The Pioneers of West Africa

Gathered in front of the first church site in Cape Coast, organized before missionaries came to the land, are some of the first members of the church. They went through great trial, but were blessed with many visions and dreams that gave them strength. We listened to them bare their testimonies for two hours. Their faith is strong.

For many, the waters of baptism were this beach. It is lovingly referred to as "Baptism Beach" by the members in Cape Coast.

Joseph William Billy Johnson

Jospeh William Billy Johnson was the Elias of Africa. He is known here as "Billy Johnson". He came upon the teachings of the Church in 1964. His friend Dr. Mensah, gave him a pamphlet on Joseph Smith and the Restoration. After reading it and feeling the spirit bear testimony of its truth he asked his friend if he had anything more. He gave him a book: The Book of Mormon. Billy Johnson had seen this book in a dream and so excitedly took the book and read it. After reading the Book of Mormon, he felt he had found truth. "One morning, at about five o'clock, I got up and prepared for the day's work. I decided to follow Jame 1:5 as did Joseph. When I knelt to pray, I felt transmitted away. I saw the heavens open, and for the first time I saw angels singing praises to God and blowing trumpets. In the course of this experience I heard my name called three times…‘Johnson, Johnson, Johnson. If you will take up my work as I will command you, I will bless you and bless your land.’ Trembling and in tears, I replied, ‘Lord, with thy help I will do whatsoever you will command me.'"

That was the beginning of Billy Johnson preparing Ghana for the church. Over the next 14 years he went door to door to tell people about the restoration of the gospel. He set up 10 congregations in Ghana. These early pioneer saints waited patiently for the missionaries to come to their land so they could be baptised with authority and confirmed members of the church. It was difficult to endur the refusals of their requests for missionaries, but visions and dreams kept them true to their faith. They were spiritually supported by the preaching of Billy Johnson.

Finally in 1978 missionaries came to Ghana. Today there are close to 40,000 members. A temple blesses the latter-day saints' lives here in Ghana and extends every blessing the Lord has to offer, to these faithful people.

Forty-five years since first hearing about the gospel, Billy Johnson's testimony is strong. He has been a temple worker and an active patriarch until about 9 months ago when he was put on emeritus status because of health. Ghana will never forget him. When he passes from this life the prophets who strengthened him to endur, will line up to embrace him.

Sister Priscilla Sampson-Davis, an African Pioneer

One of the great ladies we met on Monday was Priscilla Sampson-Davis. She joined the church in 1978 and is now 83 years old. She is still full of life and hiked down the rutted road (and back)to Baptism Beach with us. Elder Shipley was a great gentleman and assisted her. This is one of the things I love about him - he is very in tune with older people's needs.

In testimony meeting that morning she shared her story with us.
Sister Sampson-Davis first met the missionaries in 1964 in Holland where her husband was working. One day she heard a knock on the door. When she opened it there stood two young men who explained they would like to tell her about the gospel of Jesus Christ. She opened the door and let them in. They gave her a Book of Mormon, and a short lesson. She watched as they left. Her landlord stopped them and talked to them at length and she never saw them again.

Though her husband was not interested in the gospel at this time, she was. Upon returning to Ghana, she heard of Brother William Johnson and his LDS study groups and began to participate with them. Fourteen years later, she and her children were among the first saints to be baptized in Africa in 1978.

Years and Years later, when she and her husband visited the Salt Lake Temple to be sealed, she bumped into one of the missionaries who came to her door in Holland. She hugged him and rejoiced over the difference he made in her life. What she did not know was the difference she made in his life. This missionary had been discouraged because no one in Holland would listen to him. He had threatened to leave his mission but the mission president asked him to try it one more day. That was the day Sister Sampson-Davis let him in. The Elder felt this was an answer to his prayers and remained to complete his mission. Each hugged each other agian and exclaimed "Thank you for saving my life."

About two years after her baptism Priscilla Sampson-Davis had a vision in which she was attending a sacrament meeting where a man in white apparel was standing on the front stand. He beckoned to her to come forward. “I came and stood by him. He asked me to turn around and look at the faces of the people to see if they were all enjoying the service. I said they were and he asked me to look again. Again I saw the same scene. He asked me a third time to look and see if the people were happy and I saw many people looking down at the ground and not singing from the hymn book. He asked me why those people were not singing and I said, ‘Because they didn’t go to school and they can’t read the English book. They can’t sing, and that is the reason they bow their heads.’

Then he said, ‘Would you like to help your sisters and brothers who can’t read and who can’t join you in singing praises to Heavenly Father?’” Even though she couldn’t write the language well(Fante),she replied,“I will try.”

When the vision ended, she immediately started translating “Redeemer of Israel” into her native language and then much of the hymnal. She went on later to translate missionary pamphlets, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, Gospel Principles, and various other Church materials.

She says of translating the Book of Mormon,“I knew the Lord wanted me to do it,
because at times when I would use a certain word or a phrase,suddenly, as if somebody was standing behind me, I would hear, ‘No, use this word,’ or ‘No, not that word.’ I always had an eraser with me, because the Spirit was teaching me.”

She observed: “It says in the scriptures that in the last days people will hear the gospel in their [own] tongues. This is what the Lord wanted me to do, and it is by his grace that I do it.”

*some quotes taken from Gospel Pioneers in Africa, E. Dale LeBaron

The Elmina Branch

Last Sunday we were in Cape Coast. It is a favorite retreat of ours. I love the beach - any beach - and Cape Coast is just beautiful with palm trees, sand, and a scenic ocean.

We decided to attend a new branch formed just 3 weeks ago,the Elmina Branch. The Elmina Branch is located next to the Bridge Hotel in downtown Elmina. The bridge to the famous Elmina Slave Castle is just steps away. When we first came into Elmina on Saturday we were pleasently surprised to see the rental building straight in front of our eyes as we wound down the streets of Elmina to get to our hotel. The building is a rental building. It was built in 1854 by the Dutch and has walls that are about 18 inches thick. Physical facilities painted the building a bright sunshine yellow - no one can miss this building! We thought maybe they should paint all of our churches this color - it is a "HELLO!" "We are HERE!" color.

Sunday morning we awoke to rain. It rained hard right up until we entered the chapel and then it began to slow down and eventually stop. About 80 people were in attendance. The previous week 110. The weather kept many from coming - most walk and it isn't easy when the rain is pounding the street, or turning the dirt road where they live into mud puddles or slippery silt. Even with fewer in attendance it was a great experience. The meetings were spirit filled. We went to the gospel essentials class with about 10 investigators. The lesson was on free agency and the plan of salvation. Elder Shipley gave them a roll play experience which they enjoyed and will probably always remember. After that, I attended Young Women, where there were an equal number of young women. It will not be long before this branch becomes a ward.

Busy, Busy, Busy - The Area Committee Report

Elder and Sister Shipley, Elder and Sister Cardon, Pres. and Sister Snow, Elder and Sister Golden

Once a year the Area Presidency creates an Area Committee Report that communicates what is happening in our Area. The is done through script and through a power point presentation. The report is given through video conferencing to the Area Committee which consists of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Seven Presidents of the Seventy, and the Presiding Bishopbric. So it is a pretty important event. Unfortunately I came down with a horrid cold when they needed me to begin work on the power point presentation and so the Area Presidency recruited Sr. Johnson to do that part of the presentation. Maybe this was just the Lord working things to His will. She is very talented in creating media. Sr. Johnson put together our Gospel English course, a beautiful manual filled with wonderful teaching pictures of Africans participating in gospel activities at home and in church. She has also created video training presentations for a personal business and is currently involved in developing a training video for the gospel english course. So you see she was much more qualified to do the work. Elder Shipley has been very busy helping with the script, and even creating a teleprompter for the Area Presidency...amazing to see his creativity.

The report was given last evening and it went very well. I believe it accurately described the church in West Africa. The faith of the people was illustrated in stories, the need for more economical and environmentally harmonious chapels, the precautions with security, and the development of leadership were all addressed in the report. It was a great experience for Elder Shipley.

It was President Snow's swan song. He leaves soon. A new presidency will take over administering the church in West Africa on August 1st. Elder Cardon will then become the Area President. We will miss President Snow. He has been a fantastic Area President: a great example to the Africans of Christ's love for His children, a man filled with Solomon's wisdom, and a man filled with faith in God.

The last 16 months has been an experience of a lifetime. We will greatly miss our association with these great men whom we serve. We have learned a great deal from them. We will miss their influence and their friendship greatly.

The Basket Tree

One of the beautiful products of Ghana are baskets. They are all hand made and very colorful. This is a basket store...with a few dancing shirts as well.

The Furniture Store

A new highway opened up this last week, and true to form the stores opened to the side of the road as well. All furniture is hand made with hand tools under the trees alongside the roads.

The Rose

In Ghana, roses just are not seen. Flowers are mostly on shrubs. Oh how I miss garden flowers. Today I received two emails. One from my son Jon with a picture of a Hydranga - Jess and I love Hydrangas. It was his gift to me today, knowing how much I loved them. The other email was from a friend in Henderson. It had a picture of a rose and a parrable to go with it. The message was so beautiful and true I just had to post it on our blog.


THE ROSE

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully, and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom and also the thorns. And he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?" Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others. This is the characteristic of love, to look at a person, and knowing his faults, recognize the nobility in his soul, and help him realize that he can overcome his faults. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns. Then will he blossom, blooming forth thirty, sixty, a hundred-fold as it is given to him.

Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.