"Connecticut," I said.
"Connecticut..." he repeated. I could tell by the way he pronounced my state that he was not from America, but his accent was otherwise so good that I couldn't place where he might be from. So I asked where he's from.
"I'm from Norway," he said. Oh, I speak Norwegian!
"Vordan har du det?" I said, then he said something I didn't understand. I don't really speak Norwegian.
Just before the meeting started, I walked to the front of the chapel and gave an earpiece to Elder Herland. There was an interpreter in the back of the room translating everything into English. Elder Herland took that opportunity to get to know me. I told him about my future plans to go to college and about my lack of plans about what I'll study. We also found out that we have a common interest in Electronic Dance Music. I shouldn't have been surprised. It makes sense that he, being from Norway, would probably like that type of music. I just never pictured an area seventy bumping to EDM.
During his address, he emphasized a few points. One was the fact that repentance should be seen as a joyful opportunity! He recounted how President Nelson, while talking to all the area seventies, described repentance in a way that was totally new for Elder Herland. President Nelson made repentance sound so good that it made Elder Herland want to go do something wrong so he could repent. But then he remembered that his list of things he's done wrong is already long enough. He added, "If you're a member of the Church and feel that something is wrong with you, welcome to my club."
He also reminded us of President Nelson's counsel for us to use the correct name of the Church. We should not be referring to members as "Mormons" or our doctrine as "Mormonism" or our church as "the Mormon Church". We should use the terms "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" or "The Church of Jesus Christ". I've seen in an area of the world where the Church is still very small how great of a stumbling block it is for these people to know us as Mormons. President Nelson promised that "if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord."
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