May 7 - 13 2018

A good week at the temple.  Tuesday we arrive at the temple dressed and ready for prayer meeting by 6:15.  We stay for the 7 o'clock session, mobility impaired session, then come home until 10:15 when we go back and officiate and follow the 11 and 4 pm sessions.  In between we serve in other capacities in the temple.  On other days we sometimes go early and go on the 8 o'clock session and stay until after our 4 o'clock session, around 6 pm.  Saturdays are a treat.  We are assigned to escort weddings, usually two of them.

This last Saturday we helped with a couple from the Hawaii and one from California.  The first couple were students here.  The second story was that as a young woman they had a lesson on temples and were given pictures of different temples.  Laie is the one she got and she has always wanted to be married here.  His grandfather is a sealer in the Bountiful Temple so he and many family and friends came with them to be married here.

China Man's Hat

We had a lovely  mother's day with Church at 8 am.  We received a beautiful rose and a Hershey bar.  Great classes and Sacrament meeting and RS and then a huge picture of the RS.  We drove out to "Just Serve" and pick up food to be dropped off at Pastor Virgil's for him to distribute the food from Kualoa Ranch.

President & Sister Hafoka 

The Faetta Sisters sang some beautiful number

That evening we attended a fireside at the Temple Visitors Center.  President and Sister Hafoka, recently released as 2nd Counselor in Hawaii Honolulu Mission were the speakers with the Fella sisters singing.  It was a real treat.  They have been called as Mission President of the Papua New Guinea Port Moresby Mission in July.  They are wonderful missionaries.  He related several stories of his life and missionary experiences.  His theme was "we will go and we will do whatever my priesthood leaders ask me to do".  He came from a very poor family but was able to get an education.  He joined the Church at 21.  He was in the military and had a good career.  A few years later he was called to be a counselor in the Bishopric.  He told his leader, "I am very busy right now".  He was given good council which has stayed with him all his life.  The Lord knows you and what you are doing.  Putting the Lord first will bless your life in all ways.  He accepted.  A few years later the Ward was divided and he had left the military and was starting his first year in Grad School.  He was called to be Bishop.  Again he said, this is not really a great time.  Again "The Lord knows"  Go and do and you will be blessed, which he was.  He and his wife have always followed the hymn I will do and do whatever my priesthood leaders as of me. 

He is also a great missionary.  Help me be the missionary you want me to be.  None of this matters without the Savior and recognize promptings of the Spirit to invite others.  Have faith and courage--I will go and do. The New Guinea mission has 100 elders, all natives from the island, no sisters and how hallies.  Two stakes and 15 Districts and a population of 8 million. 

Saturday night we attended the Wor

The Deckers are going home to Iowa.  They live in front of us

We all sing Aloha Oe when missionaries leave and this is the ukulele accompaniment 

 

These white birds are everywhere

Dan from temple FM is putting in a new window for us.

The roofers are working on the roof 

Dan moving a window

 Fire/knife Championships.  What fun.  We watched the junior division 6-11 and 12 - 18.  These young boys were amazing.  As an exhibition in between they had a 5 year old perform.  He was amazing.  They have been doing this for 26 years. 

The drummers at the Fire/Knife championships

one of the young competitors 

We went to visit an assisted living facility and ran into Brother    from our Ward who goes every Sunday and sings to them.

 It has been raining all week on and off.  The volcano is still spitting out lava and rock and gases.  It is becoming more dangerous and more homes have been lost and there are now 20 fissures in the earth.  The smoke has been going out to sea so far. 

Our challenge this week.  Have Faith and courage to invite others to come unto Christ. Be a good missionary and do some ministering. 

April 30 - May 6

These last two weeks have been busy in the temple.  BYU Hawaii is out and between semesters so we have had lots of weddings.  We have been blessed to be escorts for several of them.  Yesterday we had a lovely couple from the Philippines being sealed.  She served in Vancouver Canada Chinese and he served in the Philippines.  He is now here in school, she has already graduated.  Really a great privilege to serve them.

We also met a few old friends this week.  We were both in the baptistery serving when a young man came in to baptize.    It turned out he is the son of Jade and Debbie Morris from Camarillo.  He with his wife and two boys, works here on the island.  Yesterday at Costco someone else recognized Paul.  He served in the SLC South Mission with us and was an assistant to the President.  Elder Eastman.  He was just sealed two weeks ago in the Laie Temple.

Paul has one of those recognizable faces and we are always meeting someone who remembers him.  Great blessing for us.

The island of Hawaii has been erupting this week.  Many people have had to evacuate and several (9) homes have been lost.  It is a very active volcano and they have also had a 6.5 earthquake and now at least three fissures have opened up spewing lava.  They are also very worried about the dangerous gases being released.  Sulfur dioxide.

Today is Sr. Couples Break the Fast dinner.  today we take a main course, Lasagna for us.  It has been rather raining this week but we are inside so hardly notice it.  

News from home.  Katie and Tyler went to  LA to visit the Goldens, Staci graduated from ISU with a doctorate in Pharmacy.  Mallorie is doing pole vvolt.  Sounds like all is doing well.  

Sunday we attended the Laie 4th Ward, Samoan Ward.  What a treat and a wonderful spirit.  Some of the testimonies were in English and most in Samoan but the spirit was strong and we got the jist of it.  Paul bore his testimony, which is always very powerful, and lets people know a little about us.  There are many members from this ward who serve in the temple so it was good to see them with their families.  One of the Sisters from the Temple had on a beautiful lei she had  made and gave it to me.  

 We also met Jerome Pollard's daughter, Martha and some of her family, at Church.  She has 9 children.

Martha and daughter 

We met Elder Eastwood at Costco on Saturday.  His new bride of two weeks.  We were sad we did not get to escort them on their wedding day.  He is from here and they are attending BYU Hawaii

That evening we attended the Senior Missionary first Sunday pot luck dinner.  Always delicious.  They have six rows of tables and before they begin the person sitting at the front of that table draws an UNO card and that determines which tables are served first.  Last month, our first attendance, we got six, this month we got five.  I guess we are working our way up the line.  A great variety and quantity of food.  

On our way in we saw Sister Rhodes, a senior sister missionary, who  attends our 4 pm ordinance session every week.  I asked her last week to do some of my names.  Last week she did one of my names, Anna Sahmkow.  She told me during that session she could feel and see several people in the back of the room and felt certain she and several others were there.  What a special experience for her. 

April 23 - 29

Monday I went with Tessa Sullivan to the Ioloni Palace in Honolulu.  It was a very interesting tour.  Got a good feel for Hawaii  Also saw comparisons to the early Mormons.  Seems the Hawaiians were treated like we were.  It took us forever to get home.  Two accidents on the highway which brought us to a stop.  Paul was watching the Jazz game. They won.  After it was over we went to FHE.

Tuesday we got up at 5 and attended the 6:15 prayer meeting.  We kept busy after that.  At 7:45 we helped with a wedding, then initiatories, the 11 am session, lunch, baptistery for me and veils for Paul until we met up again for the 4 pm session.  A very full and rewarding day.

Our wedding couple was from Japan and Fiji.  They met here at school.  He is in IT and she is engineering.  The girls have beautiful dresses.  On campus they have a place where you can go and try on wedding dresses people have donated and borrow them.  Such a great idea.
The rest of the week was a little slow.  We were all wondering if anyone heard what President Nelson said about making more time for the temple.

Friday and Saturday were busy with weddings.  We were able to help with four of the six weddings on Saturday.  What a wonderful day.  So happy to see these young couples start out their lives together in the right way, with Heavenly Father as part of their lives.

On one of our 11 o'clock sessions we had two couples from Arizona come through.  They were older and did not realize we move from room to room and have to go up 44 stairs.  The sister has bone cancer and just three weeks ago got so she could hardly walk.  She was able to make it and I was so touched by her dedication and love of the Lord that she would try something so strenuous for her and she was so grateful for the opportunity.  The sister with her, however, seemed very annoyed by it all.  It's interesting how differently we all see things.

Saturday night was Stake Conference adult session.  What a great spirit.  The meeting centered around ministering.  They started with a video of "I Stand All Amazed" sung by that group from BYU, 7 guys, with no accompaniment but them.  The Counselor conducting them spoke and introduced the topic.  Charity, love, no up or down in this church, only forward or backward.  Where can we look for ministering?  We have 313 HP, 5099 Elders 351 Prospective Elders, 658 no priesthood in the home, 114 no father, endowed members with no temple recommend 420.  He then quoted words from "If I Listen With My Hear, I'll Hear My Savior's Voice".  They then showed the video "Lift".

Ministering:  keep it SIMPLE, two things 1.  qualify or the gift of charity 2.  qualify for the Holy Ghost as your earthly constant companion.  EFFORT be united--commit to be prayerful and follow the spirit.  INVITE  invitation to act.  Read 3 Nephi and note the number of times you see "minister" and "One by One".  We will see a great change in our hearts and we will build up the kingdom by small things.  If we are UNITED we are unstoppable.  3 Ne 28:29.

President Ah You then concluded the meeting by reminding us that the Savior now calls us friends.  He no longer calls us servants but friends.  We are off to the Cannon Center today for the main session of Stake Conference.

We have had a little rain but we always miss it by being in the temple.  Our days are sometimes long but the work is so sweet we don't notice.  This is a beautiful place where the spirit of the Lord hovers.

President Nelson and Elder Hollands 14 Challenges

President Nelson Announces Changes, Speaks of Revelation and Ministering at General Conference

By LDS.org Blog Staff April 1, 2018

In his first general conference as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson provided a blueprint for how we can consistently receive personal revelation in our lives.

“The privilege of receiving revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God to His children,” President Nelson said.

He said that as we pray to our Heavenly Father and receive direction in our lives, we won’t need to puzzle over what is right or whom we can safely trust.

Qualify Yourself

In order to receive personal revelation, President Nelson said that we must first qualify ourselves.

“Nothing opens the heavens,” he explained, “quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.”

How to Receive Revelation

When we wish to obtain answers or deeper understanding, President Nelson counseled us to follow Joseph Smith’s example. He said to find a quiet place we can regularly go, humble ourselves, and pour out our hearts to our Father in Heaven.

“Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses,” he counseled, “yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions you are prompted to take.”

What Personal Revelation Will Do for You

“As you continue to be obedient,” he explained, “expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.”

Watch or read President Nelson’s full talk from the Sunday morning session.

Ministering

During the Sunday afternoon session, President Nelson spoke of opening a new chapter in the history of the Church.

“We have made the decision to retire ‘home teaching’ and ‘visiting teaching’ as we have known them. Instead, we will implement a newer, holier approach to caring and ministering to others. We will refer to those efforts simply as ‘ministering;’”

President Nelson reminded each of us that as members of Christ’s Church, we must “minister to the one, just as [the Savior] did,” explaining “a hallmark of the Lord’s true and living Church will always be an organized, directed effort to minister to the individual children of God and their families.”

Organizing the Priesthood to be More Effective

President Nelson announced that in each ward, high priests and elders will now be combined into one elders quorum.

“These modifications have been under study for many months,” President Nelson said. “We have felt a pressing need to improve the way we care for our members and report our contacts with them. To do that better, we need to strengthen our priesthood quorums to give greater direction to the ministering of love and support that the Lord intends for His Saints.

“These adjustments are inspired of the Lord. As we implement them, we will be even more effective than we have been previously.”

President Nelson shared his gratitude for faithful women who understand the power of the priesthood and for how they access this power to protect and strengthen their families and loved ones.

“These are spiritually strong women,” he said, “who lead, teach, and minister fearlessly in their callings with the power and authority of God!”

Likewise, President Nelson shared his gratitude for faithful men who worthily use the priesthood. “Brethren,” he counseled, “there are doors we can open, priesthood blessings we can give, hearts we can heal, burdens we can lift, testimonies we can strengthen, lives we can save, and joy we can bring into the homes of the Latter-day Saints—all because we hold the priesthood of God.”

Words of Concern

President Nelson also shared a concern regarding members of the Church and the priesthood: “Too many of our brothers and sisters,” he explained, “do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children. I fear that too many of our brothers and sisters do not grasp the privileges that could be theirs.”

He said that the honor to act in the name of Jesus Christ should not be taken lightly. He said priesthood holders should prepare spiritually and live worthily in order to fully call upon the power of God when giving blessings to God’s children.

Invitation to Come Unto the Savior

At the conclusion of general conference Sunday afternoon, President Nelson announced plans to construct seven new temples. He said, “construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will.” 

He encouraged each one of us to study repeatedly the messages we heard and to discuss what we learned with family, friends, and those not of our faith.

President Nelson concluded with a simple and sincere message to the world: “We invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life.”

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 14 Challenges, Assurances President Nelson and Elder Holland Gave on the Global Ministry Tour

byLDS Living | Apr. 24, 2018

From the ChurchMormon Life

After 11 days, President Russell M. Nelson's global ministry tour reached an end today. 

 And after visiting with Saints in Europe, Africa, and Asia in just a week and a half, exhaustion would seem understandable, even expected. But President Nelson's devotion and love for meeting one-on-one with the Saints  showed through when he told Mormon Newsroom, "We don’t allow jet lag."

And others have seen his tireless devotion to the Saints as well, including his wife, Wendy. “He is now doing what he was foreordained to do," Sister Nelson shared with the Saints in Hawaii. "I have seen him change right at the pulpit. I have heard him become [clearer] in professing certain doctrine, to use phrases I've never heard him use in 12 years. I've seen him even look younger.”

And as we look back on this amazing tour and all the lives it touched, we can't help but think about all the incredible messages that were shared, especially the challenges and sweet assurances President Nelson and Elder Holland gave to saints around the world.

Here are just a few of these messages President Nelson and Elder Holland shared on their global ministry tour. 

England

“No matter what it is, the gospel of Jesus Christ has within it the power to lift and to love, to serve. Our doctrine is not complicated or convoluted or complex. It’s so simple: Love God and love your neighbor. . . . We want people to have a better way of life." —President Nelson

Israel

“God has always dealt with His children on the earth through prophets, but He wants them to choose to come home. So those people who choose to obey the commandments [given through prophets] will have that opportunity to return home with their families in eternal life together." —President Nelson

“As the new president to the Church, I felt that there were two messages that I would like to convey to our people. One is that Jesus is the Christ and He has a message for all of God's children. And the second is that His is a global invitation. We invite all of God's children to come unto their Savior.” —President Nelson

Kenya

“Our message to the world is that Jesus is the Christ and that His way of life is the way of joy and happiness not only in this life but in the life ahead."

—President Nelson

“The [temple] announcement has been made and the work is yet to be done, but I’m sure it was your faith and your devotion that the Lord would smile on you.”

—Elder Holland

Zimbabwe

“These precious children, how I love them. Help them to understand about the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, . . . to know how to pray to Heavenly Father, . . . to understand why we partake of this sacrament on the Sabbath day. . . . Help them to understand about prophets. . . . I would like to suggest that you read the scriptures to your children. . . . I hope you'll teach these children to be good citizens of this wonderful country."  —President Nelson

Thailand

My desires for the people of Thailand [are] the same as my desires for people of Taiwan or any other city [or] country. We invite all of God’s children . . . to come unto the Savior and enjoy the blessings and benefits of their temple and have everlasting life [and] joy."  —President Nelson

“I bless you with love at home, success in your work, and joy in your hearts as you prepare for the temple of the Lord here in this sacred country.” 

—President Nelson

India

“As we teach them that God loves them and as they keep His commandments, they will have joy in their life and they will be liberated from the bondage, not only of sin but of deprivation. The gospel of Jesus Christ has only one purpose, really."  —President Nelson

“In a way, it’s easier for us to build a temple than it is to build a people who are ready for the ordinances and covenants of the temple. It’s going to take you a little while to get ready. It will take us a little while to build it as well. . . . Now, I’m 93 years old. You better hurry.”  —President Nelson

Hong Kong

“Everything we do in the Church is to make life better for other people, to bring them joy. And how do you that? By building strong families. Those families are made stronger because of covenants made in the holy temples.”

—President Nelson

“When you’re not in the temple here in Hong Kong, make sure the temple is in you, that whatever the environment you face, you’ll have the peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ speaking to you as God Himself spoke to the Prophet Joseph in Liberty Jail.”    —Elder Holland

Hawaii

“Really everything we’ve done in these last few days together circling the globe could be summed up in two words — the temple."—President Nelson

"It's a global ministry and a global message — faith in the Lord Jesus Christ [and] strengthening your own families as they qualify for eternal life in the presence of deity.”  —President Nelson

April 16 - 22

I have been reading the Biography of Joseph F. Smith.  Today I came across the following:
As President, he was on a trip to Europe 1907 and while meeting with the Saints taught:

"The mother of Elder Charles W. Nibley, had forsaken all for the Gospel, as many others had done, and was looked upon by relatives and friends with contempt and was cast out by them.  They were all the world to her, but they refused to associate with her any more after she joined the Church.  "But she made the sacrifice of the friendship of her kindred, for the Gospel," said Pres. Smith, and then he added:  "No one can make a sacrifice for this Gospel.  What did we have before we received the gospel"  Nothing, only the traditions of our fathers, just the glimmer of truth.  We did not know the truth as we do today.  When we receive the gospel, we enter into the truth, and we enter into it through the door that was opened by the Son of God.  We do not give anything or it except obedience.  We have nothing to give except obedience, and for that obedience we get everything, even life everlasting, and exaltation in the presence of God, a perfect knowledge that we will be joined together as kinsfolk in the bonds of the new and everlasting covenant, as fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, sons and daughters.  All these blessings we get in the covenant of the Gospel, not for time only but for eternity.  We get all these things for making the sacrifice of our kindred with whom we have been reared"

I finished the book and went to the library for one on George Q. Cannon.  He was one of the first missionaries to come to Hawaii.  He learned the language in a short time and was able to communicate with the native Hawaiians, converting many.  We have no idea the trials these men and the rest of the Church had to endure during their life times.

Sister Missionaries from our housing area exercising in the morning

Monday we drove around the West side of the island to check out a condo over there.  Were not impressed by it.  Really out of the way and not much over there.  We made our usual stops at Walmart and Costco.  

A great week in the temple.  Many visitors because of Graduation on Saturday.  We were assigned to help with several weddings this week.  Such wonderful young people coming to the house of the Lord to be sealed for eternity.  Our prayer and hope is that all of our grandchildren will seek this same kind of marriage.

Tonight we attended the Devotional with President and Sister Nelson, Elder and Sister Holland at the Cannon Center.  We attended in our Ward building and watched it on satellite.  The youth of the Laie North Stake sang "I Know My Savior Loves Me".  Beautifully done by many of our youth in the Laie 1st Ward.

Sister Holland bore testimony of President Nelson as a prophet of God and told about their trip.  Elder Holland bore testimony of the fore ordination of President Nelson.  He also bore witness that we are never alone because the Savior walked the wine press alone so we would not have to.  We are known in every instance by the Savior and our Heavenly Father.  Sister Nelson told of her confirmation that her husband was to be the prophet.  She felt peace.  Keep hour mortal covenants.


They are just finishing their 12 day tour of ten countries.  Laie was their final destination.  He said "tomorrow we can sleep".  He said he had two purposes for this trip 1) feel close to the Savior and 2) take the Savior's love to the world.  In an interview he was asked "What is your feelings at the end?"  The Temple, he said when the Savior first went to the temple in Jerusalem he called it "My Father's House, the second time "My House" and the third time "Your House" meaning the Jews.  The topics he touched on were God is our Father,  He wants to hear from us each morning and night just like we like to hear from our children every day.  My people will be chastened and tried D&C 101:3.  He expects effort from us, our body is a sacred gift.  Why priesthood?  blessings, law of tithing, it takes poverty out of the people.  The Lord will bless you temporally and spiritually.  The Word of Wisdom,
preparation to be a missionary.  God lives, Jesus is the Christ, This is His Church.  An apostolic blessing:  feast on His words, apply His teachings, be a good example and bless you with healing.

It was a wonderful evening.  Tears flowed as we sang "We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet" and Aloha.   Our blessings are countless.  When we consider all the truth that we have and a way to return home, we are so blessed. 

April 9 - 15

Every morning we wake to the crowing of a rooster and when we go out we see all the chickens and their babies walking around.  There are also lots of birds singing.

Monday evening for FHE we heard from Elder McAfee who spoke on the blessings and things we learn from the Book of Mormon.  Also Brother     from Logan was here and he sang a beautiful song about his grandfather who came to Hawaii on a mission and was told by his father to come home with new blood.  There had been way too much intermarrying within the family.  He did as he was told and married one of the Hawaiian women and brought her home.  He first told the story and then sang it.

Tuesday we went in for Prayer Meeting at 6:15 and stayed for the 7 am session then came home for an hour and went back for our shift at 10:30 and worked until 6 pm.  We are getting pretty use to the shift and are trying to get a couple of sessions in during the week.  Also if things are slow we can do some baptisms and other ordinances. 

Makapu'u Bay 

down by Sea Life Park, a lighthouse on the other side

At FHE we met up with the Irwins, from our time in Slovenia.  They were here visiting some friends.
We were at a conference when we met them in Italy and they had been out about six months and received a call to be Mission President in the Czeck Republic and after that they went home to England where they served in the London Temple Presidency.

Thursday evening there was the Steel Band concert at the University.  It was so good.  First they had about 20 wooden drums beating and then a whole bunch of Polynesian dancers. Followed by the steel drums later. An excellent evening.

Steel drums

We drove around the west side of the island Saturday and saw some pretty beaches and water.  We also had a pretty big storm this week so the waves were coming in big and furious.

Jonathan and Rachael Summers were in Laie camping and they showed up on our 11 o'clock session.  It was fun to see them.  It was really raining that evening so we drove them over to get some shaved ice in Waialua Bay.  There was big storm that night but their tent held up beautifully and we saw them in Church on Sunday.

Mar Jean, Jonathan, Rachael, Elder & Sister Goodman, Paul

Paul and I spoke in Church on Sunday telling a little about ourselves and speaking on Elder Wilson's talk about "Take the Holy Ghost as your Guide".  Later Sunday we took a walk down our street to meet some of our neighbors.  The Hughes live next door and he is in the Bishopric.  We stopped and visited with Sister Magalei, the Bishop's wife, the Colemans, The Owans and a few other people we saw out.

These are our sweet sister missionaries in our ward, Sister Tonami and Sister Yamaji from Japan, and they live across the driveway.  We were trying to find something they needed and this is what worked.  

It was a wonderful week and we are looking forward to this coming week.

Some news about home.  Gary Radford, Kimberly's husband was released as Bishop of the Jerome 7th Ward Sunday.  Good job Gary, so proud of you.  Kelly was called as Primary President of the River Ridge 9th Ward.  So happy to see our children serving the Lord.  Kory and Katie are in Florida having a great time.  The boys are with  Melinda and Zach. 

Thought for the week:  "Failure is an event, not a person"  Zig Ziggler

April 9 Helen Goo's Conversion Story

Sister Helen Goo's conversion story:

In the fall of 1960 an 18-year-old young man by the name of Roger from Idaho Falls, upon the persuasion of his parents, enrolled at Brigham Young University as a freshman. Once on campus he made new friends and a new commitment to Church and family. During this time he began to think about serving a mission. However, he was not sure if he should go as soon as he turned 19. That October his parents came to attend general conference, where Roger met them in Salt Lake City and went to conference with them. At the end of the conference, as Roger and his mother were standing at the back of the Tabernacle waiting for his father, they were watching the General Authorities walk past as they exited the Tabernacle. It was especially thrilling to see the prophet, David O. McKay. As Roger stood there a thought came to his mind, if he could shake hands with the prophet it would be an acknowledgement that he should do all he can to serve a mission. President McKay was so loved that there was a very large crowd of Saints waiting to see him. Some of those in the front rows were able to shake his hand. Roger was standing a couple of rows back, but as President McKay was about to get into his waiting car, he turned around and reached his hand over the crowd and shook Roger’s hand. On December 13, 1960, Roger received his mission call to the Southern Far East Mission with headquarters in Hong Kong. Little did Roger know that his decision to serve a mission would have great impact on my life. In faraway China when I was about 8 years old my parents left in a hurry for Hong Kong to escape the communist invasion of our city. I was left behind with my aunt who was my mother’s youngest sister. A year later my parents met a woman who was taking her daughter back to China to live while she would return to Hong Kong to work. My parents asked the woman if she would bring me to Hong Kong using her daughter’s passport, and the woman accepted the assignment and a sum of money for this favor. I remember my aunt telling me about this woman. She helped me to memorize the name of the little girl and instructed me that I would be using that name when I crossed the border to Hong Kong with this woman to be reunited with my family. It was a joyous occasion when I finally arrived in Hong Kong to live with my family. When I was 12, I met the missionaries through a classmate, Anna. I was then attending a Lutheran school in which my mother was a member of their congregation. I often attended church with my mother but I never felt I belonged. One day as Anna and I were walking home from school we saw two young American men walking toward us. Surprisingly, Anna greeted them. Being that I came from China, where I was taught that Americans were evil people, I stood aside and didn’t want to have anything to do with these Quai Lows, or foreign devils. But Anna brought them to me and they shook my hand and spoke to me in Cantonese. They proceeded to tell me about a prophet named Joseph Smith. I had been taught that the Bible was the only scripture, and since the name Joseph Smith could not be found in the Bible I rejected their message and those of other missionaries as well. One night two missionaries knocked on our door and asked for me. Surprisingly, my mother allowed them in. One of the elders told me that from the record he could see that I had gone through several sets of missionaries and he wanted to know what my problem was. I told him that I could not accept Joseph Smith as a prophet, and he asked if I had read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it. I said no, and he challenged me to do so in order for me to find out if it was true. I wanted to get rid of them and so I promised them that I would study and pray about it. That night as I got into bed to sleep I thought of my promise to them. I got up and started to read the Book of Mormon. Afterwards, I knelt down to pray sincerely to the Lord asking if this was true. Nothing spectacular happened, but I did feel a sense of peace and serenity. As I continued to study and pray I became a very active nonmember of the branch. I was asked to help with the Primary every Saturday by rounding up the children and taking them on the bus to church to attend Primary. I would save my daily allowance from my breakfast and lunch so that I had money to help pay for the bus fares for some of them. The chapel soon became my second home. After a while, my mother began to resent the Church for occupying so much of my time. Her ministers took advantage of her discontent to tell her falsehoods about Mormonism. This upset her even more, and she started to restrict my Church activities. In those days church was held in two sessions, Sunday School in the morning and sacrament meeting in the afternoon. I was only allowed to go to one but not both. It was very difficult for me as I was a translator in Sunday School class and then I was the chorister for sacrament meeting. I just had to go to both. From then on I had to be extra good around the house. On Sundays I would get up very early and do all the chores in order to put my mother in a position that she really could not refuse to let me go to church. After Sunday School I would just stay in the chapel and wait for sacrament meeting in the afternoon. I knew that if I went home my mother would not let me go out again. From that time on, whenever my mother was upset with me, I would find the door locked upon my return from church and there would not be any dinner. My Church friends would buy me some bread to eat while I waited outside the door until my father let me in. As I was going through this difficult time my desire to be baptized increased each day. After I listened to the eighteen discussions I knew I wanted to be a member of the true church. When the missionaries challenged me to be baptized I told them I had to wait because I knew my parents would not sign the permission form. A short time later I overheard my parents making plans to go to Macau to visit an aging aunt. An idea came to mind and the next day I told the missionaries that I could be baptized on Saturday. The night before my baptism I packed my little wicker school basket with a towel and a change of clothes. Well, like many things in life this event did not work out as smoothly as planned. My parents surprised us and returned home a day earlier on Friday night. I was determined to go ahead with my baptism. The next morning I told my parents that I was going swimming. I met Anna at the bus stop and we took the bus to the mission home where the baptism would take place in the swimming pool. When the missionaries asked for my permission slip I told them that my parents had gone to Macau. Seeing that I was such a faithful and earnest nonmember, they believed me. On August 1, 1958, I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Following the baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost I realized that I should be honest with my parents. I waited until my mother had gone to bed and then told my father about it. Being an understanding man, he told me that he knew how much I loved the Church and his only request was that I would not do anything to bring shame to the family name. I am one of those blessed with great enthusiasm for almost everything in life, and missionary work was no exception. I felt I could save the world. My enthusiasm caused me a great deal of trials in my life. The Lutheran school I was attending became very concerned over the lack of attendance in their own Sunday School meetings. Upon further investigations they discovered that Anna and I had been taking our classmates to our church to Sunday School and to MIA. They decided to take action against us. On Easter Sunday 1960, following the mandatory Sabbath worship for all the students, the principal announced that Anna and I were to come to his office immediately after the meeting. To our astonishment we were advised that we were being expelled from school. No explanation, no consultation with parents; we were just expelled. We were devastated. We had disgraced our families. When I notified the branch president he called the mission office, and President Taylor sent missionaries to see the principal. Eventually they were told that Anna and I were expelled because we were communists. When evening came and my father was alone I told him what had happened to me in school. My father was disappointed with me but told me not to let my mom know and he went about securing a tutor for both Anna and me. We would meet at the chapel each day for our lessons until my father secured a slot for me in another high school. Eventually my mother found out and I was punished for disobeying her. Life was not good for me at home. I felt a sense of hopelessness among my relatives, who regarded me as an outcast. At the age of 16 I was set apart as Primary president and that kept me happy in my life. Each day I faced my life with faith in my Heavenly Father, knowing truly that I was His daughter and that He loved me. Just that knowledge alone has helped me to feel my worth and to live each day with hope for a brighter future. As a sacrament meeting chorister I worked with the pianist, Elder Roger Romrell, from Idaho Falls. He could play only eight hymns and every Sunday we sang those eight hymns. Elder Romrell was a very compassionate person and perceptive to my situation. He asked if I would like to go to Idaho to live with his family and finish my education. He said he had five brothers and they had always wanted a sister. And so at the age of 17, in September 1962, I left Hong Kong. Many of my Primary children came to the airport, and they presented me with a doll. I clutched the doll, left behind a difficult situation, and went on to begin a new life with my hands in the hands of my Heavenly Father. I am grateful for my simple faith that comes from knowing in my heart that Heavenly Father will watch over me. I am not saying that I was not afraid. I cried almost all the way from Hong Kong to Tokyo. At long last I arrived in the Idaho Falls airport. There the Romrells, along with Sister Long who had served her mission in Hong Kong, met me at the airport and embraced me with love. I felt instantly that I was part of their family. On the way to their home I asked if I could see the Idaho Falls Temple. When I saw the holy temple I felt so much peace and happiness in my heart. I knew I belonged to the true church of God. In the spring of 1964, when I was a senior at Idaho Falls High School, Dad Romrell was a member of the stake presidency and often had meetings with the Church leaders. During one of his meetings in Salt Lake City, Elder Hinckley asked what my plans were after high school. Dad Romrell told him that I was going to enroll in Ricks College. Elder Hinckley replied, “No, I want Helen to go to Church College of Hawaii where she will

In the spring of 1964, when I was a senior at Idaho Falls High School, Dad Romrell was a member of the stake presidency and often had meetings with the Church leaders. During one of his meetings in Salt Lake City, Elder Hinckley asked what my plans were after high school. Dad Romrell told him that I was going to enroll in Ricks College. Elder Hinckley replied, “No, I want Helen to go to Church College of Hawaii where she will meet and marry her own.” When Dad Romrell returned home and told me what Elder Hinckley said, I told him, “I will go to Church College of Hawaii.” That summer after my freshman year in college I met a young man of Chinese ancestry, Charles Goo, who was born and raised in Hawaii. He was attending BYU and was home teacher to my friends from Idaho Falls. They told him to look me up when he came home for the summer. Shortly after we met he was called to serve his mission in Hong Kong. We corresponded for two and a half years and after his mission we were married in the Hawaii Temple. I am grateful for his faith and his commitment to the gospel. Because of that I have had the privilege of supporting him in many Church callings. Serving side by side with my husband has given me opportunities to grow in the gospel. Through these choice experiences I have gained greater love for my Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and my brothers and sisters throughout the world. We raised five wonderful children, three daughters and two sons, and each one of them has served a mission. Four of them are married and are married in the temple to worthy individuals. They are the crowning joy in our lives along with our eight grandchildren. I am thankful for President Hinckley for his love and concern for me. And because I listened and followed his counsel my life has been blessed.




The early Saints came and endured many hardships and some were contemplating leaving. When Joseph F. Smith was serving his third mission there he made this prophetic statement: “My brothers and sisters, do not leave this land, for this place has been chosen by the Lord as a gathering place for the Saints of the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints in Hawaii. Do not complain because of the many trials which come to you because of the barrenness of the land, the lack of water, the scarcity of foods to which you are accustomed, and poverty as well. Be patient, for the day is coming when this land will become a most beautiful land. Water shall spring forth in abundance, and upon the barren land you now see, the Saints will build homes, taro will be planted, and there will be plenty to eat and drink. And upon this place the glory of the Lord will rest to bless the Saints who believe in him and keep his commandments.”4 With faith in their hearts the Saints remained in Laie. Soon after, true to the prophecy, wells were discovered. A pristine source of pure water, millions of gallons, from the aquifer deep beneath the ground was found. The Laie we see today is the result of the dedication and endurance in faith of the Hawaiian pioneers.

 Later on, labor missionaries from all the Pacific Islands as well as the mainland United States came with faith in their hearts to help build the temple, the Church College of Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. And these three entities bless our lives in countless ways while they stand as the witness to the world that we worship a living God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Today we see evidence of that same faith in Laie. We have in our Later on, labor missionaries from all the Pacific Islands as well as the mainland United States came with faith in their hearts to help build the temple, the Church College of Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. And these three entities bless our lives in countless ways while they stand as the witness to the world that we worship a living God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Today we see evidence of that same faith in Laie. We have in our midst many senior missionaries and volunteers who have left their children and grandchildren to serve the Lord. They come from all walks of life, armed with years of experiences to serve and to mentor in the university, the PCC, and the temple. With faith in their hearts they go forth to do good among the children of God. And because of their faith and diligence the Lord remembers their families and loved ones at home and He extends His blessings to them as well. They are building a legacy of faith for their posterity and for all of us by their great examples. To increase our faith simply