My name is Alfonso Mosenthal, and I was born in Paarl, a small town in the Western Cape, near Cape Town.
I was blessed as a baby in the Church, but I wasn't baptized at the age of eight. Instead, I was baptized when I was 15. That was a great time for me. I was very dedicated to the Church, but as I got older—I think it was around Grade 11—I started making my own choices, and I became inactive. I wasn't involved as much as I had been.
After finishing school, I went to college. During my second year, I decided I wanted to come back to church. By then, I was at the young single adult age, and I felt a strong pull to return because I had so many good friends there.
When I came back, we had a senior missionary couple, the Oldmans. I'll never forget them. They were assigned to the Paarl Branch specifically to work with the young single adults, and they invited me to attend Institute. During the week, we would come to church for Institute, and afterwards we'd have games and all sorts of fun activities.
I really enjoyed the way they taught the lessons. During that time, I started feeling a desire to serve a mission because of what I was learning. We studied the Presidents of the Church, Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel. Those lessons really touched me, and I decided that I wanted to serve a mission.
The Oldmans supported and encouraged me every step of the way, and my Branch President at the time, President Peacock, also helped me tremendously. My parents weren't able to cover some of the costs of preparing for a mission, like my dental and medical evaluations, so many ward members stepped in to help and support me.
Looking back, I think Institute played a huge role in my decision to serve a mission. It strengthened my testimony and gave me the confidence to take that step.
After returning from my mission, I stayed with a mentor of mine. As a young single adult, I joined another Institute class. This one was a little different because we shared the teaching responsibilities. One week, I would teach, the next week, someone else would teach. There were about nine or ten of us, and we met during the week at different people's homes. It was a wonderful experience, and I really enjoyed being part of it.
It was also during that time that I met my wife. She wasn't part of our Institute class or even in our unit, but a mentor of mine insisted that I needed to meet her. Long story short, we met, fell in love, and got married.
After we were married, we continued attending that same Institute class together. We studied together, prepared lessons together, and enjoyed learning the gospel side by side. Those are memories I'll always treasure.
One Sunday, during sacrament meeting, the bishop handed out Institute certificates. I had no idea what was coming, so it was a complete surprise when I received an Institute diploma. I still remember receiving it in a beautiful hardcover folder. I didn't even know there was such a thing as an Institute diploma, but I suppose all the classes I had completed over the years had added up. It was a special moment, and I still treasure it today.
For me, Seminaries and Institutes of Religion provided a quiet place, a figurative quiet place, where you can slow down from the rapid pace of life. They give you the opportunity to learn who you are as a child of God and to better understand the love that Heavenly Father has for you.
That makes a real difference. If you're someone looking for peace, or you want to step off the treadmill of everyday life for a while, Seminary and Institute can provide that space. They offer a place where you can feel peace, strengthen your faith, learn from others, build lasting friendships, and enjoy the social side of being together as well.