A missionary open house satellite broadcast on Feb. 26 helped to introduce the gospel to nonmembers and less-active members in a powerful, friendly way, according to local missionary leaders.
The program featured a video portion, telecast from Salt Lake City to some 3,000 meetinghouses in North America, and local open houses where the broadcast was received.The video portion included comments by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Council of the Twelve and scenes portraying the ministry of the Savior in the Holy Land and in the New World. Included in the local open houses were short presentations about the Savior, the Book of Mormon, the family and the plan of happiness.
Stakes were given the option of recording the broadcast and presenting the open house at a later time.
"Overall it appears to have been a very successful satellite broadcast, with many members and nonmembers attending and participating in the open house," said Sherman M. Crump, managing director of the Missionary Department.
"Many local leaders have called with positive feedback, and they see ways to use the video portion, which they recorded, in further member-missionary and activation activities."
Pres. Robert G. Condie of the Kirkland Washington Stake said about 200 attended the open house in his stake.
"It was well-received, and a fair number of nonmembers were there. The four I talked with were very impressed. We met in a new stake center, and the guests were also impressed with the building. They enjoyed the message about families and the scriptures.
"I thought Elder Holland did a very nice job of emphasizing the spiritual strength that can come from reading the scriptures. I think that was very impressive to the people."
He added: "It's wonderful the Church is using this technology to spread the gospel message in such a friendly way. We really encourage our members to invite their friends. It is a very non-offensive approach to teaching the principles of the gospel."
In Fort Wayne, Ind., an ice storm reduced attendance at the open house, so the stake rescheduled it for a later week. Larry Shumard, stake mission president of the Fort Wayne Indiana Stake, said a handful of members attended despite the storm.
"The broadcast was excellent - I think it will have great potential and be a great tool for missionary work," he said. "We expect an excellent turnout next week." He said plans have been made to use the video to introduce the Church at an interfaith seminar as well.
One of the larger turnouts, where some 350 people attended, came at the St. George Utah Morningside Stake, which held a joint open house with the St. George Utah East Stake, whose stake center is under construction.
Pres. J. Gray Larkin of the new Morningside stake, created just three months ago, expressed a typical reaction to the video. "I cried through the whole thing," he said. "It was done perfectly, not only the Church's broadcast, but also the people here whose spirit made it extremely effective."
The Morningside stake mission president, Steve Layton, said the stake announced the open house in all the meetings and through ward bulletins. Ward mission leaders encouraged ward members to participate. Printed invitations helped convey the information to nonmembers or less-active members.
After the video broadcast, ward mission leaders served as guides to the local presentations.
"There was a very good turnout between the two stakes that attended," he said. "We filled the chapel to the second overflow area.
"I thought it went extremely well. Elder Holland's remarks were excellent - I would classify them as beautiful. There was no question but that the Spirit was there in great abundance. I dare say there were not very many dry eyes in that session."
The presentations were well received as well, he said. Afterwards, light refreshments were served while people socialized. The 15 to 20 nonmembers or less-active members in attendance enjoyed the event, he said.
He also suggested that members benefited from attending.
"This open house will cause people to think about the missionary program and next time, they will bring a friend, knowing the quality of the open house."
Pres. Jairo Ellis Canaveral, counselor in the Willmette Illinois Stake that includes many inner-city Chicago wards and branches, said the difficulty of travel by people in the city makes it difficult for them to attend a stake open house. So the stake taped the broadcast and will present it in each ward and branch in the coming weeks.
"We're really going to advertise it," he said. The open houses are always well-attended."