McAlester News-Capital, McAlester, OK

Local News

March 1, 2008

Missionaries dedicate their lives

By Susan Brittingham

Maybe you’ve seen them riding bicycles through town and wondered about those two clean cut guys and the books they carry.

Jeffrey Abraham and Derek Williams are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, sent here to share their faith. The books they carry are the Book of Mormon, which Mormons believe is a companion to the Holy Bible and another testament of Jesus Christ.

“We want to share with people our focus, that family is the most important thing there is,” Williams said. “It is important that children have a righteous and stable foundation based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.”

Just like these two young men, many LDS missionaries are sent out two-by-two into areas that don’t have a large Mormon population. According to www.mormon.org, there are more than 50,000 volunteer missionaries throughout the world right now. The site reads that “the Savior taught, ‘Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and church members consider it a privilege to show their love for others and the Lord by sharing the gospel.”

Abraham is 22 and Williams is 19, average ages for LDS missionaries. To earn the privilege of representing their church, they had to first lead lives of good examples. Next they had to be interviewed by a church leader, who determined their worthiness to serve. Then they filled out applications and waited for officials at the church’s headquarters to approve them.

Lastly, “the person receives a call from the prophet to serve in a designated area,” according to www.mormon.org.

While waiting for that call, they worked and saved money to be able to pay rent and buy food while living far from home. Missionaries are not paid for their work and many don’t see their families until the end of their two-year commitment.

Abraham and Williams may not see their far-away families for quite some time, since they only recently became missionaries. Both are from Utah, which is also the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Even though they’re strangers here, and probably a bit homesick, they welcome each new day as another chance to share the Book of Mormon with people they’ve never met — and may never see again.

Williams and Abraham expect to spend the next four or five months in McAlester before moving on to their next assignment. To reach the people of whatever land they are in, they will go door to door, either on foot or on bicycles. Not too long ago, that was the only way missionaries were expected to travel. Now, though, they can use a car — sometimes.

“Our area here is so big, especially when we go to Wilburton, that we’ll sometimes use a car, but we’re only allowed to put so many miles on it,” Williams said. “Mostly we walk or ride bicycles.”

Williams and Abraham both say it doesn’t matter how they get to where they’re going, as long as they get there. The whole purpose of this opportunity is to be able to talk about the Book of Mormon. They want to share that the Book of Mormon tells the story of Jesus Christ appearing in America after his cruxifixion and ascension into heaven.

They say their reception in the heart of the Bible Belt has been warm, with open-minded people willing to listen to an alternate belief. “The people here are very nice to us, and most of them are proud of what we do,” Abraham said.

Williams agreed. “They respect us, even if they don’t agree with a lot of our beliefs. Some of them are willing to listen to what we have to say. We read with them and pray with them, and let them know that the Book of Mormon is also God’s word.”

The missionaries said that anyone who would like to visit with them can call 302-0358. Voice mail messages will be returned, they said.

Contact Susan Brittingham at 421-2029 or e-mail sbrittingham@mcalesternews.com.

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