Church CoursesAim to Strengthen Marriage and Family RelationshipsBy Eric Eames, Church Magazines

With shifting societal values underminingthe traditional family, the Church is com-

mitted to help “maintain and strengthen the fam-ily as the fundamental unit of society” (“TheFamily: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona,Oct. 2004, 49).

While worldwide divorce rates fell slightly in2007, a rise in the incidence of cohabitation andunmarried child-raising are demonstrative ofsociety’s failing faith in traditional marriage andfamily.

In an effort to combat these trends, theChurch has three courses and accompanyingmanuals available to help members understandthe doctrines regarding the importance of fami-lies that will help them build and maintain endur-ing family relationships.

Courses Provide Resources

Revised in 2000, the Marriage and FamilyRelations manual gives special emphasis to the proclamation on the family. The manual isdivided into two parts: Part A, “StrengtheningMarriage,” and Part B, “Parents’ Responsibilitiesto Strengthen Families.” The course is usuallytaught during Sunday School, and members mayattend one or both parts of the course, depend-ing on individual needs.

More recently, in 2006 LDS Family Services pro-duced two new course manuals—StrengtheningMarriage and Strengthening the Family. Thesecourses are being taught in LDS Family Servicesagencies and in some wards and stakes, thoughthey are taught outside of the Sunday meetingschedule.

The Sunday School and the Family Servicescourses are similar in that they can help boththose who are already married and those who arepreparing to wed. The family sections assist par-ents in learning the importance of their roles inraising children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

There are also some key differences between the manuals. The Marriage andFamily Relations manual addresses mainlymembers, focusing heavily on doctrines andprinciples found in the scriptures and taught by latter-day prophets and apostles to help

NEWS OF THE CHURCH J ANUARY 2009 N1

Couples can

learn important

gospel principles

and relationship

skills through

classes aimed

to strengthen

marriages.

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News of the ChurchT H E C H U R C H O F J E S U S C H R I S T O F L A T T E R - D A Y S A I N T S • J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9

■ NEWS OF THE CHURCH, P. N1■ FAMILY HISTORY NOTES, P. N6■ AREA PRESIDENCY MESSAGE, P. N7■ LOCAL NEWS, P. N8■ LATTER-DAY SAINT VOICES, P. N14■ PHILIPPINES JUBILEE 2011, P. N15■ READER COMMENTS, P. N16

members find answers fortheir own circumstances.

“A person who goes throughthis course would come awaywith a better understandingand testimony of the divineprinciples that are fundamentalto happy marriages and familyrelations,” said David Marsh,manager of CurriculumDevelopment for the Church.

While also centered ongospel principles, the FamilyServices manuals provide addi-tional insights from profession-als such as family counselorsand therapists, explain pertinentresearch findings, and providetraining to help participants(members or not) improve relationship skills through role-playing exercises.

Endorsing Marriage,

Strengthening Family

The courses are particularlyhelpful in teaching newlywedsand converts the importance ofeternal families and how to for-tify families against societalinfluences.

“We have a lot of familiescoming into the Church fromdifferent cultures, traditions,and backgrounds,” BrotherMarsh said. “The Marriage andFamily Relations manual helpsthem learn what the Lordteaches about families.”

The couples in Sergio

Navarro’s class in the Puebla Mexico Cholula Stakesaid the Strengthening Marriage manual gavethem a desire to become better husbands andwives, and the role-playing exercises helped themdevelop skills to solve relationship problems.

Each lesson in the Family Services manualscontains three or more learning activities to helpparticipants set goals and integrate gospel teach-ings. For example, in the “Communicating withLove” chapter in the Strengthening Marriagemanual, the trained instructor helps participantspractice responding to a spouse’s accusationwithout being defensive.

Brother Navarro said he has seen couples onthe verge of divorce decide to stay together afterlearning these important gospel principles relatedto families. “It has been a wonderful experience tosee how these marriages have benefited,” he said.

Prophets Encourage Couples to Continue Dating

The relationships of many LDS couples are inless danger from a blowout than they are fromrelationship burnout. Burnout occurs when theflame of love in a marriage dims because of neg-lect. The Marriage and Family Relations courseteaches the importance of continued datingwithin a marriage—that is, making time for eachother and showing affection in small ways.

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985)said, “Love . . . cannot be expected to last foreverunless it is continually fed with portions of love,the manifestation of esteem and admiration, theexpressions of gratitude, and the considerationof unselfishness” (“Oneness in Marriage,”Liahona, Oct. 2002, 36).

Finding Strength as Parents and Participants

The Strengthening the Family manual andthe parenting section of the Marriage andFamily Relations manual build on the marriage

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F O R M O R EI N F O R M AT I O N

The Marriage and Family

Relations manual is available

through Distribution Services

(LDSCatalog.com in the U.S. and

Canada) in 38 languages, with

production scheduled for 17 addi-

tional languages.

The LDS Family Services

manuals are currently available in

English, Portuguese, and Spanish,

with translations underway for

German, Japanese, Russian,

Swedish, and Ukrainian. Ward

and stake leaders interested in

sponsoring a course should con-

tact their local LDS Family Services

office. Those in areas without a

local Family Services office

should contact Sharon Parr at

parrsd@ldsfamilyservices.org.

lessons by helping spouses tobecome united in how andwhat to teach their children.Sister Marta Tilley, a FamilyServices missionary in theLakeland Florida (USA) Stake,said differing parenting stylesproduce a feeling of distrustand discord between parentsand lead to chaos in the home.

Both manuals help parents to be united in their efforts anddescribe positive parenting skills,such as having family homeevenings and family meetings.The Strengthening the Familymanual specifically helps parentsunderstand children better soproblems can be resolved withlove and patience.

“These programs give youskills you can implement withinthe gospel standards and helpyou become a more successfulparent,” Sister Tilley said.

Instructors have found thatthe real strength of each pro-gram comes from the commit-ment and active involvement ofthe participants. Each courseencourages open discussionand interaction so couples canlearn new skills from oneanother.

Ultimately, participants fin-ish the courses with a betterawareness of Heavenly Father’slove for them and how He isinvolved in every aspect oftheir lives. ■

President Monson Meets withPanamanian President

Following the Sunday dedicatory service of the Panama City Panama Temple on

August 10, 2008, President Thomas S. Monsonjoined with other Church leaders in a Mondaymeeting with Panamanian president MartínTorrijos and his wife, Vivian Fernández de Torrijos.

In response to President Torrijos’s inquiries,President Monson shared details of the templeconstruction and dedication. President Monsonalso accepted the Panamanian leader’s grati-tude for the humanitarian efforts extended by the Church in Panama. Of particular interestwere the numerous projects that benefit children, such as wheelchair distribution,measles and polio vaccine initiatives, and literacy efforts.

Mrs. Torrijos described her visit to the templeopen house and shared her impressions of thetemple and the Church members who guided her tour of the facility.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf;

his wife, Harriet; Panama

president Martín Torrijos;

his wife, Vivian; President

Thomas S. Monson; his

daughter, Ann M. Dibb,

second counselor in the Young

Women general presidency;

Elder Richard G. Scott; Mary

Ann Clarke; and Elder Don R.

Clarke.

NEWS OF THE CHURCH J ANUARY 2009 N3

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Church Sends Atmitto Ethiopia

The Church sent more than1.4 million pounds (635

tonnes) of Atmit, special foodfor the severely malnourished,to Ethiopia over a span of threemonths, with the final ship-ment scheduled to arrive in the

drought-stricken country byNovember 2008.

At least 14 million Ethiopianswere in need of food or cashassistance. While the crisisstemmed mainly from a severedrought that destroyed theentire spring crop in someplaces, the country has alsodealt with high food prices, anumber of disasters, and a rebel-lion in the Somali region thatdisrupted food delivery.

Remembering the significantaid the Church provided duringthe 2003 famine, governmentofficials in Ethiopia sent arequest for help. The Churchanswered by sending more than

30 containers of Atmit to thecountry. Beginning in late Augustand ending in October, theChurch shipped five containersper week to the country, witheach shipment taking six to eightweeks to arrive.

As in 2003 the Churchworked closely with ProjectMercy, a nongovernmental reliefagency with experience inEthiopia. In close coordinationwith the Ethiopian government,Project Mercy oversaw the distri-bution of the Atmit.

Atmit is a mixture of oat flour,powdered milk, sugar, salt, vita-mins, and minerals that is mixedwith water and cooking oil toreach the consistency of creamsoup. It has been proven a suc-cessful resource for feeding theseverely malnourished.

The Church first sent food aidto Ethiopia in 1985 as the coun-try suffered through a yearlongfamine that killed more than onemillion people. During Ethiopia’s2000 food crisis, grain fromChurch-owned farms in Englandwas bagged by British membersand shipped to the country, andin 2003 the Church providedmore than 5,000 tons (4,500tonnes) of supplementary foodto distressed areas. ■

The Church

provided 1.4

million pounds

of Atmit to

famine-stricken

Ethiopia.

During the discussions,President Dieter F. Uchtdorf,Second Counselor in the First Presidency, offered hisperspective on the value of the temple to the members of the Latter-day Saint commu-nity in Panama and suggestedthat the temple would bringstrength and blessings to all the residents of the country.

Elder Richard G. Scott ofthe Quorum of the TwelveApostles discussed the impactof the Panama Canal on theworld and noted the changesfacilitated by the constructionand operation of the canal. He shared his feelings that the Panama City temple would also become an impor-tant part of the country’s landscape.

President Monson pre-sented President Torrijos and his wife with a sculpturedepicting a child’s first stepsand explained his interpreta-tion of the art. He believes itsends the message that rela-tionships begin with smallsteps as we learn from oneanother and strengthen oneanother.

The first congregation inPanama was organized in 1941.Today there are more than41,000 Church members inPanama. ■

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Church Assists Flood Victimsin Eastern Europe

Church HumanitarianServices sent funds to the

Europe East Area on August 22,2008, for the purchase of emer-gency supplies and materials toassist hundreds of thousands ofpeople affected by the area’sworst flooding in 200 years.

At least 65 people died andnearly 90,000 homes receivedflood damage in parts ofUkraine, Moldova, and Romania.Some residents fled the area,while others stayed.

“Many just sit in their yardsand look at their homes andcry,” said Elder Austin Hinkle, a full-time senior missionary inthe Ukraine Kyiv Mission, serv-ing with his wife, Sister SusanHinkle.

Church members and mis-sionaries near each of theaffected areas formed groups

and traveled to flood-strickencommunities and villages tohelp with the cleanup. Saintsalso assembled hygiene andcleaning kits to distribute tolocal villages.

“Those who suffered thegreatest loss are simple people,but they are grateful people,”said Sister Connie Durrance,who is serving as an area wel-fare specialist in Europe.

Church members alsohelped victims repair their

homes, which in some caseswere primarily made out ofmud and straw. Elder Hinklesaid the flood also damagedsome people’s winter supplyof food.

The floods began after nearlya week of torrential rains in lateJuly 2008. The rain caused riversto overflow, submerging homes,bridges, and roads. The floodingalso damaged more than200,000 acres (90,000 ha) offarmland. ■

This home was one of 90,000

damaged by historic flooding in

Eastern Europe.

UpdatedMeetinghouseLocator Available on LDS.org

An upgraded version of the Church’smeetinghouse locator launched on

August 20, 2008, and can be accessed atmaps.lds.org or through LDS.org (click on About the Church, then Find a

Meetinghouse) and Mormon.org (click on Worship with Us).

The enhanced program incorporates fea-tures from Google and Microsoft map searchengines, providing users with an accurate andvisual outlay of streets, distances, and loca-tions of meetinghouses worldwide.

Larry Richman, director of InternetCoordination, said that when compared to the former version, the upgrade providesusers with more precise directions to meetinghouses throughout the world.

The site provides access for mobile devicesand lists different types of congregationsnearby, including language-specific wards orbranches and young single adult units. ■

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Church Members Granted Free Access to

Partners’ Census Images

Through FamilySearch.org, accessto census images provided by partnerorganizations such as Ancestry.comand Findmypast.com will becomeavailable free to Church members in2009, when FamilySearch will enablea member validation system for regis-tered users on its Web site. In addi-tion, any FamilySearch volunteer orindexer who meets basic contribu-tion requirements each quarter will also have free access. All dataindexed by FamilySearch volunteerswill continue to be available free tothe public.

FamilySearch Pilot Site Nears

Half Billion Searchable Names

With more than 467 million namesavailable, the Record Search pilot Website is helping FamilySearch increaseaccess to genealogical records.Recently 46.3 million names and 1.2million images were added to the siteat pilot.familysearch.org by updatingthe 1850 United States Census, adding15 states from the 1870 U.S. Census,and updating the 1930 MexicoCensus. The 1841 and 1861 EnglandCensuses were also published withlinks to images at Findmypast.com.

FamilySearch and Ancestry.com

Team Up on U.S. Census

FamilySearch andAncestry.com have exchangedresources to publish new online

indexes and images of the U.S. FederalCensus Collection (1790 to 1930). InJuly 2008, FamilySearch gave improveddigital copies of the original censuses toAncestry.com. In return, Ancestry.comgave FamilySearch copies of its existingcensus indexes. FamilySearch willmerge its own indexes with thosefrom Ancestry.com to create enhancedcensus indexes with several new fieldsof searchable data.

FamilySearch, Partners Increase

Availability of British Censuses

FamilySearch partnered with threeUnited Kingdom organizations in July2008 to significantly increase Internetavailability of English and Welsh cen-sus records. Findmypast.com, TheOrigins Network, and IntelligentImage Management joined withFamilySearch to publish onlineindexes to censuses for England andWales from 1841 to 1901. Censusrecords from 1841 and 1861 are cur-rently accessible at FamilySearch.organd Findmypast.com, with otheryears to follow as the project movesforward. ■

Book ofMormonPrinted inSinhala

Translation and productionof the Book of Mormon in

Sinhala, one of Sri Lanka’s offi-cial languages, were finished inAugust 2008.

Distribution of the Sinhalaversion of the Book of Mormonto Church units began inSeptember. Since 1983 Sinhala-speaking members have hadonly selections of the Book ofMormon available to them intheir language. There are morethan 16 million Sinhala speakers.

Sri Lanka, located just off thesoutheast coast of India, is hometo more than 20 million peopleand is part of the SingaporeMission. The Church was offi-cially recognized in Sri Lanka onMarch 2, 1979. The other officiallanguage in Sri Lanka is Tamil. ■

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FAMILY HISTORY NOTES

News Dateline PhilippinesAREA PRESIDENCY MESSAGE

As a Man ThinkethBY E L D E R K E I T H B . E DWA R D SP R E S I D E N T O F T H E P H I L I P P I N E S A R E A

We too can experi-

ence a personal

restoration of truth by

focusing our thoughts

on the things of God.

What we choose to

think is our choice.

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“While I was laboring

under the extreme

difficulties . . . , I was

one day reading the

Epistle of James, first

chapter and fifth

verse, which reads: Ifany of you lack

wisdom, let him askof God” (Joseph

Smith—History 1:11).

As we approach a new year, we woulddo well to familiarize ourselves

with and follow the pattern of the Prophet Joseph Smith. In studying theRestoration, we see that the prophet offersus several patterns that direct us to our ownpersonal restoration—patterns for “seekingand asking,” for “scripture study,” for“prayer,” and others. Among these patterns,the pattern of “thinking and pondering” issignificant.

One of the keys to the Restoration wasJoseph’s determination to give direction tohis thoughts. He tells us:

“My mind at times was greatly excited, thecry and tumult were so great and incessant.The [preachers] . . . used all the powers ofboth reason and sophistry to prove theirerrors, or, at least, to make the people thinkthey were in error. . . .

“In the midst of this war of words and

tumult of opinions, I often said to myself:What is to be done? Who of all these partiesare right; or, are they all wrong together? . . .

“While I was laboring under the extremedifficulties caused by the contests of theseparties of religionists, I was one day readingthe Epistle of James, first chapter and fifthverse, which reads: If any of you lack wis-dom, let him ask of God, that giveth to allmen liberally, and upbraideth not; and itshall be given him.

“Never did any passage of scripture comewith more power to the heart of man thanthis did at this time to mine. It seemed toenter with great force into every feeling of myheart. I reflected on it again and again, know-ing that if any person needed wisdom fromGod, I did; for how to act I did not know, andunless I could get more wisdom than I thenhad, I would never know. . . .

“At length I came to the conclusion that Imust either remain in darkness and confu-sion, or else I must do as James directs, thatis, ask of God. I at length came to the deter-mination to ‘ask of God,’ concluding that ifhe gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom,and would give liberally, and not upbraid, Imight venture.

“So, in accordance with this, my determi-nation to ask of God, I retired to the woods

NEWS OF THE CHURCH J ANUARY 2009 N7

Elder David A. Bednar Visits Cebu Saints

Saints from Cebu Philippines Central Stake eagerly

shake hands with Elder David A. Bednar.

to make the attempt” (JosephSmith—History 1:9–14).

Joseph’s preoccupation withthings of an eternal nature—his desire to unlock the key to knowledge—was a signifi-cant part of what occupied hismind. The unfolding of the revelation and the Restorationcame in part as a result of theprophet’s choice to think onthe things of God. Joseph’sfocus was “single” to questionsof an eternal nature.

We too can experience apersonal restoration of truthby focusing our thoughts onthe things of God. What wechoose to think is our choice.We each have the ability tocontrol our own thoughts. “Itis given unto them to knowgood from evil; wherefore theyare agents unto themselves”(Moses 6:56).

Our thoughts will lead useither to or from our personalrestoration. King Benjaminwarned:

“If ye do not watch . . . yourthoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe thecommandments of God, andcontinue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning thecoming of our Lord, even untothe end of your lives, ye mustperish. And now, O man,remember, and perish not”(Mosiah 4:30). ■

Editor’s Note: Subsequentissues of the Liahona will coverElder Bednar’s visits to otherparts of the Philippines.

B Y C Y N T H I A U Y F A N T O N E

L atter-day Saints from thefive stakes in Cebu were

delighted in August 2008 when Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the TwelveApostles, together with hiswife, Susan Robinson Bednar,visited the Philippines for thefirst time. Elder Bednar presidedover the Cebu PhilippinesCentral Stake conference andheld several devotionals andmeetings with the Saints andmissionaries from August 15 to 17, 2008.

Accompanying Elder and

Sister Bednar on this trip were Area President Keith R.Edwards and his wife, JudithEdwards; Area Seventy ElderBenson Misalucha and his wife, Arlene Misalucha; andnewly called Philippines CebuMission president D. ParkeHansen and his wife, BarbaraHansen.

“How many of you are willing to help us today?” Elder Bednar asked at thebeginning of each fireside. Hethen invited members to takeadvantage of the opportunityto ask questions of an Apostleand encouraged them tospeak freely. Questions wereanswered, confusions wereclarified, lessons were taught,and the Spirit was felt. ■

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Multistake Single AdultDevotional

There are no wrong ques-tions,” Elder Bednar said

as he addressed single adults at a multistake devotional.“However, there are good ques-tions, there are better ques-tions and there are questionsthat you know are inspired bythe Spirit.”

He emphasized topics such as faith, prayer, and personalrevelation. He told the Saints,“The gift of revelation is real,and it applies to all members of the Church. It is easy to lookto others (like leaders of theChurch) for revelations, but wehave to seek the power of per-sonal revelation in our ownindividual lives.” He admon-ished the Saints to engage inmeaningful prayer.

Elder Bednar also addressedthrough a story the concernmany have regarding havingtoo many responsibilities andcallings. “There was once aman who bought a four-wheeldrive truck,” he said. “He tookthis truck up in the mountainsto get some wood, but unfor-tunately the truck’s wheels gotstuck in the snow and wouldn’tmove. The man decided thatsince he was stuck, he mightas well do what he was sent

there to do, which was togather some wood. So he piled wood on his truck until it was full, then he tried tomove the truck. To his amaze-ment, the truck’s wheels gotunstuck from the snow and

started to move. Why? Becauseof the load! The load helpedthe truck’s wheels move andreleased them from beingstuck in the snow.

“The load, or our calling in the Church, is part of ourmortal existence,” Elder Bednarexplained. “Happiness is not theabsence of the load. Happinesscomes from serving God.”

Elder Bednar then taughtthat balance in doing all thingsdoesn’t exist. We cannot be perfectly balanced in doing allthings. The principle is thatover time we should give suffi-cient attention to the most

important things. We must pri-oritize. The Holy Ghost willhelp us focus on the thingsthat most need attention at any given time. There are nicethings that are not really veryimportant; don’t attend tothose. We have to determinewhat we need to do accordingto the will of God. Don’t neglectthe things that matter most.

Elder Bednar spoke ofrepentance and forgiveness,saying that once we haverepented, we can know wehave been forgiven when webegin to feel the Spirit again,because the Spirit cannot dwellin an unclean vessel. He alsotaught that we need to remem-ber the covenants we havemade with the Lord and thatkeeping our covenants willhelp us when we are in theprocess of making decisions in our lives.

“Pray in faith,” he said.“Decide. When you feel at easeor settled with your decision,

NEWS OF THE CHURCH J ANUARY 2009 N9

“The gift of revelation is real, and it applies to all members

of the Church. It is easy to lookto others (like leaders of theChurch) for revelations, but we have to seek the power

of personal revelation in ourown individual lives.”

then go for it. But if you feelunsettled or uneasy, pray againand make another decision.” Hecontinued, “It is the sense of feel-ing settled that is the answer toyour prayers. If you are . . . hon-oring your covenants, then youcannot go amiss.

“You are the rising genera-tion of the Church,” ElderBednar told the young peoplein his closing remarks. “It is not the Church’s responsi-bility to teach you the gospel;rather, it is your responsibilityto learn it. You have to learnthe gospel now, then apply its doctrines and principlesevery day. That is required ofme and you. Learn the gospelat home, and the Church willhelp you—not the other wayaround.”

“It is important for you tounderstand that the masterteacher is the Spirit,” ElderBednar counseled the singleadults. “It is not knowing more that is important, butapplying what we alreadyknow with conviction. Youmust have the confidence to apply gospel principles, and you get this kind of confi-dence when you keep yourcovenants. The Lord will helpyou if you seek His help. Youcan, you will, and you shouldenjoy the blessings of thegospel.” ■

Elder Bednar opened theCebu Central stake’s adult

session of conference by invit-ing Sister Bednar to speak. Sheexpressed her profound grati-tude for her temple marriage toElder Bednar. “Every time Ithink about the day we knelttogether on the altar, I alwaysfeel the desire to make our mar-riage better,” she said. “I alwaysfeel strengthened.”

“Great things happen in thetemple. Prepare yourselves toreceive the blessings of the tem-ple,” she urged the Cebu Saints.

Elder Bednar spoke of the

Cebu temple under construc-tion. “Since the temple will bevery near and convenient foryou, there might be a tendencyto neglect it, unlike when youhave to go to Manila to attendthe temple,” he said. “You willbe held accountable for what

you do in the temple here inCebu. Look with anticipation to what blessings the templewill bring to this place and tothe Saints.”

He listed the promises givento the pioneers in Doctrine andCovenants 109 and related howthese could also apply to theSaints in Cebu when they seekthe temple. “The Cebu Saintswill be greatly blessed . . . asthey serve in the temple,” hesaid. “The temple will only be a short distance from you—please make sure it will not beunderutilized.”

Elder Bednarexplained that theadversary workshard to keep usfrom the templeand to destroy fami-lies. He counseled,“Pattern yourhomes after thetemple-make eachone a house of

learning, a house of prayer, ahouse of order” (see D&C109:8). “Our homes can be aspiritual place when patternedafter the temple,” added ElderBednar. “There is power evidentin the ordinances performed inthe temple. Focus on them.” ■

Elder Bednar Addresses Adult Session

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“Great things

happen in

the temple.

Prepare

yourselves to

receive the

blessings of

the temple,”

[Sister Bednar]

urged the

Cebu Saints.

Cebu Central Stake Youth Devotional

and because of the principles I learned I didn’t want to dobad things because I didn’twant to disappoint her. I alsodidn’t want to lose the compan-ionship of the Holy Ghost.

When we see, hear, or do thingsthat we are not supposed to do,the Holy Ghost will not staywith us.”

Elder Bednar also shared histhoughts regarding the need toturn from the vain things of theworld. He said, “The only thingthat can make us truly happy isto know the plan of God for us.This knowledge will create in usa profound joy that will lastmore than a lifetime. We have toset aside the things of this worldso we can focus on HeavenlyFather’s plan of happiness.”

In a youth devotional, Elderand Sister Bednar explained

why the Book of Mormon hasthe capacity to inspire andenlighten readers.

Elder Bednar said, “The Biblehas had a lot of plain and pre-cious things lost from it. Webelieve the Bible to be the wordof God as far as it is translatedcorrectly. The Book of Mormon,on the other hand, is complete,with all the plain and preciousthings that are missing in theBible. Also, the language used inthe Book of Mormon is simple,plain, and easy to understand.Read and study this book andpray that the Spirit will manifestits truth to you in your hearts.”

When asked what tempta-tions he faced when he wasgrowing up, Elder Bednar said,“The same as yours today,” thenexplained that the emphasis onhow we look and Satan’s desirefor us to hurt our bodies (withimmodesty, drugs, disobedienceto the law of chastity, smoking,and more) have not changed. “Iovercame these [temptations]when I paid more attention tothe teachings of my mother,”Elder Bednar told the youth. “My mother read to me fromthe Book of Mormon every day,

Elder Bednar also taughtabout humility. “Humility isacknowledging God whenthings we do go well,” he said.He explained that pride is whenwe think we alone are responsi-ble for our successes.

Elder Bednar also spoke tothe youth regarding full-timemissionary service, telling them

that it is challengingand sometimeshard, but with the help of the Lord it could be faithfullydone. “Study thescriptures and learnto obey the com-mandments. Whenyou do these things,you can help teach

others to do the same,” hecounseled.

“The gospel provides theanswers to why we are hereand where we are going, whichhelps us obey the command-ments,” said Elder Bednar.“When you know and fullyunderstand that you are a child of God, you will not violate the law of chastity andother commandments. Wemust know that we have thepotential to become like ourHeavenly Father. When we dowrong, we have forgotten whowe really are. You have to fullyunderstand who you are first,then obedience will follow.” ■

Young men stand patiently as Elder Bednar

shakes hands with them.

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All about us there aremany who are in need of

help and who are deserving ofrescue. Our mission in life, asfollowers of the Lord JesusChrist, must be a mission ofsaving. There are the home-less, the hungry, the destitute”(Gordon B. Hinckley, “OurMission of Saving,” Ensign,Nov. 1991, 52).

Amidst the raging winds ofTyphoon Frank that broughtdestruction to many communi-ties in June 2008, the Church

heeded the call to serve andsupplied the local Saints andthe communities with thethings they needed for survival.

Most Church leaders whoseunits were in the path of thetyphoon quickly reported thatthe damage was minor and thatno lives had been lost. Almostall units in the Visayas area were

contacted, but on June 23, a dayafter the typhoon passed, localleaders in the Kalibo PhilippinesStake still could not be reachedvia landline or cellular phones.

Response to a Need

As soon as a flight was avail-able from the Roxas District tothe neighboring province ofCapiz, the Area Presidency sentpeople to visit Kalibo to assessthe damage and make recom-mendations on how the Churchcould help.

On June 24, the WelfareDepartment representatives,Louie Costales and ElderBenson Misalucha, AreaSeventy, landed in Roxas (abouttwo hours east of Kalibo). Theyreported damaged roofs andfallen power lines. Roads weregenerally passable, and moststores were open. Jesus Olivare,Roxas Philippines Stake presi-dent, reported that two of hisbranches were still under flood-waters, which rendered the areainaccessible. Under his direc-tion supplies were purchasedand two rented vans were filledwith 20 sacks of rice, boxes ofsardines, corned beef, milk, andbottled water. Before he left forKalibo, President Olivare was

advised to purchase additionalgoods and supplies for hismembers needing help.

The town of Kalibo sufferedextensive damage. Floodwatersand mud had reached as high as six feet in some areas, andoverturned vehicles werestranded in the middle of mud-died streets. Locals reportedthat muddy water came fromtheir deforested mountains andcombined with water from thesea because of high tide. Thetransmission towers of twomajor cellular phone carrierswere down, and about 70 per-cent of the power lines werealso damaged.

Winston Del Rosario, presi-dent of the Kalibo PhilippinesStake, and five bishops from thestake were waiting for ElderMisalucha and Brother Costalesat the stake center, which hadabout five inches of mud in the parking area. President Del Rosario suggested movingto another meetinghouselocated on higher ground.Supplies were unloaded in the New Washington meeting-house, where the stake mem-bers sorted and packed theitems into smaller kits to bedistributed to needy members.

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Members liftthe piles of

mud atKalibo PilotElementary

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Our Brother’s Keeper

After assistance had beenextended to the members ofthe Church in the area, ElderMisalucha and Brother Costalescontinued their efforts inassessing community needs.Although the offices of the localwelfare department had alsobeen destroyed, the two foundthat a tent office had been setup on a dry area where the gov-ernor, congressman, and theProvincial Disaster CoordinatingCouncil were gathering reportsfrom the 17 municipalities ofthe province. Elder Misaluchaand Brother Costales intro-duced themselves and inquiredhow the Church could help.The reply was unanimous:drinking water.

Calls were made to nearbyareas for bottled water, and4,500 boxes (each with 36

bottles of 500 ml) were donatedby Church Humanitarian Servicesto the affected areas. PresidentDel Rosario organized his mem-bers and the full-time missionar-ies of the Philippines BacolodMission under President DanyDaquioag as Helping Hands vol-unteers to help the governor’soffice distribute the water.

Aklan provincial governorCarlito S. Marquez, the town

mayors, and local officials of the affected areas who bene-fited from the assistance of theChurch expressed their appreci-ation publicly for the generousdonation. President Del Rosariolater reported that the governorthanked the Church over theradio several times as one of thefirst organizations to extendhelp to his severely damagedprovince. ■

Bishop Masula and Bishop

Rivera visit the Kalibo meet-

inghouse after the typhoon.

The Kalibo meetinghouse

grounds are covered in

thick mud.

Members help inpacking reliefgoods.

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My Family HistoryGoalBy Erapie M. Ayop

Iwas preparing to go on a missionwhen some of the members in our

ward encouraged me to get someexperience doing family history. Theysaid it would help me gain a testi-mony about genealogical work whenI teach the plan of salvation.

I set a goal and started searching for my roots. I found it enjoyable and eventually achieved my goal—I searched for my relatives who hadpassed on and was baptized for them. I was always eager to discuss the planof salvation, especially the part abouthow we can help our loved ones whohave passed away. Every time I sharedthis message, I felt the presence of theSpirit. I have a testimony about thefamily history work of the Church.

Before my mission ended, I set agoal to work as a volunteer to helpother members, especially the youth,realize the importanceof working on theirfamily history. Iknow that it is animportant com-mandment. ■

I Know We Can BeTogether AgainBy Sisinia A. Licesrio

M y family was baptized into theChurch in 1975. Upon learn-

ing the importance of family sealing,that we could be sealed for time andall eternity, we set a goal to be sealedsoon. We faithfully attended Churchservices, paid our tithing, and workedon our family history. My parents evenattended institute as a couple. Wemade sure that we each prepared spiritually for our goal.

In 1987 my parents and siblingswere sealed. I was not able to jointhem because I was working outsidethe country, and I felt bad because Iwas unable to fulfill my goal. Iprayed hard and set another goal.When I went back to the country,I was discouraged to find that mymother was bedridden. I waited

and prayed that she wouldrecover soon so that we

could be sealed. Butshe passed away after

a few weeks. I did not lose

Waiting upon the LordBy Stephanie Villaestiva Pelipel

Iwas studying at Brigham YoungUniversity–Hawaii and had been

away from my boyfriend for twoyears. Although we loved each other,distance was our greatest obstacle.During those years, we prayed andfasted every month and made regularvisits to the temple to know if weshould pursue our relationship. Ouranswer was to wait.

Marrying in the temple had alwaysbeen one of my goals. I petitioned theLord to help me find the right man to marry, and I made resolutions toaccomplish my goal. I attended the

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hope, for I know we can be togetheragain. My father, though he was inpoor physical condition, accompa-nied us to the temple after a year, andI was finally sealed to my family.

I now feel complete, because I amassured that if I am obedient, I can betogether forever with my family. ■

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temple at least once a week, readfaith-promoting or marriage-strengthening stories everymonth, studied the scripturesfor 30 minutes every day, andasked married couples for tipson how to maintain a marriage.

I often talked to HeavenlyFather in prayer and asked Himto help me know if this manwas meant for me or if I shouldmove on and meet other peo-ple. After four months of faith-fully keeping my resolutions,my answer came. Jhared, myboyfriend, was also accepted atBYU–Hawaii. We were marriedon December 23, 2003.

Heavenly Father knows whatis best for us. It may take time

to receive answers to ourprayers, but He is all-knowing.We just have to be patient anddo our part. ■

PHILIPPINES JUBILEE 2011

President Gordon B. Hinckley with Filipino Saints and American servicemen.

President Hinckley (1910–2008, then Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve

Apostles) met with Latter-day Saints (mostly American servicemen stationed

at Clark Air Force Base) at the American military cemetery on 28 April 1961

to begin missionary work in the Philippines. Among those present are David

Lagman, Lady Ping Bachelor, Southern Far East Mission President Robert P.

Taylor, and Maxine T. Grimm (seated at her portable organ).

Servicemen Helped Bring GospelEditor’s Note: This section of Dateline Philippines is dedicated to the 50thAnniversary celebration of missionary work in the Philippines. The growth of the Church in the country as well as the experiences of Filipino pioneers will befeatured in this section. An account of the events that led to the opening of thePhilippines for missionary work serves as our introduction to the PhilippineJubilee in 2011.

The first contact of the Filipino people with mem-

bers of The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints wasthrough the Latter-day Saintservicemen who served duringthe Spanish-American War andWorld War II. Church meetingswere held in various locations,and numerous LDS servicemenstayed in the country even afterthe war.

The Korean War also resulted in anincreased presence of LDS servicemen in thePhilippines. Clark Air Force Base in Pampanga(about 1 hour from Manila) became home tothese servicemen. Then on August 21, 1955,President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972)dedicated the Philippines for missionarywork. Immigration problems, particularlyregarding visas, hindered the sending of full-time missionaries.

Six years after the dedication, intensiveeffort was exerted to legally register the

If you have any stories or

experiences in which a

gospel principle helped you,

tell us about it in 500 words

or less and send to

datelinephilippines@

ldschurch.org.

NEWS OF THE CHURCH J ANUARY 2009 N15

Please send your commentson the Liahona andDateline Philippines todatelinephilippines@ldschurch.org.

WHAT DO YOUTHINK?

Church. With the assistance of Ping Bachelor,recognition was finally extended to theChurch, and the appropriate clearances weresecured to allow full-time missionaries toenter the country.

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008), then Assistant to the Quorum of theTwelve Apostles, rededicated the Philippineson April 28, 1961, for the preaching of thegospel. The service was held at the AmericanWar Memorial Cemetery, located in the out-skirts of Manila.

President Hinckley described the place asone of the most beautiful and also one of themost tragic places he had seen in the country,and expressed sympathy for the men whosacrificed their lives during World War II. Heacknowledged the members of the Churchwho were then present, numbering about100, especially those who had traveled fromClark Field, Pampanga. He was grateful forthe presence of Maxine Grimm, who playedthe music during the dedicatory service, andDavid Lagman, the first Filipino ordainedelder in the country.

Amidst the rising sun and rows of gravemarkers, President Hinckley invoked a blessingupon “the people of this land, that they shallbe friendly and hospitable, and kind and gra-cious to those who shall come here, and thatmany, yea Lord, we pray that there shall bemany thousands who shall receive this mes-sage and be blessed thereby. . . . We pray thatthere shall be many men, faithful, good, virtu-ous, true men who shall join the Church.”1

President Hinckley’s prayer was slowly ful-filled in the years that followed. ■

NOTE1. R. Lanier Britsch, “ ‘Faithful, Good, Virtuous,

True’: Pioneers in the Philippines,” Liahona,Feb. 1998, 41.

Sacrifice to Produce

the Magazine

I read the July 2008 issue of the

Liahona, and I saw the sacrifices that

the members of the magazine staff

make to produce the magazine (see

“Making Church Magazines,” p. 38).

I am grateful to them, because the

magazine brings us the messages of

the prophets and other leaders of the

Church.John Mark A. Cabrera

Love in Each Issue

I look forward to every

issue of the Liahona. I have

even taken out a subscrip-

tion for my nonmember

friend, who is almost as

excited as I am to get her

monthly copy.

I was deeply

touched by the

article “Mother’s

Christmas

Mouse,” which appeared in the

Latter-day Saint Voices section of the

December 2007 issue. It reminded

me of my own mother, whose love I

continue to feel these six years since

she passed away. Thank you for all

the love you put into each issue.Christine Orquiola

Comfort Found in the Liahona

I have been a member of the

Church for seven years. In the last

three years the Liahona has been a

great help to me. After I experienced

a major problem in my life, I began to

set aside time to read the magazine.

My decision to seek for comfort in

the Liahona is one I am now very

thankful for. The Liahona has truly

been a guide in my life. It has helped

me feel closer to Heavenly Father

and Jesus Christ. Dewi Ipung

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