"News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 74
On his way to and from the dedication of the Accra Ghana Temple, President Gordon B. Hinckley met with Saints in the Caribbean and the Cape Verde Islands. He was accompanied by his wife, Marjorie, and Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
On Thursday, 8 January 2004, preceding the dedication of the Accra Temple, President Hinckley dedicated the new Basseterre meetinghouse on the island of St. Kitts in the Caribbean and spoke to members of the St. Kitts-Nevis Branch about living gospel principles and gaining an assurance of their validity through obedience. Elder Nelson spoke of the home and family as a sanctuary, counseling the Saints to apply gospel principles in their homes. Local government dignitaries attended the event, including St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, who commended the Church's growth in the area.
On his return from west Africa, President Hinckley met with 40 members of the Sal Branch during a refueling stop on Sal Island in Cape Verde (off Africa's western coast). Members and friends gathered in a room at the fueling service center to hear his counsel. The prophet assured the members of the Lord's love for them, instructing them to be prayerful, study the Book of Mormon, pay their tithing, and share the gospel with their friends. Elder Nelson advised members to "follow the prophet."
Following his visit in Cape Verde, President Hinckley met with and counseled members on the Caribbean islands of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix, Tortola, and Puerto Rico to keep the commandments and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Church News contributed to this report.
[photo] President Gordon B. Hinckley and Elder Russell M. Nelson visit with members of St. Kitts-Nevis Branch in the Caribbean. (Photograph courtesy of Church News.)
By Melissa Merrill, Church Magazines
Melissa Merrill, "News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 74
President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, addressed the need for teachers in the Church Educational System to help "inoculate" young people against the world during a CES devotional held on 6 February 2004.
"These are days of great spiritual danger for our youth," President Packer said. He said that he knows of no time when worse things were so widely accepted in the world, not even in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah. While evil was localized then, he pointed out, it has now spread across the world.
Although facing evil of "epidemic proportions," students can be inoculated through a knowledge and testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, President Packer taught. He also said that while teachers play an important role in fortifying youth, they are not the first line of defense against the effects of the world.
"The Lord places that responsibility on parents first. All the saving ordinances center on the family. The shield of faith is handmade in the cottage [and] ... polished in the classroom."
After relating how he decided on a career in education and sharing some of his experiences as a teacher, President Packer said it may sometimes seem that we are losing the war in maintaining high moral, social, political, and intellectual standards. But, he continued, "Satan cannot win."
President Packer described the town-wide quarantines of former days against physical illness and outlined the immunity-building power of studying the standard works to guard against spiritual illness. After naming some of the principal doctrines taught in each course of study, President Packer explained that we have not been left without knowledge of what to do.
He quoted Christ's "supernal prayer" for the Apostles, in which the Savior asked not for them to be taken out of the world, but for them to be sanctified through the truth (see John 17:15-17). He advised teachers against seeking intellectualism without the gospel core and against focusing merely on activities in their teaching.
The task may seem daunting, but teachers should not fear, President Packer said. "For they that be with us are more than they that be with them" (2 Kgs. 6:16).
[photo] A testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ can help protect young people against evil, President Packer told teachers in a CES devotional.
By Adam C. Olson, Church Magazines
Adam C. Olson, "News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 75
Saints in Peru can see, villagers in Ethiopia can drink water without fear of disease, children restricted by mobility problems in Kosovo have been set free by their first wheelchair, and newborns around the world will get a better chance at taking their first breath. People all over the world are being blessed through Church Humanitarian Services.
The Church's emergency relief efforts in response to crises around the globe are often publicized. But even when nature is calm and the earth is still, the effects of the Church's humanitarian aid can be felt worldwide.
Current humanitarian efforts are focused on four major initiatives: providing vision care, providing neonatal resuscitation training for doctors, providing clean water, and providing wheelchairs.
All of the initiatives are aimed at helping people help themselves. "I love my job," said Gary Winters, a manager for major initiative projects. "These projects help people with self-reliance. It's helping them live the doctrine being preached by the Brethren."
Let Him See Who Has Eyes to See
The gospel has always helped to open the eyes of the spiritually blind. Through its vision care projects, Humanitarian Services is helping thousands of Saints and members of other faiths overcome physical vision challenges. With projects already in more than a dozen countries around the world, the Church has partnered with foundations and doctors to provide free cataract surgeries and eyeglasses while training local ophthalmologists.
In Nigeria, for example, Humanitarian Services set up two-day clinics in six cities during the latter part of 2003 and early 2004. In each location, up to 100 cataract surgeries were performed while local doctors watched, and 1,000 pairs of eyeglasses were distributed to those who needed them.
Similar clinics have been held in Peru, Uganda, and Kenya. Requests from Area Presidencies for such clinics are continually being evaluated by Humanitarian Services.
The Water of Life
Human dependency on water became the basis for a number of the Savior's teachings. Life cannot exist without water. Unclean water leads to millions of deaths every year due to a variety of diseases. According to the World Health Organization, about two million people die every year from diarrheal diseases alone (about 88 percent of which are caused by unsafe water supplies), and most of the victims are children under 5.
Providing clean water for household use is currently one of the Church's major focuses. Humanitarian Services is rehabilitating wells and piping spring water to villages and communities worldwide. Projects in Ethiopia, Ghana, Ecuador, Peru, Uganda, Kenya, and Armenia have provided countless families with clean water. But the benefits go beyond avoiding disease. In many locations, women and children were walking several miles each day to fetch water, carrying as many as 8 gallons (30 l) of water, which weigh about 66 pounds (30 kg).
"It's a huge burden," says Brother Winters. "And even after all that effort, the water wasn't always clean. Bringing the water closer to the people frees up the mother to help the family more, and frees the children up to be in school more frequently."
In January, the Church turned over 70 borehole water pumps it had rehabilitated, which are now serving the residents of more than 25 communities in Ghana. Piping water takes more time. The Church hires engineers to plan the project, members of the community do the labor, and humanitarian missionaries oversee it all. More clean-water projects are being planned. Brother Winters expects the effort will expand into southeast Asia this year.
[photo] An Ethiopian woman straps a five-gallon jug of water to her back to carry home for her family's needs. The Church later rehabilitated a well closer to her home. (Photograph by Gary Winters.)
Wings to Those Who Can't Walk
Being unable to walk can negatively affect an entire family. Without a wheelchair, fathers may not be able to work, mothers may struggle to care for their children, and children may not be able to attend school without someone with them constantly to carry them where they need to go.
Partnering with the Wheelchair Foundation, the Church has already provided more than 30,000 wheelchairs to people in need. Those wheelchairs have been spread all over the world from Mexico and Central America to Africa to the South Pacific, Asia, eastern Europe, and even war-torn Iraq.
"Often the first thing we hear from children who are finally receiving a wheelchair is, 'Now I can go to school,' " said Brother Winters, who oversees the wheelchair initiative for Humanitarian Services.
In January, the Church and the Wheelchair Foundation donated 500 wheelchairs to the people of Kosovo in a ceremony hosted by Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi. The Church hopes to be able to distribute wheelchairs in Brazil, Russia, and southeast Asia this year, as well as continuing to support projects in Mexico, Central America, and Africa.
[photo] Students from Mexico's Benemérito (LDS) school set up wheelchairs being donated by the Church. (Photograph by Don Searle.)
A Second Chance at a First Breath
The infant mortality rate in many nations is discouragingly high. A number of infant deaths occur simply because those present at the birth don't know how to help a newborn to breathe.
Working with the ministers of health in various countries, the Church is sending neonatologists and neonatal nurses to train physicians and nurses in neonatal resuscitation. At each session, Humanitarian Services trains up to 100 newborn-care providers with the expectation that each of them will later train an additional 10 people using equipment donated by the Church.
According to Wade Sperry, a manager of major initiative projects, Humanitarian Services has made a major push in the last year to provide neonatal resuscitation training to doctors around the world. In 2003, training was conducted in 12 countries-Bolivia, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Madagascar, Moldova, Peru, Samoa, Tonga, and Uganda. Training will be completed in Fiji, Uganda, Cape Verde, and various parts of Brazil by early April. Other locations are being evaluated for future training sessions.
"News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 76
President Gordon B. Hinckley rededicated temples in Anchorage, Alaska, and São Paulo, Brazil, in February, and a location has been announced for the new temple in Rexburg, Idaho. As of March, the Church is operating 117 temples worldwide and has 11 more announced or under construction. The next scheduled temple dedication is in Copenhagen, Denmark, in May.
Anchorage Alaska Temple
President Hinckley rededicated the Anchorage Alaska Temple during a single session on Sunday, 8 February 2004, after an expansion nearly doubled its size from 6,800 to 11,937 square feet.
"Touch those of this temple district with Thy Holy Spirit, and stir within them a desire to use this beautiful facility in the accomplishment of Thy divine will," President Hinckley said during the dedicatory prayer. "May they find great joy in coming here. May it be a haven of peace from the cares and stress of the world, a refuge from the hurried pace of their lives. As they here serve, may they be lifted in spirit, and may there come into their vision something of the divine light that is of Thy nature."
The public toured the temple during an open house held 27-31 January 2004. Originally dedicated in 1999, the temple was one of the first to be built under the small temple concept announced by President Hinckley in 1997.
The temple serves more than 27,000 members in seven Alaska stakes and one district in northwest Canada. Remodeling on the temple began in April 2003. Additions include a second ordinance room, a laundry facility, men and women's dressing rooms, a waiting room, and office space.
[photo] The Anchorage Alaska Temple was enlarged to meet the needs of area members. (Photograph by Lynn Howlett.)
São Paulo Brazil Temple
Just over 25 years after its original dedication, the São Paulo Brazil Temple, the first temple in South America, was rededicated on 22 February 2004 after extensive renovation. Outwardly, the addition of a statue of the angel Moroni was the only change to the 53,246-square-foot temple during the 16-month closure.
Inside, a non-patron waiting room, a marriage waiting room, a temple worker dressing room, and a sealing room were added. The chapel was enlarged, as were the other sealing rooms. The cafeteria and youth waiting area were remodeled, and a special art-glass representation of the Savior appearing in the Americas was placed in the lobby.
Ninety percent of all materials used in the project were Brazilian, from fabrics to the mahogany and granite. Much of the original furniture crafted by Walter Spat, the first stake president in South America, was refurbished.
Local Latter-day Saints performed during a special celebration held 21 February at the 50,000-seat Pacaembu Stadium. (Coverage of the cultural celebration will be included in a future issue of the Ensign.)
President Hinckley presided at the single dedicatory session, which was broadcast to all 185 stakes throughout Brazil. (A transcript of the dedicatory prayer was unavailable at press time.) Brazil also has temples in Porto Alegre and Recife, both dedicated in 2000, and in Campinas, dedicated in 2002. A temple has also been announced for Curitiba, Brazil.
Rexburg Idaho Temple
Latter-day Saints in Rexburg, Idaho, are preparing themselves for a new temple that will stand prominently on "Rexburg Hill," south of the BYU-Idaho campus.
The new temple, announced in December 2003, will be located on the southwest corner of Seventh South and Second East. A timetable for temple construction had not been decided before press time.
The Church currently operates two temples in Idaho-the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, dedicated in 1945, and the Boise Idaho Temple, dedicated in 1984. There are more than 360,000 members of the Church in Idaho.
With more than 17,000 residents, Rexburg has five stakes. There are seven more at BYU-Idaho, where 11,000 students were enrolled last fall.
By Nury Lara N.
Nury Lara N., "News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 77
The president of the Republic of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, welcomed Elder Claudio R. M. Costa of the Seventy, President of the South America North Area, along with Elder Roberto García, Area Authority Seventy and Second Counselor in the Area Presidency, and five other leaders and members of the Church to the presidential palace on 7 November 2003.
President Uribe thanked the members for the humanitarian work the Church is doing in Colombia in coordination with the First Lady, Lina María Moreno de Uribe (see "Church, Colombian First Lady Team Up to Aid Needy," News of the Church, Ensign, Feb. 2004, 75-76). "I am very grateful for all you do and for the kind of citizens you make. On behalf of the government, please accept my support, endorsement, and gratitude."
Elder Costa testified of Jesus Christ and explained the priesthood authority. As one holding that power, Elder Costa offered to give the president a priesthood blessing, which President Uribe accepted. During the blessing promises were extended to the president, his family, and his country. A president of the republic has never before received a priesthood blessing.
Elder Costa also presented the president with a copy of several generations of President Uribe's and the First Lady's family histories, along with a CD containing FamilySearch™ Personal Ancestral File software and a statuette of a family.
Cyclone Hits Pacific Islands; Missionaries, Members Safe
"News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 78
Tropical cyclone Heta swept over the Pacific island of Niue, northeast of Tonga, on 5 January 2004, washing away 70 homes, destroying a hospital, and leaving nearly 200 people homeless. All six missionaries and 203 members on Niue were reported safe. The homes of seven member families were completely destroyed, and a chapel in the small village of Alofi sustained damages, including broken windows and flooding.
Members were organized to clear water and debris from the Alofi Branch meetinghouse, where 20 people sought shelter. Missionaries cleared roads of debris, providing access for emergency vehicles. A small welfare team from the Church's Pacific Islands Area office in New Zealand was sent to Niue to determine the need for Church assistance.
Cyclone Heta also hit the northern islands of Tonga, destroying one member's home on Niuatoputapu and tearing roofs off several others. The Vaipoa Branch meetinghouse in Niuatoputapu served as a temporary shelter for displaced families. The Church's Tonga Service Center sent emergency supplies to severely damaged areas. No members or missionaries in those areas were injured.
The Luatuanu'u Ward meetinghouse on the Samoan island of Upolu lost several classrooms, a bishop's office, and numerous windows when it was struck by water and high winds; a meetinghouse in Pago Pago, American Samoa, incurred minor damages when a coconut tree fell on its roof.
Church News contributed to this report.
[photo] Missionaries help clean debris from the road after a tropical cyclone swept across the island of Niue. (Photograph by Gary Winters.)
Museum to Sponsor Children's Art Contest
The Museum of Church History and Art invites Latter-day Saint children ages 4 to 12 to submit original works of art for possible display in an exhibit in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
The exhibit, Follow the Prophet, will be on display from 10 December 2004 to 16 October 2005. Images can reflect the life, teachings, or experiences of any prophet from Adam to President Gordon B. Hinckley.
Works should be two-dimensional, no larger than 11 x 14 inches (28 x 36 cm), and may be done in any medium. The child's name, age, address, and ward or branch should be included on the back. All entries become the property of the museum and will not be returned. Judges who are sensitive to children's art will make the selection of works to be exhibited. The museum's deadline for receiving artwork is 4 October 2004. Mail entries to: Marjorie Conder, Curator; Museum of Church History and Art, 45 North West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-3470.
Women's Conference to Be Broadcast Worldwide
Brigham Young University's Women's Conference 2004 will be held 29-30 April. Eight hours of selected talks will be broadcast on those days from 6:00 to 10:00 P.M. MDT over the Church satellite system to meetinghouses throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The broadcast will also be available on KBYU-TV Channel 11, BYUTV, BYU Radio, and on the Internet at www.byubroadcasting.org.
Church units in Europe, Asia, the British Isles, and South Africa can capture the broadcast later in May. For more information, call 1-801-378-7692 or access the Web site at womensconference.byu.edu.
"News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 78
The First Presidency has sent the following letter, dated 27 January 2004, to priesthood leaders.
Member Communication with Church Headquarters
Members of the Church continue to place telephone calls and write letters to Church headquarters about doctrinal issues and personal matters. With an ever-increasing membership, the ability of General Authorities to respond personally to these inquiries presents an almost insurmountable task and makes it difficult for the Brethren to fulfill the duties for which they alone are responsible.
The Lord, in His wisdom, has so organized His Church that there is accessible to every member a bishop or branch president and a stake, district, or mission president, who serve as spiritual advisers and temporal counselors. We have the utmost confidence in the wisdom and judgment of these priesthood leaders. By reason of their callings, local leaders are entitled to the spirit of discernment and inspiration to enable them to counsel members within their jurisdiction. Accordingly, in most cases, correspondence from members will be referred back to their local leaders for handling. Priesthood leaders who have need for further clarification about doctrinal issues may write in behalf of their members to the First Presidency.
It is our desire that all members feel they have the support and guidance they need; however, all things should be done in wisdom and order. We believe that both members and local leaders will be blessed as they pray and counsel together in an effort to resolve matters of concern to them.
"News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 79
Pageant
Location
Date
Jesus the Christ
Mesa, Arizona
1-3 April (Spanish);
6-10 April (English)
Mormon Miracle
Manti, Utah
17-19, 22-26 June
America's Witness for Christ
Palmyra, New York
9-10, 13-17 July
And It Came to Pass
Oakland, California
20-24, 27-31 July
Castle Valley
Castle Dale, Utah
29-31 July, 3-7 August
City of Joseph
Nauvoo, Illinois
30-31 July, 3-7 August
Martin Harris, the Man Who Knew
Clarkston, Utah
13-14, 17-21, 24-27 August
All pageants are free of charge, but the Clarkston and Oakland pageants require tickets. This is the final year of the Nauvoo pageant. For more information on any of these pageants, call 1-801-240-7800 or visit www.lds.org and click on "Other Resources," then "Places to Visit."
"News of the Church," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 79
The Church has issued a new doctrinal guidebook aimed at youth, young single adults, and new members. True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference is a collection of brief, simple statements on gospel doctrines and principles.
Almost 200 pages in length, the book is intended to supplement the scriptures and the counsel of current Church leaders. Young men and young women may use it as a resource to assist them in achieving their Duty to God and Personal Progress awards. The book is designed to accompany the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet and explains the doctrine behind the standards it contains. Priesthood quorums and Relief Society groups may also offer the book to new members to better acquaint them with the doctrines of the restored gospel. True to the Faith is available at Church distribution centers for $1.50.
He Was Teaching Me Directly
"Comment," Ensign, Apr. 2004, 79
I want to thank the Ensign and Elder Henry B. Eyring for his article in the February 2004 issue. He must be a wonderful teacher because I learned so much from "The Book of Mormon Will Change Your Life." I felt that he was teaching me directly. I am a recent convert to the Church, and what he said meant a lot to me.
Sandra Miller, Miami Shores Ward, Hialeah Gardens Florida Stake
"Joy in the Journey"
Since my baptism in 1969 I have read every issue of the Church's magazines, but no article has impressed or uplifted me as much as "Joy in the Journey" (Ensign, January 2004). The fulfillment of the dream of temple marriage, the acknowledgement that we don't have the wisdom to succeed in life without the Lord's help, the understanding that "obedience is happiness," the knowledge that "ordinary men and boys can bring such blessings into the lives of others in the Savior's name" through the priesthood, and the "blessing and honor it is to be a Latter-day Saint" are just a few of the article's gems of wisdom and inspiration that truly touched my heart and strengthened my soul.
Larry D. Kump, Antietam Ward, Frederick Maryland Stake