Spanish Liahona at restaurant. Mon, Sep 29, 2008.

09/29/2008. 1070. The ward mission leader and I had lunch at a Mexican restaurant near where he works. On one of the waiter's trips to our table to check on us, I offered him a Spanish copy of the Liahona magazine, along with the same English edition, and he accepted them.

I then remembered that I hadn't included any contact information with it, so when we paid, I gave a pass-along card to the cashier to give to the waiter.

The English edition of the Liahona magazine matches the content of the foreign language Liahona magazines. Because the Liahona differs slightly from the Ensign in content, it is appropriate to offer the English Liahona, not the English Ensign, when pairing it with a foreign language Liahona. If you match Liahona-to-Liahona, it then becomes bilingual material which can be read in parallel.

Missed opportunity at restaurant. Wed, Sep 24, 2008.

09/24/2008. Journal entry. I ignored a prompting to speak to some people at a restaurant and missed an opportunity.

How to advertise your blog.

If you have an LDS-themed blog, there are some blog lists (also known as blog "aggregators") where you would want to list your blog if you want to garner more visitors than just via word-of-mouth:

LDS blog lists (alphabetically):

1. Latter-Day Select
   
2. LDS and Mormon Blogs
   
3. Mormon Archipelago
   
4. Mormon Blogosphere
   
5. Nothing Wavering

General blog lists:

1. Technorati
   
2. Truth Laid Bear

The latter group is good in that they can show you which other blogs and web sites link to you.

At each web site look for a "sign up" or "submit your blog" or similar link.

French, Hausa at gas station. Fri, Sep 19, 2008.

09/19/2008. 1069. After leaving the grocery store, I felt inspired to stop at a gas station across the street. Cashier and another man were from a country in West Africa. They both spoke French, one spoke Hausa and one spoke Malinke. I offered the one a Hausa and English Gospel Fundamentals, and a Special Witnesses of Christ DVD that has a French audio track, and he gratefully accepted them. I offered the other man a French Book of Mormon, and a "Our Heavenly Father's Plan" DVD which also has a French audio track, and he gratefully accepted them. It was a very positive encounter. The latter man expresed interest in learning more about the church. I pointed out the nearest chapel on an info flyer in the book and DVD, and asked him to call the mission office number that was also on the flyer.

French at grocery store. Fri, Sep 19, 2008

09/19/2008. 1068. On way home late at night, after stopping at a gas station, also felt inspired to stop at a grocery store. An African man was leaving as I entered. He ended up accepting a Together Forever DVD (with French audio track) and French Book of Mormon.

Punjabi at gas station. Fri, Sep 19, 2008.

09/19/2008. 1067. On way home from a client appointment. Went a bit out of my way. \Punjabi Gospel Fundamentals at a gas station/convenience store.

Korean DVDs at coffee shop. Thu, Sep 18, 2008.

09/18/2008. 1066. I was driving home from the restaurant where I encountered the lady from Ethiopia.

There was a store on the corner of an intersection where I was going to turn. I felt a strong impression to go there. I went there, but it had closed a few minutes earlier. Sometimes the Spirit points out a place that I can see in order to direct me to somewhere that I can't see. So I wondered if there was another store in that area where I was supposed to go. Then as I drove past a national chain coffee shop (think "celestial" and "dollar"), it felt like I was supposed to go there. It took a moment to register, but I eventually stopped, turned around, and drove back to it.

Immediately before I entered, I held the door open for several Asian ladies as they were leaving. "Aha" I thought, they were the ones I was supposed to meet, but I wasn't quick enough and they walked on, while I went in. But I turned to look out the window, and saw them sit at an outdoor table, so there was still a chance.

I bought something to munch on, and walked past the ladies on my way to my car. I stopped and sort of did a double-take and asked the ladies what language they were speaking.

One of them said Korean. I then asked if they'd like a free copy of a Korean DVD from my church, and that it was about husbands who work too much (I was thinking of the "Together Forever" DVD). The lady who first spoke was very eager to see such as DVD. So I excused myself to get it from the car. They asked for three copies, but I only had two. I said they could call the toll-free number to get more. We chit-chatted a little bit, then I went home.

Amharic at restaurant. Thu, Sep 18, 2008.

09/18/2008. 1065. The hostess was a beautiful young woman and her accent captivated me, so I asked where she was from when she took me to a table. She was from Ethiopia and spoke Amharic. This was not an Ethiopian restaurant, so it was a pleasant and interesting surprise. So even before I sat down, I offered her a free book from church in Amharic, and she expresed interest.

Later, she was at the front desk when I paid, and I asked if I could give her the book there, and she said okay. So I went out to the car and retrieved an Amharic and an English Book of Mormon, and went back in and presented them, and she gratefully accepted them.

Missed opportunity. Wed, Sep 17, 2008

09/17/2008. Journal entry. I was driving home from the storehouse, and felt inspired to take a different route than normal. There was a fast food restaurant that I felt inspired to stop at, but the dining area was closed, and only the drive-thru was open. I thought that maybe I had been confused, but maybe I was supposed to go through the drive-thru. I didn't.

I then thought the gas station next door may have had an opportunity, so I bought a newspaper there. I didn't see anyone who stood out as someone I should speak with, but perhaps I should have offered a Bible to the cashier.

Looking back, I think there were some opportunities that I didn't recognize at the time.

Chinese at restaurant. Sat, Sep 13, 2008.

09/13/2008. 1064. I went to have a late lunch at a Chinese restaurant in a small town just outside of Indianapolis. Having a meal outside of the normal meal hours is good because the staff have more time to talk to you if they want to.

I've been there before, but I forgot if I had placed anything there. And my log of placement attempts for that time period is on a crashed hard drive.

Anyway, it's a good thing I went back, because it's under new management, and has different people working there. When the cashier brought my food out, she did a double take on the DVD's and Books of Mormon on my table. She started a conversation, and we talked for a while, in between her going back and taking care of other customers.

She accepted a Finding Happiness DVD, a Together Forever DVD, a Simplified Chinese Book of Mormon, and an English Book of Mormon.

Punjabi at Post Office. Mon, Sep 8, 2008

09/08/2008. 1063. I was in line at the Post Office. There was a family in line behind me (mom, dad, and a small child) and the father was wearing a Punjabi-style turban. I asked him if they were from Punjab and he said yes. A minute or so later, I asked if they liked to read Punjabi, and they said yes. I offered them a Punjabi Sunday School manual, making sure they understood it to be Christian religious material. They agreed to receive it. I said I'd meet them out front later when we were done.

After I transacted my business at the counter, I went outside to the car and retrieved a Punjabi and an English copy of Gospel Fundamentals, and Punjabi and English copies of the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet. I waited in the lobby for them, and they graciously accepted the material when they came by. I was in a hurry, so I didn't have time for more explanations. But there was church contact information in the books, along with one of my personal calling cards.

There's more to the story, but that's essentially what happened.

Ex-mormon threatens LDS blogger with legal action.

This is interesting. A vociferous ex-mormon threatens LDS blogger with legal action:
http://mormonmission.blogspot.com/2008/09/apology.html

I don't know what the LDS blogger said about him, but note all that "christian love" that the ex-mormon has in his threatening letter.

Said blogger's wife also knew the ex-mormon and his family several years ago.

I don't know what the blogger originally said about the ex-mormon to get him so riled up, or whether it may have constituted libel or not, because the post in question has been removed by the blogger.

Granted, the blogger in question has written some outlandish things in the past, plenty of stuff to make you roll your eyes. But I think the LDS blogger in this case behaved in a much more Christ-like manner than the so-called "born again Christian" ex-mo.

Update:
As pointed out by one commenter, the blog post that got the ex-mo riled up is in Google's cache, if you want to cut and paste the link. I don't want to "hot link" to it. The original post doesn't look like it's actionable. It's clearly one man's opinion, and no different than a zillion other personal opinions you read on blogs. And since the ex-mo is now a public figure, performing music publicly, and public speaking against the LDS church, he no longer has standing to demand others remain silent about him.

Update:
The blogger in question has removed the post containing the threatening letter that he received from the ex-mo. Here it is in Google's cache, if you're interested, but it won't stay there long:
http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:5S39QcMW-soJ:mormonmission.blogspot.com/2008/09/apology.html+micah+wilder+apology&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

140 million copies of Book of Mormon distributed.

From a church press release:

Book of Mormon Reaches 140 Million Milestone

SALT LAKE CITY 28 August 2008 The 140 millionth copy of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ was recently distributed, passing another milestone in the book’s history. Since it was first published in 1830, the Book of Mormon has been taken worldwide by over a million missionaries. It is currently available in 107 languages.

On 2003, Book magazine named the Book of Mormon one of the "20 Books That Changed America." In October 2007, late Church President Gordon B. Hinckley described its modern influence: “Through all of these years critics have tried to explain it. They have spoken against it. They have ridiculed it. But it has outlived them all, and its influence today is greater than at any time in its history.”

The Book of Mormon has been described as the “keystone” of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church members accept it as scripture and use it side by side with the Bible in their preaching and personal study.

---

Also see article in Deseret News here.

French, Yoruba, Fon at gas station. Thu, Sep 4, 2008.

09/04/2008. 1062. On the way home I stopped at a gas station that I hadn't been to in a long while. It's not too far from where I live.

I bought some soda pop and the cashier spoke with an accent, so I asked if he spoke French. He did. He was from Benin (in Africa), and spoke English, French, Yoruba, Fon, and another language. We chatted a little, and he agreed to see the church's books in his languages.

I didn't have everything in my car, so I went home and retrieved Yoruba, Fon, and English copies of Gospel Fundamentals; French, English and Fon copies of the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet; French, Yoruba, and English copies of the Book of Mormon, a French Liahona magazine, and The Testaments and To This End Was I Born DVDs that have a French audio track.

He was very excited and upbeat about receiving the material.

Missed opportunity at store. Thu, Sep 4, 2008.

09/04/2008. Journal entry. I was at a store buying a bag of ice, and I was in line behind a Spanish-speaking man. I struck up a conversation about where he was from, and where I was born, but I blew an opportunity to offer him any gospel material. I believe I was prompted of the Spirit to stop here.

Missed opportunity at gas station. Thu, Sep 4, 2008.

09/04/2008. Journal entry. On my way home from a client's I stopped at the same gas station I did back here. I supposed that I was going to do a follow-up with the cashier to whom I had previously given Punjabi material.

Tonight there were two other Punjabi-speaking men behind the counter, but it seemed busy and I chickened out of talking to them and offering them anything.

Missed opportunity at restaurant. Thu, Sep 4, 2008.

09/04/2008. Journal entry. I was eating supper at a pizza-buffet restaurant before stopping at a client's. I recognized the manager on duty. I had previously met him about one and a half or two years ago at another location of the same chain in another part of town.

I remember offering him material, but I don't remember if he accepted anything. I think he was from the Middle-East.

I should have struck up a conversation with him tonight, but didn't. I may have even been prompted of the Spirit to eat there tonight.

Punjabi at gas station. Wed, Sep 3, 2008.

09/03/2008. 1061. I stopped at a gas station for a newspaper. The cashier was from the state of Punjab in India. She agreed to receive the Punjabi Gospel Fundamentals. I didn't have a copy with me. But it wasn't far from home, so I went home and retrieved Punjabi and English copies of Gospel Fundamentals, and the Joseph Smith Testimony pamphlet, and went back and gave them to her.