Yesterday, June 5, 2011 the first stake of the LDS Church was organized by Elder Russell M. Nelson in Moscow Russia.. (See the Church newsroom story here).

I’ve written about my experiences serving a full time mission behind the Iron Curtain, in Bulgaria before on this blog. (The Wall Fell and A Bulgarian Christmas.)

When I hear good things like this, my heart swells with gratitude for the years of hard work by missionaries and for their sacrifice. I also have a deep appreciation for the members of the Church in this part of the world. They face persecutions and sacrifice so much to be members of the Church, and yet they continue on, because they know the Gospel is true. I’m also very grateful for the protection the Lord has given to those in his service and for the ongoing march of the Gospel into all the nations of the world. We have witnessed another miracle with the organization of this stake. Finally, if you’re looking for a bit of history on the Church’s presence in Eastern Europe, I’d recommend, Mormon Missionaries Enter Eastern Europe by Kahlile B. Mehr. It’s out of print now, but can be found in the used book marketplace on Amazon.com.

My hope is that each of us will rejoice with the members of the Church in the new Russia Moscow Stake and continue to pray for the gospel to go forward in the world. Miracles happen all the time, and they are right around the corner. I know the Lord still has many more miracles to reveal in different and unexpected parts of the world. Let’s be ready to go when they present themselves!