Conference moments: 'That's him speaking'
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For Temple Square missionaries Sister Alexandra Cankiel of Odense,
Denmark, and Sister Romynda Dalisay of Jacksonville, Fla., the just-ended
general conference has left an indelible memory.
During the Sunday morning session on April 4, members of a non-LDS family from Indiana entered the gates of Temple Square and were greeted by Sisters Cankiel and Dalisay. The parents were accompanied by two young-adult sons, one of whom is fulfilling an internship in Park City, Utah. On this cold spring morning, the group began a tour of the square.
"It was a powerful tour," Sister Cankiel told the Church News. "There is a difference when the Spirit is really there. We told them about the temple, the Book of Mormon, eternal families. It was toward the end of the session, and we walked over by the east side of the Tabernacle. We were telling them how every prophet since Brigham Young has spoken in the Tabernacle."
The missionaries began bearing their testimonies of prophets and the fact there is a prophet on earth today. Then, in a pause in the conversation, the sisters and the family heard the voice of President Gordon B. Hinckley as he was speaking.
"In fact, that's actually him speaking right now," the missionaries declared. "The Spirit hit us so hard," Sister Cankiel related.
Sharing her feelings, Sister Dalisay added, "The words he was speaking were just perfect. It was perfect for that family.
The moment changed the tour, both missionaries explained. "This family got closer together," Sister Dalisay said. "You could see it in their faces."
The sisters invited the family to allow missionaries in Indiana to visit them and bring a copy of the Book of Mormon. They agreed. The son in Park City also agreed to receive missionaries in Park City.
Recalling the moment, Sister Cankiel added: "I almost gasped out loud because I felt the Spirit so strong. Sister Dalisay had tears in her eyes. It was powerful — one of those things that's hard to describe but you won't forget." — Julie A. Dockstader
Illustration by John Clark.
