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Show He Hopes to Carry Gospel to Russia By DAVID CROFT Church News Staff Writer ndre K Anastasion is Russian, and he loves his people He has dedicated himself to work irf preparation for the Russian people to be taught the gospel v.hen their government will allow it just completed, has been translating the Doctrine and Covenants and the Peail of Great Price into the Russian language He earlier translated His project the Book of Moimon I m not authorized to do the woik and I m not paid to do it," said Brother Anastasion "It s just a labor of love for the Lord " He has given the translated works to the churchs translation department The books wdi be kept in the church archives until the First Presidency determines their use "Maybe one day, soon now, the gospel can be preached in Russia, said Broth-e- r Anastasion He added that he hopes he will have the opportunity to serve a mission in his native land. He has been a missionary m both England and France and, during World War II, was a mission president in England Vi hen he left his native Odessa m 1914 at the age of 19, he had never heard of tne church Traveling with ? n,'w panion, Brother Anastasion went first to North Africa and then journeyed to Europe, arriving in Brussels, Belgium, the day World War I was declared. Managing to escape from occupied Belgium, he made his way to England on the last boat to sail from Ostend, His friend did not travel to Belgium England w ith him In England, Brother Anastasion was considered a refugee He was able to learn the English language and attended schools there He met an American attorney, Forrest Stuart of Montpelier, Idaho, who was a member of the church They began talking religion and within eight months, the Russian had joined the church In 1919 he was called on a mission to England and in 1922 he was marned in London to Mane W. Mead They raised five children When World War II struck, all the missionaries had to leturn home, so m 19)9, Bi other Anastasion w as called o be Russian native Andre K. Anastasion works on translation of Doctrine and Covenants into his native language. of the Butish Mission At the close of the war he cams to Salt Lake City and, from 1953 to 1955, he and his wife served a mission m France " prudent Anastasion has returned to twice in recent years The first time was in 19 when he went to Odessa to see his sistei While in Russia he leicived a stiong impiession regarding missionary vvoik among his people and, when he letuined Bi other he native land I hpiuHp I u ill ho tAld his uif lie called by the church to go to Russia Seven months later. Elder LeGrand Richards of the Council of the Twelve called Bi other Anastasion into his office and said he had been asked to request that Brother nastasion return to his native land to investigate the possibility of a future mission of the church there Before the Ru-sileft, Elder Taft Benson ot the Council of the Twelve suggested he also visit Yugoslavia and Czchos!ov akia an Eia "Everybody received me couiteous-lv,- " he said, although in Russia he was told, "If you have 20 members you can have a church m Moscow, but you cant bring missionaries m In Yugoslavia, Brother Anastasion You can have your own was told, church, own your own property, but it must be done by the Yugoslavian people He didn't travel to Pi ague, Czechosloof political difvakia as planned betais-aficulties theie, although he conversed by telephone and through the mail with the ambassador It was upon his return to the United States that he began intensive vvoik on the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, completing the translations nearly three years later "I had marvelous spiritual experiences," he said of his translation work "When I look back over some of the work Ive done, I wonder how I did it To complete the translating work m the three-yea- r period was a major project Brother Anastasion would begin each day's work at 5 am and keep at the task diligently. While translating, Brother Anastasion would write a passage in longhand, after praying about it. He then typed the translated manuscript, amounting to some 600 pages for both works Oklahoma Family Has Missionary Spirit MOORE, OKL Most often, this someone has been a classmate. President David 0. McKay "Rery Usually, I think they've set their own member a missionary helped bring goals, although at times when there was him into regular church activity. a missionary push going on in the ward, When Brother Conner began setting up .ved consider it in family home cottage meetings with friends along his evening," he continued mail route, "Living the gospel really beWhen the Conners joined the church in came more fun than living the gentile 1959, the Shawnee Branch, which they ways," he recalled members, attended, had about In fact, the missionary spirit took hold including three active families. But the of his whole family. President McKay's people of Shawnee, some 40 miles east of Oklahoma City, accepted the gospel so call to missionary work and using the well that within five years the branch Goldm Questions "kind of struck our was made a ward fancy," Brother Conner said Brother Conner had been made "We enjoyed it (missionary work), we branch president in 1962, and served as knew the gospel was true and wanted others to know about it That was a bishop of the new Shawnee Ward eight means to tell them years (He is now a member of the Oklahoma South Stake High Council ) We've set a goal m my own immediBefore becoming branch president, ate family of baptizing a family a year, Brother Conner served as scoutmaster, and most of the time weve met that and he credits work in Scouting with goal, he reported. much to strengthen his church acdoing All of our family has enjoyed being tivity Each one of kind of rnissionaiy-mtnded- . The Scout troop was ako missionary-minded- , our children has been responsible for and Brother Conner and his added he baptizing someone, NOVEMBER 1973 WEEK ENDING 3, CHURCH 10 Af'er George A Conner was baptized in 1959, the well known admonition of 0 - Scouts introduced 18 families who were later baptized The approach they used when calling on parents was: "Were Mormons, and we expect the boys to live up to certain standards Wed like an opportunity to come back and tell you about them. Brother Conner and his family have ibeen instrumental ut helping concert several families and individuals who are making contributions to the church m their area While he was a stake missionary, he baptized the man who later became his second counselor in the bishopric One of his former Boy Scouts was baptized and presently serves as Midwest City Ward clerk. Most Brother Conners recently. has been 15, Carole, daughter instrumental m bringing one of her fnends into the church. Each of the Conner children Tom, Sherry (Mrs Robert) Bly, Nancy (Mrs Darrell) Haskins, Bob (now a missionary m Southern Calihave at different fornia) and Carole times brought fnends into the church Either I, or one of my children, have been responsible for bringing a member of one family into the church since 1960, Brother Conner noted He views this as a natural -- esult of tne familys enthusiasm in sharing the go pel But one of the familys toughest tasks has been to interest Brother and Sister Conners families in the gospel. Their families were probably alienated" shortly after the Conners joined the church by preaching about the gospel, Brother Conner speculated. But after they could see the change in .their loved ones lives, some of the Conner relatives developed an interest in the church. Brother Conners older brother was baptized two years ago, and his mother almost a year ago. In addition, his bi others long-timsecretary recently became a member. Brother Conner is now assistant direc-- ' tor of the Oklahoma Real Estate Institute, which is a part of his states vocational-technica- l education system for adults As a high councilor, he is chairman of the project operating committee which oversees the stake welfare ranch. -- e |