Missionaries follow Olympic tradition
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
TORINO, Italy — The Olympic tradition of trading pins became a missionary tool during the recently ended 2006 Winter Olympics here.
Pins bearing the name of the Church in the Italian language were handed out, along with pass-along cards, by members and missionaries during the Games. The pins featured a golden Angel Moroni image with a mountain background, and included the word Torino and the year 2006.
The Church pins were distributed by 17 missionaries of the Italy Milan Mission during the 10 days of the Olympics. The missionaries made many new friends for the Church as they handed out the pins.
Also, members 12 years old and older of the five branches of the Church surrounding Torino were given four pins, one to keep for themselves and three attached to pass-along cards to share with their friends. Sharing the pins, members had an opportunity to invite their friends to find out more about the Church.
The missionaries received many positive responses.
"Talking to a woman on the bus after I gave her a pin, she asked me what I believed in," said Elder Jason Shirley. "I answered, then asked her if she was happy with her life. She answered, 'I feel like I am happy, but there has just always been something missing. Something small and I don't know what it is.' I gave her a Book of Mormon and promised her this was what she was missing."
"What an amazing idea!" Elder Chris Rancie said of the pins. "What made it great was the little pass-along card that came along with the pin. It gave us a chance to simply explain what we believe and how these beliefs help us know the purpose of life and this knowledge then brings us the happiness which we are all searching for."
"The pin project was a huge success," declared Elder Devin Baer. "Members were excited about sharing their testimonies with their friends. The missionaries were able to cultivate the Olympic experience by giving out the pins to people of all nations, bearing testimony of the message of the Restoration. The Lord truly guided our efforts and we are being blessed with the fruits."
NBC's Today Show co-host Katie Couric displayed one of the Church's pins, slung on a gold chain, which she said had been given to her by a missionary.
