Mormons live out faith in Steinbach

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/06/2014 (3578 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach may be a community whose roots are with the Mennonite faith, but there are other faithful trying to make some inroads.

Adherents to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly referred to as Mormons, have had four missionaries stationed in the city for the past eight months.

Sending young adults on a mission (men serve two years, and women 18 months) is a well-known component of the Mormon faith. It is not mandatory for church members but is considered by many to be an honour. The adults pay out of their own pocket to serve wherever the church calls them.

IAN FROESE | THE CARILLON
Mormon missionaries, Elders Simister and Clark, are among the first LDS church representatives to share their doctrine in the Steinbach area in at least the past 12 years.
IAN FROESE | THE CARILLON Mormon missionaries, Elders Simister and Clark, are among the first LDS church representatives to share their doctrine in the Steinbach area in at least the past 12 years.

Two of those men in Steinbach are Robert Clark, 21, and Brandon Simister, 20, natives of the American states of Washington and Utah, respectively. They are referred to as Elders, a priesthood title specifically for missionaries.

Elder Simister finds it reassuring to speak to a citizenry that already has a strong religious background.

“It’s just been a very positive experience to hear everyone’s faith about Jesus Christ,” said Simister. “The people here are so kind.”

The two Elders have been told no missionaries have traversed Steinbach’s streets for a dozen years, at least.

Their mission president, Kirk Thomas, felt it was time for the LDS church to return.

“There is no community that size anywhere in Ontario, Manitoba or Saskatchewan where the LDS church isn’t well-established,” he said. “It’s time for us to get on with life and get it established.”

 

More details about the missionaries’ work, as well as their relationship with the established faiths already in the community, can be found in the June 12 edition of The Carillon.

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