Andrea Nelson McDonald wrote

I grew up with a friend who was a very devout Christian.  She was taught many wonderful truths -- reading the Bible, giving service, faith in prayer -- but she was also taught some harmful things -- Mormons are bad!  One time we both participated in a meeting of religious high school students.  The organizers hoped to foster respect and understanding among the religions.  But I felt attacked, accused by my friend of not being Christian.  She very strongly stated that she knew what we believed, that she had seen movies about us, and wouldn't listen to what I had to say.

 

But we remained friends through high school graduation. A few years ago we reconnected, and as I had several children and she was expecting her first, I became her parenting consultant.  We talked a lot, mostly about how to keep food down, how to survive a colicky baby, and hoping that some day we'll sleep again!

 

This friend has been divorced twice, and now has two children with her third husband.  He was raised by a single mother, and never met his father.  They want to build a strong family, but doesn't have many resources.  Again, having been married for 16 years, I have become her consultant.  At first I followed the same pattern from when we were pregnant together -- what books have been helpful, which authorities have good ideas.

 

I was very hesitant to tell her which books I really rely on, and which authorities I really trust, because of her earlier attitudes (and because I'm a wimp).  But while talking to her I couldn't keep talking shallowly about tips and suggestions.  I finally bore my testimony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches us how to have strong families, and that the Church is led by a living prophet, who guides us today.

 

She responded very positively, saying that she thinks that "there is something different about the Mormon Church."  She said she would be nervous to attend, not knowing what to expect, or if she would be turned away at the door.  I explained how the meetings are run, and reassured her that she was welcome.  I also directed her to some Church-sponsored

web sites.

 

I haven't heard back from her, but I am so happy that her attitude toward the Church has changed so much.  And even if she never pursues anything more regarding the Church, I have been changed.  I feel more courageous and more ready to bear my testimony.

Peter Nelson wrote

While interviewing for employment in the Phoenix area recently, conversation naturally turned toward the church.  I was reminded of the many opportunities to discuss our faith and the need to be prepared.  People often wonder or inquire about recent events in the media or other events like the Broadway production "Book of Mormon".  I try to be prepared to talk about the various questions people ask.  My cousin Tim Eaton recently reported attending the Broadway production and passing out a couple of Books of Mormon; he said that many people were interested in talking with a real live Mormon and that he could have given out many more copies if he had them.

Kris Nelson posted this story for her son Bryan:

While we were in Florida a couple of weeks ago, we took an air boat ride in the swamps near Kissimmee.  As we were waiting for the boat ride to begin Bryan and his girlfriend, Hanna struck up a conversation with several adults.   The people asked where they were from and then asked if they were Mormons. Most of what they knew about the church was from their familiarity with BYU sports teams and that Mormons had lots of babies.  Bryan and Hanna were able to have a discussion about the church and let them know the truth about what we believe. 

Kris Nelson posted the following story:

Last weekend we hosted our ward’s youth conference at our cabin in Bear Lake.  One of the young women in our ward brought a male friend who was not a member of the church from North Carolina.  The youth were able to do baptisms for the dead in the Logan temple and although he was not able to go inside the temple, his friend explained what happened in there and why we do it.  We also had a fireside/testimony meeting where he was able to feel the spirit. I also witnessed and was involved in conversations with him about what the Church believed and he was interested in learning more. 

Scott Nelson added the following post:
While at a funeral recently, Kris and I were able to talk about the church to the Medved family. We told them about our son, Josh who is on a mission in Paris, France.  They were very interested and favorable in their thoughts of having somebody as young as 19 make a decision to take two years out of his life to teach about the gospel.  One of the family members actually wished that all young men at that age would do that, as it matures them and helps them understand what they're about.  They were curious about his activities and whether he was able to choose where he serves and seemed very surprised when they were told that they are assigned to a specific area.  I felt the conversation served as a bridge between different religions and customs.  We were able to see a Catholic funeral service and mass and this sharing of our beliefs was a great way to end the day.

Joshua Nelson, grandson of Z George Nelson, is presently serving as a full-time missionary for the Church in St. Brieuc, France. On April 14^th he wrote:

  ...we had  the opportunity to go to the church and have a baptism for Vanina. I was blessed with the opportunity to be the one who baptized her and after a little forgetfulness at the beginning of her names (she has 5 names) and the words I was able to remember and accomplish the ordinance. It was a great time filled with joy, tears and the spirit.

[On] Sunday, …we had the opportunity to teach Vanina during Sunday school and then be a part of the circle as Elder Hall confirmed her a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and pronounce a blessing. It was a moment of joy, hope and we felt the love of our Heavenly Father as we laid our hands on her head. After the sacrament we had the wonderful opportunity to bare testimony as it was our fast and testimony meeting. I bore my testimony and was edified and uplifted as I heard members and friends bare their solemn and sacred testimony of the divinity of our Lord and Savior and His church here on this earth. 

Cindy Nelson Rowlett posted

In our ward we currently have two sets of missionaries serving.  They have divided our ward in two so that we know which set we are assigned to.  My area has the Sister Missionaries and they are just awesome!  There is such a different spirit with the Sisters and I have enjoyed having them over for dinner and visiting with them.  Last week they called and left a message on my phone asking if I would go with them to an appointment that they had with an investigator.  My first reaction was, "No, I don't want to do that.  That isn't how I want to spend my evening."  Then two different thoughts followed.  I had been reading a book that talked about how crumbs are left in our path and all we have to do is follow them.  The crumbs are there to guide us to either a person we need to meet, or something that we need to do, that will make a difference, or influence in our lives.  This invitation could be a "crumb" that I was supposed to follow.  The second thought was that here was a perfect opportunity to have a missionary experience that I could share on our family blog.  Putting those two thoughts together (the crumb leading to the missionary experience) I knew that I needed to accept the Sister's invitation to go with them to this Sister's home.

We all three went and met with Debbie who had lost her husband to cancer about a year ago.  She has still been struggling with his loss and the loneliness that she feels.  The Sisters felt like we should teach her about the Plan of Salvation.  Debbie was very warm and friendly as we visited with her.  Her attention often left our "agenda" of what we wanted to talk about, but her stories gave us insight into who she was, and what her husband had been like.  She loved to talk!  The Sister's kept re-focusing the discussion back to the lesson and Debbie did ask some questions.  We all bore our testimonies at different times and shared experiences that had helped us to know our Heavenly Father's plan for us.  She agreed to read the pamphlet on the Plan of Salvation and to have the Sister's come back.  

Although there wasn't an instant conversion that night, I felt that Debbie knew that we cared about her as a person and that because we cared maybe she would be more open and receptive to letting us share the gospel with her.  I don't know what will become of the visits with Debbie, but I think the Sisters were brought to her home and into her life at a time where she really needed someone to listen to her and know that she is loved by her Heavenly Father. I know that for myself I will try harder to follow the breadcrumbs that are in front of me and accept opportunities to share the gospel.