My Song In the Night

History in the Making - Elder Oaks in Asia Area

  History in the Making: Elder Oaks Visits Asia Area

  By Elder David and Sister Marianne Heaps, Asia Area Public Affairs

• 8 June 2012

Article Highlights

• Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, and Bishop Dean M. Davies spent 12 days traveling throughout Asia in May and were accompanied by various Area leaders.
• They visited and instructed members in Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.
• Historic proceedings included the first priesthood leadership conferences held in Singapore and Cambodia, a young single adult conference in India, and the creation of the Hyderabad India Stake, the first stake in India.

“You are small in number, but you will not be small in influence if you retain your uniqueness like salt with savor or leaven that lifts the loaf.” —Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to members in Hong Kong

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Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy, and Bishop Dean M. Davies, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, spent 12 days traveling in the Asia Area during the month of May. Stops on their historic visit included the first priesthood leadership conferences held in Singapore and Cambodia, devotionals in Hong Kong, a district conference in Taiwan, a young single adult conference in India, and the creation of India’s first stake, in Hyderabad. (Church News and Events will post additional information about the Hyderabad India Stake in coming days.)
Accompanying Elder Oaks, Elder Hallstrom, and Bishop Davies during their travels were their wives, Kristen Oaks, Diane Hallstrom, and Darla Davies. Also joining them for part of their travels were Elder Anthony D. Perkins of the Seventy, President of the Asia Area; Elder Kent D. Watson of the Seventy, First Counselor in the Asia Area Presidency; Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Seventy, Second Counselor in the Asia Area Presidency, and their wives, Christine Perkins, Connie Watson, and Susan Gong.
This visit was particularly meaningful for many Asian members as they reunited with Elder and Sister Hallstrom, who lived in Hong Kong from 2005 to 2009 when he served in the Area Presidency and as Area President.

Singapore and Malaysia

On Saturday, May 19, 2012, the visiting Brethren were accompanied by Elder Watson and Elder Victor Kah Keng Chen, an Area Seventy from Singapore, as they met with local Singaporean and Malaysian priesthood leaders, members, and missionaries. The eight district presidencies from Malaysia gathered together for the first time as they traveled to join Singapore Stake leaders in being taught by an Apostle—the first such opportunity for most of the men.
In the afternoon priesthood conference Elder Oaks said, “Because of Church growth, it is extremely rare to have this many General Authorities at a leadership meeting of this kind. This group represents the Presiding Bishopric and all the Quorums of the General Authorities, with the exception of the First Presidency.”
He told those in attendance that “Singapore and Malaysia are just as close to Heaven as Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.” He went on to say, “It is the same priesthood [and] the same authority, and each of us is entitled to receive inspiration and revelation for our respective stewardships.”
Singapore Stake auxiliary leaders were instructed by Sister Oaks, Sister Hallstrom, Sister Watson, and Sister Davies that same afternoon. Sister Oaks taught, “Women should be full participants in stake and ward councils so all leaders can better minister to the one in the work of salvation.”
On Saturday evening more than 800 Saints gathered in the stake center previously dedicated by Elder Hallstrom. He spoke of the vision, commitment, and self-discipline of the Singaporean members.
Elder Oaks emphasized the need for families and individuals to embrace gospel standards in a world that often challenges righteous living. He highlighted individual conversion and a testimony of Jesus Christ as the foundation for genuine personal growth. He also taught about mercy in redemption’s grand design—“mercy from Him who satisfied the law of justice.” Long lines of Saints waited to shake hands with the visiting authorities afterwards.

Cambodia

On Sunday, May 20, Elder Oaks, Elder Hallstrom, and Bishop Davies were greeted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, by Elder Gong and Elder Siu Hong Pon, an Area Seventy from Hong Kong. Participants in this nation’s first priesthood leadership conference included district presidencies, branch presidents, and elders quorum presidents from Cambodia and Vietnam. Many questions centered on helping members with temporal needs. Bishop Davies taught, “Pure religion includes visiting homes of the poor and assisting them to become self-reliant. Priesthood and Relief Society leaders extend the hand of the Lord.”
More than 1,000 Cambodian Saints gathered that evening for a devotional, where Elder Oaks taught that if members have the faith to pay their tithing they will be blessed to work themselves out of poverty. He explained that 90 percent of their income accompanied by the blessings of the Lord was better than 100 percent of their income without the blessings associated with being a full tithe payer.
He also invited members to keep and maintain records of sacred and special events as part of their personal and family histories.
On Monday morning the Brethren spoke to Cambodian and Vietnamese-speaking missionaries. Elder Oaks described the missionaries' and members' examples as “the light on the shore below the lighthouse” and the lighthouse as the Savior. He said that when those two lights are aligned, the missionaries’ and the members' lights would highlight the way to the Savior for the Cambodian people.

Hong Kong

Elder Oaks and those accompanying him arrived at the Asia Area office in Hong Kong on Tuesday for devotionals with staff, missionaries, and all members.
Nearly 1,300 Saints gathered at six meetinghouses for a member devotional and webcast. It was noted that Elder Perkins has received a new assignment in Salt Lake City after serving for five years in the Asia Area Presidency. He was thanked for his inspired leadership and in turn he expressed his love and respect for the Asian people and “the faithful Latter-day Saints who are pioneers in these populous nations.”
Elder Oaks counseled Hong Kong members to seek more from life than prosperity, prestige, power, or pleasure. “Worldly people only see the here and now. People of faith look forward and plan for eternity, he said. He added, “You are small in number, but you will not be small in influence if you retain your uniqueness like salt with savor or leaven that lifts the loaf.”
While in Hong Kong the visiting Brethren reviewed Church progress with the Asia Area Presidency, who have responsibility for 25 countries and territories that comprise one-half of the world’s population.

Taiwan

Following the Area review, Elder and Sister Gong and Bishop and Sister Davies went to Taiwan, where they met with staff and missionaries in Taipei, and with members and leaders during a weekend conference of the Chia Yi Taiwan District.

India

Elder Oaks, Elder Hallstrom, and Elder Perkins traveled from Hong Kong to Hyderabad, India, for a historic weekend. On Friday they met with nearly 600 young single adults from India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. On Saturday the final Hyderabad India District conference saw more than 250 leaders attend the priesthood leadership meeting and almost 500 members attend the evening session. Finally, with more than 1,500 members in attendance in a convention center in Hyderabad on Sunday, Elder Oaks presided over the creation of India’s first stake.

President Hinckley and his Precious Wife

Sacredness of Partaking of the Sacrament

"I believe the short period of administering the sacrament is one of the best opportunities we have for . . . meditation, and there should be nothing during that sacred period to distract our attention from the purpose of that ordinance. . . . We [must] surround this sacred ordinance with more reverence, with perfect order, that each one who comes to the house of God may meditate upon his goodness and silently and prayerfully express appreciation for God's goodness.  Let the sacrament hour be one experience of the day in which the worshiper tries at least to realize within himself that it is possible for him to commune with his God" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, p. 35-36).

  

Christ and the Angels Blessing the Little Children

Do NOT FORGET the Great OBJECT of LIFE

"One of the chief difficulties that many suffer from is that we are too apt to forget the great object of life, the motive of our Heavenly Father in sending us here to put on mortality, as well as the holy calling with which we have been called; and hence, instead of rising above the little transitory things of time, we too often allow ourselves to come down to the level of the world without availing ourselves of the divine help which God has instituted, which alone can enable us to overcome them" (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 129).

Battle of Two Wolves Inside Us All

Latter-day Prophets

Andrea Bocelli and the Tabernacle Choir

Kalispell 3rd Ward YOUTH TEMPLE TRIP

There is nothing like going on a 

YOUTH TEMPLE trip!

A group of us left our church building around 8:00 a.m.

and headed for the Cardston Alberta Canada

Temple

Our morning looked like this...

and this...

 

but, it didn't "dampen" our spirits!

(smile)

Entered the temple through the 

"Baptistry" entrance...

Debbie Perrone brought a couple "Family Files to be done"...

One for her mother and one for her mother's brother...

I had one done for my grandmother's brother...

a fullfillment of a dream I had regarding him...

a couple of months ago...

Now, comes the real test...

getting all the youth together to have a

GROUP picture taken...

 Wonderful...but, now...

we are trying to gather the rest of the "adults"...

OK...so I had to take a few more shots...

 

Decided to put them all up...

so you can keep the ones you found

that captured you...SMILING! 

(smile)

Then...the blissful ride home...

well, in our car at least...

(smile)

 Going...

Going...

Gone...

(amazing what massive amounts of

"sugar" will do...)

smile

Had a GREAT TIME!

 

Ideas for Summer Fun for Children - Relief for Mothers...

  I am reposting my daughter's post from her blog for you Mothers...that now have children at home for the summer...She posted some great SITES for you to get FUN ideas...on what to do with your children during these next many weeks...ENJOY! Deb

June Family Challenge - Summer Bucket List

When it was decided that we would have a "Family Summer Bucket List" theme for our challenge this month, I thought, Pish, easy-peasy! I'll just write up this cute little pooooost about all the cool things you can doooooo and it will be so greeeeeaaaat.

But then as I was Pinteresting one day, I realized that there were 872,902,523,165 other blogs that had written cute posts about summer bucket lists. And they all had way better pictures than I did.

So I changed my strategy.

Instead of writing out all these ideas that have already been written, I am providing a link list to a bunch of other blogs that already have bucket lists so you can gather ideas, then provide you with my personal Top Five List.

Don't give me that look! Of course we do more than five things every summer! Yeesh! But these are five new and different things! Because yes, we ride bikes and go to the zoo every summer.

Is that okay? Hopefully that's not cheating.

Because I'm not a cheater.

Unless I'm playing Skip-Bo with my mom. Then cheating becomes necessary. Seriously, she's a card shark.


If you know of other blogs with bucket lists, be sure to add them by linking them up!

Creating a Summer Bucket List

100 things to do with kids this Summer  - by Six Sisters Stuff
50 things to do this Summer - by iMom.com
20 Activities to make Summer awesome for everyone - by parents.com
Summer Bucket List... Bucket - by A mom with a plan
Building a Summer Bucket List - by JDaniel's4mom
32 things to make using a cardboard box - by Tip Junkie
100 Free things to do with your kids this summer - by Digital Reflections
Summer Bucket List - by The Taylor House
Summer Bucket List Bucket - by Delia Creates
Our Summer Bucket List - by inner child fun
Summer Bucket List Party - by little wonders' days
Summer Bucket List - by embellishing life everyday
Summer Bucket List - by whatever....
Summer Fun - by the crafting chicks
Kids Summer List (with pizazz) - by home stories A2Z
Summer Bucket List Banner - by Fakin' It
Summer Bucket List - by A lilly blog
125 color coded ideas - by The Home Teacher
Summer of fun bucket list - by Dine & Dish
Summer Bucket List - by Creative Family Fun
Summer Fun - A Bucket List - by Homeschool Share
Erins Summer Bucket List - by Todays Mama
Bingo Summer Chart - by Delia Creates
Summer Fun Checklist - by Come Together Kids
The Summer Bucket List - by The Happy Family Movement

As I went around and collected all these sites that had such fun and creative ideas, I managed to accomplish two things.

1- To understand that I am the world's lousiest mom. I've never made a "bucket list" before! I'm a total, fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. Making a bucket list sounds way too exhausting!!

2 - I've had the realization that some people put a scary amount of thought and time into their summer plans. Whatever happened to SIMPLIFY!

Hey, I'm just trying to rationalize my own lack of bucket list creativity here.

But seriously, I think I'll just pick five things I know I really want to do this summer and go with that. So, here's my list.

1. Make a backyard sprinkler park! 
I have seen so many great and cheap ideas for making your own with pvc pipe and those little floaty noodles. Oh, I've got plans....

2. Make our own indoor playhouse.
Because let's face it. Sometimes it gets too hot you just need to be inside!! And for those of you who haven't seen those super cute playhouses you make to fit over a card table or pvc pipes, you should totally google it. Because it's awesome.

3. Make our own sidewalk chalk/paint
Okay, so maybe that sounds super lame to you, but I really think the kids would LOVE to make it themselves and go all crazy on the driveway!

4. Make Glow-in-the-Dark Bathwater, and let the kids go "fishing" for all the magnetic letters we have on the fridge.
Because I think that would be cool.

5. Build a car track for the stairs with 1x4's and cardboard. 
I bet it would keep the kids busy for hours. The trick will be to keep them from fighting over turns.

Bonus:
Survive T-Ball
Just sayin'.

So there you have it!!

June Family Challenge: Make a Summer Bucket List
Let us know how it goes by:

1: Commenting right here on our blog! 
2: Jump on over to our Facebook Page and leaving a comment or a link for everyone to see! 
3: Or simply share your Summer Bucket List on your blog and leave the link to your post via our inlinkz tool below

First STAKE in INDIA - Was created

News Release —  1 June 2012

Apostle Creates First Stake in India

Salt Lake City — 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is a global faith with more members outside the United States than inside. Another sign of the Church’s worldwide reach came 27 May as Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles organized the Hyderabad India Stake — India’s first stake.

The Hyderabad India Stake is the Church's first in India© 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

A stake is an administrative unit composed of numerous congregations (called wards and branches) within a geographic area (similar to what other faiths might call a diocese). The Church operates 2,946 stakes worldwide.
Elders Donald L. Hallstrom and Anthony D. Perkins of the Seventy joined Elder Oaks in this important action.
The Church’s presence in India goes back to 1850, when two missionaries came from Great Britain to Calcutta. A few other missionaries were called from the Utah Territory in the 1850s, but these efforts did not thrive. Struggles with missionaries learning the native language hampered Church efforts.
In 1981 government regulations allowed a missionary couple to establish a branch. Most missionary teaching has been in English, but the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ was translated into Telegu in 1981.
In 1993 a mission was created in Bangalore, with Gucharan Singh Gill, a native of India, as its president. At that time there were 1,150 members in 13 branches, which increased to 2,000 members in 18 branches five years later. The first meetinghouse in India was dedicated on 2 February 2002, housing the Rajahmundry Branch. Today, approximately 10,000 Latter-day Saints live in India.