MTC- Provo UT

We spent three weeks in Taipei with Garrett and Cindi in late April, Mother’s Day and Garrett’s Birthday in May.  We were fairly confident that Taipei, Taiwan would be the perfect spot to serve a mission; it was beautiful, we like the culture and best of all Garrett, Cindi and Charlie were there.  We proceeded to put the things in place that would move us towards that goal.  We discussed this possibility with CES, MLS, ESL, temple options as well as office couple options without anything positive.  The language barrier was putting kinks in our plan.  We completed our medical and dental requirements, turned in our papers then left in October for Arizona.  In early November the big white envelop arrived and we discovered we were going to Rome, Italy assigned to Military Relations on Naval Air Station Sigonella.  I definitely needed to do some research for what this might entail. 

During General Conference October 1849 President Young announced the first missionaries to begin preaching the gospel in Italy, France and Scandinavia. Lorenzo Snow was called to lead the new mission to Italy. On October 19 a party of 32 missionaries bound for Europe gathered at the mouth of Emigration Canyon and departed for the journey East.

             

Lorenzo Snow was well educated and already married with children when he was called to missionary service at the age of 35.  They traveled east, through Cheyenne territory to Council Bluffs, St. Louis, Nauvoo and Carthage Illinois to NYC where they departed on 25 March 1850 on board the Shannon arriving in Liverpool, England four weeks later on 19 April. After a two-month stop over in England three missionaries left Southampton on 15 June 1850 crossed the English Channel to France.  They proceeded across the farmlands of southern France landing in Genoa on the 25 June 1850; they completed the journey from SLC to Italy in about 8 months.

Italy’s prominent role in Europe’s religious and cultural history was an important reason for the decision to make it one of the first European mission fields, preaching Mormonism in the birthplace of the Roman Empire, The Renaissance and especially the Roman Catholic Church was one that captivated church leaders and missionaries.  Church leaders and missionaries also viewed Italy as a land sanctified by the presence of some of Christ original apostles and wished to establish the church in a land where the ancient church once flourished.

Lorenzo Snow dedicated Italy for missionary work in September 1850-1851

Last missionary left Italy in 1865. By 1867 most families that were baptized had immigrated, the church ceased to have an official presence in Italy. These were the one hundred years of solitude.

In early 1965 missionary work resumed in Italy.  A key figure in that was apostle and future church President Ezra Taft Benson.  His impact as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Secretary of Agriculture took him to Italy several times including in 1957 he received the prestigious High Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in recognition of his work to resolved Italy’s serious post war food shortages.

Ezra Taft Benson rededicated the Italy mission in November 1966.

Mike served in Italy 1993-1995, there were four missions Milan, Podiva, Rome and Catania.

Today there are two Missions Milan and Rome.

President Thomas S. Monson broke ground for the Rome, Italy Temple 23 October

2010.  That event was nothing short of a miracle and a strong signal to the saints in Italy that great things were in-store for Italians and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Mormons on the Piazza

As of 31 December 2015

26,284 members

104 Congregations in 83 cities

10 Stakes

1 District

2 Missions

60 Wards

44 Branches

Anziano Anderson and I are assigned to the Naval Air Station Signoella branch for 18 months January 2018-June 2019.  We just completed two weeks of training in the MTC; we leave SLC on Monday morning through Atlanta and arrive in Rome on Tuesday, January 23 all set to try out our new skills. The Sparrows our trainers,  The Tolmans- South Korea, The Marrows-New York,

The Spanos-Japan, and The Paxtons -Germany, were part of the Military Relations training

It has been an historic two weeks for all church members, but especially in the MTC! Seems like just a few years ago, I was the teacher in Freshman Honors English and one of my students was Justin Wilkins.   I had the rare privilege this week to be the student and Bishop Justin Wilkins taught me seminary and institute training.   It was a little overwhelming to contemplate that blessing.

Elder Bednar spoke at our Tuesday MTC Devotional.  I felt that I had been taught by the spirit for an intense hour as we sat together in the auditorium with 1200 Young Men and Young Women and 120 senior couples.  When we stood and sang “Called to Serve “ together the deep baritone and tenor voices touched my heart and gave me chills to realize our participation was part of something bigger than us!