Peterborough Missionaries on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
An item posted on a local Peterborough Facebook page caught the eye of BBC Radio host Dotty McLeod, who wondered why two young men would offer to provide gardening and household service for free.
At her request, Elder Nathan Kidd and Elder Jarom Beale, of the England Leeds Mission, answered questions live on her breakfast show of 5 October 2020.
Elder Kidd, from the USA, and Elder Beale, from England, serve as missionaries for the Church in Peterborough, their purpose being to share messages of hope that come through faith in Jesus Christ.
Inherent in that faith is serving others as Christ would. The elders shared stories of serving in the community as well as relating how people responded to their offer, which led to delivering food and clothing to those in need, gardening, painting, and lifting heavy items.
When the host referred to the elders as ‘Mormon’, Elder Kidd explained that the term was a nickname from the early days of the Church, which could have arisen from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ. He explained that the book complements the Bible in testifying of Jesus Christ, and that the proper name of the church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Dotty McLeod surprised the elders with a comment from Sara, a woman who had received assistance from these elders. Sara praised their efforts and expressed her gratitude for the help they rendered. When asked to respond, both agreed that it brought them happiness.
Elder Kidd said, “The best thing about serving, and serving like Jesus Christ served, is you really get just as much gratification, if not more, than the person you serve.”
Elder Beale added, “It’s that feel-good feeling that maybe sometimes we missed in lockdown; the feeling of helping each other out.”