October 2007 Ensign
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they help others, and they go the extra mile to lift and bless people in all walks of life and in all human conditions.” At the press conference, Elder Ballard stood among missionaries he said exempli- fied the missionary spirit. They included a native African couple from Kenya called to © 2007 INTELLECTUAL RESERVE,© 2007 INTELLECTUAL INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED preside over a mission in Nigeria; a pair of young sister missionaries, one from South Korea and one from Mexico, serving on Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City; a senior couple from Utah serv- ing a humanitarian mission that takes them all over the Elder Saldanha (left) from Brazil put a promising soccer career on hold to serve a mission. world helping to provide clean water to many commu- One Million Missionaries, young elder from India served nities; and a pair of young in Toronto, Canada, and a men, one from Brazil and one Thirteen Million Members retired couple left children from Idaho, who just entered and grandchildren to help the Missionary Training hey are as much a sym- organization of the Church.” dig clean water wells in West Center in preparation to bol of the Church as “It is not possible to pin- Africa. Missionaries serve serve in Japan. Tthe Salt Lake Temple point exactly who the mil- where they are assigned, not The young men, Samuel and the Mormon Tabernacle lionth missionary is,” said knowing beforehand where in Pelaquim and Brandon Choir—clean-cut, well- Elder M. Russell Ballard of the world that may be.” Soelberg, are both postpon- dressed young men and the Quorum of the Twelve In fact, the work these vol- ing college to spend the next women on bikes or on foot Apostles during a news confer- unteer missionaries perform two years of their lives with- going door-to-door with a ence while at the orientation is as diverse as the missionar- out television, dating, and gospel message. Mormon sessions with 118 new mission ies themselves. On any given other teenage activities to missionaries have fanned presidents. “We do know that day missionaries are working preach the gospel. “Some across the globe since the young men and women, sen- on everything from assisting people think I’m giving up a earliest days of the Church ior sisters, and couples have with humanitarian projects lot to serve a mission,” said and in the process have volunteered to serve at their and helping others trace their Elder Soelberg. “But the real- reached a major milestone. own or family expense in family history to helping with ity is I feel I have a lot to “We have made great spreading this message to public affairs efforts and give. I have always known I progress in our missionary 145 nations and territories.” teaching the restored gospel wanted to serve a mission, so work in recent years,” said Emphasizing the impor- of Jesus Christ. it doesn’t really feel like a sac- President Gordon B. Hinckley tance of understanding the “From personal experi- rifice to me. I need to do this; at the Missionary Training mosaic of missionaries this ence I can tell you that they I want to do this.” Center in Provo during the milestone represents, Elder study, they pray, they worry Elder Pelaquim agreed. “It most recent New Mission Ballard spoke of the unique intensely about each child of is a wonderful opportunity to Presidents’ Training Seminar. traits that make each of these God and especially the souls serve,” he said. “Since I was “We have more missionaries million missionaries special. of those they are able to very young I have noticed a —and more effective mission- “A young Peruvian sister teach,” said Elder Ballard. difference between my other aries. It is reliably estimated grilled hamburgers at a street “They face rejection and friends and me. They had that a million missionaries cart to finance her mission in sometimes verbal abuse. But problems that I did not have served since the her home country,” he said. “A they soldier on. They serve, have to worry about, and I 76 have always known that it was booklet are available through the gospel that made that God Loveth His Children distribution centers. The difference.” booklet will also be available It’s that difference that Booklet Released on the Church’s Web site in brought Unbyul Cho’s par- these languages. ■ ents into the Church, accord- he First Presidency has and potential, the plan of ing to the 22-year-old from released a new booklet, happiness, self-mastery, filling Seoul, South Korea. “I’ve Ttitled God Loveth His a life with goodness, and always wondered what would Children, aimed at helping going forward in life. have happened to my family both those who struggle with The booklet will be avail- and me if the missionaries same-gender attraction and able in 27 languages and will hadn’t served in Korea,” she members of their families. be distributed through stake, said. “I wanted to serve a mis- “We encourage all branch, and mission leaders. sion to help others have the leaders to reach out with The languages include: ASL, same blessings my family love and understanding to Cebuano, Chinese, Danish, enjoys.” those affected by same- Dutch, English, English Likewise, Gazelem Munoz gender attraction,” the First Braille, Fijian, Finnish, saw several family members Presidency said. “As you do French, German, Hungarian, join the Church in her native so, please remember to teach Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Mexico. “It changed my fam- true doctrine, as explained in Korean, Norwegian, ily. It changed my life, and the . booklet, and to coun- Portuguese, Russian, Samoan, hopefully it will help to sel in a spirit of warmth and Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, God Loveth His Children is change for good other peo- love.” Tahitian, Thai, Tongan, and a booklet aimed at helping ple’s lives as I [teach] them The booklet discusses the Ukrainian. those who struggle with as a missionary.” nature of individual identity Additional copies of the same-gender attraction. The news conference was held next to a life-size bronze statue of Samuel Smith, the Historic Church Property drove the flames toward the Church’s first missionary. In property at between 40 and 1830, the year the Lord Spared During Fire 60 miles per hour (65 to 95 restored the Church through n July 7, 2007, the Church’s historic Cove Fort, km per hour). But despite the Prophet Joseph Smith, Milford Flat fire, the which originally served as a the absence of firefighters or there were only 16 missionar- Olargest blaze ever home and shelter for early physical barriers, the fort, an ies called. Now, 177 years later, seen in the state of Utah, pioneers. outlying barn, and the eight some 53,000 missionaries— burned dangerously close to The fort was evacu- young men, young women, but miraculously spared the ated as high winds senior sisters, and senior cou- ples—currently serve in nearly 350 missions through- out the world. And their work is striking a chord with many. President Hinckley also announced that Church membership DESERET MORNING NEWS has now reached 13 million, spread all across the world. There continue to be more members outside of the United States than inside, reflecting the global depth and diversity of Church WINTERTON/ SCOTT BY PHOTOGRAPH membership. ■ Flames from the Milford Flat Fire in Utah soar into the sky just off I-15 near Cove Fort. ENSIGN OCTOBER 2007 77 trailers that house most of The hardest hit areas were the couple missionaries serv- Church Reacts Quickly the cities of Ica and Pisco. ing at the fort were spared. Authorities in Pisco estimated “There was no damage to Major Peru Earthquake that more than 70 percent of whatsoever to the fort,” said the city had been destroyed. Elder Kent Jones, director of he Church worked South America West Area Rescue teams trying to get the historic site. “There’s no closely with govern- Presidency, Church members to Ica, Pisco, and other rural question in our minds that Tment leaders and other immediately responded to towns southwest of Lima, the the trailer park and fort were emergency response organi- those in need. Limited food capital, found roads broken protected.” zations to identify and meet was provided to four meet- up and power knocked When he returned to the urgent needs in Peru after a inghouses that temporarily out. Hospitals reported the site following the evacua- devastating 8.0 magnitude housed more than 600 number of injured was tion, Elder Jones says it earthquake struck just off Church members, relatives, overwhelming. appeared that the fire had the coast on the evening of and neighbors. The Area The earthquake was burned to within 150 feet Wednesday, August 15, 2007, Presidency members visited centered 25 miles west- (46 m) of a barn located killing hundreds and leaving the affected areas to provide northwest of Chincha Alta, about 200 feet (61 m) from more than 1,500 people support. 90 miles south-southeast of the fort, but had stopped in injured. Small truckloads of food Lima, and about 25 miles knee-high field grass and Early reports confirmed were sent to each meeting- below the earth’s surface. turned in a different direc- seven Church members house early the following The major quake prompted a tion. The fire had also were dead and more were morning. Within 36 hours the tsunami warning, but this was burned right up to the injured. More than 70 mem- Church was loading a 747 later canceled. trailer park property line but ber homes were among cargo plane at the Salt Lake The earthquake was felt didn’t jump the road that the thousands of homes International Airport with nearly 100 miles from its epi- circles the trailers.