Stories: Jewish Missionaries
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| About two months after I arrived in the mission field, I was picked up by the AP's for an interview with President Cahoon. He called me along with 21 other recently arrived missionaries to labor among the tribe of Judah. We still still taught Gentiles, but we were specialists when Jewish people were contacted. I really did not know much about Jews, since I grew up in Utah.
We would be learning new discussions, have our own pamphlets and materials, and would be required to attend various classes held at the San Jose State Institute. We would have classes in Jewish Culture, History, Old Testament (Torah), Hebrew, Holidays, family life, and the commonalities between the LDS and Jewish people.
President Cahoon shared with us the theme of our callings, found in 2 Nephi 29:5, "O ye Gentiles, have ye remembered the Jews, mine ancient covenant people? Nay; but ye have cursed them, and have hated them, and have not sought to recover them. But behold, I will return all these things upon your own heads; for I the Lord have not forgotten my people". I get emotional every time I read that. Our goal was to remove this condemnation, by sharing a message from the stick of Joseph and the Messiah.
Our Leaders were The Robinsons or Sharon Fowler. We were taught by many Jewish Converts. We add guest speakers. One such guest speaker was Dr. Joseph Gnatt. He was a visiting professor from Israel. He was famous for finding the Lehi caves in Israel. Before he spoke to us, I went up to him to greet him in my limited Hebrew, and he spoke back to me in fast Hebrew that I could not even understand him. Later, I guess he was impressed with me, in that he told President Cahoon that he nicked named me Joshua after Mose's faithful servant and later Prophet. Joshua was a large Ephraimite, and I was a large Ephraimite. From then on, and even after my mission, President Cahoon called me Elder Joshua.
We had a great experience teaching and meeting with our brothers from the Tribe of Judah. Although we did not baptise a lot of Jews, we let them know that the tribe of Ephraim was here with the stick of Joseph. These types of missions went away while the church was building the BYU Israel Center. There were several Ultra Orthodox Jews who tried to prevent us from building the Jersalem center becuase they thought we were there to proselyte. It is agaist the law to proselyte in Israel. Some how those Ultra Orthodox Jews got a hold of our Jewish discussions and Training manual and tried to show that we were there to proselyte. This is why we really don't have these types of missions for now.
I had a wonderful experience. I used this knowledge and experience to develop many relationships with Jewish people after my mission. I have had many clients that our Jewish, including many orthodox Rabbi's. I even had the great honor to discuss this part of my mission with President Monson and President Faust. President Monson remembered the Jewish Discussions and training manual.
I had so much fun, and learned so much and developed a great testimony of the Messiahs message to his beloved kindred. |
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