I read this at work as tears streamed down my face. What an amazing person. What missionary work. Enjoy...
(sorry about the symbol transfer...just ignore any /n nonsense)
Subject: FW: Gladys Knight testimony
Tribune, Independent Tribune, Harrisburg Horizons, The Lake Norman Navigator and The Winston Salem Journal
Covering 22 Counties Gladys Knight Tells Floridians, "This is the Light". By Geoffrey Biddulph
Gladys Knight and her 60-person choir of Latter-day Saints gave four performances for more than 5,000 people in southern Florida last week. "This is the way, this is the light", she said in a teary testimony regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Gladys Knight is famous worldwide for such songs as "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia". Over the weekend, she, along with her choir and a three-person band gave four shows to thousands of members and non-member investigators, who crowded into the Fort Lauderdale Florida stake center building. They heard Knights renditions of "Because I have been Given Much" and "I am a Child of God", as well as several Gospel songs that are not in the Church hymn book. Knight sang several solos, but she also directed several choir members who also took the stage alone. They sang songs such as "Uphold Me with Thy Sweet Spirit" and "Oh, How I Love Jesus" with a swelling choir behind them.
The highlight of the evening was certainly when the famed singer and her husband both gave their testimonies of the restored gospel. "It is indeed a miracle that I belong to this church", Sister Knight said. "The image of the Church in the past has not been conducive to my being here. It shows His hand in motion. An African-American woman: Who knew I would have a calling such as this"? Knight has indeed been given a special calling by the Brethren to travel throughout the world giving her testimony both in \nspeech and through song. Given her fame and her reputation, \nshe may be a vessel for bringing thousands or tens of \nthousands to investigate the Church. Several years \nago, Gladys Knight's son was the first member of her family \nto look at the Church. After he got baptized, her daughter \ncame next. Sister Knight \ndescribed her search for God's true church, which came after \nthe baptism of her children. "I was raised in a \nBaptist home. We spent all day on Sunday at church. I was \nkind of all over the place religiously. I was a Baptist and then \na Catholic and then I went to several other churches. I was \nseeking. There was something good in every one of those \nchurches, but I thought there's got to be more. My daughter \nKenya said, "talk to the \nmissionaries". I fell in love right away. They were \nrespectful, and the first thing they said was, "Can we \npray?" I believe in the power of prayer. They told me, "You \ncheck it out." I got on my knees and asked the Lord, and I got \nmy answer. I couldn't wait for my next lessons. I said I \nwanted to get baptized \ntomorrow". Very soon after that, she was \nbaptized. Her husband, William McDowell, gave an \neloquent and humor-laced testimony about his courtship and \nmarriage to one of the most famous singers \naround. They met because he was the manager of a spa \nin San Diego. \n"As Gladys", said. "The image of the Church in the past has not been conducive to my being here. It shows His hand in motion. An African-American woman: Who knew I would have a calling such as this"? Knight has indeed been given a special calling by the Brethren to travel throughout the world giving her testimony both in speech and through song.
Given her fame and her reputation, she may be a vessel for bringing thousands or tens of thousands to investigate the Church. Several years ago, Gladys Knight's son was the first member of her family to look at the Church. After he got baptized, her daughter came next. Sister Knight described her search for God's true church, which came after the baptism of her children. "I was raised in a Baptist home. We spent all day on Sunday at church. I was kind of all over the place religiously. I was a Baptist and then a Catholic and then I went to several other churches. I was seeking. There was something good in every one of those churches, but I thought there's got to be more. My daughter Kenya said, "talk to the missionaries". I fell in love right away. They were respectful, and the first thing they said was, "Can we pray?" I believe in the power of prayer. They told me, "You check it out." I got on my knees and asked the Lord, and I got my answer. I couldn't wait for my next lessons. I said I wanted to get baptized tomorrow".
Very soon after that, she was baptized. Her husband, William McDowell, gave an eloquent and humor-laced testimony about his courtship and marriage to one of the most famous singers around. They met because he was the manager of a spa in San Diego. "As Gladys kept traveling around the world, and I kept on \ntraveling around San Diego, it was common knowledge Gladys \nhas lost her mind and had joined those Mormons", Brother \nMcDowell said. He would go to visit her in \nLas Vegas and, \n"There were a lot of young men on bicycles who kept on \nvisiting, hungry young men on bicycles". McDowell added, \n"They kept on saying they belonged to the true church of Jesus Christ. I was raised very Baptist by \ngod-fearing people, my grandparents. How could they not be \nmembers of the true church"? But \nMcDowell said he went to seminary and read The Book of Mormon \nand then got on his knees and asked, and "I received the \nanswers. My grandparents had prepared me to recognize the \nTruth when I saw it". He acknowledged his brother, who was \nin the audience, and said, "This is the first time he has \nheard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my family to the \ntruth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It \n \nwas restored by \na young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father\nand Jesus \nChrist". McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and \n \nfind out for \nyourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask \nwhether it is \ntrue. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight \nis running a \nchoir in the Mormon Church". He then introduced his \nwife as "Gladys Knight McDowell", and she sang a",1]
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kept traveling around the world, and I kept on traveling around San Diego, it was common knowledge Gladys has lost her mind and had joined those Mormons", Brother McDowell said. He would go to visit her in Las Vegas and, "There were a lot of young men on bicycles who kept on visiting, hungry young men on bicycles". McDowell added, "They kept on saying they belonged to the true church of Jesus Christ. I was raised very Baptist by god-fearing people, my grandparents. How could they not be members of the true church"? But McDowell said he went to seminary and read The Book of Mormon and then got on his knees and asked, and "I received the answers. My grandparents had prepared me to recognize the Truth when I saw it". He acknowledged his brother, who was in the audience, and said, "This is the first time he has heard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my family to the truth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It
was restored by a young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father
and Jesus Christ". McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and
find out for yourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask
whether it is true. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight
is running a choir in the Mormon Church". He then introduced his wife as "Gladys Knight McDowell", and she sang a
song to \nwhich Brother McDowell wrote the lyrics "He Lives". It was a \nvery moving song about the Savior that Knight sang to a misty-eyed \n crowd. \n"I have to give this testimony of mine", Knight said. "I have no \nother choice. Sometimes the truth is right before you and \nyou don't see it". Knight said that it has sometimes been \ndifficult for her to tell people she is a Mormon. "But this \nis the true church. It has the 12 apostles, just like Jesus' \nchurch. Just like the people in Jesus' day, we need to look \nfarther for the truth. The people in those days got the same \nridicule we get today. I was willing to risk that for the honor \nof serving him". She asked non-members \nin the audience, "At least see for yourselves. At least be \nobedient to that end". She then went into the audience to \nshake hands and give hugs to the many people who adore \nher. Mission President Noel Reynolds said his \nmissionaries received 425 solid referrals from the \nevent. "The missionaries from the Haitian branch \nbrought 17 people, and one young lady asked to be baptized \nright away after hearing Gladys Knights testimony" President \nReynolds said. "Another ward mission leader had been asking \nhis father, a Baptist, to hear the discussions for a year. \nHis father \nfinally agreed with enthusiasm after attending the Gladys \nKnight \nevent".\n",0]
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song to which Brother McDowell wrote the lyrics "He Lives". It was a very moving song about the Savior that Knight sang to a misty-eyed
crowd. "I have to give this testimony of mine", Knight said. "I have no other choice. Sometimes the truth is right before you and you don't see it". Knight said that it has sometimes been difficult for her to tell people she is a Mormon. "But this is the true church. It has the 12 apostles, just like Jesus' church. Just like the people in Jesus' day, we need to look farther for the truth. The people in those days got the same ridicule we get today. I was willing to risk that for the honor of serving him". She asked non-members in the audience, "At least see for yourselves. At least be obedient to that end". She then went into the audience to shake hands and give hugs to the many people who adore her. Mission President Noel Reynolds said his missionaries received 425 solid referrals from the event. "The missionaries from the Haitian branch brought 17 people, and one young lady asked to be baptized right away after hearing Gladys Knights testimony" President Reynolds said. "Another ward mission leader had been asking his father, a Baptist, to hear the discussions for a year.
His father finally agreed with enthusiasm after attending the Gladys Knight event".
So, the Chinese New Year came and went. Usually, I would have no ties to such an event, except for the fact Phil's work holds quite the happenin' Chinese New Year shin dig. We were even encouraged to wear red and black. Except for the 10 course meal I probably took six bites of (With the power combo of new tastes, being pregnant and chopsticks working against me, this is no surprise), the night was quite enjoyable. They entertained us with dancing Chinese dragons, Kung Fu demonstrations and a Chinese childrens' orchestra.
