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“We Absolutely Fell in Love with the People”

“We Absolutely Fell in Love with the People”

Last updated on: November 8, 2023 at 8:51 am by Dan Peterson

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“We Absolutely Fell in Love with the People” 2023-11-08T08:51:06-07:00 Dan Peterson

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James Jordan, Elder Willy Binene of the Third Quorum of the Seventy, Léon (driver), Jeff Bradshaw, and Russ Richins after returning to Mbuji-Mayi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, following a long jeep ride from Luputa. They were there gathering footage for the Interpreter Foundation’s ongoing “Not by Bread Alone” film project. President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple for Mbuji-Mayi at the conclusion of the October 2023 general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Two new Interpreter Foundation videos have now been posted online. I think that some of you will find them of interest. Personally, I found them moving:

““We Absolutely Fell in Love with the People”: A New Short Film About Africa with Elder and Sister Renlund”

““You Can Take Your Hand Off Africa Now”: A New Short Film about President Kimball, David M. Kennedy, and the Revelation on the Priesthood”

As he has been doing every week for several years now, Jonn Claybaugh has generously provided a brief set of notes for teachers and students of the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Come, Follow Me — New Testament Study and Teaching Helps: Lesson 47, November 13 — 19: James — “Be Ye Doers of the Word, and Not Hearers Only”

The New Testament in Context Lesson 47: “Be Ye Doers of the Word, and Not Hearers Only” (James)

In the 22 October 2023 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, our hosts Martin Tanner and Robert Boylan discussed New Testament lesson 47, ““Be Ye Doers of the Word, and Not Hearers Only”” on James.

It has now been shorn of commercial and other extraneous interruptions, archived, and made available to you at your convenience. The other segments of the October 22 radio show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-october-22 -2023.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard every week of the year on Sunday evenings, from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640. Or, if you prefer or if your circumstances are such that you need to do so, you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

James Jordan captured this beautiful view in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

If you keep track of the inflammatory claims that are routinely leveled against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its leaders, you may have seen the most recent accusations directed against President M. Russell Ballard (who, incidentally, at age 95, has recently been in the hospital). Here is the Church’s official response:

“Church did not provide tithing records to Tim Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad, spokesman says: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ‘regards tithing records as sacred and keeps them confidential,’ spokesman says”

And, speaking of inflammatory claims (although, this time, they target a much lesser figure than President Ballard), the anonymous slanderer that I’ve termed “Everybody’s WC” is once again publicly lying about me online, something that apparently comes as naturally to him as breathing. Many of you are probably aware that there is considerable controversy swirling at the moment around Tim Ballard, a member of the Church who was, until recently, associated with Operation Underground Railroad. For two or three years a while back, my wife and I donated a small amount each year to Operation Underground Railroad — trying to fight child sex trafficking seems to us about as intrinsically and unambiguously noble a cause as could possibly be imagined — and I even mentioned OUR a few times on this blog as an organization that seemed worth supporting. Everybody’s WC never mentioned my support of OUR or my donations to combat child trafficking back then but, now that controversy has emerged, he is portraying me, quite falsely, as Tim Ballard’s chief public cheerleader and as vocally endorsing Tim Ballard’s books, which, in fact, I don’t own and have never read. I’ve never met Tim Ballard, either. The safest rule to follow with respect to Everybody’s WC, whenever he claims insider information about me or any organization with which I’m involved or with which I’m possibly involved, is to assume that he’s lying. His malevolent and unsleeping hatred of me has long since overwhelmed any sense of honesty on his part; of course, I’m not sure that there was ever really much of a contest between the two.

A group of members reenacting the baptism of Elder Willy Binene and others in Lac Golf, Kolwezi.

Yesterday, I briefly mentioned the story of Billy Johnson, a pioneer member of the Church in Ghana who passed away in 2012 at roughly the age of 78. While checking on his story, as I remembered it, I came across the following: “The Greatest Modern Missionary -Joseph “Billy” Johnson of Ghana.” I’m inclined to think that he may well deserve that title, “greatest modern missiionary.” And seriously contemplating that idea should certainly lead to some readjustment of the stereotype of Latter-day Saints as a sect of whites bordering on white supremacy. The basis for that notion has been obsolete for several decades now, at least, and it’s becoming more and more inaccurate these days at a rapidly increasing pace.

The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple was the first Latter-day Saint temple dedicated in the area. Three more temples — in Lubumbashi, Kananga, and Mbuji-Mayi — are now either announced or under construction in the DR Congo, and fifth (the Brazzaville Republic of the Congo Temple) has been announced for the capital of the other Congolese republic, which is essentially a continuation, across the Congo River, of the same vast urban area. (LDS Media Library)

Now, sit down. Make sure that a licensed counselor and a cardiologist are available and near at hand. It’s time, yet again, for a quartet of almost unendurable abominations from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File™:

“Which state is the most charitable in the country? Utah most generous state for 4th consecutive year, according to new analysis”

“Church devoting ‘significant financial resources’ to relief agencies in Gaza, Israel”

“Family Services Counseling Gives Single Mother Tools to Help Her Mental Health: ‘I’m so excited to start a life as a bigger, happier family,’ Kristen Gardner says”

“Latter-day Saints Around the World: Caring for Others: Homes built for flood victims in Ghana, Church recognized for helping those in need in Los Angeles, and school bags donated to Muslim children displaced in the Philippines”

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