Yesterday in Orpington during Priesthood General Session, I challenged myself and invited all present to invite all our next door neighbours to come to church with us on Christmas Day.  This will be interesting for me personally - I get on fine with my neighbours so a simple "Would you like to come along to my Church for an hour for a Christmas morning service' will not be a problem - as long as I go knock on their door this week to give them time to consider and plan for it. Well one of them, a sweet friend is a very active Catholic, so that one will be a bit trickier - but you never know! I know that many of my brethren at Orpington will invite their neighbours. Always, there is never any harm in asking and inviting.  Only good can be the outcome.

Today I received an email reply from the family I invited to Church this Sunday at Welling.  They are also involved as leaders in their own 'chapter', a branch of their church, and so are unavailable.  The reply gave a strong indication of wishing to come when things have quietened down after Christians.  I am confident that they will honour this interest that has been expressed by them several times to find out more.

I await a delivery from store.lds.org of another batch of hardback Book of Mormon copies.   I also ordered a variety of PACs and some DVDs to have ready to give.  store.lds.org does take a while - like 4 weeks + sometimes to get the order to your door. (I am wondering why.) So, anyway, ordering well in advance seems the prudent course.  I have one friend from Teacher training college days to whom I wish to send him a book, ideally for Christmas, but no matter if they arrive late, I'll send one anyway.  The special reason is that in 2011 he published a book of photographs of our college days in which I feature and also wrote a reminiscence.  So I figure one good book deserves an even better one!

Yesterday I gave the 10 'Joy to the World' PACs to the Elders in Orpington Ward to use.  So I have run out.  This evening I went with Church friends for a meal at a local restaurant and have just arrived home and here I am.  As I have been writing I realise that the waitress who served us did not get a PAC from me!!  I can hardly understand how this happened - particularly as I would liked to have shown how easy and fun it is to give a PAC in this situation.  The reason I now know is that my wallet was empty of PACs! - and so I did not have the usual prompt ready at the point of sale!  The wallet is now stuffed with other PACs at the ready for the rest of the week!

I feel strongly that 2012 is going to be an important year for members of the Maidstone Stake.  Many are very hearty in loving others already and becoming active in almost daily inviting and certainly praying daily for opportunities to speak with and invite others will simply enlarge their already beautiful characters in a way that will forge them to become more like our Elder brother and Redeemer and our Heavenly Father.  Surely as more invitations occur and we all become more comfortable and skillful at saying and doing the things the Holy Spirit guides us to do there can only be more coming to the waters of baptism, and the road to the Temple as a result.  It will be unstoppable - rather like a river bursting its banks, the latter-days Saints breaking forth from their old bounds to enlarge the pool of Saints in the Maidstone Stake!

Become a Follower and contributor

This is to invite you to click on the Followers 'Join this site' button (to the right).

Also to ask you to write a comment to give some feedback - even if it is very brief.  It is very helpful to hear from you.  This blog can be your place where you tell us about your experience! This will encourage and teach us! Note that, only LDS members are circulated re this blog.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage and support members of the Maidstone Stake become better at and  comfortable about inviting others to find out more about the wonderful Lord's restored gospel and priesthood.

The Lord has asked us through his steward Elder Kopischke (Area President) to invite.  This is not a goal to invite once a year - maybe!  This request to us is to invite all the time. 

I know that this takes time and persistence to achieve for each of us individually, but I can promise that as you take this invitation to invite seriously you will grow yourself beyond recognition over the coming months so that this time next year you will be comfortable in many situations simply inviting people to come and discover the Lord's true church - it will really become that easy!

We are taught to pray daily for a gospel sharing opportunity.  Doing this sets our heart and desires right.  With the pass along cards approaching people we come across daily is much easier than ever before.  But we still can give Books of Mormon and follow up. We can invite people to come to church to try it out for themselves.  We can invite people to be taught by the missionaries in their or our homes or at the chapel.  We can also set ourselves and our family a goal to bring a certain number of people into the church within a set time period.  We can do all these things and more if we choose to.

Let's be real disciples of the Lord and follow his invitation to invite others as a normal way of being a member of His church.

Please do share this blog with those you know and invite them to become followers and contributors also.

Thanks

Terry

Had a new PAC experience yesterday.  I was in Bromley High Sttreet and a Christian was handing out leaflets by the side of a display.  I smiled and said" I'll take yours if you take mine", and handed him the 'Joy to the World' PAC.  We soon got into conversation where I was able to testify that Christ is at the heart of our faith and that all are dependent on the Atonement for salvation. 
Chris was of the belief that all are saved completely with no distinction between rebellious and grave sinners compared to those who strive to live all the commandments of God. We discussed this a little further and the inconsistency of his own position became evident as he realised there was a law of justice that God was also subject to as free agency choices brings about particular consequences beyond resurrection.. 
In the end after 25 minutes of friendly discussion which included the need for a restoration and the authenticity of the Book of Mormon as a needed set of scriptures to provide a fullness of the gospel, Chris gave me his email address and an anti LDS pamphlet!  I could see that he was also realising that the stock position of his organisation re 'Mormons' was challenged because of what I was able to tell him. It probably will not go so far - but you never know, so I will be corresponding with him.  I will invite him along to a church meeting for sure!  Again it has been a pleasure to speak to various sales people as I give them the nativity 'Joy to the World' PAC.  I hope that other members are doing this too.

I invited to church next week at Welling, by email, the family renting a flat from me.  I await their reply.

These 'Joy to the World' Pass Along Cards are a joy to give away.  After finshing business at a shop I say " And hers is something special for you this Christmas.  Send off for this free, beautidful DVD of the Christmas story of Jesus' birth.  It's a wonderful version by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Would you like one of these for your family?"  In every case they say yes.  I gave three away within 30 minutes at lunchtime today in Welling.  One to the lady I have already given a Book of Mormon to.  She had the BoM in her shop.  I was also able to to ask her to read it - especailly 3 Nephi 9+.  At the Post Office after sending off my SA Christmas parcels the young girl was clearly touched by the offer.  At the B&Q checkout the sales lady was appreciative of being able to show a DVD of Christ's birth story in her home.  These have been some of the lovliest exchanges with PACs to date - the Spirit of Christmas is around us.

Let's invite people to church this month!

Caught a cold Friday - slowed me down a little as far as outside contacting is concerned.  Did get essential shopping in on Saturday and so gave a PAC to a sweet Asian sister at Sainsbury's.  Also decided to get a hair cut.  My Iranian barber was full of talk about movies I should see.  Hard to get a word in edgewise!  Gave a PAC at the cash end of the encounter inviting him to see a really good free movie available.  He accepted, looking quite confused at how his conversation re the latest two-a-night action movies had led to a religious topic.

However, tucked up in a blanket with laptop, I managed to interview by telephone a delightful newly baptised brother and the member sister who made the first contact with him by 'chance' in a park one Sunday afternoon and invited him to come and find out for himself.  The rest was history and he now is an assistant Ward Mission Leader!  The interview is for an article in a soon to come out member missionary newsletter for all Maidstone Stake members.  It is called 'Starfish' - at the moment.  Still deliberating on the title.  There is a non-random reason - so maybe it will stick.  When it is published I will provide a link here.  Your feedback will be really interesting to help it be fit for purpose to inspire, encourage and teach members to be comfortable with regularly and effectively inviting others to come and find out about the Lord's restored gospel.


I keep a list of all those who I hand a BoM to.  One is a sister who left my workplace but am in email contact.  Emailed her yesterday to see if she had 'turned the pages' yet - the phrase I used!  She replied to day to say she hadn't got around to it but would do soon.  I haven't decided how cheeky to be back to her yet in telling her to get on with it!

Also on Saturday I invited by email my gardener friend who I gave a BoM to a few weeks ago (who lives in Hastings) to come to Church in Hastings Ward this Sunday, as I am speaking there with Alex Smith RM.  Had a nice email reply today.  He has a commitment ironically (my hometown) in Bromley that same day.  He committed voluntarily to read the sections I had outlined for him, however, so we have a continuing dialogue going here.  I am hopeful of he being the one I might get baptised to make my goal of one baptism this year.


Have spent this evening reviewing Jean Hearne of Bracknell, Reading Stake DVD produced by President Lyle Shamo, Mission President of the England South London Mission.  Jean has what we all want  - a love of opening her mouth and inviting all she virtually contacts on a daily basis.  When we all want to be like this and get as good as her he good news will spread like wildfire in the South of England.  Can't wait!!  Come on you Englanders!!

My son-in-law James came over from Salt Lake City for a flying visit last weekend, so on Saturday we went out for a meal and then on to a classical music concert in Bromley.

We went to an Italian restaurant first and enjoyed a great pizza and salad each. We were rushing to get to the concert and asked for the bill,  paid and left.  We had spoken in a friendly manner to the waitress who had served us during the meal and it was she who had brought the bill and gave some change. As we were leaving I realised I had not offered a PAC to her.  I went back and offered her a card and told her about how special the Church was and that if she was interested she could find out about it at the www.mormon.org url.  She took the card and said thank you, and I left her studying the card with some interest.  It felt good to have gone back and given the PAC to her.

Yesterday evening was very pleasant.  With my son-in-law Dan we walked to the United Reform Church in Oxted, Surrey, and Baroness Shirley Williams gave a 45 minute talk to an audience of 200 on the history of wars since Greek times, through Medieval war methodology, to the mercenary armies of the 17th and 18th century European wars including the Napoleonic wars.  She made much of the Victorian/Edwardian obsession with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table which was part of the embedded ideology of the middle and upper classes of that era preceding the 1st World War.  That war changed completely the public's view of war - reversing any attempts to glorify it because of the horrors on such a scale that all members of the public had experienced directly.  She went on to discuss the 2nd WW, the Falklands war, Kosova, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Zimbabwe and other situations underpinned by philosophic and pragmatic principles that may be used to help consider if a war is just or not.  Interesting questions followed which she dealt with eloquently and wisely reflecting the wisdom and knowledge of her age of 81 and a lifetime of service in local, national and international politics.

Having bought her autobiography during the interval, I had the opportunity at the book-signing session following to meet and offer to her The Book of Mormon.  I briefly introduced it in the form of the question that as a scholar she may not have had the opportunity to study the perspective of just and unjust war using this source of historical and spiritual account of a 1000 year span Jewish society set in the Americas circa 600BC-400AD. Baroness Williams accepted the book and graciously expressed interested in that it offered to her a new source for study in her field.  Her Christian faith had come out as a part of her identity in the lecture.  I am anticipative of how this special book form a loving Father to His children will impact upon this highly intelligent, compassionate, service-oriented faithful sister.  Baroness Williams said that she would not be able to get to it until Christmas due to a heavy reading load already .  Our prayers to help her prioritise this wold not go amiss.  Were she to study the contents and follow Alma's 'experiment with the words of the Lord as if they were true' method, and also apply Moroni's promise to pray that the Holy Ghost might witness the truthflness of all things comnnected with Christ and God then the Lord's Church in Britain and the world would have a significant influence and friend in the highest courts of power across the globe.

A day of internal decoration today - where will today's gospel inviting and sharing opportunities come? :-)

Just prepared a Book of Mormon to hopefully present to Baroness Shirley Williams this evening at an 11.11.11 lecture on "Can there be a just war?"
Have written:

"The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, alongside the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible.  It is a 1000 year record of the House of Joseph people and prophets following a migration to the American continent circa 600 BC.  It includes a significant account of the appearance and ministry of Christ also to this people.  It contains a secular history, but its purpose is to point to who and what Christ is to the human race - His mission and the eternal outcome of hope and progression wrought by His selfless, saving act of sacrifice, a Proxy for each one of us.
It is not a fiction.  It is a spiritual, historical work revealed in modernity to conserve and protect our true identity and origin, our true purpose here during our mortal experience and to endorse and expand upon our potential. It provides clarity of principles for living that will yield blessed fruits of peace and happiness to individuals, families, communities and nation states.  Where the Holy Bible was abridged, corrupted and mistranslated The Book of Mormon expands, corrects and is translated once from original records into English by a modern day prophet seer and translator.  I earnestly invite you to invest time and study to verify this book's authenticity and so bless you and your loved ones."


Shirley Williams has for me been a voice of reason and moderation in British politics.  For that reason she has perhaps been denied a central role, having been an academic political adviser for many decades following her stint as education minister in Callahan's government in the late 1970's.  Interesting to see if I get a real opportunity to introduce myself and present her with The Book of Mormon.  I left my name and telephone number at the end of the introduction.

Am waiting for next Book of Mormon delivery - this my last one from the previous order of 10 hardbacks.  Have ordered 10 hardbacks and 10 soft backs following chat with my son Richard who indicated that on his mission they gave away the soft backs more freely, they being cheaper.  Having placed this order and thinking further I am not sure the price difference is significant enough in future to buy my personal stock in this way.  The softback is £1.55 compared to £1.85 for the hardback.  The hardback book has a more substantive feel in my opinion.

On Tuesday I went to the London Road petrol station till in Maidstone to pay for petrol.  A dark skinned Asian man served me.  I thought that I would offer him a PAC but that he was probably Muslim and would not wish to receive one. I showed him the image of Christ and offered, saying, "Would you like one of these?", adding there is a great church just back along the road you might like to think about going to."  He replied: ( well maybe you might like to anticipate his reply.  OK well I will tell you, but the point is you never know what their response is going to be - your really just cannot predict): "Well thank you but I have a church to go to, I'm a Catholic."  I said that was great and left with a smile

This good brother's response reminds me that a favourite approach of mine to a stranger or a colleague, to get a meaningful spiritual conversation going is "Do you have a church to go to?"  This almost always results in a conversation about each others church in a useful and interesting exchange.  Well worth trying as an opener in many settings.

Yesterday, Wednesday  morning after my swim and standing at the hairdryer, another brother was standing there. He was just turned 60 it transpired, and retired.   He spoke first and said he had seen me at the pool for a while but didn't know me, but had come to know everyone else!  I had that morning prayed to be able to slow down (President Uchtdorf April GC 2011) so that I could pay more attention to people!  I shook his hand and introduced myself.  His name is Richard - same as my son, I told him.  We got into a great conversation about our mutual backgrounds in eduction and got on well, a real friendship starting up.  Nothing said about the restored gospel of Christ, but this is a great opportunity as well as having created a new potential friendship!  All good.

On Friday I handed over the keys to a Christian mother and father who are tenants in a flat I own. I also handed a prepared Book of Mormon.  This was not difficult.  We had already discussed the Church soon after I first met them when looking over the property.  I was needing to find out a little about who they were, and interestingly, with their own Christian activity they were as interested in the values and belief in their prospective Landlord. So there was gratitude on their part in learning that I believed in Jesus Christ and was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Blessing , the young mother's name, also had something to give to me from her church - 'Rhapsody of Realities' - so it was all timely and interesting.  I will invite them to Welling Church when they have settled in, and also to receive the missionaries. Blessing has already met the Full Time Missionaries, but to date has never received the Book of Mormon. We shall see.

Gave a PAC to the Bromley Marks and Spencer's young male assistant.  A reaction of interest but no time to discuss.
Another week ahead - who knows who will present themselves.

Am going to design for myself a 'My Prospects Progress Tracker' form.  Some of these contacts can be revisited and tried to progress to receiving the missionaries/visit the Church.

President Turner taught us well at Stake Conference session yesterday evening in that it is quite OK to be invited to attend a church by someone of a particular faith.  Saying no isn't difficult and certainly no one is offended when invited, but elects to say no thanks.  Saying yes is also particularly easy in the natural circumstances of an invitation to come and take a look.  Those interested will feel appreciative of being invited at a time in their life when they genuinely would like to learn more about this Church that maybe has something special to offer.

We can but invite.  I guess there is something in the way of doing it that does improve with practice, but again, not inviting when there is a chance to is not being Christ-like enough.

Prayed this morning for a missionary experience. At Homebase, Orpington, gave the PAC with the Lord exiting the tomb to the mature lady till assistant pointing out the free dvd.
"What Church is this from?"
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - it is near Orpington Station"
"Oh I go to StMary's, the CofE at St Mary's Cray. I got married there - I am celebrating my 40th wedding anniversary this month."
"Congratulations." says I.
"This is a lovely picture which I will put up on my mantelpiece."

I left at that point It was a nice outcome because we had a friendly conversation and she felt validated for her great achievement. Hopefully she will remember the Church with a pleasant association.

President Baldock said at a missionary leadership meeting on Tuesday that we are getting good at sowing seeds, but that we really need to start harvesting.
President Shamo, England London South Mission President is a fine example of this. He spoke of an experience of turning back to tell a friendly petrol station manager of the gospel after an initial friendly exchange but no direct telling of who he was and the message he had to tell. As a result of going back he gave a Book of Mormon and invited the man and his family to receive the missionaries. He got his name, address and telephone number to be able to arrange the appointment.

I feel that this outcome - striking up the conversation, explaining briefly about the Church, getting the contact details after getting their consent to receive the missionaries - is moving towards a harvesting attitude and behaviour, rather than merely sowing seeds. So to my readers - are there any - you can see that whilst I am not bad at regularly sowing seeds, I need to increase my skill at inviting others to receive the FTMs to learn about the restored gospel of Christ.

But seed sowing is better than silence! To be silent is really not being Christlike. We have His Gospel. There are many who are not against us and therfore for us, but do not have the fullness of the Gospel. Only we have it. It is only we, individually and as a Church, who can bring it to the attention of others.

Yesterday, Friday. At lunch I went to the Curtain shop to get some more curtains. The young girl assistant I was heading back to give the PAC to but gave it to her boss in the street was there and an older lady who served me. After doing business I gave them each the PAC and said there was something very special about the Church and they could find out more using the card. It is sometimes hard to develop the conversation into a first discussion - belief in God, Apostasy, the need for a restoration, prophets/apostles, The Book of Mormon.

Later that afternoon however, an unexpected opportunity arose to do just this. I had hired a landscape gardener to clear the overgrown garden of the flat I had recently bought. He also does our garden once a month so knows me. He is quite a talkative brother, always with a questioning and interested in learning more attitude. We were about to depart when I said I was off past Lingfield "to the Temple." "Temple?" he asked, 2now that is something different. What do you mean by 'temple'? This all led to the plan of salvation, eternal marriage, apostate religions and priesthood. He was struck by the declaration of Apostles and prophets on the earth again and revelation from God. My car was parked nearby and I had a hardback copy of The Book of Mormon there. He accepted it, I wrote 3 Nephi 8+, Moroni 10:3-5, Joseph Smith Testimony and 1 Nephi as suggested reading. He said he would read it. I invited, he accepted. For me now to follow up. Drove off feeling great! Went to the Temple and did 17 names in initiatory.

Today, Saturday shopping in Bromley, there was a range of continental stalls down the High Street. I stopped at one selling good leather belts at a fraction the price, bought one and didn't hand over a PAC. Walking on I thought I should go back when I passed that way. 30 minutes later I went up to him, no customers, and said " Hi I was prompted to come back to you and share with you this card about a special church. Would you be interested. He was and took the card and I left him reading from it.

2 Carpet fitters got a card each after their work this afternoon at the flat. They left in a hurry - it was 6 pm on a Saturday, not because of the PAC! :-)

As I write I think that more can be done to engage these folk further in these situations. My next level of progression!

The sister in the shop didn't arrive at church on Sunday. I returned to the shop today at lunchtime after three days leave, with The Book of Mormon copy prepared. We chatted - she explained that she went to her own church - habit. " I don't like going too deep into it" she says after I explain the Book of Mormon is not lost scriptures from the Bible, as she thought - that it came from a prophet family from Jerusalem at the time of the prophet Isaiah who were led to the American continent and started a 1000 year old civilisation. "It testifies of Christ, and complements the Bible." I invite and commit. "Will you read from the sections I have suggested?" She says" Well, I will read a few pages and if I don't like it I will stop." "Is it OK if I come back in a few days to see how you have got on" "Sure." At this point a customer walks in and we say goodbye.

I then go to an upholstery shop for some curtains I need. I have a joke with the shopkeeper, who then leaves and I am served by his assistant. I make the purchase and forget to offer a PAC. I walk out the shop realising this and knowing I need to go back, when the shopkeeper returns down the road. So, we acknowledge each other and I say offering him the PAC "This is the real deal church - you've got to look into it. You can get a free DVD and also there is this great website that will tell you all about it." He accepts the card and I feel OK again!!

A great day yesterday. Michael Paczensky, a convert from June 2010 and my faithful Home Teaching companion for over a year was set apart by President Baldock as a Full-time missionary serving in the Leeds England Mission for 24 months. I got to be in the setting apart Melchizedek Priesthood circle, along with Bishop Gareth Wretham, 1st Councillor Ken Walker, and Derek Rutter, who with Gill his wife took Elder Paczensky to Preston MTC today! Those of you who know Michael will know how deep he is and with a huge compassion and desire to serve. He taught me some important lessons as we served together. He will surely love many back to their Heavenly Father and the Lord and into the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

Yesterday was even greater than that. My daughter Christina in Edmonton, Alberta gave birth to her second child Phoebe Josephine. It was a super quick labour and now she is still shocked that she has her perfect little girl already at home with less discomfort than she could possibly have hoped for during labour.
So as I am paying for petrol for the car yesterday morning on my way to Sidcup, I tell the cashier " I'm a granddad again today!" "Congratulations" she immediately offers feeling my happiness. "I'd like to give you this," I say, handing a PAC. It's about a very special Church that has brought me and my family great happiness, and it can give you the same. Please take time to get the DVD and study the website. Will you do this?" "OK, thanks," says she looking at the PAC with interest.

So, it's simple once you do it again and again and again until it is simple and the most natural thing to do as a member of the Lord's kingdom trying to let others know about the wonderful blessings that await them if they will but take a look in faith and hope.

On Thursday I managed to give as gifts three hard copies of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. These were to the three decorators who I had hired to decorate a flat. They had asked to do the job on Saturday and Sunday. I said I could not employ them because of my respect for the Lord's day. It looked as though they couldn't fit in with me. Then a couple of days later a phone call - they could do it Thursday and Friday! They did a great job. They knew my position. and that made it easier for me to feel they could accept such a gift with grace. I hope they read it!

Footnote. 1. I have made a Word document insert of suggested initial scriptures to read - this goes in all the Books of Mormon I give. These are 3 Nephi 11, Moroni 10:3-5, Joseph Smith Testimony, Introduction, 1 Nephi, Alma 32 and the testimonies of the 3 and 8 witnesses. Anyone have any better suggestions please do tell.
2. A tip I learned from John Smith is to buy boxes of hard back copies of The Book of Mormon. They add to the value of the message somehow. You order them direct from www.store.lds.org.

I've been passing along Pass Along Cards (PACs) for over 6 months. I estimate this will be around 70 given out, mostly at the end of shopping when the cashier hands over the change and receipt. Most smile and act curious and say "Thank you." Few reject the offer.

Friday 21 Oct 11 I am lunchtime shopping in Welling for sewing needles in preparation for a Youth Conference workshop, coincidentally developing LDS member-missionary capabilities.

The cashier is wearing a crucifix. As I hand her a PAC with the Lord exiting the tomb I say "I bet you're not wearing the crucifix for decoration. Do you go to church?" "Yes I go to a spiritualist church. What church is this?" "A very spiritual chuurch -The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." " Is that the one at Peckham?" "There is one there but there is a church along the High Street on the corner of Danson Lane." "Is there?!" I explain where it is, on the same road as the school her son attends, it turns out. I ask "How would you feel if I said that there are now Apostles of Jesus Christ on the earth directing his church?" The immediate and easy reply comes "I wouldn't be surprised!" The Spirit is present as a spirit of peace and calm. "We meet on Sunday at 10 am. Would you like to come along and see for yourself?" " Yes I will!"
We exchange names and details of exactly where. We shake hands peacefully and I leave saying "See you on Sunday."

Sunday is tomorrow (I'm writing this on Saturday). I'll let you know what happens.

I went into another shop a little later. This shop assistant recoiled at the image of the Lord and said, almost shocked, "no thanks, I'm not interested." I left it at that, leaving feeling sorry that a mature woman had got this far in her life unable to know what her specific cultural beliefs are holding her back from.

Earlier this week, when purchasing refreshment at a late night garage, the young man looked at the PAC when I asked if it was something he might be interested in and said "Well, no, but I think my father and mother would be - they are both religious." "Will you give it to them?" "Yes I will." "Thanks,. See you later." I drive off with a fervent prayer he will honour his promise and perhaps be the cause of his family's salvation.