The LDS Mission in Italy That Lasted Only 3 Years, but Created a 55-Year Bond

Why are missionaries from a mission that existed for only 3 years still holding annual reunions 55 years later with their original mission president? In 1971, the church organized the brand new Italy North mission. Its first mission president was Dan Jorgensson, just 31 years old. He had left a successful banking career. He had no idea how he was going to do it. Before leaving for Italy, President Jorgensson and his wife Elaine met privately with President Harold B. Lee.

Without President Jorgensson expressing his concerns, President Lee gave him remarkable counsel. You are not supposed to know exactly what to do. The Lord will teach you by the spirit, one step at a time. That council became the culture of the mission. These missionaries weren't simply replacing elders in established areas. They were pioneers opening cities where missionaries had never served before.

One of those missionaries was Elder Gary Davis. On December 29th, 1973, he and his companion, Elder Larry Nos, became part of the first four missionaries ever assigned to the city of Piaenza. One day, an elderly woman invited them into her home. She kindly explained she wasn't interested in another religion. As they talked, Elder Davis felt a strong impression to leave her a copy of the Book of Mormon.

She smiled and said, "My eyesight is failing. Even if I wanted to read it, I couldn't." The prompting didn't leave. He asked if she had children or grandchildren. She said yes. "Maybe one of them will want to read it someday," he said. So, he left the Book of Mormon behind. A few weeks later, while traing in the same neighborhood, a woman stopped the missionaries. She asked, "Are you the Americans with the book of scripture written by prophets in the new world that tells about Jesus Christ visiting the Americas after his resurrection?" Surprised, they said yes.

And she asked for two copies of the Book of Mormon, one for herself and one for her husband. She was the daughter-in-law of the elderly woman. Her husband, the elderly woman's son, became the first convert baptized in the city of Piaenza. That was just one of countless experiences shared by missionaries who served in the Italy North mission. Although the mission existed for only 3 years before becoming the Italy Milan mission, the lessons they learned lasted a lifetime.

This year, those missionaries celebrated their 55th annual reunion and they still gather with President Dan Jorgensson. Perhaps they aren't just remembering where they served. They're remembering what they learned together. When we don't know exactly what to do, the Lord can teach us one step at a time if we're willing to follow the prompings of the spirit.