again. I think I may have mentioned to him later how much that lady looked like my "waiting for me unofficially" girlfriend. I learned that day that polite conversation is good, unless you are a missionary, and the person you speak to is a replica of the woman whom you left in the States missing severely!

The Lie of Blacks' Pre-Mortal Refrain from Christ: My Experience

As a newly baptized member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the false notion that people of Black African ancestry did not support Christ before birth came with full satanic freight toward my fragile new faith in the validity of the Restored Gospel.

Budding hopefully in the faith that teaches where we come from, why we are here, and what happens after this life, nothing could derail my faith, I supposed. Satan would try nevertheless.

Thirsting to consume everything to do with the Restored Church of Christ, I guzzled book after book from the time I learned of the Church in 1992 forward wantonly disregarding the source of the information--not knowing detractors existed. It would not have mattered in the beginning. Missionaries had whetted my pallet for knowledge! Providence would have it that two books would pique my interest so that a divine lesson of forgiveness could occur.

I read two books reprinted in 1978 but on the library bookshelves in the 1990s:

• Mormonism and the Negro: an explanation and defense of the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in regard to Negroes and others of Negroid blood by John J. Stewart
• The Church and the Negro by John L. Lund. 

It could have been both or one, but the path that the words in these books laid before me was one with upturned nails of hopelessness and shards of glass of low esteem to scrap along the edges during my walk with Christ for a spell.

Where The Books Led Me

Never before had I considered my lineage, but from the teachings in those works, I read that my heritage was through Ham because my skin was black and that I did not side with Christ in the pre-mortal life but remained neutral. 

Pre-mortal neutrality was a foreign concept to my budding spiritual system; then again,  so was the concept of pre-mortal life. Not knowing how to articulate my musings I believed life before birth personally until the missionaries who instructed me gave it a name.

Strangely enough, my Protestant background conjectured that Blacks are the seed of Cain in the most unsatisfying manners. Without delving into the false teachings I heard there, they did not affect me since I had no concept of continuing revelation and authorized oracles of God. 

Without the appellation of prophet after their names, the words of those Protestant opinionists bore little if no weight in my spiritual system of understanding.  With similar teachings added with the accusation of neutrality, during a war in heaven against Lucifer,  disadvantage destroyed my new fellowship with the Saints because I was a son of the descendant of slaves and devil worshipers! Thanks, Cain and Ham!

I was devastated. Bitter tears wet my pillow nightly for a week because the author was a leader in the Church. Having received my own personal witness that President Ezra Taft Benson was a prophet of God, I assumed that a witness of him meant that the books also spoke the truth. The first lesson that the missionaries taught me, to pray, escaped me regarding the matter. I thought that since this person was a leader in the church, those things he recorded about Blacks must be true.

Where The Books Left Me

During that week, loathing myself and disdaining my African ancestors, I went to my Bishop informing him of what I read and showing him one of the books. He tried to explain to me the difference between a prophet speaking by authority and revelation and one giving his fallible opinion. 

His words tingled in my ears like cymbals. I did not understand how a prophet could have an opinion unless it was also God's opinion. He then tried to convince me that it was false and not church doctrine, but I had received a witness that prophets lived and confused it with all church leaders at the general level being equally inspired and able to preach doctrine for the Church--at least I thought the author was a general church leader at the time and so did my Bishop.

I also lacked the spiritual maturity to understand that the 1978 revelation repudiated all the opinions related to the curse of Cain. 

When he saw I would not relent, he told me that I could prove to God in this life I would choose Christ. I accepted that compromise of the spirit for years, though it did nothing for my feelings regarding my race. The Spirit opened my mind to consider what my bishop said about the teaching being false, which came some few years after I was married.

Why do I share this? Many Black Members of the Church may have had a similar experience with finding out this malicious perspective of the fence-sitting children of God who became Black and cursed before birth. I have seven children who I do not want to feel the level of self-hate I felt because they learned about a teaching that was popular in the church among the laity, but never established as doctrine.

Where I Left The Books

The opinion about the fence-sitting pre-earth spirits becoming Blacks of African heritage is still a belief among some Saints; though it is denounced by many, and admitted by church authority as incorrect.

The is a document published on the LDS.org church site denouncing racism and such. There is no particular person who denounces the teaching. I assume the church leadership as a group denounces it, though I am not sure. It reads in part:

Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life...  

I have perpetuated the false teaching until my eyes were open by the revelation included in Doctrine and Covenants as an official statement in 1978 to extend the priesthood to all worthy men.

Now I can boldly testify that all that was taught by Bruce R. McKonie and others is fallacious and unsound regarding the Black person. Many taught that the Negro would not receive the priesthood until some distant time during or after the millennium of Christ's reign. 

Since I am Black and I also am a priesthood holder, that conjecture of past is... well, conjecture! McKonie has also admitted that his best scholarship ended up being dull in comparison to revelation from God--being that Elder McKonie was present when the revelation was confirmed to all the apostles by the Holy Spirit of Promise.

Where God Has Me

Why should The Church of Jesus Christ apologize? God allowed it for a spell and ended it with revelation. 

It is of no consequence that President Brigham Young instituted it as a policy or if he received divine revelation about it. The fact that God allowed the ban is His prerogative.  For those of us who know the church is true, our question should be to God Himself. If the church should say anything, it can reaffirm the truth that Blacks of all nations are, and have always been, children of God just as any other group and are not cursed. 

Any hatred perpetuated from the past dealings of Black members of the church needs to embrace the healing balm of Jesus Christ. The church has made a statement about the ban among other things Race and the Priesthood. 

It has instituted a group called Genesis to help Utah minorities, specifically Blacks, who may feel alienated because of the so few numbers of Blacks in individual congregations in Utah.

As a Black man, I say we need to focus on putting God back at the center of life in practice and not name only. In my culture, we can sing praises all day long, but unless we keep the commandments all we are singing are slaps in the very face of God!

God has delivered my people from the wicked slavery of the White man and the oppressive hand of the racist White man. He has set His daughters free and given them a powerful voice to shape the nation independent of man. 

He has allowed laws to be passed to protect the weak and innocent from the predatory persecution of people who disdain people because of sexual preference. He has done all these things in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ so that we can truly learn to be prepared to receive His Son. 

If we are mistreating our brothers or sisters because of race, gender or sexual orientation we will not enjoy Christ coming for we will not be prepared. 

If we are harboring ill will towards those who have persecuted us because of our race, gender or sexual orientation we are not prepared. 

We will only be prepared as we love unconditionally all around us, or at least put ourselves on the path that leads to this love so that when Jesus does come He can sanctify us for our humble attempts!

Read These Things!!

Race and the Priesthood Link On LDS.org! It has come much later than many have wanted, but an acknowledgment that Blacks are not cursed or the representation of Satan on the Earth is a big step in the right directions.

• Blacks & The Curse of Cain President Brigham Young refuted the possibility of this falsehood in his support of a first presidency message declaring that all who obtained the first estate of life did so with earnest. No soul sat idly by in the war commenced in heaven
• The Truth about Being Black in America The fact that African Americans are called African at all is an indication of the limited explanation of this group's history. The nationalities of Black American ancestors are a mystery for the great majority of the group. Slavery stripped this group of the choice to decide to merge with American culture.

Public Showers. The Rains Down in Africa. Missionary Stories

Elder Thompson and I were to embark on a mission within our mission. We received word that one of our youthful church members, Andile in the Umtata Branch, decided to go less active with the statement “There is no God.”

Of course, being the dutiful Elders we were, we walked about 3 kilometers (mile and a half) to his home where he sat waiting for us. 

Unknown to me at the time, Andile possesses the ability to manipulate people into saying and doing just about anything he perceived that person to be capable of doing.

I know that statement is a stretch, but it is true. We went in and spoke to Andile for some length getting nowhere. We reasoned with him and pleaded with him. 

After a while, Elder Thompson’s countenance changed from pleading to knowing smile. I thought he had given up prompting me to try harder to convince Andile of his error, invoking his memory to when he first joined the church and asked God if it was true—being he was one of two members of a family of at least six. I could not fathom his reason for not believing in God. I became desperate and did a no-no. 

I shared a SACRED EXPERIENCE! It was my last ditch effort to stop the flood of apostasy. I determined that Andile was the most influential youth in the Branch. The sun rose and set on his word when it came to affecting the youth—as far as I knew. 

After my Sacred Experience, a hush came that was unexpected. From the look on Andile’s face, I thought I had finally reached him, and I did—just not in the way that I intended. 

“Oh no,” I said in my mind. I could not understand. Andile looked as if he had been told some sacred secret. He admitted that he was just playing around. Apparently, he had been swamped by school and needed a diversion that day. I happened to be the perfect diversion. 

I said too much. He was shaken visibly and said that he would not ever play around like that again. Elder Thompson agreed that he should not do anything like that, and had little opinion of my Sacred Experience. 

We spoke for a few moments afterwards and prepared to leave. Of course, rain started falling in torrents. I mean, what else would happen to two missionaries rushing off to the next appointment? 

With the moment, Elder Thompson suggested we pray for the rain to stop so we could leave. I felt a bit skeptical, but agreed to participate. Elder Thompson led the prayer. He said words to this effect: “…And we ask Thee that Thou would stop the rain until we return to our boarding….” Amazingly, we three astonished people viewed the land to find the rain had stopped instantly. 

Elder Thompson stood humbly as we acknowledged God’s hand in this. Elder Thompson and I went on our way actually rejoicing that God heard his plea. 

Our journey home was too great to chance getting wet and tardiness to our next appointment—a dinner appointment. Vibrantly and surrealistically, we walked through the neighborhood; well at least I traveled that way. The colors seemed so unreal to me. Something about the entire journey appeared, well foreboding. 

We rounded the last turn to our boarding down a slightly steep hill of a street, Sakwe St. We triumphantly walked down the center of the road thinking elements obey our whim! 

How blessed were we. In view of our boarding came a sound of rushing…. In the movie, ‘A Bug’s Life, there is a scene when the ants have finally triumphed over the grasshoppers. In the midst of their celebration comes the bugs’ common nemesis, rainwater—hard and heavy in humongous drops of "we’re-going-to-be-late-now's!" 

Honestly, we were 20 meters from our front porch when the hand that stayed the flood of rain, removed—our suits getting soaked. We walked into the yard and as we approached the door, the rain stopped automatically and instantly a beautiful rainbow appeared as if God said, “Oops, did I get you wet? Here is a rainbow, sorry.” 

Elder Thompson and I just laughed. He said, “Well, we did ask him to stop the rain until we got to our boarding, not in our boarding.” Apparently, with all the energy in exhorting Andile and all the walking caused us to work-up a sweat. 

We needed a shower; and looking out for us, as He tends to do, God saw we would only take one if he provided it. We completely changed our clothes, and I mean all the way to the birthday suit. We were drenched as if pushed in a pool. God does answer prayers and showers us with blessings, literally. I miss the rains down in Africa!

Other Articles

Reality CheckI wanted to write something inspiring and great. Especially since the elections are going on today. I wanted to be out there cheering on my candidate--letting the whole world know what I believe in. Obama fans and Romney fans all arrayed for battle!

Another Testimony of Jesus Christ Mormon was a philosopher and literary genius. Following will be a brief look into the life of Mormon, the most famous Mormon in the world.

Introduction to the Writing community This window of mine is a unique way I have to organize my articles so that you, the reader

Missionary Stories: Christmas Christmas was soon approaching, and packages and letters crowded the MTC. Celebrations and firesides filled the schedules. In our district meeting a special thing occurred as I felt moved upon by the spirit.

What You Need to Know to Get Your Prayers Heard!One of the most important aspect of Truth Christianity is to know how to address the Father and in whose name we prayer. The Savior instructed all people to prayer to the Father as he prayed to the Father