Ianser Edward (Kolonia Pohnpei Branch history, circa 1990 / MS 20442 / Photocopy/Typescript, Church History Library, Salt Lake City). The first time Ianser was exposed to the missionaries was when he was in the United States in 1979–80, going to school. He was in the IMIHOOLA program (a program of intensive science training to see if a person can make it through medical school). He sat in on one missionary discussion that was being taught in the apartment where he lived. The professor and others talked very much against the Church. In 1980–81, Ianser was having a hard time financially as well as in school. A nice friend (he didn’t know was LDS) invited Ianser to go to a picnic, and there he met the missionaries. They set up one appointment. When the missionaries kept wanting to make appointments, he kept telling them “No, no” because his father was almost to become a Protestant minister. His father had said, “If you join another church, don’t even bother to come home!” When the missionaries asked when he’d commit to baptism, he’d say, “I don’t know.” Ianser would say, “If that’s the true church, it will show.” Once when Ianser and his friend were going home from school at about 2:00 a.m., they were very quiet. All of a sudden Ianser said, “I am going to be baptized!” His friend said, “What about your father?” Ianser was baptized 7 November 1981 in Hawaii. When he came to Pohnpei, his father found out about Ianser joining the LDS Church. His father beat him up several times, especially on Sundays. He would scold on mornings even to make Ianser late for teaching at PICS. He’d offer his father rides and he’d say, “No, I disown you!” Ianser’s twin and his older brother were going against him also. He baptized his younger brother, but he became inactive. Then Ianser got a scholarship to Fiji. When he came back in 1983, he continued teaching at PICS. In two to three months, he started courting Molley, who was going to school at SDA. (Ianser and Asher were renting from Molley’s father.) Molley’s father said, “You cannot be married if he’s LDS!” Ianser kept asking to get Molley—even took his own father and relatives—but her father refused. He waited, and finally her father said yes. But he said, “How can you get married if in a different church?” (All Pingelapese knew Ianser had kept his father from attaining to be a Protestant Apostle.) Ianser said, “OK. I’ll change!” So they got married 1 January 1984. He told the church leaders what he was going for the time being. Some Sundays he’d go to the Protestant church, sometimes he didn’t. In the five to six months he attended, they’d try to give him a position but he would say no. A couple of times he sneaked out to the LDS Church. In June, Ianser’s father died. He loved him very much, but he thinks his father’s negative feelings possibly caused his death. It did make things easier for Ianser after his death. In August, Molley’s parents went to Yap. In the next month or two, Ianser started getting the missionaries to teach Molley. They held family home evening with some members in Molley’s family’s house. The neighbors shouted and threw rocks at them sometimes. The night before her baptism, Elder Davis said to Molley, “Maybe you’re being baptized for Ianser. If it is not for your testimony, don’t be baptized.” Molley got baptized and then phoned her parents to ask if she could be baptized. They said, “Wait.” They were coming during Christmas. Ianser and Molley were staying on the third floor of Molley’s parents’ home. They’d sneak out to go to church after her folks came back. Sometimes her parents would call Molley to keep her from going with Ianser. They’d get mad and ask both to come down. They’d call Ianser a liar. They still try to separate Molley and Ianser. They haven’t talked to him in years. They’ll turn and walk away. Molley visits and talks to them, however. In 1985, Ianser got a position in the LDS Church [second counselor in the district presidency]. Molley’s parents asked them to move out in 1987. He’s been persecuted several times for being a member, but he kept encouraging his family to listen to the missionaries. [Ianser later served as district president and died on 15 September 2006.]
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 16:15:05 +0000
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