Line upon Line

The morning of Wednesday, June 18, 1989 began like any other day at the mission home in Accra, Ghana.  Suddenly, men with automatic weapons burst through the front door and informed the mission president that the church would no longer be allowed in their country. Within two weeks the mission office was empty of all foreign missionaries, all churches throughout Ghana were padlocked, many had armed guards in front of them 24/7, some church leaders were placed in jail briefly, and church members were forced to keep a very low profile.  The only communication method between Ghanaian Saints in Salt Lake City was one teletype machine in the mission office that could be operated by one mission secretary.

The time which became known as ”The freeze” had begun. Because of misinformation and misunderstandings at the highest governmental levels, even though the church and only been in Ghana a little over 10 years —  and by 1989 there were 50 meeting houses and 9,000 members – on that Wednesday morning, the future of the church in this small West African nation appeared very much in doubt.

How did these relatively new converts respond?  Some reacted in fear and simply left the church.   But most responded in faith.  Through that one teletype machine, Church authorities authorized members to hold meetings in their homes. Sunday’s now were spent singing hymns, reading scriptures, and partaking of the sacrament in small groups and as families – in individual homes;  and as one sister put it, “Our homes became sanctuaries of the spirit.” 

Ministering, although it wasn’t called that at the time, also played a key role. It wasn’t unusual for priesthood leaders to spend all Sunday, beginning with a sacrament meeting at 3:30 in the morning, and then walking more than 20 miles each Sunday to visit every member of their ward – with their only food the sacrament bread they had taken hours earlier.   Home and Visiting teachers also utilized Sundays, and the rest of the week, playing a key role holding members of the church together.    They all began to realize, as Sister Doris Aggory-Baldwin remembered, “The church is not the meeting house that had been taken away by authorities, but is in our own hearts”.

Are there lessons for us today in the examples of these dear African Saints? While we don’t have armed guards compelling us to bring the gospel more deeply into our homes – we do have a clear invitation from the Lord to do so.  

The first lessonhas already been described:  the church is not the meeting house.  A fundamental purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to make each of our homes a sanctuary of the spirit.   In introducing this adjustment to the new two hour block schedule, President Nelson stated in October Conference, 

”As Latter Day Saints, we’ve become accustomed to thinking of church as something that happens in our meeting House and s supported by what happens at home. We need an adjustment to this pattern. It is time for a home center church supported by what takes place inside our branch, ward, and state buildings.”  Then Elder Cook described in his talk, ”The new home centered and church supported curriculum needs to influence more powerfully family religious observance and behavior and personal religious observance and behavior. We know the spiritual impact and the deep and lasting conversion that can be achieved in the home setting.”

Elder Cook also said, ”World conditions increasingly require deepening individual conversion to an strengthening faith in heavenly father and Jesus Christ and his atonement. The Lord has prepared us line upon line, for the perilous times that we now face.”

So while there are no armed guards and government edicts trying to take away what we have, it is clear the enemy of our soul, to quote Pres. Nelson is, ”Increasing his attacks on faith, and upon us and our families, at an exponential rate.”   He’s then added, “to survive spiritually, we need counter strategies and proactive plans… that will further fortify our members and their families.”   

The first counter strategy and proactive plan practiced by these Ghanaian Saints can best be summarized by this comment by Brother Joseph Labie, “If you close our meeting houses you can’t come lock up my home, and if you close my mouth you can’t close my heart.”

Lesson number two is about the Sabbath.  The Sabbath became the glue in their week to hold everything and everyone together.   These Saints didn’t just keep the Sabbath – the Sabbath kept them together, strong in the faith, and worshiping at home while making partaking of the sacrament the very best part of the entire week. Likewise, again quoting Elder Cook, “As leaders have sought revelation, the guidance received over the past few years just to strengthen the sacrament meeting, honor the Sabbath day, and encourage and assist parents and individuals to make their homes a source of spiritual strength and increased faith– A place of joy and happiness.”   

This adjustment to the new two hour block, along with the Come Follow Me manual for individuals and families, has at its very heart the clarion call to make the Sabbath a delight.   To receive the blessings from this, like these African Saints, Sunday can no longer be what we were accustomed to.   Sunday must become a higher and holier day.

Lesson number three has to do with how these Saints responded in faith, hope, and personal responsibility. Opposition only fanned the flames of faith and turned it into a roaring fire.  There was a clear, coordinated effort to deepen faith, study the gospel, serve one another, share the gospel, and create genuine conversion to the Lord.     

We now have the opportunity to follow a similar coordinated pattern to deepen our own, and our family’s conversion. Unlike the change to the three-hour Church scheduled in 1980, which was an accommodative change – this is a genuine pivot – a clear and compelling invitation to become holier people.

When this freeze took place, the members in Ghana met it with faith, even when government officials said the church would never be allowed back into their country.   17 months later, however, the freeze was lifted in November 1990. And what has been the impact since those days?  Within six months of the freeze ending,  two stakes were formed in Accra. Fast forward 28 years, the church in Ghana now has over 25 stakes,  80,000 members, a temple and missionary training Center in their capital of Accra, fully functioning wards, branches and stakes, and the faith of these members is strong, vibrant and alive.  In fact, throughout all of Western Africa, in the past 40 years, over 100 stakes have been formed – the fastest growth anywhere in the entire history of the church. 

28 years from now what will we be able to say  the fruits of this change have been?    As Elder Cook stated, ”The goal of these adjustments is to obtain a deep and lasting conversion of adults, and the rising generation.”

Will some young sister be a strong and dynamic YW leader as she raises her family in a home modeled after the gospel teaching she learned from this change?  Will there be missionaries who are only in nursery right now who will bring the gospel to the nations of Saudi Arabia and Iran?   Will those of my generation serve three and four missions as senior couples because of the testimony they emboldened by studying the gospel together as husband and wife?  These are all outcomes we pray for and desire – and these adjustments are meant to make such miracles happen.   

Just as the Saints in Ghana didn’t know how long they’d live under such conditions, we don’t know how long it won’t be till the Savior comes.  We do know, however, that the Lord is preparing a people to meet Him.   And someday the Scriptures will be written about our day and time.    

Discussing this around our dinner table last Sunday night with two son-in-law’s, one mentioned how in 3 Nephi, chapter 10, Mormon’s description of those who met the Savior when He came to the Americas was, “They who received the prophets and stoned them not.” The comment was then made how that seems like a pretty low bar, because none of us go around picking up stones and throwing them at prophets.   

The other son-in-law commented, “Well that may be true… but  how often do we pick up rocks in our hearts and metaphorically throw them?   Do we stone the prophets in our hearts when we say…” Yes, but?”

• Yes…that sounds like a good thing to do, but I know my kids won’t listen.   
• Yes…we should study together, but I don’t have time to prepare.  
• Yes…an extra hour after church can bless our family, but there’s a game I want to watch instead.”  

Rather than pick up a “yes…but” stone, let’s receive the prophet’s invitation with a YES…AND…  Yes, and we will enthusiastically embrace this adjustment because the promise is: those [who do so] and seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost, will be blessed in extraordinary ways.   

As President Nelson stated, “I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight. Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior’s teachings, and the influence of the adversary in your life and in your home will decrease. Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining.”  

I pray that we will see the vision of these changes.  The Lord is preparing a people to meet Him – and is inviting us now through His prophet to become a changed people.  That we may do so is my prayer.