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What Attracts People to the Church? (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 4)

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Neon Konde presents a man with a copy of the Book of Mormon

In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[i]I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experience for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into eight parts:

  1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
  2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
  3. The missionaries
  4. What attracts people to the Church?
  5. Building from centers of strength — Kisangani
  6. Building from centers of strength — Wagenya and elsewhere
  7. The temple: A light to the world
  8. “The labourers are few”

With an average of 1,800 new investigators a month, DR Congo Kinshasa mission has a hard time supplying the local demand for copies of the Book of Mormon. Part 4 begins with an explanation of why the Congolese feel such a spiritual kinship with the Book of Mormon peoples. Interesting conversations with villagers, chauffeurs, security guards, police officers, and others — each with their own interests in Church doctrines and practices — are described. For example, a local leader tells of how a government official’s going-in assumptions are shattered during an investigation of the finances of the Church. The Congolese are inspired by Church teachings about the central role of the family in the plan of salvation. A member artist who is passionate about the resisting the fragmentation of the family shows off his work. The blessings the Church brings to Congolese families witnesses the truthfulness of President Spencer W. Kimball’s well-known statement that “the Gospel solves [the] problems of the world.” Videos of enthusiastic singing by villagers and Primary children are also included.

This video presentation is available on the Interpreter YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__4B9e4rOI

 

 

[i]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of this presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org). For more articles and videos by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, see www.templethemes.org.

“Alexa, play FairMormon Radio”

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You can now listen to FairMormon Radio on your Amazon Echo, Dot, or other Alexa device! There are also Alexa apps available for Android, iOS, and Windows 10.

You must first enable the skill, either by visiting the Amazon web site, or through your Alexa app (just look for FairMormon Radio).

With FairMormon Radio, you can listen to past FairMormon Conference presentations, podcast episodes, and other uplifting content from FairMormon, Book of Mormon Central, and the Interpreter Foundation.

You can also listen to FairMormon Radio in several other ways:

FairMormon Conference Podcast #17 – John Gee, “Selling Our Birthright for a Mess of Pottage: The Historical Authenticity of the Book of Abraham”

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Podcast: Download (49.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

This podcast series features past FairMormon Conference presentations. In celebration of the release of the Facsimile Edition of the Joseph Smith Papers Revelations and Translations Vol. 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts, this episode is a presentation from our conference earlier this year. If you would like to watch all the presentations from the 2018 conference, you can still purchase video streaming. You can also buy John Gee’s latest book, An Introduction to the Book of Abraham, at a discount from our bookstore.

John Gee, Selling Our Birthright for a Mess of Pottage: The Historical Authenticity of the Book of Abraham

Transcript available here.

John Gee is a Senior Research Fellow, and the William (Bill) Gay Research Professor at the Maxwell Institute. He is the editor of eight books and has edited a peer-reviewed international Egyptological journal. He has published over eighty articles and one book. He has served on the board of trustees of national and international organizations.

Audio and Video Copyright © 2018 The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. Any reproduction or transcription of this material without prior express written permission is prohibited.

The Missionaries (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 3)

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Elders Kouame and Tchare

In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[i]I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experience for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into eight parts:

  1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
  2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
  3. The missionaries
  4. What attracts people to the Church?
  5. Building from centers of strength — Kisangani
  6. Building from centers of strength — Wagenya and elsewhere
  7. The temple: A light to the world
  8. “The labourers are few”

By means of photographs and video segments, Part 3 shares stories about the young African missionaries who serve in the DR Congo Kinshasa mission. Unlike many developing areas of the world, the DR Congo sends half-again more full-time missionaries than it receives. Unlike other African missions where a mix of African and non-African missionaries serve, only African missionaries serve in the DR Congo. Many unimaginable situations arise because of the personal circumstances of these missionaries. There is much we can learn from their devotion, spirituality, enthusiasm, and faith.

This video presentation is available on the Interpreter YouTube channel at: The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective: Part 3, The Missionaries

 

 

[i]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of this presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org). For more articles and videos by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, see www.templethemes.org.

Upcoming November 10 Temple on Mount Zion Conference at BYU

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Model of Herod’s Temple

The Fourth Temple on Mount Zion Conference

in memory of Matthew B. Brown

10 November 2018

251 Tanner Building, Brigham Young University

Stephen Ricks: Session chair

9:00                 Welcome and prayer

9:15                 S. Kent Brown: Jesus’ First Visit to the Temple

9:45                 Kerry Muhlestein: On Earth WhenIt Was in Heaven: Sacred Time and its Protection in Egyptian Temples

10:15               15-minute break

10:30               Thomas Wayment: Recovering the Language of Purity after the First Revolt

11:00               Matthew Bowen: “They Shall Be Joined unto Thee”: Levi, Levites, and the Importance of Joinings in Temple Architecture and Ritual

11:30               Jeffrey M. Bradshaw: Beauty and Truth in Moses 1

12:00–1:30     Lunch break

Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, section chair

1:30                 Ryan Davis: Bearing Testimony in Hebrew: A Comparison of Ancient Israelite Temple Worship with Modern Latter-day Saint Testimony Meetings

2:00                 John Thompson: The Two Ways in Ancient Egyptian Religion and Israelite Temple Theology

2:30                 Avram Shannon: Consecration and Sacrilege in Early Rabbinic Judaism

3:00                 15-minute break

3:15                 Stephen Smoot: The Symbolism of the Cupped Hand in Ancient Egypt and Israel: Iconography, Text, and Artifact

3:45                 John Gee: “Put Off Thy Shoes from Off Thy Feet”

4:15                 Matt Roper: “Fixed and Unmovable”: Joseph Smith and the Eternal Nature of the Priesthood

4:45                 Closing

 

 

A Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 2)

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In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[i]I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experience for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into eight parts:

  1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
  2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
  3. The missionaries
  4. What attracts people to the Church?
  5. Building from centers of strength — Kisangani
  6. Building from centers of strength — Wagenya and elsewhere
  7. The temple: A light to the world
  8. “The labourers are few”

Part two begins with a description of some interesting and little-known facts about the DR Congo today, followed by a brief account of the beginnings and amazing growth of the Church in the country. Remarkably, even with the large number of baptisms in the mission, the retention rate of new converts is very high. Almost half of the entire membership are holders of the Melchizedek priesthood. The presentation closes with audio selections illustrating the marvelous musical talents of the people, born of their deeply felt faith, joy, and gratitude.

This video presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSIS3U0g3cI

 

[i]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of this presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org). For more articles and videos by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, see www.templethemes.org.

FairMormon Conference Podcast #16 – Tyler Griffin, “Book of Mormon Geographical References: Internal Consistency Taken to a New Level”

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Podcast: Download (74.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

This podcast series features past FairMormon Conference presentations. This episode is a presentation from 2017. If you would like to watch the presentations from the conference we had earlier this year, you can still purchase video streaming.

Tyler Griffin, Book of Mormon Geographical References: Internal Consistency Taken to A New Level

Transcript available here.

Tyler J. Griffin was born and raised in Providence, Utah in the beautiful Cache Valley. After serving a mission in Brazil Curitiba, he returned home and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering. He married Kiplin Crook and began teaching seminary in Brigham City, Utah. After six years in that assignment, he transferred to the Institute adjacent to Utah State University where he worked for the next seven years. One of his assignments there was working in the Seminary Preservice program (teaching and training potential seminary teachers) for four years. He also developed an online home study seminary program. His masters and doctorate degrees are both in Instructional Technology. He and his wife have 10 children (5 boys and 5 girls). He has been at BYU since August 2010.

Audio and Video Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. Any reproduction or transcription of this material without prior express written permission is prohibited.

Prologue: What Brought Us to Africa? (The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective, Part 1)

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Baptismal Day near Ikot Eyo, Cross River State, Nigeria, by Janath R. Cannon. Elder Edwin Q. Cannon, Jr. baptizing. Photo taken 4 March 1979. Following the June 1978 revelation on the priesthood, the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ was taken to West Africa. On 4 March 1979, at a small stream near the village of Ikot Eyo, Cross River State, Nigeria, sixty-seven persons were baptized [by Elder Edwin Q. Cannon, Jr.]. One hundred seventeen had been baptized the day before. Supervising the baptism (at left and right of the baptismal line) are the Cross River State District president [Ime Eduok] and his first counselor [E. D. Ukuot]. They were the first two black brethren in [West] Africa to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.
In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[i]I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the meaning of that experience for Kathleen and me, and pondering some of the dynamics of numerical and spiritual growth of the Church in that country.

The series is organized into eight parts:

  1. Prologue: What brought us to Africa?
  2. Snapshot of the Church in the DR Congo
  3. The missionaries
  4. What attracts people to the Church?
  5. Building from centers of strength — Kisangani
  6. Building from centers of strength — Wagenya and elsewhere
  7. The temple: A light to the world
  8. “The labourers are few”

Part one is a prologue that begins by outlining some important milestones in the history of the Church in West Africa. This will be presented through the eyes of my mother and father who served in Nigeria twice, beginning in 1980. I will then give a few of the circumstances of our call as a couple as senior missionaries to the DR Congo.

This video presentation is available on the Interpreter YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAvgzAWDswI

 

Endnotes

[i]The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation “Stories of the Saints in the DR Congo” is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw. The seven segments of that presentation, in an edited and somewhat expanded form, are available for reading at Meridian Magazine(www.ldsmag.com) and the website of The Interpreter Foundation(https://interpreterfoundation.org).

“Cease to Sleep Longer Than Is Needful” (Stories of the Saints in the DR Congo Part 7)

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Family and friends of Luvualu Mwinza David and Ndotoni Josephine

Author’s note: This series shares stories about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Each story is framed in the context of a Christlike attribute. This article is adapted and expanded from part 7 of a presentation given at the FairMormon 2018 Conference.

As I think about the faithful Congolese Saints, I realize that what I love the most is that they take the Gospel seriously. For them, the Gospel is not simply a part of life, it istheir life, their hope, and their joy.

Not long before the end of our mission, I met with a Congolese church leader who is a great example of devotion and diligence. He had scheduled another meeting later that morning. He called the Congolese brother who was in charge of this meeting to confirm the time. But the brother told my friend that he had just returned to Kinshasa by plane and for that reason had had to cancel the meeting.

After my friend hung up, he gave the situation some more thought. He realized that it couldn’t be true that this brother had justreturned to Kinshasa because there were no flights that morning. He must have come back the night before. Because this brother had returned the night before there was no reason he couldn’t have been available for the meeting that morning. My friend called him again and took him to task for having canceled the meeting.

I felt compassion for the brother who had been corrected. But I also felt the power of the sincerity and earnestness with which my friend had spoken. D&C 121:43 speaks of “reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost.” According to Elder H. Burke Peterson, this “means reproving with clarity, with loving firmness, with serious intent. It does not mean reproving with sarcasm, or with bitterness, or with clenched teeth and raised voice. One who reproves as the Lord has directed deals in principles, not personalities.” Among other things, my friend had said in a spirit of love and inspiration, with directness and without guile: “You like to sleep too much. You cannot sleep when the work of the Lord awaits you.”

 

The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw

The article relating to this story can be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: “Cease to Sleep Longer Than Is Needful” — Stories of the Saints in the DR Congo, Part 7

If you would like to watch the other presentations from the 2018 FairMormon Conference, you can still purchase video streaming.

“Abound in Hope” (Stories of the Saints in the DR Congo Part 6)

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Family of Luvualu Mwinza David and Ndotoni Josephine

Author’s note: This series shares six stories about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Each story is framed in the context of a Christlike attribute. This article with examples of hope is an adapted and expanded from part 6 of a presentation given at the FairMormon 2018 Conference.

This story is fascinating account of joy, but even more so one of hope. Luvualu Mwinza David, a skilled tailor of men’s and women’s clothing, is totally blind in both eyes. The Lord gave Him hope by multiplying his talents, finding a fitting companion, introducing him to the Church, and giving him a firm assurance in the promise of eternal life.

The video version of the entire FairMormon presentation is available on the FairMormon YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJl9FvLKmjw

The article relating to this story can be found at the Interpreter Foundation website: “Abound in Hope” — Stories of the Saints in the DR Congo, Part 6

If you would like to watch the other presentations from the 2018 FairMormon Conference, you can still purchase video streaming.