He Spoke I Went

Last week during a missionary training conference, I had the privilege of witnessing a remarkable English Connect recognition ceremony. Missionaries from Madagascar, the Philippines, Switzerland, and across Africa were celebrated for their dedication and progress in developing their English skills. For many of these missionaries—who come from extremely humble backgrounds, this recognition represented far more than language achievement. It symbolized hope, growth, and divine opportunity.

English Connect isn’t just a program for improving communication; it’s a bridge to greater opportunity. For many of our missionaries, it’s the first step toward enrolling in BYU–Pathway Worldwide—a divinely inspired program that offers access to higher education, certificates, and degrees. This educational foundation helps returned missionaries strengthen their families, lift their communities, and continue building the kingdom of God in powerful ways.

In a recent BYU devotional, Sister Jane Clawson expressed a truth that resonated deeply with me. “Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. The reason BYU–Pathway works is because it is divinely inspired. It reaches into the most unlikely places—to the poorest city streets and to the most remote rural villages—where people have only dreamed of getting a college degree. It meets these students where they are, with structure, support, and a spiritual foundation.

BYU–Pathway is lifting families out of poverty, strengthening communities, preparing a new generation of leadership in the Church across the world, and enabling the very gathering of Israel.”

Her words echo exactly what I have witnessed while serving in the South Africa Pretoria Mission. English Connect, the Perpetual Education Fund, and BYU–Pathway Worldwide are working together to create pathways of faith, education, and opportunity—especially for those who may have few temporal resources but infinite divine potential.

Sister Clawson also shared an observation that I know to be true, because I have had numerous conversations with missionaries from underdeveloped communities who quietly worry about what awaits them after they return home. For some, that anxiety even manifests physically—as they contemplate the dramatic shift in lifestyle and opportunity between mission life and home life.

I have observed several examples of companionships of missionaries, equally yoked in faith, both capable, both driven. Yet when they return home, their paths diverge. One goes back to a developed country to educational opportunities and family financial support and their companions return to a world with limited access to higher education, steep unemployment, and financial uncertainties. For them, BYU–Pathway is hope. It is the bridge that keeps them moving forward, professionally and spiritually.”

Although I have seen this tale of two cities reality with my own eyes among missionaries from a host of countries, I have also seen how English Connect and BYU–Pathway Worldwide are changing that reality — one missionary, one family, and one community at a time.

I know that English Connect, BYU–Pathway Worldwide, and the Perpetual Education Fund are part of the Lord’s plan to bless His children across the earth. I have seen how they lift the humble, empower the faithful, and open doors that once seemed sealed.

I testify that these programs are divinely inspired. They are modern day instruments in the Lord’s hands—tools of mercy, education, and eternal growth. When we support them, teach in them, or simply encourage those who participate, we are helping the Lord “raise up disciples in all nations” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:23).

To every missionary striving to learn, to grow, and to serve—know that the Lord sees your effort. English Connect is not just helping you speak another language; it is helping you find your voice in His great work.

🎥 I invite you to watch the BYU devotional that inspired this post: https://youtu.be/afQ1Brr0szk?si=YnK7QMWQ9MfIkGGp