Hastening the Work of Salvation

Map hanging on the wall at Maxine Owen Webb home.

I was recently considering the great missionary tradition in our extended family.   

 

Great definition of a missionary!

Many family members have made great sacrifices so that others could go and preach the Gospel full-time. When our children were young they sang "I Hope They Call Me On a Mission".

Here are the links to some great missionary songs:     

https://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/special-broadcast#media=47537905441776330780-eng

https://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/special-broadcast#media=77154214576189546470-eng

1 Peter 3:15 teaches us to:

•  be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
  
  Our ancestors showed us their willingness to sacrifice in order to share the Gospel Message with others.  We can see through their lives the great blessings that came from their sacrifices.
  
  

Early Missionary Service Tradition

First modern day missionary of the Weiss Family.

Isaac Chase was a Quaker living in New York when he heard the Gospel message from Elder Petaliah Brown.  Later Isaac was called as a missionary to New York.  He was serving as a missionary in 1844 when he learned of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Isaac's mission was to increase understanding of the "Mormon" Church through promoting the political platform of Joseph Smith as a candidate for US President.

John Griffiths-Missionary in England.

 (The following information is found at the cleggfamilyhistory.org site:  John Griffiths History.)

John Griffith-Missionary in England

John Griffiths met the first four missionaries to arrive in England. He and his first wife, Margaret, were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the river Mercy in Liverpool, England on January 20, 1840. They were baptized by John Taylor while serving his first mission to England. 

John Griffiths went to London to what was called the Latter Day Saints Depot. There were only four Mormon Elders there at that time. They laid their hands on him and ordained him an Elder and sent him preaching. He would work all day from six in the morning until six at night. Then he would eat his supper and go preaching. Some times it would be eleven and twelve o'clock before he would get home. 

There were no conveniences and no railroad in Woolwick at that time, so he had to walk. He raised up many branches of the church in England, including Woolwick, Welling, Elton, Greenwich, Aeptcord and many others. 

The first men to join the church in Woolwick were Arron Paintor, Mr. Bates, Thomas Fisher and William Blacksnore. John was a boiler maker by trade and so was Mr. Bates. One day while Mr. Bates was at work a large piece fell on him and they took him to the hospital. While they were taking him there his last words were calling John's name. He died a short time later. The people all thought it was John who was dead.

John and his wife were with the mourners and they could hear the people say, "Now Griffiths is dead, down with Mormonism". They were surprised when they heard John preaching the next Sunday. They thought it was him that was dead. 

He got along nicely after that and raised quite a nice branch. He would go and preach on Sundays as well as Sunday night. He was a faithful Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Moulton Missionaries

My Great Great Grandfather, Joseph Moulton, crossed the plains as an eleven year old in the Willie Handcart Company.  He was married with three wives when he was called in 1885 as a missionary in West Virginia.  1885.  "After serving a year, President Hatch sent for him to come home, feeling that his family needed him." (See p. 460 of How Beautiful Upon the Mountains.)

My Uncle, Duane Moulton was on his mission in the South Pacific when his father, Hyrum Chase Moulton, died.  Duane served in the Cook Islands and in the Samoan Mission.

My Aunt, Deaun Moulton (Weed) went to the California Mission in 1944.  It was a time when it was less common for sisters to serve missions.

My Uncle, Rex Moulton served as a missionary in the Western States Mission.

Deaun Moulton and Floyd Weed would serve as mission presidents in the Thailand, Bangkok mission and then as missionaries on Temple Square.

Mardene Moulton and Ron Folkerson were mission presidents in Stockholm, Sweden during the same time Cyndy Owen was serving in the Italy Rome (South) Mission.  Folkersons returned home and served another mission as Directors of all Church Service Missionaries from 1974-1979.

Rex and Jaquie Dansie Moulton served in New Zealand in a kind of building mission for the LDS church in the 1960’s.  Their family lived in 3 areas and supervised construction of many chapels during the 3 or so years they lived in New Zealand. (Jacquie served a mission in Oslo, Norway before she married Rex.)

Maxine Owen Webb and LaVarr Webb served as Public Communications Missionaries in the New Jersey area.

James Owen Family

List of missionaries from wall.

My father, James Owen, joined the LDS church while in the US Army.  He freely shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all in his immediate family, but non of them joined the church.

James Owen joined the LDS Church during his 3.5 years in the US Army.

He then came to BYU and met his future wife, Reva Maxine Moulton.   Jim went to Hugh B. Brown, a respected BYU religion professor, and asked for counsel as to whether he should serve a full-time mission or get married.  Brother Brown said it was time that Jim fulfill his mission of raising a righteous posterity.  James later served as a Stake Missionary first in the Columbia River Stake and then while living in the Portland Oregon Stake.

This was the missionary card carried by James A. Owen in 1971 while serving as a Stake Missionary in the Portland West Stake.  This was in his wallet in the Owen Family trunk of memorabilia.

James A. Owen is listed under the 12th Ward Missionaries in 1965.

James A. Owen's Release Letter from Columbia River Stake Mission President.

These red handwritten notes were to help Jim Owen in presenting discussions.

James A. Owen Missionary Discussion Handbook.

All of the families of these missionaries have been blessed by the missionary labors of their parents:

Mark Weiss- Switzerland Zurich Mission
Cyndy Owen-Italy Rome Mission

Steven Owen-Texas Austin Mission

Donald Owen-England Coventry Mission

David Owen-Texas Dallas Mission

These four cousins were in the Missionary Training Center at the same time!  Jennifer Weiss was then teaching Mandarin Chinese while Derek Ostler, Steven Daniels, and Deborah Weiss were studying before leaving on their missions.

Many grandchildren of James and Maxine Owen have served and hanging on the wall at Maxine Owen’s home is a map with pins showing all the locations.  It was last updated in 2014.

The Mark and Cyndy Weiss Children have served all over the earth:
This video reminded me of the "Missionary Mindset" that was in our home for so many years.

https://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/members-and-missionaries?lang=eng#media=33443191723762703990-eng

These are the 6 missionary plaques we have received from the wards where we lived when the missionaries were called.  We need to get 5 more of them to complete our collection!

Allison-Concepcion Chile Mission

David-Fortaleza Brazil Mission

Tamarah-San Bernardino California Mission (Spanish)

Christine-Guayaquil Ecuador Mission

Jennifer-Taichung Taiwan Mission

Deborah-Quito Ecuador Mission

Jonathan-Berlin Germany Mission

Samuel-Cuiaba Brazil Mission

Benjamin-Buenos Aires West Mission

William-Concepcion Chile South Mission

Joseph-Sydney Australia South Mission (Spanish)

Sarah Daniels (Mexico) and Tiffany Owen (Poland) -Cousins who left about the same time.

And so we are at the end of one era and the beginning of a new one.  Soon it will be Grandpa and Grandma Weiss (Mark and Cyndy) leaving on a "Senior Couple Mission". 

Where in the world will Cyndy and Mark Weiss serve as "Senior Couple Missionaries"?

Map with dots showing where missionaries have served throughout the world.

Building up the Kingdom of God on earth has been part of the heritage left to us by our ancestors.  
As baptized members we are all "Called to Serve Our King."

Joseph Weiss with his mission call to Sydney Australia South.

How did these ancestors and their latter-day descendants find the courage and strength to sacrifice and give so much in missionary service?

Elder M. Russell Ballard helped answer this question in his talk given in April 1999.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/like-a-flame-unquenchable?lang=eng

"Somehow we need to instill in our hearts the powerful testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ like unto that of our pioneer forefathers. Remember when Nauvoo fell in September of 1846 and the unbearable conditions of the Saints in the poor camps. When word reached Winter Quarters, Brigham Young immediately called the brethren together. After explaining the situation and reminding them of the covenant made in the Nauvoo Temple that no one who wanted to come, no matter how poor, would be left behind, he gave them this remarkable challenge:

“Now is the time for labor,” he said. “Let the fire of the covenant which you made in the House of the Lord, burn in your hearts, like flame unquenchable” (Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 28 Sept. 1846, 5; emphasis added).

Within a few days, in spite of near-destitute conditions at Winter Quarters, many wagons were rolling eastward to rescue the Saints in the poor camps along the Mississippi River.

"Sometimes we are tempted to let our lives be governed more by convenience than by covenant. It is not always convenient to live gospel standards and stand up for truth and testify of the Restoration. It usually is not convenient to share the gospel with others. It isn’t always convenient to respond to a calling in the Church, especially one that stretches our abilities. Opportunities to serve others in meaningful ways, as we have covenanted to do, rarely come at convenient times. But there is no spiritual power in living by convenience. The power comes as we keep our covenants. 

"As we look at the lives of these early Saints, we see that their covenants were the primary force in their lives. Their example and testimony were powerful enough to influence generation after generation of their children."

We sing:  "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go, Dear Lord".
This video shows how we keep that promise in our every day lives:
https://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/members-and-missionaries?lang=eng

Tiffany Owen serving in Poland.

The "Hastening the work" continues in our day.  We need to take the Gospel to every nation and kindred and tongue and people.

First Weiss missionary (David) and last Weiss missionary (Joseph).

(See: https://www.lds.org/training/wwlt/2013/hastening/special-broadcast.)

"There is a way for everyone … to participate in this great work. We can each find a way to use our own particular talents and interests in support of the great work of filling the world with light and truth." --President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Christ spake to his disciples in Jerusalem commanding them saying:  "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:19).

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly a work of love:  our deep love for God and for all of God's children.  This love of God is spreading and will one day fill the whole earth.

Mark Weiss saying good-bye to Joseph as we leave him at the Provo Missionary Training Center June 2013.