Election Day in Ghana

Today, Sunday, is election day in Ghana. The Ghanaians will elect their new president who will preside for the next 4 years. We are hoping that as in the last election it will be a peaceful election. An election where whoever wins will peacefully take office. Ghana is a model for all African nations when it comes to elections. It seems to be the only African nation where a peaceful election is a possibility.

Today sacrament meeting was held throughout Ghana at 8am. All other sunday meetings were cancelled. After sacrament meeting, which today was fast and testimony meeting, all the members left the church to go and cast their vote. We attended Christiansborg and Cantoments combined sacrament meeting. We wondered whether the church would fill with members today or if few would come. To our delight the chapel was filled to capacity. After the sacrament the bishops, the stake president's counselor and Pres. Snow bore their testimony. I will share some of what was said.

Bishop Baidoo of the Christiansborg ward was first to share his testimony. He said he called a friend on his phone this morning.His friend told him that his vote was for the most perfect government: the government of God. Continuing his friend said, "My temple recommend is my voter registration card and I cast my ballot every week (by going to the temple).

That got me thinking. We have an 114 year old lady who attends the temple every week. She casts her ballot every week for the government of God. This is her picture. Can you see the "light" in her eyes?


Next Bishop of the Cantoments ward bore his testimony. Some of his comments were: "We belong to a kingdom that lasts forever. The Savior is the king of the kingdom." We are all invited to participate. We are invited to come to church. We are invited to be baptised. We are invited to serve Him. We are invited to pay our tithing. We are invited to attend the temple. We are invited to participate in the joy of His kingdom, not just in part of the kingdom but in all that is in the kingdom. The invitation is constant whether we choose to accept it or not...He never withdraws the invitation.

He commented that recently we have had people campaigning for candidates with great enthusiasm. Do we have the same desire to belong to the kingdom or to have other belong to it as the promoters of each political party has for their candidate to win? Do we have that kind of desire for the Kingdom of God to win? It is a good question to ponder.

President Snow, our Area President talked about the elections in America that were held about a month ago. He spoke of the peacefulness of the election in regard to the candidates. But then he spoke of another election - an election held in California that was not for a candidate but for the preservation of the family, a moral issue. He told them of the church's stand on this issue. He said the church will not take a stand on candidates, but it will take a stand on morality. He then told them of the persecution that continues even to this very day because of our stand. Persecution to members who leant their time to campaigning for the ammendment. Persecution to members who gave their means to support the ammendment. Persecution to the church as a whole including the burning of some chapels. I think the Ghanaians were a bit surprised. President Snow said that it was always important to cast our vote for morality even if we may be in the minority..even though the world may speak otherwise. We must study God's word and know that which God stands for and we must vote accordingly.

It was a wonderful meeting. I left filled with things to ponder. The Ghanaians left to cast their ballots and now we will wait to see if the elections and their results indeed peaceful. I believe they will be. Ghana is a wonderful country.