..for such a time as this? Esther 4:14

Valdemossa Monastery (museum and residence of composer Frederic Chopin.)

Deià- on the northwest coast of Mallorca, is one of the prettiest villages on the Island.

The Kings Palace and Cathedral of Mallorca

Royal Palace of La Almudaina

Windmill of Manacor and Arta, a creative and historical town in the northeast of the Island.

Old castle (Bellver) and modern yachts.

Book from 1520

Cemetery in Palma

The Thorson family living in a home built in 1818.

History and Gathering

Greetings from a very hot and humid Mallorca!

Hermana Taylor and I frequently comment to each other, “we feel like we are living in a history book.” On this island, we are surrounded by ancient history. We are consistently amazed at what we see, feel and experience regarding Heavenly Father‘s children who have lived here in ages past. We consistently wonder, “what was life like for them?” As we see buildings, castles, art, cathedrals and remnants from history, our thoughts and hearts turn to them. Who were they? Did they find happiness in their lives? What was it like without the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth? How difficult was daily life? We feel a strong connection to them. Like those that lived here on Mallorca, billions of Heavenly Father‘s children have passed through their mortal experience without the Gospel or a knowledge of Jesus Christ and the love of their Heavenly Father. Now, we think about those that live here now, what their lives are like, and how much the Gospel would change their lives for the better. We are so grateful for these young Elders and Sisters who work so faithfully and so diligently to find those that will listen, to teach them the Gospel and bring them into the church. They are incredible missionaries! What a blessing to be able to serve them and serve with them.

The history of this island is fascination and diverse: people have been on this island for thousands of years. Talayot culture, stone builders, Roman occupation, Arab occupation, Christian Kings from Aragon, Mallorquíns, pirates, invaders, marauders, conquerors, merchants, traders, etc. There is a mix of numerous influences and cultures here. Now, it is a tourist mecca.

In recent weeks, I have sensed an overwhelming feeling of connecting past history with the gathering of Israel today. We have an appreciation for the people who lived in this part of the world. Perhaps I am understanding better the admonition from President Nelson that the gathering today is the most critical work on the earth. These people today and all of His children in the past need to hear the Gospel! As we read in the Book of Mormon, those in the past are speaking from the dust to us. As we experience elements of ancient history frequently here on Mallorca, this is my recurring thought: these were sons and daughters of God, just like me. They did the best they could with their mortal circumstances and time. Now, they need our help! I have not had a strong appreciation before for ancient history. Now, I am feeling more connected to these people from the past. I have a greater understanding and appreciation for why I am on the earth at this time and the responsibilities that I have to help gather Israel and prepare the world for the Second Coming. This is my time and place. This is our time!

Here are a few scriptures from this little spiritual journey between past history and the promised gathering – of God’s children from yesterday and today:
Isaiah 29:4 “And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.” (Speaking specifically about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon but also applicable to all those in the past – they are speaking to us!)
Mosiah 15:28 “And now I say unto you that the time shall come that the salvation of the Lord shall be declared to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” (Our responsibility today)
Jacob 5:41 “And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?” (He has not forgotten or abandoned them – He is giving us the opportunity to gather them)
2 Nephi 26: 14 “But behold, I prophesy unto you concerning the last days; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things forth unto the children of men.” (I presume all of our friends from ages past on Mallorca have heard the Gospel now in the Spirit World) (We need to invite those living here now to come unto Christ!)
Alma 26:37 “Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen.” (He loves all His children: past, present and future. We have been called to help in their gathering together)

On a morning walk recently, Hermana Taylor and I walked through the Cementario de Palma. It was staggering! Hundreds of thousands are buried there (perhaps many more) – headstones, tombs, crypts, chambers, vaults, mausoleums, catacombs – this goes on for blocks and blocks. Again, we had a similar feeling: Who were these people? What was their life like? What if they would have had the Gospel in their lives? Who will help them hear the Gospel? Do they yearn for their living family members to accept the Gospel and perform their temple ordinances? Who will find and teach their living family members the Gospel? As a missionary here and now – can I help in some way to connect these families? With the fairly recent history of the Church here in Mallorca, I suppose there may only be a few members of the Church buried there. So, what am I trying to share???? There is so much work to be done! We have been called to live on the earth at this time to personally participate in the gathering of Israel – the living and the dead – on both sides of the veil.

We are so grateful to be serving as a few of the Lord’s missionaries at this critical time in the history of the world. We love and appreciate these young Elders and Sisters. They work so hard and are so dedicated – even in this incredible heat of summer. We become attached to them, which makes transfers so difficult for us. A few more are leaving tomorrow. We will stay here but they come and go. Así es la vida misional! We love the local members! They are so kind to us. We heard and felt so many powerful testimonies in two different branches on Sunday – so beautiful! We love getting to know them and spend time with them in their homes and in the church. Hermana Taylor and I are blessed to be able to work with the Young Adults. Wow – they are incredible – the Rising Generation – the future leaders of the Church! We feel their strong testimonies and their zeal for life. We try our best to teach them every week but they are teaching us!

So, we are happy here. We are thankful to be in such an amazing place at “such a time as this” Esther 4:14. We believe the Lord has placed us here and now. We hope and pray to be able to fulfill His expectation. We are grateful to serve under Presidente y Hermana Villar! They are loving and spiritual leaders of this mission and work here in Spain. By the way, the new Spain Madrid North Mission is opening this week.

As you can tell, photos this week are historical in nature, as per our message.
Our photo with Branch President Thorson’s family – he and Emily and their beautiful family live in a home in the hills outside of Palma that was built in 1818. They have an olive tree on their property that dates back to the time of Christ, 2,000 years old.
We have included photos of the towns of Manacor, Deià, Valldemossa, Artà, and Palma. Incredible structures with fascinating histories. Two castles and a palace, a cathedral and royal house surrounded by a stone wall for protection. The book I am holding in the photo is from 1520. It contains names, similar to a census record today. It is part of a huge collection of books over several centuries that Hermana Osborne is photographing and archiving (gathering Israel!)Those people are speaking to her from those ancient, dusty pages: “Here I am.”

Hopefully, this connection between history and Heavenly Father’s children from the past and the great work of gathering Israel today has made sense. It has been constantly on my mind for some time. It drives us in our service of His children that we interact with today.

We are grateful for your love, support and prayers. We pray that we are representing you and the Lord well through our service.

Élder y Hermana Taylor
Palma de Mallorca, España