Spencer J. Condie
"My German-born wife enjoyed our Church assignments in Vienna, Austria, and Frankfurt, Germany, very much because she had no trouble conversing with Church members and friends in their native language. But when we were called to move to France on a new assignment, her enthusiasm for living in Europe began to wane. And when we moved into a little house in the country far removed from neighbors who were members of the Church, this became a trial of her faith. Shopping in a foreign country in a foreign language was mildly traumatic, to say the least. Then one day as she was reading the Book of Mormon, she came upon a verse in Alma 48:12 which describes Captain Moroni as 'a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people.'
"Somewhat similar to Joseph Smith's experience in reading the first chapter of James, she began to make some important connections in her own mind and heart. She began thinking: Moroni lived at a time when he had no electricity, no hot running water, no oven or microwave, no refrigerator, freezer, washer or dryer, no radio, television, or stereo system. He had no convenient supermarkets or department stores. He had no automobile for convenient and comfortable transportation. And still his 'heart did swell with thanksgiving.' Since that day of reading that passage of scripture, Sister Condie's attitude changed remarkably and she developed a great love for France and Switzerland and for the French-speaking people. She was at peace with herself and with the world in which she lived." (In Perfect Balance, p. 54-55)