Forty-two prospective missionaries from around the UK, aged 17 to 23 years, recently attended a National Mission Preparation Seminar held at East Grinstead, in the Crawley area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of those in attendance, fourteen either had or were awaiting to receive full-time mission calls to serve for between 18 months to two years.
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“The seminar was set up to help young people understand more fully the requirements and commitment needed for a mission,” said Miah Neale of the East Grinstead congregation. “It was very well organised and enabled me to make new friends with people with the same interests and life goals as myself.”
President Stilgoe, Church leader for the Crawley area also attended the seminar and commented, “I saw teenagers mature in the gospel able to articulate doctrine and express how they felt about principles of the gospel. They shared personal experiences of how they came to know the truth of the gospel, what it was like to feel the Holy Ghost. They knew their scriptures.”
The seminar concluded with Sunday services held at the London Temple Visitors’ Centre in Lingfield, Surrey. Elder and Sister George Donaldson, Area Seventy, led the National Mission Preparation Seminar with Elder Clifford T Herbertson, also an Area Seventy, who spoke at the service offering guidance to the young people.
Local bishop, Chris Cooke, from the Clapham Common congregation commented, "I am amazed when I see the spiritual depth of these young people and their ability to sacrifice. They commit to place their lives and personal plans on hold while they go where they are sent to help other people. It blows me away.”