The Story of the First Christmas--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

The Story of the First Christmas

Delivered By: Natalie Cole

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem… To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.1 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 1 Luke 2:1, 3-14 Program #4187 Musical Selection: 1. Processional: Come, O Come 2. Come, All Ye Shepherds (Organ solo) 3. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Natalie Cole) 4. Spoken Word 5. Angels from the Realms of Glory (Organ solo) 6. Angels from the Realms of Glory

Live Christmas--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

Live Christmas

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

The bright lights and joyful sounds, the festivities and parties all mark with excitement the Christmas season. But now and again this time of year is also filled with stress and worry, with frustration and exhaustion, made all the more poignant because of the celebrations that surround us. Sometimes we celebrate Christmas in ways that actually keep us from feeling the joys of the season. One woman, after a hectic day of mothering and shopping, found herself so impatient with fellow shoppers that she thought to herself, “Wait a minute, get a hold of yourself. This isn’t what Christmas is about.” Perhaps in our desire to get just the right gift or arrive at just the right time, we become irritated with someone who is slower than us, frustrated with long lines and inflated expectations, or annoyed with the shortcomings of those around us. Normally we try to be kind and thoughtful, but ironically, in the midst of the celebration of the birth of perfect kindness, we may be more unkind than usual. Perhaps we act this way because, in our efforts to commemorate and even bring “joy to the world,” we feel drained, worried, and worn out. As a result, we may miss the essence of this entire season. Christmas is joyful and glorious because of how we live it, not necessarily how we celebrate it. Now might be a good time to slow down a little, simplify, and find joy in what is, not what might or could be. Take time to reflect, to ponder the meaning and message of this sacred season. Live Christmas by showing love and kindness. Share Christmas by smiling and cheering up someone who seems discouraged. Extend Christmas by giving generously, even anonymously, of your time, your heart, your goodness. The best way to feel the joy of this blessed season is to live Christmas. Program #4186 Musical Selection: 1. Angels' Carol 2. The First Noel 3. Cold December Flies Away (Organ solo) 4. Noe! Noe! 5. Spoken Word 6. Silent Night (Organ solo) 7. What Child Is This? 8. Sunny Bank

A Christmas to Remember--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

A Christmas to Remember

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

As we look forward to Christmas this year, let’s look back to Christmases past and appreciate what makes a holiday memorable. Some memories may involve less-than-perfect circumstances—and that’s all right. Few real-life celebrations resemble the slick ads and scenes in holiday movies. In fact, sometimes the most cherished Christmases take place in conditions that are not quite ideal. Of course, it’s easy to feel discouraged when things don’t go according to our plans. But in time, families often look back and laugh about the mishaps: the year the tree fell over, the time they forgot to turn on the oven, the school program when everyone forgot their lines. Other times, families weep when they remember more serious hardships: the year when someone was in the hospital, the year there were no presents because times were tight, the first Christmas after a loved one passed away. As such memories fill our hearts, we would do well to recall that original Christmas night. It was not without difficulty. Mary and Joseph were far from home. No room could be found in the inn. Few comforts were available. And yet, love was born. Heavenly choirs sang. A new star lit the sky, and shepherds came to worship. Unrealistic expectations for a picture-perfect Christmas may be misleading and actually keep us from appreciating the holiday’s more subtle yet more satisfying blessings. Everything does not have to be just right for wonderful things to happen. No matter the circumstances for Christmas this year, cherished moments are within reach. Hold a child in your arms. Pause to look at the night sky. Welcome friends and family into your home, and listen to heavenly choirs. Give the love that only you can give, and you will have a memorable Christmas: a Christmas that recalls that first holy night when, in the lowliest of circumstances, a King was born. Program #4185 Musical Selection: 1. Arise, Thy Light Has Come 2. Of the Father's Love Begotten 3. What Is This Lovely Fragrance? (Organ solo) 4. For Unto Us a Child Is Born, from Messiah 5. Spoken Word 6. How Far Is It to Bethlehem? 7. Joy to the World

Giving Thanks--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

Giving Thanks

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

With his car stalled at the side of a quiet country road, and already late for an important meeting, a man stood gazing under the hood wondering what might be wrong in the complicated maze of hoses and wires that lay before him. This was the realm of an auto mechanic, and he had no idea where to begin. Just then an old pickup truck appeared, coming toward him on the road. In desperation, he waved down the truck and, to his delight, met a local man with just the skill he needed. Soon the trouble was found and fixed and the car was running like new. “Thanks so much,” he said, reaching for his wallet. “Can I pay you for your trouble?” “No, no,” replied his helper. “You just do what you can to help other people, and that will be my thanks. Just give to somebody else what I’ve given to you.” “I’ll do it,” said the man, and he thought to himself as he drove away, “I’ll do it.” Each of us has been helped in ways little and big throughout our lives—a bit of kindness here, a real favor there, with perhaps some life-changing assistance offered when it was most needed. Of course we are grateful for the help. We expressed our thanks and have kept good feelings for the people who rescued us from our troubles. But thanks should be more than just a feeling or a few words. Real thanks is revealed in answering another’s call for help. Sincere gratitude is expressed by doing something to pass along the kindness. Thankfulness is truly shown by reaching out to share with others the bounty we’ve received. As the roadside mechanic explained, in both his words and his actions, the best way to say thanks is in giving. Program #4184 Musical Selection: 1. Prayer of Thanksgiving 2. Thanks Be To God from Elijah 3. Look at the World 4. We Gather Together (Organ solo) 5. For the Beauty of the Earth 6. Spoken Word 7. Because I have Been Given Much 8. Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

All Creatures Great and Small--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

All Creatures Great and Small

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

A young man returned home from college for the holidays. First to greet him was the family dog, who bounded across the room and began nuzzling at his hand. The mother, with a twinkle in her eye, said, “I think he missed you even more than we did!” The scene is familiar in all those homes that include a lovable pet. Animals are an important part of so many households—more than half the homes in the United States have a pet who is a valued member of the family. “Feed the cat” is regularly listed on the children’s job charts. Some go to extremes. Winston Churchill always insisted that the butler lay a cloth on the Persian carpet and serve dinner to Rufus, the pet poodle, before those at the table began to eat.1 Pets can contribute to the quality of our life. They have a way of putting a smile on our face and a spring in our step. Be it Rover, Spot, or Whiskers, pets love unconditionally; they accept us; they don’t judge. Put simply, they make us feel good. Yes, an overprotective dog may bark at passersby or a hamster may get lost in the heating vent. But who can gaze at an aquarium of fish and not feel the stress begin to lift? Who can care for a pet without feeling a sense of purpose or fulfillment, a relief from loneliness or isolation? Even those who don’t own pets can benefit from this type of relationship. Visits to the zoo or the county fair or placing a bird feeder in the backyard are ways we share this earth with “all creatures great and small.” As the poet Cecil Alexander reminds us, “The Lord God made them all.”2 1 See “Churchill,” The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman (1985), 125–26. 2. “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” Children’s Songbook, 231. Program #4183 Musical Selection: 1. "I Sing the Greatness of Our God" 2. "Now We Sing Thy Praise" 3. "Improvisation on Hymn to Joy" (organ solo) 4. "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" 5. Spoken Word 6. "All Things Bright and Beautiful" 7. "All My Trials" 8. "God Is Gone Up"

As We Remember--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

As We Remember

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Now, as in times past, turmoil and conflict rage across the earth. We long for peace, for harmony among nations and individuals, for serenity to still the commotion around us. As part of this earnest longing for peace, we pause to give thanks and remember a day that must not be forgotten. More than 70 years ago the United States Congress passed a bill that each November 11th should be “dedicated to the cause of world peace and . . . celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’” The name was later changed to Veterans Day by an act of Congress to honor the sacrifices of all veterans of America’s wars. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, himself a veteran of two world wars, called on citizens to rededicate themselves on Veterans Day “to the task of promoting an enduring peace.”1 If turmoil and conflict have any worth, it may be that they can help us value and remember those who have sacrificed for peace. Decades ago, Richard L. Evans, longtime announcer and writer for this broadcast, wrote of peace and the people who protect it: “Peace is a positive and not merely a passive thing. It is more than the absence of war. It is a way of life, an attitude, and an inner condition. . . . As we remember one Armistice and hope and pray for another, we are thankful for the brave men [and women] who stand ‘between their loved homes and the war’s desolation.’ May those of the past be honored, and those of the present be protected. And may the loved ones of those who have lost their lives have the heaviness of their hearts lifted and have sweet assurance of an eternal renewal of association with those they love.”2 As we approach this day “dedicated to the cause of world peace,” may we also dedicate ourselves to this cause, in memory of those whose dedication has included not only their way of life but even, in some cases, life itself. 1. In United States Department of Veterans Affairs, “History of Veterans Day,” http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp. 2. Tonic for Our Times, (1952), 211–12. Program #4182 Musical Selection: 1. This Is My Country 2. The Thunderer 3. America the Beautiful 4. The Spoken Word 5. Hymn to the Fallen 6. Salute to the Armed Forces 7. Let There Be Peace on Earth

What Else Are We Missing? --Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

What Else Are We Missing?

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

It was a busy workday as commuters rushed headlong toward their busy schedules. But on this day in Washington, D.C., something different happened: a 39-year-old man dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap took out an old violin and began to play. Few people noticed. Most kept their eyes on the ground or looked straight ahead. A few, talking on cell phones, raised their voices in order to be heard over the music. These were, after all, busy people. They had work to do and appointments to keep. And so they did not stop. And they did not listen. And what they missed was a rare performance by one of the greatest violinists in the world playing his Stradivarius violin, worth more than three million dollars. He chose to play some of the most technically demanding, elegant music ever written for his instrument, and he played with all the passion and perfection that he had become known for throughout the world. His metro-station concert was part of an experiment proposed by a writer for the Washington Post. The question was “How many people would recognize beauty in a place where it wasn’t expected?” During the 43-minute concert, nearly 1,100 people passed by. Of those, only 7 stopped to listen even for a moment. The writer, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his article about the unheard violinist, summarized the experience with these words: “If we can’t take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that—then what else are we missing?”1 Indeed, the world offers us daily moments of beauty that can enrich our lives—if we open our eyes and open our hearts. 1 Gene Weingarten, “Pearls before Breakfast,” Washington Post, Apr. 8, 2007, W10, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html. Program #4181 Musical Selection: 1. Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven 2. Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name 3. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Organ solo) 4. Rock of Ages 5. The Spoken Word 6. Beautiful Zion, Built Above 7. Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand

Carve Your Name on Hearts--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

Carve Your Name on Hearts

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Not long ago, a funeral was held for a man who lived a long and productive life. The flowers and music were beautiful; the remarks about his good life were inspiring. But some who attended were struck by something unusual: there was no mention, either in his obituary or in tributes to his name, about what he did for a living. The eulogies in his honor spoke essentially of two things: his great love for his family and the selfless service he rendered throughout his life. His life was a testimonial of love and service: more than 65 years ago he served his country overseas defending freedom; he served his beloved wife, children, and many grandchildren with selflessness over many decades; he was a loyal friend; he generously volunteered his time in his community and church. Yes, he worked hard professionally throughout his life; he had accomplished much in his chosen career. But when his time had come, what his family and friends remembered most about him—what they really cared about—were his love and service. The rest, in a certain sense, is forgotten in the end. Ultimately, the same is true for all of us. We are most likely to be remembered not for plaques on the wall but for warm memories in the heart. What will be cherished is the difference we’ve made in others’ lives. What will be valued is the love and service we’ve offered. As Charles Spurgeon said: “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you when forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts, and not on marble.”1 1 John Ploughman’s Talk, or Plain Advice for Plain People (1896), 214. Program #4180 Musical Selection: 1. When in Our Music God Is Glorified 2. Lord, Speak to Me 3. Gabriel's Oboe, from the Mission (Organ solo) 4. Love Is Spoken Here 5. The Spoken Word 6. Each Life That Touches Ours for Good 7. The Battle of Jericho 8. O Clap Your Hands

The Art of Making It Happen--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

The Art of Making It Happen

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

In November 1899, Wilbur Wright queried the United States Weather Bureau to find a rural area with high wind conditions so he and his brother Orville could test a glider. The answer came back, “Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.” History was in the making. For the next four years, Orville and Wilbur experimented with flight, as did renowned scientists from Germany, France, and Brazil. But these two intrepid owners of a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, were the first to fly. The date was December 17, 1903. What distinguished them from their illustrious rivals? Perhaps it was their sheer doggedness. When they weren’t out testing a glider on the sand dunes, they were reconstructing it in the living room of their father’s home. These self-taught engineers figured out how to fly by breaking down the task into pieces and attacking one at a time. They made hundreds of glides, slowly increasing their distances from 300 to 400 to 500 feet in the battering Atlantic winds. The flights were not spectacular, but with each one they drew closer to their goal. Wilbur wrote, “Skill comes by the constant repetition of familiar feats rather than by a few overbold attempts at feats for which the performer is yet poorly prepared.”1 The lesson is a good one for us all. Most problems that seem big and unsolvable are really made up of several small, manageable problems that we must face patiently. Orville and Wilbur watched many a glider nosedive into the dunes, but they never lost hope. To some, the task of conquering flight may have seemed too big for these two unlikely innovators and aviators. But Orville and Wilbur Wright, through hard work, optimism, and resilience, had perfected an art we can all master—the art of making it happen. 1 In James Tobin, “To Fly!” Smithsonian, Apr. 2003, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/fly.html?c=y&page=5. Program #4179 Musical Selection: 1. The Heavens Are Telling, from The Creation 2. Lead, Kindly Light 3. God of Grace, and God of Glory (Organ solo) 4. The Spoken Word 5. For I Am Called by Thy Name 6. Sunrise, Sunset, from Fiddler on the Roof 7. O Come, Ye Nations of the Earth

Serendipity--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

Serendipity

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

The story is told of a young boy building a tree house with his father. For months they planned and prepared; they purchased supplies and mapped out details, and then with great anticipation and excitement they began building. Working side by side, they laid boards and hammered nails as the tree house slowly took shape. After months of preparation and hard work, they basked in the sense of accomplishment that came from their father-son project. But it turned out that the boy didn’t spend much time in the tree house once it was built. Greater satisfaction seemed to have come from working, laughing, and learning alongside his father. When they began the project, the father thought they were simply building a place for his son to play. But in reality they were building much more than that. It wasn’t only about lumber and nails, sawing wood, or laying shingles; it was also about spending time together. As the tree house took shape, so did their relationship. Sometimes our well-laid plans lead to a deeper, more meaningful joy than we ever expected. Serendipity is a word that means “the accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable, or useful.”[1]While the boy may not have spent much time in the tree house once it was built, both father and son would do it all over again for the serendipitous blessings that came from it. As we learn a skill, gain knowledge, and spend time with someone, we may discover something far more important than what we intended. So open your heart to the unexpected blessings that come your way, and bask in their discovery. 1 Encarta World English Dictionary, http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861717994/serendipity.html. Program #4178 Musical Selection: 1. Let There Be Light! 2. Be Still, My Soul 3. Nocturne (Organ solo) 4. Sweet Is the Peace the Gospel Brings 5. The Spoken Word 6. Who Will Buy? from Oliver 7. My God, My Portion, and My Love

CIA Woman Finds Needed Peace in Gospel

CIA Woman Finds Needed Peace in Gospel

Kedrik Hamblin - LDS Living

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Flying to Germany in 2002, during the height of career success with the CIA, Stephanie Smith read in a news magazine a phrase from President Gordon B. Hinckley that he used to describe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: “Solid, strong, and true.”

“It just had an impact on me,” Smith said.

She wrote it down on a paper which she put in her wallet. The impression of these words would later lead her to call an LDS colleague for help when her successful world was being turned upside down.

Smith now shares the events that led to her conversion with others. She will be holding a fireside this coming Sunday, Oct. 18, at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitor’s Center.

She tracks her journey starting from 1985, when she moved as a young, single woman to Washington, D.C., where she had been hired as an editor for the CIA. She later married and completed a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard.

Continuing work at the CIA, Smith quickly moved up the ranks; she attributes this to hard work. For a decade she worked fourteen to sixteen hours per day six to seven days per week. Raised as a devout Catholic, she would attend Mass every Sunday and then head off to the office for a full day of work.

“That was an every week routine for me,” Smith said. “Obviously there was no discipline, no time, nor any inclination to any deeper spiritual or scriptural study or introspection.”

The rigorous work schedule and Smith’s drive to succeed had several effects. Along with fatigue Smith said she began to experience herself as an unkind person, began taking small “moral shortcuts,” and neglecting relationships with family and friends.

After becoming Director of Support (the first female in the history of the CIA to achieve that position), she began working even longer days, sometimes up to twenty hours. This continued until her health declined and she was hospitalized.

“I’m going along like that, realizing that my health is failing, starting to feel bad about who I was as a person and starting to wonder will there ever be a time when I can decelerate?” Smith said. “I would say to myself: Yes, just successfully complete this job, the world is your oyster, everything will get simpler.”

However, life didn’t become simpler. The CIA and her career were thrown into a crisis after two of her senior officers were fired. She recognized she was in a line of political dominoes and would probably lose her job.

“It took an enormous toll on me,” Smith said. “I just fell apart. I fell apart physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”

Smith said she believes it was the earlier impression of President Hinckley’s words and her tremendous respect for the LDS colleague that led her to call him one evening from her office. He gave her two messages.

“He said to me: ‘Heavenly Father knows you by name. He knows you as an individual and he, like me, knows the true quality of your heart and he has a very specific individual plan for your success,’” Smith said. “I think he said ‘It may not be success as you’ve come to define it. It’s a very different kind of success.’”

Later he gave her directions to the D.C Temple Visitor’s Center where she went and reluctantly signed a referral card for the missionaries to visit her. Several weeks later, two sister missionaries visited and after they entered the home asked if they could sing a song. Smith felt it was very odd until they began singing “I am a Child of God,” and she began crying. After that she continued meeting with the missionaries.

One evening, before a business dinner, Smith sat in her car reading her “homework.” She came across Alma 34:26, when Amulek was teaching people to pour out their souls to God.

The scripture, which Smith said pierced her through the heart, helped her realize for the first time that she was actually supposed to talk to her Heavenly Father. It was also the beginning of her testimony of the Book of Mormon.

“From that moment on I just read the entire Book and I’ve never been without the Book of Mormon,” Smith said. “I have it with me in my car. I have a bedroom version. I have one at my desk at work. I’ve read it three times since then.”

Smith was baptized in January of 2007. Although she counts many blessings, Smith said the biggest is to know that she has eternal purpose.

“I at last was filled with eternal hope that allowed me to go through three years of intense professional hardships, degradation, and opposition,” Smith said. “I only could get through that because I knew now that I had an eternal purpose and that I had an eternal worth and I was surrounded by a community of people who . . . staked their lives on that very same belief.”

Smith has also learned the joy of serving others.

“The second blessing to me is that I got involved with people in a small way . . . the way Christ would have gotten involved with them,” Smith said.

Smith continues to work with the CIA and is now serving in her ward as the employment counselor. Her Oct. 18 fireside will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Hither by Thy Help I'm Come--Spoken Word Delivered by Lloyd D. Newell

Hither by Thy Help I'm Come

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Some 3,000 years ago, Samuel the prophet led ancient Israel to victory over a powerful enemy. Samuel placed a large stone at the place of their deliverance and dedicated it as a monument to God’s assistance. He called the stone “Eben-ezer,” which meant “stone of help.” The stone became a symbol of the Lord’s goodness and strength. 1 This practice of raising memorials to divine help has deep roots in ancient Israel. Generations earlier, after the Israelites crossed the mighty Jordan River on dry ground and entered the promised land, their leader, Joshua, commanded the people to gather 12 stones from the river and build a monument. He explained that the purpose of the monument was to build faith in future generations, that “when [their] children ask . . . in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?” they could tell their children how the Lord helped them in their hour of need. 2 The beloved hymn “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” alludes to this biblical practice with these words: Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’m come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. Life is full of rivers to cross, full of challenges to overcome. However, those who see with an eye of faith understand that they did not cross their rivers alone. In a way, each of us could raise an Ebenezer, a memorial of the divine assistance, heavenly favor, and forgiveness extended to us. It may not be a monument of stone—indeed, hearts filled with humility and gratitude are the most meaningful memorials. Whatever form our memorial takes, acknowledging the help we’ve received renews our hope that by His good pleasure and in His due time, we will safely arrive at home. 1 See 1 Samuel 7:7–12. 2 See Joshua 4:1–7. Program # 4177

Five new temples are announced

Five new temples are announced

By Sarah Jane Weaver
Church News staff writer

Published: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009

Click here for additional conference photos and articles

In the opening moments of the Church's 179th Semiannual General Conference, President Thomas S. Monson announced plans to build five new temples. With 130 temples currently operating and with another 16 in some phase of planning or construction, these five temples bring the worldwide total to 151.

Copyright Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

President Thomas S. Monson

The locations of the new temples will be Brigham City, Utah; Concepcion, Chile; Fortaleza, Brazil; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Sapporo, Japan, said President Monson. The exact temple sites will be made known at a later date.

"We continue to build temples," he said. "We desire that as many members as possible have an opportunity to attend the temple without having to travel inordinate distances. Worldwide, 88 percent of our members live within 200 miles of a temple. That percentage will continue to increase as we construct new temples around the world."

Brigham City will be home to Utah's 14th temple. Two Utah temples were dedicated earlier this year; the Draper Utah Temple, dedicated in March, and the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple dedicated in August.

The Concepcion Chile Temple will be the second temple in Chile. The first, the Santiago Chile Temple, was dedicated in September 1983 by President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a counselor in the First Presidency. There are currently 14 temples operating in South America, with another three announced and in some phase of construction.

There are five operating temples in Brazil. In May 2007 the Church announced plans to build a temple in Manaus, Brazil, making a temple in Fortaleza, Brazil, the seventh in that country. There are now more than 1,060,000 members of the Church in Brazil.

The temple in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., will serve members living throughout South Florida, as well as the Bahamas. There are currently eight temples in the southeastern part of the United States.

The Sapporo temple will become the third in Japan and the sixth in Asia. Dedicated in October 1980, the Tokyo Japan Temple was the first temple in Asia. The Fukuoka Temple was dedicated in June 2000, and became the 88th temple worldwide.

"Millions of ordinances are performed in the temples each year in behalf of our deceased loved ones," President Monson said. "May we continue to be faithful in performing such ordinances for those who are unable to do so for themselves.

"I love the words of President Joseph F. Smith as he spoke of temple service and of the spirit world beyond mortality. Said he: 'Through our efforts in their behalf, their chains of bondage will fall from them, and the darkness surrounding them will clear away, that light may shine upon them and they shall hear in the spirit world of the work that has been done for them by their people here, and will rejoice with you in your performance of these duties.'"

© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Quake, tsunami take Samoan members' lives

Quake, tsunami take Samoan members' lives

By Jason Swensen
Church News staff writer

Published: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009

Eight Latter-day Saints, including two children, were killed and two others hospitalized in the Samoan islands after a Sept. 29 magnitude 8.0 undersea quake triggered a deadly tsunami that wiped out several villages and sent residents scrambling for high ground.

Meanwhile, local priesthood leaders report that there are members who remain unaccounted for. Communication has reportedly been spotty in some affected areas because of damaged telephone lines.

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

Severely damaged meetinghouse in Samoa is an example of the devastation caused by an earthquake and tsunami that struck the Samoan islands. Among those killed in the disaster were at least eight Church members.

All of the full-time missionaries assigned to the impacted areas in the South Pacific have been accounted for with the exception of two sister missionaries serving in the Tongan island of Niuatoputapu. The sisters are believed to be fine because their names did not appear on a government-produced casualty list from the island. (Editor's note: As of Friday, these two sister missionaries have been accounted for. See the lds.org newsroom blog for an account of the sisters' story: Newsroom blog) Also, they were serving in a area untouched by the tsunami, according to Lynn Samsel of the Church's Emergency Response office. Both sister missionaries are native to the region. At press time, Tonga Nuku'alofa Mission President Lynn C. McMurray was traveling by boat to Niuatoputapu to check on the sisters.

Photo by Raymond Eves

Missionaries of the Samoa Apia Mission, including, left, Elder Elliott Miller, survey meetinghouse damage. They escaped the tsunami by climbing a tree.

The Apia Samoa Temple suffered no structural damage following the quake and subsequent tsunami — although the horn from the Angel Moroni statue atop the temple somehow snapped off and fell to the ground.

Two meetinghouses on Samoa's main island of Upolu reportedly suffered severe water damage. Meanwhile, flood water inundated the lower level of the Fa'aala stake center on the neighboring island of Savaii.

There are also reports of extensive damage to member homes in Samoa and Tonga.

Brother Samsel said local priesthood leaders are attending to the temporal and spiritual needs of the Samoan members. Meanwhile, the Church is sending additional food, clothing and other relief items to the islands. The Church is also working with the American Red Cross, which is sending a large contingent of emergency responders to the Samoas.

"It's sad," said Samoa Apia Mission President O. Vincent Haleck Jr. "We have had lives lost here. There is a lot of devastation along the south coast of Upolu."

The massive quake struck around dawn, as many residents were preparing for work and getting their children ready for school, according to the New York Times News Service. Damage was expected to be heaviest in the southern parts of Samoa and in American Samoa.

O. Vincent Haleck Jr.

The temblor originated below the ocean about 120 miles southwest of American Samoa and 125 miles south of Samoa. It was centered some 11 miles below the seabed, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake occurred just as missionaries in Samoa were involved in transfers, so there were several missionaries gathered at the mission home in Apia. President Haleck said the rumbling seemed to last as long as three minutes.

O. Vincent Haleck Jr.

Local residents are said to be devastated by the extensive damage and loss of life caused by the earthquake/tsunami. One Church official in the area said of the situation in the southern area of the Samoan island of Upolu, "There was no adequate language to describe the devastation which appears like a war zone."

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

Elder Elliott Miller is a full-time missionary from Brentwood, Tenn., who was serving in the village of Malaela on the southeast coast of Upolu when the earthquake struck. He shared his harrowing experience in the moments following the quake with his mother, Angie Miller. Sister Miller passed along his account via e-mail with the Church News:

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

"A [man] who was up working on a hill called down that a tsunami was coming. Elliott didn't think it was serious...he went outside to see what was going on and saw people running and screaming toward the forest. He grabbed some sneakers and started running too. He picked up some kids and started running with them. His companion turned around and the water was right behind them. There was no high ground to go to so they ran to some trees and climbed them. As he got up in the tree the water hit the tree and started rising quickly. [Elder Miller] said the water came up about five feet and started pulling on the tree. He was afraid the tree would be pulled out and taken out to sea. Pretty soon the water receded and they got down from the tree and ran deeper into the woods."

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

Elder Miller lost essentially all of his belongings, but his family calls it fortunate that he and others survived the tsunami. He and his companion were brought to the mission home.

In all, there were more than 100 reported fatalities in American Samoa and Samoa with many more missing. The extensive damage in some villages has left thousands homeless.

O. Vincent Haleck Jr,

President Haleck said the missionaries will be used to help out wherever they can. "We are trying to get organized," he said.

As of press time, the catastrophe had left Samoan members living in the United States sick with worry as they tried hour after hour to make contact with loved ones living in impacted areas.

"Most Samoans have relatives living in both American Samoa and Western Samoa," said Abraham Roe, an LDS Samoan who lives in South Jordan, Utah.

Brother Roe said his family has tried repeatedly to contact family members in the Samoas, with no success. "We're just praying, watching the news and hoping for the best."

© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

The Power of Self_Discipline--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

The Power of Self_Discipline

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

After giving a wonderful performance, a highly accomplished pianist was approached by one of his fans. “You played so well,” said the admirer. “I would give my life to play the piano as well as you.” The pianist responded, “I have, I have.” To develop such remarkable talent, this performer had literally given his life. He had disciplined himself to practice for hours each day, setting aside other desires so that he might achieve what, for him, was a higher goal. The key to all his success was self-discipline. When we hear the word discipline, we often think of punishment or a highly restrictive and perhaps even harsh environment. Some might resist or resent discipline because they feel it limits their freedom. But the kind of discipline practiced by the pianist did not take away his freedom; it gave him freedom—freedom to perform and bring great joy to his audiences. True self-discipline is not confining; it is liberating. It grants freedom to do the things we really want to do. Self-discipline focuses our efforts and gives us the power to reach our goals. Each hour of disciplined practice, each decision to keep moving in the right direction, each step toward a well-defined goal makes us better and allows us to do more. There is nothing more restrictive than unmet potential. Through self-discipline, we discover our true potential and make it a reality. That is freedom. It seems that those who achieve the most in life, like the concert pianist, decide what they want to do and then stick to their task no matter how long or difficult the way. They have learned that self-discipline is the key that unlocks the door to our hopes and dreams. Program #4176 Musical Selection: 1. This Is My Father's World 2. How Excellent Thy Name 3. Prelude in B Major (Organ solo) 4. Holy, Holy, Holy 5. Spoken Word 6. When You Wish Upon a Star from "Pinocchio" 7. If Clarions Sound

Dozens dead as quake, tsunami hit Samoas

Dozens dead as quake, tsunami hit Samoas

By FILI SAGAPOLUTELE

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — A powerful Pacific Ocean earthquake spawned towering tsunami waves that swept ashore on Samoa and American Samoa, flooding and flattening villages, killing dozens of people and leaving several workers missing at devastated National Park Service facilities.

Cars and people were swept out to sea by the fast-churning water as survivors fled to higher ground, where they remained huddled hours after the quake struck early Tuesday. Signs of immense devastation were everywhere, with a giant boat getting washed ashore and coming to rest on the edge of a highway and floodwaters swallowing up cars and homes.

The quake, with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3, struck around dawn about 20 miles below the ocean floor, 120 miles (190 kilometers) from American Samoa, a U.S. territory that is home to 65,000 people.

Hampered by power and communications outages, officials hours later struggled to get a handle on the damage and casualties. At least 39 people were killed — 20 on Samoa and 19 on American Samoa — but officials acknowledged the death toll seemed sure to rise.

"I don't think anybody is going to be spared in this disaster," said acting American Samoa Gov. Faoa A. Sunia.

Mase Akapo, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in American Samoa, reported at least 19 people killed in four different villages on the main island of Tutuila. Officials reported at least 50 injured, and possibly many more.

In neighboring Samoa, an Associated Press reporter saw the bodies of about 20 victims in a hospital at Lalomanu town on the south coast of the main island of Upolu, and said the surrounding tourist coast had been devastated. At least three villages were flattened.

Sunia declared a state of emergency in American Samoa, describing "immense and widespread damage to individual, public and commercial buildings in coastal areas" along with death and injury. Gov. Togiola Tulafono, who was in Honolulu for a conference, told reporters that more victims could be found when rescuers reach areas that are inaccessible by roads.

Tulafono says his immediate family was safe, but there was at least one death among his extended family.

Of the death toll, New Zealand's acting Prime Minister Bill English said that there has "really only been guesses, but some of these places appear to have been hit very hard, and you would expect considerable loss of life."

"I would underline the fact that this is a situation that's unfolding," English said. "We don't have information about the full impact and we do have some real concern that over the next 12 hours the picture could look worse rather than better."

America Samoa is home to a U.S. national park that appeared to be especially hard-hit. Holly Bundock, spokeswoman for the National Park Service's Pacific West Region in Oakland, Calif., said the superintendent of the park and another staffers had been able to locate only 20 percent of the park's 13 to 15 employees and 30 to 50 volunteers.

Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa, was quoted as saying four tsunami waves 15 to 20 feet high roared ashore soon afterward, reaching up to a mile inland. Bundock said Reynolds spoke to officials from under a coconut tree uphill from Pago Pago Harbor and reported that the park's visitor center and offices appeared to have been destroyed.

Residents in both Samoa and American Samoa reported being shaken awake by the quake, which lasted two to three minutes. It was followed by at least three large aftershocks of at least 5.6 magnitude.

New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the beach village of Sau Sau Beach Fale was leveled.

"It was very quick. The whole village has been wiped out," Ansell told New Zealand's National Radio from a hill near Samoa's capital, Apia. "There's not a building standing. We've all clambered up hills, and one of our party has a broken leg. There will be people in a great lot of need 'round here."

The Samoan capital was virtually deserted with schools and businesses closed.

Local media said they had reports of landslides in the Solosolo region of the main Samoan island of Upolu and damage to plantations in the countryside outside Apia.

Rescue workers found a scene of destruction and debris with cars overturned or stuck in mud, and rockslides hit some roads. Several students were seen ransacking a gas station-convenience store.

Eni Faleomavaega, who represents American Samoa as a non-voting delegate in the U.S. House, said he had talked to people by telephone who said that Pago Pago — just a few feet above sea level — was leveled. Several hundred people had their homes destroyed, although getting more concrete information has been difficult, he said.

In Washington, President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration, making federal funds available to victims in American Samoa.

Rear Adm. Manson Brown, Coast Guard commander for the Pacific region, said the Coast Guard is in the early stages of assessing what resources to send to American Samoa. Coast Guard spokesman Lt. John Titchen said a C-130 was being dispatched Wednesday to deliver aid, asssess damage and take the governor back home. A New Zealand air force P3 Orion maritime search airplane also was being sent.

One of the runways at Pago Pago International Airport was being cleared of widespread debris for emergency use, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said in Los Angeles.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was deploying teams to American Samoa to provide support and assess damage.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of American Samoa and all those in the region who have been affected by these natural disasters," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said.

The dominant industry in American Samoa — tuna canneries — was also affected. Chicken of the Sea's tuna packing plant in American Samoa was forced to close although the facility wasn't damaged, the San Diego-based company said.

The ramifications of the tsunami could be felt thousands of miles away, with federal officials saying strong currents and dangerous waves were forecast from California to Washington state. No major flooding was expected, however.

In Los Angeles, lifeguards said they will clear beaches around 8 p.m. in response to a tsunami advisory for possible dangerous currents.

Japan's Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami warning all along that country's eastern coast.

While the earthquake and tsunami were big, they were not on the same scale of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami that killed more than 150,000 across Asia the day after Christmas in 2004, said tsunami expert Brian Atwater of the U.S. Geological Survey in Seattle.

The 2004 earthquake was at least 10 times stronger than the 8.0 to 8.3 measurements being reported for Tuesday's quake, Atwater said. It's also a different style of earthquake than the one that hit in 2004.

The tsunami hit American Samoa about 25 minutes after the quake, which is similar to the travel time in 2004, Atwater said. The big difference is there were more people in Indonesia at risk than in Samoa.

Associated Press writer Keni Lesa in Apia, Samoa, Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Jaymes Song and Herbert A. Sample in Honolulu and Seth Borenstein and Michele Salcedo in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Who Are You?--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

Who Are You?

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

A dialogue in Lewis Carroll’s tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland illustrates one reason change can be so hard: “Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. . . . Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”1 We’re like Alice in some ways—change fills our days too. And because each change shapes us in undeniable ways, life’s instability may sometimes cause us to question who we really are. But while changes happen around us and to us, what really matters is what happens inside us—the way we cherish loved ones after the loss of a family member, the way we look at life after the birth of a baby, the way we treat strangers after we’ve lived in an unfamiliar place. These are all aspects of our true identity that seem to manifest themselves most clearly after life-changing events. Think back to the changes you have faced. How did you handle the pressure, pain, or even exhaustion that accompanied them? What about the excitement, the creativity, the exhilaration? Did you wait out the shifts and turns hoping to fall back into old ways, or did you cross the bridge to new understanding and catch the vision of fresh opportunity? Did you learn things about yourself that you could not have learned in any other way? The willingness to make the best of an unexpected condition, the desire to keep focused on strengths and goals, to find balance, to move forward with confidence may be signs that we are adjusting, growing, and learning. Startling changes caused Alice to struggle with the caterpillar’s question, “Who are you?” But if we are willing to accept and learn from them, life’s changes can actually help us see who we really are. 1 (1920), 60. Musical Selection: 1. Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah 2. O Divine Redeemer 3. How Firm a Foundation (Organ solo) 4. Oh, May My Soul Commune with Thee 5. Spoken Word 6. Where Love Is 7. Canticle of Faithfulness Program #4175

Admiration--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

Admiration

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Who are the people you most admire, and why? Some admire those who have acquired worldly success, wealth, athletic prowess, prestige, or celebrity. Others look up to those who made a difference in the world or in someone’s life, those who have inspired others to be their best or carry on despite hardship and disappointment. Either way, we all—whether we realize it or not—admire someone. So consider for a moment, what makes a person worthy of your admiration? Almost daily, popular figures emerge on the world’s stage, attract attention for a moment, and then, almost as quickly as they appeared, fade into distant memory. But fame is not admiration; prominence is not a measure of respect. True admiration lasts longer; it’s not fleeting and is never forgotten. Noted rabbi Abraham Heschel once said: “When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”1 Very often, the clever get attention, while the kind, the compassionate, the good-hearted are sometimes set aside, forgotten in our rush for the flashy. But the years have a way of putting popularity and prestige in perspective. Acclaim and accomplishments tend to fade over time, but kindness endures. In the end, we reserve our deepest admiration for those who treated others with love, because it’s love that binds hearts together. Meanwhile, celebrities come and go, flashing across the sky like an occasional comet; but true heroes are as consistent as the rising sun and as timeless as the sparkling stars. And while kind people may not get the headlines or show up on the evening news, they are the people we remember with fondness, even long after they’re gone. They are the people who deserve our admiration. 1 In Harold S. Kushner, When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters (2002), 58. Musical Selections: 1. "Saints Bound for Heaven" 2. "O Holy Jesus" 3. "All Creatures of Our God and King" (Organ solo) 4. "There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today" 5. Spoken Word 6."Come, Ye Children of the Lord" 7. "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" 8. "Hymn of Praise"

I will Lift Up Mine Eyes--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

I will Lift Up Mine Eyes

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

The psalms are among the most beloved poetic works ever written. They have been set to music, recited, and cherished for generations. They speak of hope, of faith, and of a longing for peace. These ancient poems are evidence that people living hundreds of years ago needed reassurance and comfort just as we do today. People have always wondered how things will work out, if life will get better, if heaven is aware of their struggles and challenges. Times have surely changed—nations and people have come and gone—but universal yearnings remain, and inspiring words such as these continue to uplift and encourage: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1–2) The principle taught in this psalm is familiar to experienced hikers. They know to keep their eyes fixed on a reliable landmark in the distance: a tree, a rock, a hill. Then, even if their path takes them in directions they did not expect, as long as they keep that landmark in sight, they eventually reach their destination. Likewise, during our journey of life we can lift our eyes and fix them upon everlasting things. We need to, because the path of our lives is never completely straight; neither is it always upward. Twists and turns, high points and lows mark our course. But lifting our eyes to a steadfast and immovable source of help can reassure us during the rough times. It takes faith to look heavenward when surrounded by difficulties and discouragement. It takes courage to keep going when others have already given up. But as we do, we will be reassured and guided, as was the psalmist so long ago. Program #4173

Nation marks 9/11 with acts of volunteerism

By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer Verena Dobnik, Associated Press Writer Sat Sep 12, 7:00 am ET

NEW YORK – The nation marked the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with rain-soaked remembrances and acts of volunteerism honoring those who rushed into danger to help.

Around the country, Americans packed up care packages for soldiers, planted gardens for low-income families and painted abandoned, boarded-up homes. The anniversary Friday was declared a day of service for the first time this year to pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives to save others from the burning World Trade Center.

Memorials in New York, at the Pentagon and at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania all took place under gray skies.

At the trade center site, volunteers — from soup kitchens, advocacy groups, the Red Cross, the United Way — joined relatives of the lost to read the names of those killed in the twin towers. They spoke under tents to protect against rain.

"I ask that you honor my son and all those who perished eight years ago ... by volunteering, by making some kind of act of kindness in their memory," said Gloria Russin, whose son, Steven Harris Russin, was killed on 9/11.

Hours after the attack and for weeks afterward, volunteers responded to New York City's needs, sending emergency workers to help with the recovery, cards to victims' families, and boxes of supplies.

President Barack Obama, observing his first Sept. 11 as president, declared it a day of service. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recalled acts of post-9/11 selflessness as links "in a continuous chain that stopped us from falling into cynicism and despair."

Eight years later, Americans marked the anniversary with service projects.

Volunteers in Boston stuffed packages for military personnel overseas. In Tennessee and West Virginia, they distributed donated food for the needy. In Chicago, they tilled community gardens, cooked lunch for residents of a shelter and packed food for mothers and babies.

And on the Ohio Statehouse lawn, volunteers arranged nearly 3,000 small American flags in a pattern reminiscent of the trade center's twin towers. At the top was an open space in the shape of a pentagon.

"It's different than just seeing numbers on a paper, when you actually see the flags. It's a visual impact of those lives," said Nikki Marlette, 62, of the Los Angeles suburb of Palos Verdes Estates, visiting Columbus for Saturday's Ohio State-Southern California football game.

Rapper Jay-Z pitched in Friday night with a sold-out Madison Square Garden concert paying tribute to fallen police and firefighters. The proceeds will be donated to the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund.

As the names of the World Trade Center victims were read earlier in the day, some relatives called out greetings and messages of remembrances when they reached the names of their own loved ones.

"We love you, Dad, and we miss you," said Philip Hayes Jr., whose father, long retired from the Fire Department, rushed to the site that 2001 morning and ultimately gave his life.

Theresa Mullan, who lost her firefighter son, Michael, wore a poncho and shivered in the rain as she waited for her son's name to be called. She said she couldn't dream of being anywhere else.

"It's a small inconvenience," she said of the weather. "My son is the one who ran into a burning building."

Moments of silence were observed at 8:46, 9:03, 9:59 and 10:29 a.m. — the precise times that jetliners struck the north and south towers of the trade center and that each tower fell.

At ground zero in lower Manhattan, relatives and friends of victims visited a partially built, street-level Sept. 11 memorial plaza that had not been there a year ago.

The memorial, to be partially complete by the 10th anniversary in 2011, will ultimately include two square pools evoking the towers' footprints, with victims' names surrounding them and waterfalls cascading down the sides.

In Shanksville, Pa., bells tolled for the 40 victims of the fourth hijacked jetliner that crashed there.

Eight years after 2,976 perished in the attacks, Obama vowed at the Pentagon that the United States "will never falter" in pursuit of al-Qaida. "Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still," he said.

On a day already fraught with emotion, the Coast Guard massed vessels in the Potomac River in a training exercise, causing confusion. The exercise took place near the bridge where Obama's motorcade had passed earlier. As a precaution, departures from Reagan National Airport were halted for about 22 minutes at midmorning.

Initial, mistaken reports on two cable news channels said the Coast Guard was firing shots on the river. A group for military families expressed outrage that the Coast Guard exercise was held while families of 9/11 victims were gathered at the Pentagon.

George W. Bush, whose presidency was defined in part by that day, had no public appearances planned. In a statement, he said he and his wife, Laura, were thinking of the victims and their families.

___

Associated Press writers Suzanne Ma in New York, Nancy Benac in Washington and Dan Nephin in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

Dedication blesses two African nations--Cameroon, Rwanda

Church News

Dedication blesses two African nations

Published: Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009

During a historic 16-day tour of Africa on Aug. 16-31, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve dedicated Cameroon and Rwanda for the preaching of the gospel. In so doing, he became the first known apostle to ever set foot in either nation.

Photo courtesy Africa Southeast Area

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, left, Elder Paul Koelliker, center, greet Mayor Masini of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

"A dedicatory experience for a country is always spiritual," Elder Holland said during an interview with the Church News upon his return to Salt Lake City. "These two were particularly spiritual. Maybe it was because it was Africa. Maybe it was because of 'the last shall be first and the first shall be last,' with some who are getting the gospel later in our dispensation responding with such acceptance and delight. Maybe this is all part of 'an African moment.' "

His trip took him to seven countries in all, with the other stops on his itinerary being Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Elder Paul E. Koelliker of the Seventy and Africa Southeast Area president accompanied Elder Holland during his travels.

Photo courtesy Africa Southeast Area

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, second from left, and Elder Paul E. Koelliker stand with the Haile family in Ethiopia. Fikodu Haile earned his Duty to God award.

Cameroon

On Aug. 21 Elder Holland gathered local Church leaders on a green hillside overlooking Cameroon's capital city of Yaounde and dedicated the country for the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the Church. Standing on a large stone overlooking the city, he referenced the second chapter of Daniel regarding a stone being cut out of the mountain without hands and filling the earth, even the far reaches of the earth like Cameroon.

Later in the day, approximately 600 people gathered to hear Elder Holland speak at Yaounde's City Center. The building has a large rock atop its roof; the apostle elicited smiles from the congregation by commenting about how quickly the rock had moved from the side of the hill to the middle of the city following the dedicatory prayer.

Rwanda

Elder Holland dedicated Rwanda on Aug. 27 during a sacred moment on the top of a mountain overlooking the capital city, Kigali. Eric K. Hyde, president of the Kigali Branch, openly wept during the proceedings.

Photo courtesy Africa Southeast Area

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland greets young members of the Church in Uganda during his Africa tour.

"We are doing all we can, Father in Heaven, to reach to heaven," Elder Holland said during the dedicatory prayer. "We ask Thee with great affection, loyalty and love that Thou would bring heaven down to us. We ask that Thou would receive us here, as we stand tip-toe to enter Thy presence, feel Thy Spirit and build Thy kingdom."

Highlights

The African journey began when Elder Holland left Utah Aug. 16 and landed in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on Aug. 18. While in Ethiopia, he spoke to missionaries, held a large fireside, and visited the home of Brother and Sister Yonas Haile. Their son, Fikodu, a 17-year-old priest, humbly showed Elder Holland his signed and completed Duty to God booklet. Fikodu is the first young man in Ethiopia to earn the award.

During a stake conference Aug. 22-23 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Elder Holland divided the Kinshasa DR Congo Masini Stake to create the Kinshasa DR Congo Kimbanseke Stake — DR Congo's eighth stake. Nearly 2,700 members gathered in two meetinghouses with the conference being broadcast from one location to the other over a local cable channel.

Photos courtesy Africa Southeast Area

George Kijjambu, 9, conducts an 80-voice children's choir during a meeting that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland addressed while in Kampala, Uganda.

Not wanting to disappoint the members gathered in the auxiliary chapel, Elders Holland and Koelliker asked members seated there to remain for a few minutes following the conclusion of the meeting so they could come and personally greet those members. The second building was filled to capacity. Members in both meetinghouses expressed gratitude at the chance to see and hear an apostle of the Lord.

"They had 56 men sustained to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood in just that one stake conference," Elder Holland said. "The Church in Africa is definitely growing."

Elder Holland took advantage of a five-hour plane layover in Nairobi, Kenya, to disembark and speak to the zone leaders of the Kenya Nairobi Mission.

Photo courtesy Africa Southeast Area

Church members gather with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve to witness the dedication of the African nation of Rwanda for the preaching of the gospel. The dedication was part of Elder Holland's seven-nation tour.

In Uganda, 9-year-old George Kijjambu impressed Elder Holland by leading an 80-voice choir of Primary children through a rendition of this year's new Primary hymn, "My Eternal Family," in front of 1,500 people. Elder Holland brought laughter to the audience when he said he was taking George's name back to Mack Wilberg of the Tabernacle Choir "just in case Brother Wilberg is thinking of retiring."

Also in Uganda, Elder Holland paid a visit to the New Hope for Africa school and orphanage. Nearly 150 orphans ages 4 to 17 live at New Hope for Africa, where the Church is providing new living quarters and other supplies for learning.

"I thought 'New Hope for Africa' was a wonderful metaphor for everything the gospel is doing," he said in the Church News interview. "But we still have a lot of work, a lot of challenges, a lot of Africa we're still not in."

Photo courtesy Africa Southeast Area

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, left, and Elder Paul E. Koelliker greet the mayor of the Masini district of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Elder Holland's travels wound down with a district conference Aug. 29-30 for the Mutare Zimbabwe District. He subsequently returned to Salt Lake City Aug. 31 after more than two weeks in the field.

"I want the Saints to know that Africa is one of the bright, beautiful emerging frontiers of the Church," he said. "It sounds ominous sometimes just to hear the word 'Africa' because we think of dangers. Like any other place there can be dangers, but for the Church and the members it is one highlight after another, one bright spot after another.

"These people are so given to faith. I've often thought that perhaps the Lord in His justice, mercy and outreach made up for what they don't have in material blessings by giving them an extra measure of spiritual blessing and insight."

Photo courtesy Africa Southeast Area

Church members gather around Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, at the site where he dedicated the African nation for the preaching of the gospel during his tour of Africa.

Elder Holland referred to some literary references of Africa being "the dark continent."

He said he doesn't agree with that description. What is his description of Africa? "With the gospel of Jesus Christ it's a beautiful bright light to the world."

— Elder Eric Jackson of the Africa Southeast Area, and Jamshid Askar and Gerry Avant of Church News

© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company

Basketball team from Kueishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan won the 2nd place in Williamsport Little League World Game

Park View Little League Wins 2009 Little League Baseball World Series Championship

By Communications Division
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.
August 31, 2009

A World Championship game crowd of more than 32,000 helped Little League International welcome Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Chris Drury, Captain of the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers, into to the Little League Hall of Excellence, then settled in to watch Park View Little League from Chula Vista, Calif., defeat Chinese Taipei’s Kuei-Shan Little League, 6-3, to win the 63rd Little League Baseball World Series.

Vice President Biden and Mr. Drury were honored prior the World Championship game, and enjoyed the game from their seats behind home plate at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. The vice president, stayed for the duration of the game and assisted Stephen D. Keener, Little League President and Chief Executive Officer; and Dennis Lewin, Chairman of the Little League International Board of Directors, with the presentation of the World Championship banner.

The World Championship game story is available here: http://www.littleleague.org/series/2009divisions/llbb/gamestories/30Sunday/game32/gamestory_template.html

Results from all 32 games of the 2009 Little League Baseball World Series are available here: http://www.littleleague.org/series/2009divisions/llbb/series.htm

Images from the World Series are available here: http://www.littleleague.org/worldseries/gallery.html

The win by Park View Little League was the fifth straight World Series Championship for a team from the United States, and marked the 31st time a U.S. team has won the title.

On six occasions, a league from the state of California has now been crowned the best Little League team. Prior to this year, the last time a team from California won the World Series was 1993, when Long Beach defeated Chiriqui Little League of Panama, 3-2, in the world championship game. California has won the United States championship 16 times.

Kuei-Shan Little League made its first appearance in the Little League Baseball World Series.

Representing the Asia-Pacific Region, the team from Chinese Taipei was the most recent team from that area of the world to reach the World Series. Excluding the U.S., Chinese Taipei has won the most Little League Baseball World Series (17).

The Healing Power of Art--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

The Healing Power of Art

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Convincing evidence and lived experience tell us that our emotions are linked to our well-being. And while common sense is not always common practice, it’s clear that improving our attitudes and perspectives can have a positive influence on our overall health. One of the best ways to lift our emotional and physical outlook is through creating and enjoying works of art. A health professional said, “By engaging in dance, poetry or music, people are likely to initiate processes that help them manage stress, reduce negative mood states and perhaps change behavior that we know impacts cardiovascular risk and recovery.” 1 That’s the healing power of art. Whatever our level of well-being, art can lift and improve it. One young woman who had undergone two heart transplants found it emotionally healing to turn the details of her medical challenges into poems and stories. Her nightmares went away, her stress was relieved, and she had a distraction from pain and depression.2 Another patient found that inspirational music gave him a sense of serenity and strength, a feeling of hope that things will work out. Art connects with our soul: music can soothe the troubled heart; poetry and good literature can boost our spirits; a beautiful painting or inspiring performance can take us to a calming place that, for a moment, brings some comfort and peace. Imagine what the world would be like with no creative expression, no music, no poetry or literature, no colorful paintings or beautiful sculptures—how empty and dull life would be. Nobody should have to live in a world like that. Art can affect not only our health but our entire outlook on the world. It not only enriches life—in a sense it is life. The well-known author Henry James observed, “It is art that makes life…, and I know of no substitute whatever for [its] force and beauty.”3 1 Joshua Smyth, in Ron Winslow, “In Search of the Science behind the Healing Powers of Art,” Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2009, D3. 2 See “The Healing Powers of Art,” D3. 3 Theory of Fiction (1972), 91. Program #4172

Dedicatory Prayer of Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple

Church News

Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple: 'Magnificent edifice'

Published: Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009

Following is the text of the prayer offered in dedicating the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple. President Thomas S. Monson, who wrote the prayer, offered it in eight of the nine dedicatory sessions Aug. 21-23. President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, read the prayer during the concluding session.

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O God, our Eternal Father, Thou almighty Elohim, Creator of the heavens, the earth and all things thereon, in the name of Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, we come before Thee this day with bowed heads, full hearts and subdued spirits.

Jason Olson, Deseret News

The Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple, perched on a hill in the southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley, was dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson in nine sessions Aug. 21-23, including two on Sunday that were broadcast to stake centers throughout Utah. The temple is the Church's 130th.

We are grateful for the knowledge Thou hast given us that Thou art our Father, to whom we may turn for inspiration and guidance, for revelation and strength in time of trouble and distress.

O Father, wilt Thou grant unto us Thy guidance and Thy Holy Spirit while we are gathered on this sacred occasion. May the channels of communication between Thee and us be open, and wilt Thou smile upon us and cause us to feel and know that we are partakers of Thy divine Spirit. Overlook our follies and our weaknesses and let us come before Thee in sincerity of heart and purity of life, that what we say and do here will be in harmony with Thy mind and will.

We thank Thee for the gift of Thy Beloved Son, who came into the world according to Thy divine plan to establish on earth the way for us to return to Thy presence.

We thank Thee for the infinite love manifested in the atoning sacrifice of Thy Son, who gave Himself a ransom for all, who broke the bands of death and opened the gates of salvation to all of Thy children. We praise His holy name. His atonement gives purpose to our being and turns our thoughts heavenward.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Situated on a hill with its namesake mountain range in the background, the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple was dedicated Aug. 21-23. President Thomas S. Monson read the dedicatory prayer during the first session on Friday morning.

We are grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost to lead us to a knowledge of Thy everlasting truth, and that as we accept and follow that truth and cleanse and perfect our lives, we may become worthy to stand spotless before Thee at the last day.

We express our gratitude for the ushering in of a new dispensation, even the dispensation of the fulness of times, by Thine own appearance and the appearance of Thy Beloved Son to the boy Joseph Smith, to open the heavens and to restore to the world the knowledge of Thee and Thy Son and Thy holy purposes.

We are grateful for this long-awaited day of dedication, when this, Thy Holy House, has been completed. Bless, we pray Thee, those faithful members here and throughout the world who have contributed their tithes which have made possible this magnificent edifice for Thy name's honor and glory and for the blessing of all who enter herein. We are grateful for those who have given so generously of their means, their time, their skills, and their strength to make possible this sacred house. May each contributor rejoice in the opportunity to assist in Thy holy work. Wilt Thou open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon them. May they be assured of the gratitude of those uncounted millions who have passed beyond this life, for whom the prison doors may now be opened and deliverance proclaimed through the devoted service of Thy people in this and other sacred temples.

The Plan of Salvation taught in the temple with simplicity, yet with power, will be as a never-failing beacon of divine light to guide our footsteps and keep them constantly on the pathway of eternal life.

Father in Heaven bless, we pray Thee, the President of the Church and his counselors who comprise the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Quorums of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric, that they might always have Thy guiding influence and inspiration. In every thought, word and act may they glorify Thy name.

Bless those who preside in the stakes and wards, the districts and branches of the Church, that they may be equal to the responsibilities placed upon them.

Bless thy servants who preside over the missions of the Church, together with all of the missionaries who have gone forth to proclaim to the peoples of the earth the restoration of the gospel and the Plan of Salvation. Protect them from all harm. Bless them with the gifts and powers of their ministry. Bless their families, that they may be sustained in peace and comfort.

Let Thy Spirit be poured out upon all who teach in Thy Church, that they may build the faith and increase the understanding of those they instruct in the principles of the gospel.

Frustrate the designs of the adversary against Thy people and Thy work, and may the efforts of all who fight against Zion come to naught. May Thy glorious work roll on in majesty and power to fill the whole earth.

Bless the temple president and his counselors, together with their wives, and all who will assist in the operation of this temple.

Bless thy children throughout the world who know hunger, who have no shelter and who face daily suffering. May we reach out in a spirit of love and true charity to those who yearn for our help.

In a time of departure from safe moorings, may youth of the noble birthright carry on in the traditions of their parents and grandparents. They are subjected to the sophistries of Satan. Help them stand firm for truth. Open wide to their view the gates of learning, of understanding, of service in Thy kingdom. Bless them with a lengthened view of their eternal possibilities.

We express our gratitude for all who have participated in the preparations for this day of dedication, as well as for those who made possible the successful open house event. We ask Thy blessings to attend all who walked within these sacred walls and felt stirring thoughts course through their minds and hearts. May the spirit of the temple continue with them.

Now, Father, according to the pattern Thou hast given, and in harmony with the course established by Thy servants who have gone before, and acting in the authority of that priesthood which is after the order of Thy Son and in His holy name, we dedicate this, the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We dedicate it as a house of baptism, a house of endowment, a house of sealing, a house of righteousness—for the living and for the dead.

We humbly pray, Father, that Thou wilt accept this holy edifice. Pour out Thy blessings upon it and let Thy spirit attend and guide all who officiate herein, that holiness will prevail in every room. May all who enter have clean hands and pure hearts, and may they participate with faith in the ordinances to be given herein and depart with a feeling of peace, praising Thy holy name.

We dedicate the ground on which the temple stands. We dedicate the beautiful structure, from the unseen footings to the majestic figure of Moroni crowning its highest point. We dedicate the baptistry, all of the facilities for administering the sacred ordinances, the endowment rooms, the sealing rooms with their sacred altars, and the lovely celestial room, together with all ancillary facilities and the beautiful grounds with their lawns, flowers, trees and shrubs. Protect all from any devastating influence, destruction or defacement.

May all that is done herein be done with an eye single to Thy glory and to the building of Thy kingdom here upon the earth.

O, Holy Father, bless us with the peace promised by Thy Son. Shield us from selfishness or sin and provide the power that we might rise above all that is sordid or below the dignity of Thy children.

And now we dedicate this temple as an abode for Thee and Thy Son. Wilt Thou place Thy ratifying seal of approval upon this dedicatory service and upon all we have done and shall do in this, Thy Holy House, which we now present to Thee.

May we, Thy children, merit Thy bounteous blessings and Thy watchful care, we pray, in the name of Thy Beloved Son, even the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord. Amen.

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Text copyright Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company