Friday, June 24, 2016 – YSSM’s Gutter Cleaning, Columbus Ohio Youth Conference, Amish converts

The cleaning of the sidewalks and Gutters is all finished. This morning all six of the YSSM’s assigned to Carthage came to work on the sidewalks, curbs and gutters for an hour and a half. With all the help and the extra time we were able to finish the project. We cleaned all of the gutters, curbs and sidewalks around the whole city block where the visitor’s center sits.

We were under the gun, so to speak. Today was our last day to work with the YSSM’s on the gutters and sidewalks before next Monday’s Commemoration Program. The program is to commemorate the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum 172 years ago.  It is a large and important event for the mission. All of the various historic sites in Nauvoo will close early on Monday to accommodate all of the Senior Missionaries and give them time to drive out her to Carthage.

 

Today at the Carthage Jail Visitor’s Center we were treated to more bus loads of visitors. In particular there were three buses from Columbus, Ohio with over 150 youth. The Columbus East Stake had their youth conference here in Nauvoo/Carthage like so many other stakes.

I got to talk to and spend some time with the Columbus East Stake President, Pres. Kevin Birch. He pointed out that among the 150+ youth there were included several of the Amish teenagers whose families joined the LDS Church three years ago. They attend the Mount Vernon Ward in the Columbus Ohio East Stake. Wow, what an interesting and inspiring story.

 

One of the fathers was given a Book of Mormon by a member who was a friend of the Amish family. The father said as he began reading he couldn’t put the book down for 3 days. The father invited two other Amish fathers to read the Book of Mormon and they too couldn’t put it down! All three families took the missionary lessons and were baptized. Since then they’ve all been sealed in the temple!

To read about the conversion of these Amish families, go to a talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson,. CES Devotional for Young Adults - September 14, 2014. He talks about the Amish families about half way through his talk under the heading: “Whosoever Confesses Me, I Will Confess before the Father.”  Or you can watch the devotional on line. At 29:50 into the devotional he talks about their conversion and he includes several great pictures of the families. It’s worth watching! Click on this link: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2014/01/saving-your-life?lang=eng

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