To Every Kindred, Nation, and Tongue
Today is Chinese (Lunar) New Year! Last week all the missionaries got together for a traditional Chinese New Year dinner. As part of the festivities Sister Croft and I dressed up in a lion costume and did a lion dance. During our 60 seconds, we bumped into the wall once and I hit Sister Croft with the lion head once, but we had fun and there are no lasting injuries!
Since we were married we have always celebrated Chinese New Year in our home, but there are many homes in American that don't have any traditions around this Asian holiday. That includes my childhood home where we celebrated English boxing day. (Yes, my kids got to celebrate boxing day too.) Family to family and country to country there are many cultural differences including: language, food, architecture, clothing, cash, appliances, holidays, traditions and so on. Despite those sometimes large differences, I have had two distinct experiences in the last two months that have impressed on me how we are all alike as children of God.
Soon after our arrival in Taidong we attended the local stake conference. "Local" is probably not a good word to describe it though. The stake stretches from Hualien to Taidong. Traveling between the two chapels in the stakes takes about 3 hours by car. I was a little surprised that they were having a Saturday evening session and a Sunday morning session, just like we do in Utah. I wondered how they would handle all the travel and whether anyone would come Saturday evening. Even in Utah, where it is about a 5 minute trip, Saturday evening isn't well attended.
I was very impressed! Some people drove, but most rode on a rented a bus. The bus came down Saturday so they could attend both meetings. Many of the visiting members stayed overnight with the members near the stake center and the members arranged food for one another. It was amazing! And the Saturday evening session, ... it seemed to be attended by all the adults who attended the Sunday morning session! Sunday morning they had a great youth choir. They practiced together a few times that morning (since they came from both ends of the stake and couldn't practice together in advance) and then sang in front of a visiting general authority. The general authority released a stake president who served for 12 years in that calling, and a total of 26 straight years including as Bishop and district president.
Everything was so impressive! The members who participated were living the gospel of Jesus Christ and striving to follow Him! Participation has dropped a lot after Covid and there are many people who have joined the church but haven't ever participated much, but there is so much good happening and so many great people sacrificing and consecrating their lives to the church and following Jesus Christ. They are exemplary, beloved, children of God and they are receiving blessings from Him!
The other experience came as I attended the Taipei Temple last week. First of all, I should point out that the cheapest way for members in Taidong to attend the temple is to take a 10 hour bus trip. From September to December that was the only public transportation option, because the train line was damaged in an earthquake. That has been repaired, so now there is a 4 hour express train option that costs about $60 per person round trip. They are also looking forward to a new temple in Kaohsiung that will be about 2.5 hours away, but it was just announced and won't be built for three or more years. This is so different than my house in Salt Lake where I can get to 3 temples in about 20 minutes for a little bit of gas money.
Anyway, as I sat in the temple with a headset listening to the English version of the ceremony while the speakers in the room played the Mandarin version, I had a strong spiritual feeling that God loves all his children. That the gospel is for all races and all cultures and all languages, and that God invites everyone to live his commandments and come to His house to make covenants with Him. He wants to bless us all!
This reminds me of a few scriptures. I think this one says it the best, it is a prophecy written before Christ was born and is recorded in the Book of Mormon:
And the Lord God hath sent his holy prophets among all the children of men, to declare these things to every kindred, nation, and tongue, that thereby whosoever should believe that Christ should come, the same might receive remission of their sins, and rejoice with exceedingly great joy, even as though he had already come among them. (Mosiah 3:13)
We all have reason to rejoice no matter our culture or language. Christ has come to the earth and overcome death and atoned for our sins. We will be resurrected! We can repent and be healed from our own sins and from harm done to us by others. We can make covenants with God and be sealed together as families for eternity! It is a happy, hopeful, new year!
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