Full Hands, Invitations - and Promised Blessings

Santa Rosa dog walker

When our missionaries invite someone to be baptized, it is a big ask! Suddenly their friend’s life begins to look a little like this Santa Rosa dog walker as their hands become full taking on many new responsibilities that they learn to manage all at once.

Speaking of those responsibilities, my good friend Wendy, who is Jewish, once told me that if she ever accepted Christianity, she would choose my faith — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She explained that religions should have “rules and regulations,” and she knew our church had them. She is right! I like to think of them more as commitments to God with promised blessings. Our missionaries invite their friends to make many commitments to God and then they offer support to help them keep their commitments.

Sister missionaries Youngberg, Thueson, and Griffin

When a missionary meets someone interested in learning more, a few simple and important invitations are extended:

1 — Come to church each Sunday & partake of the sacrament

2 — Read The Book of Mormon

3 — Pray daily

Then come the larger invitations:

4 — Exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and repent

5 — Be baptized and take upon them the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ

As they prepare for baptism, they choose to live the commandments of God including:

6 — Pay tithing (one tenth of their income)

7 — Live the Word of Wisdom (including abstaining from alcohol and coffee and striving for healthy habits)

8 — Live the law of chastity (sexual relations are reserved for marriage)

9 — Keep the Sabbath day holy

Baptism - LDS photo

After baptism, they continue growing in discipleship with more invitations:

10 — Accept a calling to support their local congregation

11 — Do family history work

12 — Attend the temple, the House of the Lord

It sounds like a lot — and it is. Yet many people willingly commit because they feel the Spirit of the Lord in their lives and desire to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ. They trust the promised blessings will come by obeying God’s commandments and welcome this new life.

I asked missionaries this week if they feel nervous to extend all these invitations to their friends? They said “no” because it is God asking them. Their friends can feel of God, our Heavenly Father’s, high love and hence high expectations for them.

Missionaries surrounding Angel at his baptism. A wonderful spirit was present there.

Each baptism is a beautiful miracle as a person takes on all these new responsibilities and big life changes! Then with our help and the Lord’s help, learns to manage them as well as the dog walker guiding twelve dogs in the same direction. They become a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ finding joy, blessings, and meaning in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

President Quinn and I had the privilege of attending three baptisms here in California on Saturday, and today (Sunday) we joined our eight-year-old grandson Matthew’s baptism in Massachusetts over Zoom. There were seven baptisms in CASRM this weekend. What a joy it is to witness a baptism!

Our grandson Matthew’s baptism invitation. (His baptism was moved up a week due to my mother’s funeral next weekend.)

It’s been a great week of interviews, baptisms, and reunions with former missionaries. I would also like to take a minute to thank family, friends and missionaries for the kind messages, notes, flowers, & gifts given to President Quinn and I, which have offered us support and love with the loss of both of our mothers. We feel loved and we love you! ❤️ Thank you, your thoughtful gestures truly have meant a lot to us!

Our missionaries are doing a great job of writing in their “Coming to Know Him” journals. Many of them shared beautiful entries with me this week. Here is prompt #32

Here are the baptismal photos from this past weekend. And more photos below these. 😃

Angel’s baptism with Sisters Moon and Johnson

Dave’s baptism with Sisters Weller and Hankins

Danielle’s baptism with Elders Grover and Brost

Emilio’s baptism with Elders Hubbard, Hall, and Wayment

Jade’s baptism with Hermanas Austin, Dalton, Frye, and Jones

Thomas’s baptism with Elders Capell and Black

Noe’s baptism with Elders Arrington & Wiseman

Matthew Black our grandson visiting with us by FaceTime after his baptism

Matthew with his family and Black grandparents in Billerica Massachusetts- Baptism Day

I hope you have a wonderful week and enjoyed Valentine’s Day! Thank you for your support following along on our mission journey. love, Sister Quinn. Here are some more photos from the past week:

Elders Black and Capell at interviews

Hermanas Drennan & Jackson with Sisters Lewis & Alusa at interviews

Elders Valle & Brown at interviews

Elder Jensen - Taylor and his parents and sister met up with us at Fentons in Vacaville. It was wonderful to catch up with him and meet his awesome family!

Hermana Grose - Mavani and her wonderful family came for dinner. I was so fun to visit with them and catch up. Can you see how much she looks like her twin!