In this message, Elder Ian S. Ardern, Pacific Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, talks about one of the ways that members of the Church can bless the lives of young missionaries serving in their city, town or village.
Every day in the Pacific Area, members invite missionaries to their homes and enjoy a meal with them.
The food is prepared with love for the full-time servants of the Lord, and in true Pacific style, there is always an abundance of it.
Family members at home are grateful to far flung fellow members for their kindness in providing meals for their missionary children and grandchildren.
Sister Ardern and I are certainly grateful for the meals provided for our grandson as he serves in the New Zealand Wellington Mission.
You will recall the account of Alma who entered the city of Ammonihah. We read in the eighth chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon:
18 Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah.
19 And as he entered the city he was an hungered, and he said to a man: Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat?
We learn that the humble servant was Amulek and he, like so many of you have done, provided a meal for Alma the missionary. We read from the same chapter:
21 And it came to pass that the man received him into his house; and the man was called Amulek; and he brought forth bread and meat and set before Alma.
22 And it came to pass that Alma ate bread and was filled; and he blessed Amulek and his house, and he gave thanks unto God.
You will have noticed in your reading of the last verse that Alma blessed Amulek and his house because of the meal and kindness he received.
Sister Ardern and I felt blessed during the week when we shared a meal in our home with Elder Fakahau and Elder Uili of the New Zealand Auckland Mission.
They were so polite and grateful for the meal we provided and then they taught us a spiritual lesson that blessed us. The 60 minutes we spent with them was one of the highlights of our week.
I again express my thanks to so many who choose to provide needed meals to the missionaries. I know you too will be blessed and that the missionaries will give thanks to the Lord for you.
Elder Ardern