Planting seeds in the wintertime

We had a wonderful experience this week.  Utrecht is a university town, with lots of students.  The elders had met one of them who was clerking at a store.  The clerk said he was the leader of a group of students who were studying religion and were interested in learning what the "Mormons" believed.  So arrangements were made for them to meet at the Utrecht Chapel to learn about us. The sisters, elders and ourselves met with them.  The students were interested, respectful and mature.  Most of what they know about the "Mormons" comes from watching "Sister Wives"!

 The missionaries did a great job of explaining what we believe and how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is different from other religions, When one student asked about women and leadership, I was able to explain the organization of Relief Society and the role of women.  The students were so honestly inquisitive, mature and religious.  One of them said the closing prayer.  A girl wanted a Book of  Mormon to read.  We chatted for a few minutes afterward the meeting.

At this point, no one said "please teach me more!" or "could I be baptized?"!  But in the cold winter of organized religion, the perception that people need no religion, and lack of faith, some seeds were planted in fertile soil that will some day come to fruition.  I am grateful to have been a small part of this planting.

And when we walked out of the building after locking up, there were all the students, in true Dutch fashion, riding out of the parking lot on their bicycles, on a cold, damp winter night made warmer by an intelligent, congenial exchange of ideas.