Elder and Sister Wood's Address to the Fairbanks YSAs

"Expect the unexpected. . ."

Right now, Africa is the place to be. The gospel is spreading like wildfire over there. Newly converted people are immediately sharing the gospel with all their friends and family members. New units/wards are being made every week, boundaries are being reconfigured daily. In the one year that President and Sister Wood were in Johannesburg, Africa, there were 28 baptism sessions that occurred with multiple people being baptized each time. Investigator classes always had at least 15 people if not more in them. In the building that the Wood's were supposed to meet, there were 180 members in a room that is normally used for 60 middle school aged children.

Fun Facts:
Outside of Johannesburg, there are little villages that are called townships. One of the townships, Etwatwa is where the Wood's frequented and many of their stories are from there. Etwatwa means machine gun. The unemployment rate in Africa is 80%. There is no trash pick-up, all of the trash is lined up along the road, left anywhere, and once in a while people will go and light all the trash on fire and burn all of the trash. The temple was a five minute walk from the mission area home, so the Wood's were able to attend the temple every week regularly and they had the privilege of being Ordinance workers every week for six months as well.
In Africa, your immediate family is important, but your extended family is as well. Children, even if they are adults, must obey their parents and families rules until they are married. There was a girl that had been investigating the church and had made the decision to become baptized. The night before she was to be baptized, her father told her that while she lives within the walls of his home, she was not allowed to be baptized into any other faith than one her family attends because he did not want conflicting viewpoints in his home. When she is married, she will have the freedom to make the decision to be baptized if she still wishes too, but not before than. She was not baptized that day, however she has faithfully attended every meeting still and is currently dating a member.
Men have to pay a 'bride-price' or a dowry which ranges from $2000 to $20,000 before they can marry the woman of their choice. New converts understand that they do need to get married, start a family, etc. however they have to wait longer so that they can pay this 'bride-price' to marry the woman that they want to spend eternity with.
Hope comes through Christ. In Moroni 7:40--41, it says:
"And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?
And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise."
Ether 12:4 says:
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might what surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."

When you are not keeping the commandments, you will not have access to the Spirit. The Spirit cannt dwell in unclean temples.