Colin Anderson Returns from Mission

The Anderson family went to SLC to welcome Elder Anderson and bring him home.   L to R: Talin and Noelle Schick, Neil, Aubrey, and Ruth Anderson, Elder Colin Anderson, and Mission President and Sister Lansing

   Colin Anderson, son of Neil and Ruth Anderson, is back in Lodi after being released from the SLC South  Mission, and we’re so glad to see him.  He left from Lodi Third Ward and returned to the Mokelumne River Ward. This is what he said about his mission: “As I finish my mission I think back over what these two years have meant for me and I wouldn’t trade them for all the treasure in the world!  What I have gained over these two years is a truly personal relationship with Christ.  Before my mission I lived the Gospel because I had a testimony of its truthfulness, but now I live it out of a love for my Savior and a desire to serve Him. “My life changed as I strove to serve those around me and I came to know my Savior through that experience.  That opportunity is available to everyone and I invite us all to serve a little more, especially as we get into this holiday season.”

An Opportunity to Try New Things in the Mission

    Near the end of his mission Elder Anderson had the blessing and opportunity to be one of four elders from his mission to participate in a test of a new way to do missionary work.  They were assigned by their mission president, President Lansing, to be trained at the MTC in the use technology to find those who were seeking the Gospel.
   Colin made it clear in this interview that this was NOT a pilot program, but the development of a “finding and teaching” method that could possibly be used in missions throughout the church.  The goal is to be more productive and increase the effectiveness of teaching.   
   This is how it works: Non-members who are searching for answers often go to Mormon.org to see what the Mormon Church has to say about a subject.  Until now, only sister missionaries in visitor centers or physically disabled missionaries in the MTC, could field their calls. If this test works, missionaries throughout the world could be a part of "Digital Proselyting Centers,” or as they are now called, “Online Teaching Centers.” (OTC)  They are already in place around the world.  
   The missionaries in the test are trying to find out what works best, so things change from day to day.  When Elder Anderson was there they worked online from 8 am to noon in a Family History Center in South Jordan, fielding calls by talking on the phone or doing an Internet chat, depending on how the investigator contacted them.  The goal is to “teach,” not “find.”  Even though they were finding, it was not by not going out to search, but having those who were interested come to them. Elder Anderson could receive calls from throughout the world, then when the caller wanted to be taught more, his/her info would be transferred to the missionaries in their home area for teaching and baptizing
   The website Mormon.org is no longer a place to “meet a Mormon,” but a place to teach what we believe.  “People who come here are already seeking,” Colin said.  They may want to know: What are prophets?  What happens after I die?  What is the purpose of life? etc.  The calls of interested people will be automatically directed by the computer to a missionary who speaks their language.  When asked how he thought the test program was working, Colin answered, “Fantastic!”  He said that at the end of a chat people would say that they really felt different now, or they felt great, or were happy.
   Colin pointed out a talk Elder Bednar gave to mission presidents in 2016 in which he said that the use of technology isn’t a decision we have to make.  The decision has already been made by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve.  “Don’t be afraid to use technology.  The Lord is hastening the work in the last days,” Elder Bednar said.
   Other interesting uses of technology in the Church are the use of Skype for missionaries to teach lessons to those in their areas who live a long distance away, or who, for other reasons, cannot personally be present for every lesson.  Also, select Family History Centers are being transformed into teaching stations.  This requires dual screens and other hardware needed for Online Teaching Centers, thus making the FHC even more valuable for family history work.  It’s a win/win!
   Colin attended BYU Provo before his mission.  In January he will head for a semester at the Jerusalem Center in Israel. He has always been interested in learning about Jewish and Islamic faiths and is excited about this time to understand more about them.

Colin Featured in New Era Article

   After just a few months in the mission field, Elder Anderson found himself being interviewed by Drew Quinn of the New Era magazine staff for an article queried by Ann Kerr and already in the pipeline.  Many of you readers may not have seen it, so here is a picture of the story. Click on it for the magazine view, or read on the Internet:  Wrestling with a New Approach

Editor’s Note: This is the entire quote from Elder Bednar’s speech as referenced by Colin.

   “Presidents and sisters, please do not fear technology. Please do not take counsel from your fears. Embrace these inspired tools. Learn to use them to proclaim the gospel. Help your missionaries develop safe and appropriate lifelong technology habits that will enable them to chase away darkness. . . .Some abuses always will occur, but we should not allow a fear of mistakes to hold us back from receiving the great blessings these tools can provide.

   Together we will continue to learn about the effective uses of technology in proselyting. We will be blessed and prosper as we implement this important development in the work of proclaiming the gospel.”  Elder David A. Bednar