History of the Church in Kuantan - Grafting in to Malacca Branch - Part 2

Welcome back to the recorded history of the church in Kuantan. If you haven't read the earlier posts, you can do so by clicking on the following link which will take you to the home page for "History of the Church in Kuantan." Then you can click the links there for each portion of our history:

History of the Church in Kuantan HOME

Part 2 - Grafting in to Malacca (October - December 2006)

As I mentioned towards the end of Part 1, we had just become acquainted with Raymond Chan and Nina, and for the next few months, we spent time with them having church services at home in Kuantan, and travelling to Malacca for church on alternate weekends. I also devised a FHE plan based on 2 Peter 1: 5-8, which reads:

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith

virtue; and to your virtue knowledge; And to knowledge

temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience

godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to

brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you,

and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren

nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

So it was my pleasure and thrill, to prepare a series of 8 lessons on the 8 steps to increasing our knowledge of Jesus Christ, which I presented during Family Home Evenings at our home with Raymond and Nina between October and December of 2006. We had some great experiences as we learned together during this time.

On Monday 16th October, 2006, I recorded in my journal:

"We learned about virtue and chose 10 virtues to personally work on and develop - it was a good lesson and nice to learn more about such a little-discussed and understood subject. [Raymond and Nina] brought pringles, bananas, watermelon and cola for my birthday!"

On Monday 30th October, 2006, it is recorded in my journal thus:

"Had FHE tonight with Raymond and Nina and learned about 'knowledge.' Three steps down - five to go! It's an exciting adventure and I've learned that it's not easy to completely know who Jesus Christ is, and what sort of person he was. He possessed every virtue in its perfection, and I am far away from that. But these FHEs are bringing us all closer."

In my journal after our FHE about 'temperance' on Monday 6th November, 2006, I wrote:

"It's hard to be like Jesus Christ. You really have to let go of the ego and completely forget about yourself. To be like Jesus you really have to be stripped of all pride and build up others at the same rate as you build up yourself. I hope that others would see me as someone who is trying to possess the virtues of Christ. I'm certainly trying hard to make these virtues a part of me, because I know that they really are important to acquire. The more virtues we have, the more like Jesus we become. The more like Jesus we are, the more able we are to judge wisely and make correct decisions...These things have been opened into my mind as I pondered the scriptures concerning virtues we are advised to gain."

On Monday 11th December, 2006, we had completed the 8 steps to  knowledge of Jesus Christ. I would rate it still as probably the best set of FHEs we have ever had. I had prepared some mock certificates for all of us, which looked like this:

OUR EARLY TRAVELS TO MALACCA

On Saturday 14th October, 2006, we set off on the first of many journeys from Kuantan to Malacca. We went with Raymond and Nina in their car. They had been living in Malacca previously (Raymond met the missionaries and they were both baptised there) but Raymond's business wasn't doing so well there, so they had moved back to Kuantan. We would drive for 4-5 hours on Saturday afternoon, stay the night in Malacca, attend church on the Sunday morning, and then make the 4-5 hour drive back to Kuantan on Sunday afternoon.

I have to admit that it was tiring and not at all easy. Four of us in a car, two couples. We all endured the occasional foolishness of being quietly upset at what our spouse may have said during a conversation, and then going through the dreaded silent treatment for an awkward time, wondering how to break the deadlock and make things feel normal again. I think we were all guilty of it at some point, and of course when you're stuck in a car for 5 hours, there is nowhere to go! But these were small moments. The over-riding feelings were of excitement and joy to be meeting with fellow church members in the Malacca branch.

So here are a couple of pictures from our very first time in Malacca after arriving from Kuantan. We spent some time seeing the sights, and later in the evening we joined the branch activity at the chapel where we went around the block with our Chinese lanterns.

Fidelia and I in Malacca on Saturday 14th October, 2006

During the Malacca branch activity on Saturday 14th October, 2006, we walked around the block with Chinese lanterns with the rest of the members

We slept at the Kinney's place, the couple missionaries serving in Malacca at the time. We were very grateful to spend time with them and for allowing us to sleep over during the weekends we made the journey out there. It was so nice to get to know them. After church the following day, we would have lunch with the Kinneys and the Elders at their place before the long journey back to Kuantan in the afternoon. We left at 4pm on this day and arrived home at around 8:15pm.

MALACCA - KUALA LUMPUR - SINGAPORE

Saturday 21st - Sunday 22nd October, 2006

On the way to Malacca, we suddenly encountered a problem with the car engine and we came to a stop in the middle of nowhere. I offered a prayer to ask Heavenly Father to help us identify the problem and know what to do. Raymond opened up the hood and checked the oil, and his car strangely started working again! A small thing but it strengthened our faith in God.

While riding on the narrow road through the jungles of Pahang, I penned a poem which I entitled "The Journey from Kuantan to Malacca."

The Journey from Kuantan to Malacca

Cascading landscapes along the way,

Painting a picture of the old “Malay,”

Broad fields and hills on one side,

Where the “orang asli” still abide;

Concourses of trees on the other,

With the expanse of the sky as their cover.

Old and modern here collide,

Luscious and wet, burned and dried.

The sunlight breaks through the green canopy,

The mountain’s grandeur bursts open proudly.

The rain gently descends to the earth below,

The flowing rivers rise, ready to overflow.

An army of soldiers tall and brown,

With hanging green helmets, cover the ground.

Well-disciplined, standing tall,

They rarely move, if ever at all.

With the light of the sun and moisture from the sky,

They endure valiantly as they preside so high.

The man-made will fail some day,

But the natural will remain and forever stay.

Duncan D. Horne

Elder Kinney showed a keen interest in my poem, and later in November 2006, he would call and ask me to write a Christmas poem to share with the Malacca branch members for their Christmas Social. Well, I finished it the very same night! Writing has always been my strength and passion.

On Sunday 22nd October, 2006, after church in the Malacca branch, Fidelia and I took the bus to Kuala Lumpur, met her family, and I spent the rest of the night having a very interesting chat with Florianna and Felicity about patriarchal blessings, the Abrahamic Covenant, and the New and Everlasting Covenant.

Monday 23rd - Friday 27th October, 2006

SINGAPORE TRIP

From 2006 - 2012, I made numerous trips to Singapore to get new stamps in my passport. Immigration policies made it difficult for me to find employment with outside companies, requiring me to live on social visit passes, and this required me to leave the country every five months. We just decided to turn this 'visa run' into a holiday.

We stayed with President Leonard Woo and family, who spoilt us rotten throughout the week! They treated us with kindness and generosity completely unexpected. Sister Rita presented us with a DVD player and hundreds of DVDs, along with a huge basket full of goodies for us to keep us occupied in our room upstairs in their lovely house.

During this week at the Woo's house, we watched "Journey of Faith", an intriguing DVD detailing Lehi's journey through the Arabian desert and on to the promised land. Comparisons with our own journeys to Malacca and the journey of living far away in Kuantan, were not lost on me at this time.

On Friday, we got the bus from Singapore at 10pm and reached Kuantan at 4am! It was an all-nighter in which I got very little sleep as I was leaning into the aisle watching the road and keeping an eye on the bus driver in case I may have caught him falling asleep at the wheel. Fidelia slept much better than I!

It was awesome to be meeting for church in Malacca with other church members and enjoying their fellowship. Most of our time of course, was still in Kuantan. On Thursday 2nd November, 2006, I saw the end of my discussions I had been having with a Jehovah's Witness gentleman. He had knocked on our door about a month ago, and I had been interested to hear his message and read through the pamphlets he passed to me. I had invited him back and we had had a few discussions in our home throughout October 2006. A week ago, I had presented him with a copy of the Book of Mormon, which he returned to me this day saying he had found what he was looking for, and didn't want to take it any further. I told him that the Book of Mormon was a free gift for him and that it was his to keep, but he insisted on returning it to me. I never saw him again after that.

Despite being far away from church organisation, I was still doing what I could to share the gospel with others in Kuantan.

Saturday 11th - Sunday 12th November, 2006

Made the trek to Malacca again on this weekend. We went for a member appointment with Elder and Sister Kinney to a gentleman named Tennyson Julis. What a thrill that was! As soon as I heard the name 'Julis', I knew who it must be. I baptised his mother, Florence Kimlen, and two of his siblings, Caroline Julis and David Cassidy Julis.

Baptisms of Florence Kimlen and 
Caroline Julis on
Saturday 1st November, 2003
in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Baptism of David Cassidy Julis
on Saturday 29th November, 2003 in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

As you can imagine, it was a very happy moment to meet another one of the family whom I so loved during my time as a missionary in Kuching!

Elder Kinney asked me to share a simple lesson, so I taught about the first principles and ordinances of the gospel from the Book of Mormon.

Saturday 2nd - Sunday 3rd December, 2006

We went to Malacca on Saturday and stayed with Sister Lily.

Early on Sunday morning we got the bus to Kuala Lumpur with the Malacca branch members for the semi-annual District Conference. We met President Skelton (from Lincolnshire, England) who is the current Singapore Mission President. It was also great to see all of my friends from the Klang branch, where I labored so hard as a young missionary in 2002-2003.

We stopped at Seremban on the way back to Malacca to eat some lovely food prepared the night before by Sister Lily.

Then we had the 4-hour drive back to Kuantan. It was a lot of travelling for one weekend and it was rather tiring.

Saturday 16th December, 2006

We travelled to Malacca and attended the Malacca branch Christmas Social.

Me and Fidelia at the Malacca branch Christmas Social with Elder Freeman as our Santa Claus on Saturday 16th December, 2006

I had the opportunity to read out my Christmas poem and copies were given to everyone in attendance. It was quite noisy with little children running around and chattering, but it was nice to participate as poet and hopefully brighten someone's Christmas with my little piece.

We watched the Christmas devotional for sacrament meeting the next day, then spent the rest of the day at the Kinney's place. We joined an Institute class with Brothers Samuel and Tan How Hang. Before we left for the drive back to Kuantan, Sister Kinney gave me a copy of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" which I spent the following week feverishly reading and feasting on!

Following is the poem I composed on Monday 20th November, and delivered in Malacca branch on Saturday 16th December, 2006:

 THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS

In 700 years a virgin shall conceive,

And bear forth a Son for all the world to see.

Butter and honey shall he eat,

So Isaiah prophesied of the Prince of Peace.

Wonderful, Counselor, shall he be called,

And refusing the evil, he will choose the good.

His life shall be as one who was poorer,

Yet he will live as The Mighty God and Everlasting Father.

600 years and the clock is ticking,

Across the seas a prophet is predicting,

There will be a Messiah, raised up among the Jews,

Lehi’s words must surely come true!

A Saviour of the world, said he,

To be born as a precious little baby,

Who will redeem man from their fallen state,

As they rely upon him to open the gate.

The words of Micah describe the day,

That he should be born to show the way.

Though Bethlehem be small among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of thee shall come forth to Israel, a ruler.

Now so close – just a hundred years more,

Until God will send His Son, through heaven’s door.

Alma knew that a baby soon would crawl,

The Redeemer born at Jerusalem – more important than they all!

Samuel the Lamanite prophesied, and he did say,

Two days and a night, which should be as one day;

With no darkness at all covering the sky,

As a sign of his birth, and thus he did cry.

On this night shall the sign be given, uttered the Lord,

And on the morrow come I into the world.

The people were astonished; they knew it was the day,

That the Son of God would be born, in a manger filled with hay.

The shepherds in the field saw,

An angel sent down from the Lord,

Fear not, I bring you good tidings of great joy!

It was the long-awaited baby boy.

In the City of David a Saviour is born,

To fulfil his role as Christ the Lord.

Joseph and Mary, with the babe in her arms;

A multitude of angels praising with joyful psalms.

And so “Christmas” has been spoken of for thousands of years,

To those who will listen with open ears.

The Great Jehovah, whom the old prophets knew,

The King, the Creator, the Holy One of Israel too.

Come to Bethlehem and re-live his birth!

Come and adore him, all ye ends of the earth!

Come in your hearts, and with the citizens of heaven sing!

Come adore on bended knee, Christ the Lord, the Newborn King.

Duncan D. Horne

(20 November, 2006)

History of the Church in Kuantan - On Our Own - Part 1

This is the first part of the History of the Church in Kuantan. This history is recorded from May 2006, the month that my wife and I arrived to settle in this beautiful town by the beach. If you missed the very first post, please do click the following link to understand the background of my missionary work visiting those who were isolated from the church in the areas I served:

History of the Church in Kuantan - Background

So, on with Part 1 - On Our Own 

(28th May - 9th October, 2006)

Fidelia and I arrived in Kuantan, a brand new town to the both of us. Neither of us had ever lived here before, nor did we know anyone who lived here. We came with no job, no source of income, no friends, and, no church.

That was hard. I had lived my whole life up to this point without having to worry about meeting for church every Sunday. I attended my local Glenfield Ward about a 10-minute drive away, and had never considered that some day I would not be living near a church meetinghouse.

We had decided upon Kuantan for the simple reason that Fidelia was still in the middle of her studies at UMP (University Malaysia Pahang, formerly known as KUKTEM) in Gambang. To facilitate her travel to her university, we settled in Kuantan, which is about a half hour drive away.

On Sunday 28th May, 2006, shortly after we had arrived and begun our married life, we dedicated our apartment. I offered the prayer and it was a very spiritual experience. Our first home, this apartment in Bukit Sekilau, in which we stayed for 9 years, developed into a place of great spiritual learning, gospel and scripture study, and where we later held sacrament services and welcomed our two children into the world.

But before all of that, there was just me and Fidelia. On our own. It was both exciting and tough. We sometimes wondered whether we could still be good and active members of the church being so far away and not attending our Sunday meetings as usual. Would that mean we would  be classed as 'less-active' or 'inactive?' We weren't sure. But we determined that we would do what we could to study the scriptures, pray, and keep our faith alive.

On Monday 29th May, 2006, we had our first FHE (Family Home Evening) together. We learned about marriage and family, perfect for us as newly-weds.

On Sunday 4th June, 2006, we attended the KL District Conference at the Raintree Club in Kuala Lumpur. I can tell you that it was awesome to see all of the church members, all of the familiar faces that I love so much, and it was a really great boost for us to know that there is life in the church here in Kuala Lumpur. Yes, we were living far away, but it was just a 3-4 hour bus ride to the fellowship of the Saints!

I remember this particular District Conference because on the morning of the Conference I realised that I had forgotten to bring my smart shoes. There was no way I was going to be in my Sunday best with a pair of sports shoes. So I determined that it would be better to wear my sports shoes with a pair of jeans and my white shirt. Yes, it felt awfully embarrassing, especially as my wife was correctly dressed! 

On Sundays in Kuantan, we kept ourselves busy with extended scripture studies. We could at least say that we were spiritually active. It was a little worrying to us personally not having the sacrament, and I often mused how long it would go on like this. Would this absence from the church and the ordinance of the sacrament disqualify us from having a future temple recommend? There were a lot of questions, but we did what we could of gospel study each day.

On Saturday 24th June, 2006, we travelled to Kuala Lumpur once more for a wedding reception party put on by the members of the PJ2 and Klang branches. We had a really amazing time that night! We attended both PJ2 and Klang branch church meetings the next day. I just had so many friends in both branches that it was impossible to choose one over the other! So we made the most of being at church that weekend.

Here we are posing for a photo with Martin Wong and his family at the PJ chapel on the night of our wedding reception party on Saturday 24th June, 2006

We couldn't bus it to KL every weekend as it cost money, which as a newly-wed couple with no job, was diminishing by the week. I must say here, that my endeavours to find work played a huge role in the history of the church in Kuantan. I tried everything. I tried English tuition centres, applied for a job at Parkson and Tesco, and attempted working with Diamond Water. I stuck up posters around the neighbourhood advertising English classes, and even went gate knocking like a missionary in an effort to find people to teach, to start earning money. We exercised a lot of faith, prayer, and hard work, and slowly but surely, people came to me for English classes. I soon began building up a number of students and confirmed that I would be a private English tutor. Trying to get employed by others was proving almost impossible, so this was the best course of action.

These were challenging times, but in the end, it all worked out perfectly. We spent many days and weeks checking our finances, wondering where the next RM50 would come from, and just as our finances ran low, we were blessed with income. They were faith and testimony-empowering times. Being alone and far from the church, we came to rely more completely on the Lord for help, and He didn't disappoint us.

We were in KL on Saturday 15th July, 2006 for a branch dance at the PJ chapel. Now, I am not an accomplished dancer by any stretch of the imagination, but I now had a wife, and we danced away, not really caring (too much) how I may have looked! I remember Brother Jacky Chin, who was present that night, watching on as Fidelia and I danced to various songs.

The following day during church in the PJ2 branch, President Perumal pulled us into his office to have a chat with us. I guess he too, was a little concerned that we were living so far away from the church, and proceeded to encourage us to stay strong in our scripture study and prayers. I found it very considerate of him to be mindful of us and take the time to privately motivate us. We felt the care from the church leaders and that was very important for us.

It just so happened that President Martin Wong of the Klang branch was in Kuantan for business on Wednesday 26th July, 2006. He called me up and to our delight we arranged for him to come over to our house (this was before the days of whatsapp, so we couldn't simply send our location to him. We had to give directions over the phone, which was not easy!).

On Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th August, 2006, Fidelia and I both gave talks in sacrament meeting on the topic "Preparing for the Blessings of Eternal Marriage. We had spent the previous few weeks working on them at home in Kuantan and it felt great to be able to stand in front of a congregation of the church and speak on this topic.

Monday 25th September, 2006

We were recently contacted by a gentleman named Raymond Chan. We were delighted to discover that he was a church member in Kuantan! We met him and his wife, Nina, from mainland China, tonight and brought them back to our apartment to get to know each other. How exciting it was to know that we were not all alone anymore!

We went on our final trip to KL before things changed for us, from Saturday 30th September - Sunday 1st October, 2006. We enjoyed staying with Bro. Rama & Sis. Luisa and just had a lovely time with them, and at church again on the Sunday. President Martin Wong spoke with Fidelia and I and shared a suggestion on how to grow my English teaching clientele. Again, it was really nice to know that members were thinking of us and doing what they can to help us succeed out in Kuantan.

It is recorded in my journal that Fidelia and I held our first ever sacrament meeting in Kuantan on Sunday 8th October, 2006. I am not sure who authorised us to do so, but I am presuming it must have been one of either President Perumal (PJ2) or President Martin Wong (Klang), in whose branches we had been attending sporadically over the past few months.

The following day, Monday 9th October, 2006, we met with our new friends, Raymond and Nina, to have FHE together at our apartment. We learned about faith and how to develop it. I had devised a plan based on 2 Peter 1:3-10 to teach about one virtue each week for 8 weeks. The lesson was received really well, and Raymond remarked how much he enjoyed it and it was exactly what he needed.

To conclude this portion of the history of the Church in Kuantan, it was a challenging time for us as we settled in this church-less place, and into our marriage. Through plenty of faith, study, prayer and hard work, we began to earn money for a living, attended the PJ and Klang branches as often as we could, and got acquainted with another member couple right here in Kuantan.

The history of the Church in Kuantan will continue in Part 2.

History of the Church in Kuantan - Background

I, Duncan Horne, married Fidelia Michael in the London England temple on Saturday 13th May, 2006. We landed in Kuantan to begin our married life on Wednesday 24th May, 2006. But before that, I had served as a full-time missionary for 2 years in Singapore and Malaysia.

An important part of my work as a full-time missionary involved visiting those who lived far away.

Under the guidance of my trainer, Elder Judd, I ventured to Seremban from PJ to visit a member. We spent a whole day travelling and meeting with her and it made for a memorable experience.

As part of our weekly goals, we frequently set a target of making 150 contacts, which meant talking to 150 people about the church and passing on our contact card to them - even better if we could get their contact number too. Spending an entire day travelling all distances to visit one person or family did not help in our weekly goals, but I concluded that focusing on people was more important than pursuing numbers. And it wasn't that I actively sought journeying to the edge of boundaries and beyond, but the longer I was in the job, I started learning about the members and where they lived, making plans to visit those who lived further away from the meetinghouse and regular fellowship.

While I was serving in Subang, I decided to go and visit the Rama family out in Klang. We had to wait for a bus, at times for up to an hour, and then endure an hour bus journey to Klang. Oftentimes, the bus was full and we spent the journey standing, cramped like sardines. We had great times with the Rama family in Klang and I personally grew very close to them during my eight months serving in the Klang branch.

Later on when I was serving in Kuching, I came across other church members who made long journeys from Kota Samarahan into Kuching for church every Sunday. It took us about an hour to cycle there, but cycle there we did. We set aside one night each week to pay a visit to two families, the Senen family and the Albert Sup family, and again had some highly memorable moments with them. We made time in our busy schedules to visit those who were far away. We grew to appreciate these people who made sacrifices to be at church each week.

Another family I became attached to was Sister Ling and her wonderful family who lived in Sitiawan. They travelled to Ipoh town every Sunday for around 90 minutes there and 90 minutes again going back home. Myself and three other fellow missionaries decided to spend every other Saturday in Sitiawan with Sister Ling's family and the Lee family, who also lived there. We took an old creaking bus from Ipoh to Sitiawan with no air-conditioning. We were just excited to be reaching out to those far away. The days we spent in Sitiawan are amongst the most golden memories I have of my three months service in the Ipoh branch. Perhaps in some small part to our efforts in making Sitiawan a firm and important part of our Ipoh schedule, these two great founding families in Sitiawan later had a branch of the church right where they live! A wonderful blessing for them indeed! Due to diminishing numbers, they now travel to Ipoh once more for church, as they faithfully used to.

It was extremely difficult for me to say goodbye to all of the people I befriended and loved at various times on my mission when it was time to move on to a new area of service. There were many tears and choked-up strains of the heart. This was most significantly true for those whom Jesus would term "the lost sheep." Though they were not always lost in a sense of spiritual belonging, they were lost regarding their isolation from the church and other members in terms of distance and fellowship on days other than Sundays. I am glad that my companions and I went to seek out those who were far away and administered to them by testimony and friendship.

Well, two years after I completed my missionary service, I found myself living with my wife in Kuantan, around 4 hours away from the nearest meetinghouse. I am now in the same shoes as those to whom I administered during my missionary service. We now savour visits from faraway church members who reach out to us.

It is quite fitting, really.

And yet we have discovered church members here in Kuantan who have been even more lost and isolated than us, and again, we have done everything in our power to reach out, bless, and bring them to church with us in our home.

There is always someone we can go the extra mile for, someone who is feeling lonely or lost or needs a friendly company. In ministering to such, we are doing Jesus Christ’s work.

NO-ONE is out of reach of repentance and forgiveness

While studying the book of 3Nephi, it suddenly became alarmingly apparent that NO-ONE is out of reach of repentance and forgiveness.

While most attention in 3Nephi is often placed on the appearance and administration of the resurrected Jesus Christ (which is the highlight of the entire account, and which is usually a first reference that our missionaries turn to when introducing the Book of Mormon), it is the first nine chapters that have stoked my intrigue on this occasion.

The book of 3Nephi opens with the remarkable fulfillment of earlier prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. An ancient American prophet named Samuel had predicted a new star arising at the time of Jesus' birth, along with three straight days of light. This miraculous phenomenon occurred just as unbelievers were about to put to death those who clung to the words of this prophecy.

"for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.

And they began to know that the Son of God must shortly appear; yea, in fine, all the people upon the face of the whole earth from the west to the east, both in the land north and in the land south, were so exceedingly astonished that they fell to the earth...

And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given...

And it came to pass that a new star did appear, according to the word."

(3Nephi 1:15-17, 19, 21)

Following this astonishing event, things took a turn for the worse as unbelief spread. A band who were known as the Gadianton Robbers (kind of like a present-day ISIS) began terrorising and murdering, killing the governors of the land and conspiring to overthrow the government. Wars between the Robbers and the Nephites took place, the government was broken up and the people divided themselves into tribes, each with their own laws.

Emissaries of God preached repentance to the people. Here it became apparent to me that even amongst such terror and carnage and murderous intentions and behaviour, the message of repentance was still being offered. 

The reality that even the hardest of hearts can change and be softened is one of the overwhelming messages of the Book of Mormon. 

NO-ONE is out of reach of repentance and forgiveness.

The Nephites were so quick to forget Deity, so quick to fall into sins and wickedness. In a number of instances, they deteriorate from God-loving, humble people into prideful, persecuting people, committing all kinds of degrading behaviour. 

I marvel at just how fast they gave up the standard of truth and holiness. Yet prophets constantly offered repentance and a way back. 

NO-ONE is out of reach of repentance and forgiveness.

The Book of Mormon exposes the sins of evil-designing people and the consequences of such sustained behaviour accompanied by rejection of repentance. In 3Nephi chapter 8 we read from the record that a chain of natural disasters occurred over a 3-hour time period, resulting in the death of the more reprobate population and causing what is described in the record as a "vapor of darkness" which was so thick and consuming that candles, torches and fire couldn't be lit, and the sun, moon and stars couldn't penetrate the darkness. This horrifying condition lasted for three days. The people were aware that this phenomena coincided with the death of Jesus Christ in Israel.

And so I arrived in my reading at 3Nephi chapter 9. After being gripped by the political intrigue, terrorism, murderings and wickedness, as well as the silent minority who believed in Jesus and practised holiness, and reading of the natural disasters which re-shaped the whole land, I approached the message of salvation:

The voice of Jesus Christ was heard throughout the whole land.

After detailing the destruction of the wicked and the lands in which they resided, I couldn't help but well up with tears when I read from verse 13 the calm, gentle and re-assuring voice of Jesus Christ to all who survived, and which felt like a face-to-face with me:

"O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?"

NO-ONE is out of reach of repentance and forgiveness.

I don't know if there is a more beautiful sentence in the Book of Mormon. As I read it, it filled me with hope, with love, with a longing to find this Jesus who can be so merciful to his people who are repeatedly going astray and forsaking him and his gospel.

He continues in verses 14-15 and 22:

"...if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God...Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved."

It is clear that no matter how far we have fallen, how deep we have waded into sin, how thoughtlessly we have abandoned Him, His love and mercy is constantly offered through repentance and pious behaviour. These words were spoken to the people of the ancient Americas almost 2,000 years ago, but are extended to me and you today.

Regardless of who we are, where we are, or how our life is being lived, we are invited by the Son of God Himself to repent and turn to Jesus and be partakers of his salvation.

What a stress-busting, peace-inspiring, hope-filled, anxiety-easing, burden-lifting, re-invigorating and life-changing message that is!!!

The clear and crisp message I'm getting from the Book of Mormon is:

NO-ONE is out of reach of repentance and forgiveness!