People are ‘called to serve’ in many different ways.
My family sort of sees working in Chorley’s, ‘Latter-Day Bookstore & More’ as a service calling to help UK members have access to items Utah members do.
The sometimes, quirky, ‘member-made’ products that can compliment our faith. It’s been 50 years of different families filling this, ‘calling’.
From the 1940’s in the UK, books and media published by a principal Utah-based publisher, were carried around to wards and Stake Conferences for members to purchase.
In 1970 this practice proved difficult to continue the way it used to. The first family ‘called to serve’ were the Reeves who opened a UK Latter-Day bookstore in a converted coach, often seen in the grounds of the London Temple. After their ten-year ‘mission’ the baton was passed to the Turvey family, who upgraded the coach to a portacabin, a permanent feature on the grounds of the London Temple. During the refurbishment of that Temple, in the late 1980’s, the baton again passed, this time to the Fagg family, then in 2014, to my family, the Grants.
Why did the Grants take on running a shop? It comes back to feeling a ‘call to serve’ and the desire for products to be readily available to the UK Saints. It can be very rewarding when someone is struggling and we are able to help them find an appropriate item that they take home, and report back on how it has helped their experience with living the gospel in the UK.
A huge driving force was also the opportunity to give Mike Grant a job; he has epilepsy, which has made it difficult for him to find and keep a job; it has also prevented him from serving a traditional mission.
Working in the shop is rewarding. We meet great people. After six years of ‘service’, the business has really developed to best serve the UK members live the gospel of Jesus Christ and share their talents.
We’ve got even bigger plans for this year.
