An Unexpected Blessing, sometimes called a miracle, came to me, James Richards, while serving in the England London Mission with my wife, Kay Merrill Richards.
On Sunday, August 7, 2016, Kay and I spoke at a fireside at the London Temple Visitor’s Centre. At the beginning of my talk, I said that I had served in the British Mission 54 years ago, and I asked if anyone in the audience had been living in the British Mission at that time. One person raised her hand. I asked her where she had lived, and she said, “I lived in the Wandsworth area.” I replied, “Really? I served in that area when I was on my mission. What is your name?” She said, “You knew me as Rosalind Miller and you taught me the gospel.” I was shocked and said, “I want to talk to you after the meeting.”
After I finished speaking I went to her and exclaimed, “I can’t believe I don’t remember teaching you on my mission!” She replied, “Yes. You were my missionary. You are the missionary that taught me the gospel.” I asked, “When did you get baptized?” She said, “I was only 16 years old and my parents wouldn’t let me get baptized until I was 18. You taught me and my friend at the South London Ward chapel. Your companions were Elder Burrell and Elder Lybbert. You were transferred to Borehamwood, and I didn’t see you again.”
Rosalind went on to tell me that she married Alan Carter, a member of the ward, and they were sealed in the London temple. She has 7 children, six of them have served missions and they are all active in the Church. She has 23 grandchildren. Her husband served twice as Bishop of the Selsdon Ward where she lives, and he recently died in December 2015. Later, she sent me a picture of a Carter family reunion with her, her husband and all of their family together.
What a blessing to learn that a sixteen year old girl I taught on my mission had been converted to the gospel and that her entire life and her family’s life had been blessed by receiving the gospel and the ordinances temple.
This is one of the greatest joys of my life.