by This story was taken from the book For All the Saints: Lessons learned in Building the Kingdom, a history about the church in the New England area. It shares a miracle success story where a simple branch president sought revelation to grow his branch and they had hundreds of baptism when they acted according to the promptings of the spirit that created an idea called “U-Nite”.
Seeking Revelation
George served as a counselor in their small branch before he was called to serve as president for approximately thirty Saints who gathered in a small newly-built chapel in Farmingdale. George was humbled to meet in one of the only Church-owned buildings in the state and felt strongly impressed that his primary responsibility was to help the Church grow in this small corner of the vineyard. A milkman by trade, George wondered what he could do to advance this cause and found himself increasingly preoccupied over how to bring the gospel to the people of Maine. Approaching the Lord in earnest prayer, George asked for guidance that would accelerate missionary efforts. In the midst of a two-day fast, the new branch president frequently stopped his truck along his milk route to pray for inspiration. On the second second day of his fast, George pulled onto a little-traveled road and found a secluded spot where he could kneel. Under the trees, he poured out his desires to build the Lord’s Kingdom.
U-Nite Program
When George returned home, he quietly told his wife, “I know what I’ve got to do now.” Sitting with a pen and paper that evening, George carefully outlined the course of action—which he called the U-nite Program—that had been described to him through the unmistakable inspiration of the Holy Ghost. President McLaughlin opened the Book of Mormon at the next sacrament meeting of the Farmingdale Branch and reviewed the account of Ammon’s missionary labors. He then described the plan the Spirit had revealed to him and explained the role each branch member would be asked to fill. Three families were called to serve as “proselyting families.” Each proselyting family was asked to bring a non-member family to the church on Wednesday of the following week, the first of a series of what George called “U-Nights.” Visitors present at that evening meeting were shown a movie about the Church, after which President McLaughlin made some remarks and bore his testimony. Over the next few days, the missionaries visited each non-member family’s home to teach the first discussion, and the second discussion was taught at the next U-Night. The proselyting families were responsible for meeting with their chosen non-member family twice a week, once at U-Night and once in their home, until the investigating family was either baptized or no longer interested in learning about the gospel. If an investigating family chose not to continue, the responsible proselyting family was asked to find another family to attend the next U-Night. Each of the three initial proselyting families arrived at the chapel that first Wednesday night accompanied by a family they wanted to introduce to the gospel. Each of those first three investigating families joined the Church, following which President McLaughlin promptly called the new members to serve as proselyting families as well. Almost overnight, branch membership increased exponentially as members rallied behind their branch president and looked enthusiastically for ways to share the gospel. The importance of missionary work was emblazoned in the hearts of the Farmingdale Farmingdale Saints. “They could feel the Spirit,” Karline answered, when asked how so many ordinary members overcame their natural hesitancy to invite others to hear the gospel. Week after week these men and women faithfully sought out and brought new families to church, often bringing several at a time.
George McLaughlin called President Truman G. Madsen of the New England Mission, not long after implementation of the U-nite Program, to invite him to an upcoming baptismal service. When told that the mission president had a conflict, President McLaughlin persisted. President Madsen sensed the branch president’s insistence and asked how many people would be baptized. “You’ve got to come up and see,” George replied vaguely. When President Madsen walked into the Farmingdale chapel on the appointed day, his eyes quickly settled on three rows of people dressed in white, all waiting to be baptized. Quietly weeping through the service, the mission president watched as twenty-eight individuals entered the waters of baptism, one after another. At the conclusion of the meeting, President Madsen stood and said, “You know, I shall probably never see anything like this again in my life.”
The baptisms continued and membership grew. As the number of proselyting families increased, U-Nights were altered so that each classroom could be used to accommodate a different missionary discussion, while another area was used to show an introductory film to families attending for the first time. Every family in the branch was eventually involved in the U-nite Program. Within the first year of the program’s launch, 451 people were baptized into the Farmingdale Branch. The following year, 190 people were baptized.
Focus on Retention
George McLaughlin believed his greatest responsibility as branch president was to help new members develop lasting gospel roots. Entrusting administrative matters to counselors and auxiliary leaders, George focused on helping new converts become strong members of the Church. George held a training session before each baptism to explain the organization of the Church and how callings worked. He initiated a Church history class and a priesthood program to provide additional instruction, along with a temple preparation class for all newly-baptized members. When President McLaughlin extended callings, he took time to teach members how to succeed in their roles, whether that meant sharing effective teaching methods or providing instruction on how to prepare a room for a meeting. He coached individuals on giving talks in Church and studying the gospel in their homes. Many converts came from humble circumstances and President McLaughlin and his counselors worked to help individuals improve their personal and economic circumstances as well. Most important, President McLaughlin stressed the significance of temple covenants, doing all he could to help couples develop and fulfill a desire to attend the temple, undeterred by the fact that the closest temples were in Alberta, Canada, and Salt Lake City, Utah. “Instead of leaving them,” said Sister McLaughlin, “he took them and included them… trained them and gave them help.” The most important element, she said in summary, was “to genuinely love people, and be prepared to spend time with them.” George McLaughlin never served as a bishop, stake president, or counselor in a stake presidency. He was not a professional educator or man of public distinction. But because of George’s great desire to serve the Lord, his diligence in seeking guidance from the Spirit, and his faithfulness in following the counsel he received, by 1968 there were enough members and sufficient leadership for Elder Harold B. Lee of the Quorum of the Twelve to organize the first stake in Maine. When the original high council for the stake was organized, ten of its twelve members were men who had been baptized into the Farmingdale Branch through the U-nite Program.
The question you should ask yourself is, “how can I implement U-Nite into my ward? How can we start this program and create the necessary motivation and follow through so that the members do it with enthusiasm? Do your best to implement this or an adaption of it and I promise, there will be miracles like unto what happened in this small branch.
