YEREVAN, Armenia — In the Poghosyan family’s home, a picture of 18-year-old Hovhannes Poghosyan hangs on one wall and on the opposite wall is a painting of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple.
The young man was planning to serve a mission after his military service — but he was declared lost in action during conflict and eventually found dead, devastating his family members and many others who prayed for them around Armenia and the Europe East Area.
When Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles leaned forward on the couch in the Poghosyan family’s living room, he looked into the eyes of three generations in this family and wanted them to know something about their son, grandson and brother.
“Your family’s belief in Jesus Christ is eternal. The sealings your family made in the temple link your family together forever. Your son is not dead, he lives in another place. And he will always be yours,” Elder Rasband said. “I promise.”
The family spent some tender moments with Elder Rasband, who traveled to Armenia with his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband. They shared some of their history and their love for their family and the gospel.
Silva Poghosyan said, “I miss my son, but I have comfort now.”
Later, when asked what he wanted all of Armenia to know, Elder Rasband said, “I want them to have great hope in the future through Jesus Christ. We, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are able to offer them renewed vision, renewed opportunity to commit themselves to live His gospel, to love God and to love their fellow men and serve Him.”
Teaching about forgiveness
Elder Rasband loves the country of Armenia, having a 30-year connection to it. He traveled here multiple times when he was the business associate of Jon Huntsman Sr., who launched a humanitarian effort to help people rebuild their homes after the massive earthquake in 1988.
This time, as an Apostle, his visit prompted missionaries, members and others to learn how to rebuild the country spiritually.
Elder Rasband testified of Jesus Christ to hundreds of Church members and their friends on April 19 in a meeting room in Yerevan’s city center — with some people coming on buses from several hours away.
This country used to hold a stake, but in recent years, activity and membership numbers declined; members and the missionaries are now working to rebuild its branches.
“I want to say to all of you, if there has been anything that has offended you or hurt your feelings in the past, I hope you will forgive the Church leaders, and I hope you will forgive each other,” Elder Rasband said at the meeting.
“Jesus Christ wishes to build up His Church in Armenia and Georgia. We need you, brothers and sisters. We need all of you, every one of you.”
The Armenia/Georgia Mission President David Stirling, who leads the mission with his wife, Sister Laurea Stirling, said the Armenian Saints had not had a gathering like this in many years.
“His being here gave the people a shot of confidence,” President Stirling said. “They believe it can come back, it can be rebuilt. That’s what was needed here — a sense of hope.”
Margarit Ayvazyan said, “Armenia is small. Knowing that President Russell M. Nelson is thinking about us and sending a message to us and also that he sends [an] Apostle is everything.”
Her husband, Yerevan Armenia District President Sargis B. Ayvazyan, said the visit was an answer to prayers.
“Elder Rasband mentioned that we are not forgotten. That was one of my prayers. We are not forgotten,” he said. “Also, we need to love and forgive each other. The best expression of love is forgiveness.”
Meeting with youth and young adults
Elder and Sister Rasband’s grandaughter, Sister Maggie MacPherson, is serving as a full-time missionary in the country of Georgia. She and the other Georgia missionaries came to Yerevan for two days of meetings with Elder Rasband, and she bore her testimony to youth and young adults of Armenia who gathered to hear him on Wednesday afternoon.
The meeting was broadcast online to youth in Georgia. Elder Rasband spoke to all of them about increasing their faith and living the gospel each day, becoming examples to their friends and others around them.
“You, my young friends, are part of our building back in Armenia and building up in Georgia,” he said. “We need all of you to be a part of this.”
Sister Rasband told the youth how much they are loved.
“We are so very proud of you,” she said. “I hope and pray that the Lord will bless and be with you, to be courageous and to listen to the Holy Ghost.”
Elder Alexey Samaykin, an Area Seventy who serves as president of the Church’s Europe East Area, said it was a historical event for Armenia and Georgia.
“We have a special witness of Jesus Christ with us today,” he told the group. “The fact that you are here means you have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your future can be as bright as your faith.”
Twice as many youth came to the meeting as local leaders expected. Joel Ayvazyan, 18, translated for Elder Rasband, and saw that “as Elder Rasband talked to people, he made them feel better and they grew more confident and boosted their faith and hope.”
Meeting with missionaries
On Tuesday, April 18, Elder Rasband met with the Georgia/Armenia missionaries in the Yerevan chapel, while 18 young volunteers who serve in Russia joined over a video connection.
Elder Rasband spoke about finding answers through the Book of Mormon, and learning how to teach and use forgiveness and hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He took time to answer questions from the missionaries as well.
The missionaries are needed to help rebuild the Church in the country, he told them, and they can do so by turning people to Jesus Christ.
“Read with them, study with them. I promise you, the more they learn about Jesus Christ, the more they will love Him. And they will be reenergized to serve Him,” Elder Rasband said.
Elder Noah Zatikyan Wright, from Bountiful, Utah, felt Elder Rasband’s love for Armenia — where Elder Wright has extended family. His mother, who grew up here, miraculously survived the 1988 earthquake and met the missionaries.
Now, as a missionary serving in Armenia, after the meeting with Elder Rasband, he feels more peace about his purpose and hope for the people he teaches.
“We fasted and prayed right before this meeting,” Elder Wright said. “I found many of the things I fasted for and the things I had written down were answered. The counsel he gave was personal and direct.”
Sister Savannah Anderton from Syracuse, Utah, learned how she can become closer to Jesus Christ by coming to know Him better. “Elder Rasband centered everything on the Savior,” she said. “The gospel all comes back to Him.”
She also was touched by how Elder Rasband’s granddaughter, Sister MacPherson, introduced him in the meeting. “It showed me the Church is built on families. I know that, and I’ve been teaching people about that, but it was great to see an Apostle with his family who is close to his heart.”
The area president, Elder Samaykin, expressed in the meeting his love and appreciation for the senior missionary couples, becoming emotional as he addressed them.
“There will be people who remember you the rest of your life,” he said. “Thank you so much for being willing to come and serve.”
‘A great honor and a great privilege’
At the meeting with members, Elder Rasband asked for those who remembered the factory to raise their hands, and many did.
“Never did I realize in those early days and trips to Armenia that I would ever be coming back as a Church leader,” he said.
Elder Rasband’s ministry in this country he loves so dearly came at the end of a trip to two other countries where his family has personal connections: France, where Sister Rasband’s father served in World War II; and Germany, where the Rasbands lived for three years.
“Sister Rasband and I have loved every minute of being in these countries,” he said. “I want to thank the Lord and His prophet [for] sending us to minister in these three countries; it has been a great honor and a great privilege.”
