March 28th Message

This past week has been mostly spent getting us oriented and organized.  We have organized the member list of the Brockport Ward where we have been assigned to serve.  There are over 400 members on the membership list but only about 100-125 attend meetings regularly.  That means there are about 300 members who are less active or not active at all.  Our predecessors, Elder and Sister Yost did a great job getting started on meeting the inactive members; and left us notes and information about most of the ones they contacted.  The members live in about 19 cities, towns, villages, or hamlets.  Those are the terms they use to name the various areas where the people live.  We have made a list of the members according to the areas in which they live so we can be more organized in contacting those in the same area before going to the next area.  One of the members told me the reason for all the various names of the area is for tax collection purposes.  The Bishop of the Ward and the Ward Council met yesterday and gave us the names of some families they would like us to visit with and try to help return to activity in the church so we will be meeting with them this week.  Plus we have some other families we need to follow up to make visits, who Elder and Sister Yost asked us to visit. 

We also have responsibility for the apartments the Elders and Sisters live in to insure they are safe and properly taken care of.  We have about 40 apartments we are responsible for; and the help of two other couples to assist us with inspecting them each month; so that makes 13 or 14 apartments for each couple.  Both couples are great help to us.  We have a few apartments we need to take care of some issues with tomorrow.

Last Thursday we attended a Mission Leadership Training meeting which was held at the Peter Whitmer Home in Fayette, and also in the chapel next to the home.  It was an awesome experience to be in the Peter Whitmer Home for a new missionary training meeting for about 30 minutes.  The ropes which prevent vistiors from being in part of the home were moved so we could stand where the Prophet Joseph Smith stood on April 6, 1830 the day the church was officially organized.  We also went upstairs where the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished, and also in this home there were 20 of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenats revealed.  Also the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith in the upstairs room.  Also just outside the home there was a barn just West of the home in which Mary Whitmer saw the Angel Moroni and also the Gold Plates from which the Book of Mormon was translated.  There were other special events that occured here in this area during the time of the restoration.  There is a powerful spiritual feeling in these places. President Christianson and his first Counselor Brother Robinson gave some excellent training and instruction from about 10 am to 4pm with a break for lunch.  This was a a very spiritually strengthening day.  Then on Saturday evening there was an Open House held at the E B Grandin Press Visitors Center commemorating the 181st year since the day the Book of Mormon was first printed and went on sale at the Grandin Press Building.  The visitors site missionaries dressed in the clothes of the 1830's period and reinacted the negotiaions between Joseph, Martin Harris and Mr Grandin to print the Book of Mormon.  They also demonstrated the process of the printing and binding of the book.  Also one of the missionaries dressed as Moroni and told parts of the Book of Mormon story.  These were awesome experiences and gave us the chance to feel the power of the Spirit in that area.  We arrived early and also drove to the Hill Cumorah, the Palmyra Temple, and the Jospeh Smith home and the Sacred Grove.  We took some pictures; we will try to get them put on the blog this week.  We are grateful for the opportunity to be in this mission where the events of the restoration ocurred.  As President Christianson said we are in the area where the events of the restoration took place of which all the the other missionaries in the church teach and tesify about.  We know the Church is restored, Jospeh Smith was the prophet of the restoration, the Book of Mormon is true and can change our life if we will read it and pray about it.  We look forward to next weekend to hear living prophets, apostles, and other general authorities teach us what the Lord wants us to learn.  We love all of you and pray for you and your welfare, both temporal and spiritual.

With all our Love,
Elder & Sister Jensen, Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa.