Shortly after arriving, we started tracting. We visited every home (eighteen in all), leaving a tract at each one and inviting the people to a meeting that evening. At the last home, a strange thought occurred to me, "Why don't you test the prophecy that the name of Joseph Smith should be known for good and evil throughout the world?" I don't know why the thought came, but it did.

We gathered the family of six around, invited them to come to our po malanga (cottage meeting) that evening, and handed them a tract. I then asked, "Have you ever heard of President Eisenhower?"

"Who's he?"

I explained that he was the president of the United States.

"Where's the United States?"

I tried to explain where it was, but they couldn't understand. They asked how big an island it was. I replied that it was a very big island, thousands of miles away with millions of people living on it. I told them that many people there had never even seen the ocean and that many people didn't know one another. They couldn't comprehend that. I then asked, "Have you ever heard of a man by the name of Kruschev?"

"Who's he?"

"Well, he's the leader of Russia."

"What's Russia?"

"Russia is a country." I tried to explain that it was a great big island, even bigger than the United States, and there were millions of people there. They had no way of comprehending that.

I then asked, Have you ever heard of a person named Charles DeGaulle?"

"No, who's he?"

"Well, he's the president of a country called France."

"Where's France?"

I again explained and then asked about other countries and leaders, but they had no comprehension of these famous political figures of the day.

Next I asked about some sports figures, some movie stars, famous business people, about the Depression, the Korean War, and other things. It was an exercise in futility because they had no comprehension of any of these people or events.

There was not a member of the Church living on this island, although there were two other churches there. I took a deep breath and said, "Have you ever heard of Joseph Smith?"

Immediately their faces lit up. Everyone looked at me, and the father said, "Don't talk to us about that false prophet! Not in our home! We know all about him. Our minister has told us!" I could hardly believe what I was hearing. The scripture from the Pearl of Great Price sounded in my mind that Joseph's name should be had for good and evil among all nations" (JS-H 1:33). TO me this was a direct fulfillment of prophecy.



John Groberg, The Other Side of Heaven by John Groberg. Deseret Book.