AFRICA WEST AREA LOCAL PAGES PAGES LOCAL AREA WEST AFRICA

AREA PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Teaching in the Savior’s Way By Elder LeGrand Curtis, Jr. Elder LeGrand President, Africa West Area Presidency Curtis, Jr.

hen Nicodemus visited Jesus inspired questions, scriptural quota- His magnificent perfect example—His early in the Savior’s ministry, tions, similes, metaphors, and a variety most effective teaching method of all. W he began by acknowledging that Jesus of other effective teaching tools. He As members of His Church, we was “a teacher come from God” ( John loved those whom He taught, and He are also called upon to be teachers. 3:2). Jesus was that, and much more. taught them with words and exam- The most important teaching that we Part of His role as our Savior and ples that they could understand. He do is within our families as parents Redeemer was to teach us the way taught large groups, small groups, who teach their children on a daily to eternal life, made possible by His and even one person at a time. He basis, and as we teach each other in atoning sacrifice for us. taught those who loved Him dearly our family home evenings. As Relief We see in the Gospels the accounts and those who hated Him and sought Society members and priesthood of Christ’s life, and in His ministry to take His life. He taught on the holders, we also are assigned to go among the Nephites recorded in land, on the sea, indoors, outdoors— into the homes of members and 3 Nephi, the work of the Master wherever there were people to teach. teach as visiting teachers and home Teacher. He taught with parables, Underscoring all of His teaching was teachers. As we are asked to speak

August 2016 A1 These teacher council meetings will typically be conducted by the ward or branch Sunday School pres- idency. The meetings will provide opportunities for teachers to discuss successes and challenges in their teaching experiences. Time will be provided in the meetings to learn and practice new teaching skills. Discussion materials for these meet- ings are provided in a new booklet, Teaching in the Savior’s Way, which will be provided to all teachers and leaders. This booklet, in addition to being helpful for the conduct of the teacher council meetings, is also a great resource for teachers to study to improve their teaching. It also has helps for leaders in orienting in sacrament or other meetings, or group will be invited to a teacher new teachers. There is also a web- we are also called upon to teach. council meeting. This meeting will site, teaching.lds.org, where a digital Leaders of auxiliaries, quorums, be held during the block time in the version of the booklet, helpful videos, and other Church organizations also hour that the teacher is not teaching. and other materials may be found. have opportunities to teach both in That is, the Sunday School teachers This new effort to support teach- formal settings and in one-on-­ one­ will attend a teacher council meeting ers and help them teach even more counseling. during the third hour of the block, and effectively will be a blessing to all of Almost all of us will also have the the priesthood, Young Women, and the members of the Church, including opportunity, at different times in our Relief Society teachers attend a teacher those in West Africa. We will never service in the Church, to be called as council meeting during the second completely be able to teach as the teachers in the different organizations hour of the block. The Primary teachers Savior did, but as we use these new of the Church. When called, we are will attend whichever of these teacher tools and participate in teacher coun- typically given instruction, a class roll, council meetings do not conflict with cil meetings, we will mirror, better and and teaching materials to help us get their teaching time. Means will be better, Christ’s way of teaching. The started. A new, important resource for provided to help care for the children Lord said, “Teach ye diligently and my those called to such teaching posi- while they are in opening exercises grace shall attend you” (D&C 88:78). tions has just been introduced in the and sharing time so that the teachers Part of our diligent teaching will now Church. Each month, each teacher can miss sharing time the week that include participating in these very in an auxiliary or priesthood quorum they have a teacher council meeting. helpful teacher council meetings. ◼

A2 Liahona AFRICA WEST AREA LOCAL PAGES LOCAL AREA WEST AFRICA

CHURCH HISTORY COLUMN Church Announces a New Africa West Area Presidency Adapted from an article in Mormon Newsroom,

he First Presidency of The Church administer ecclesiastical and temporal statistics from Sydney University with of Jesus Christ of Latter-day­ Saints affairs for the Church in various parts an education and teaching diploma T announced that the new Africa West of the world. from Sydney Teachers College. In Area Presidency of the Church will be The Africa West Area includes 1990, he received a financial planning Elder Terence M. Vinson, President; , Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, diploma from Deakin University and a Elder Marcus B. Nash, First Counselor; Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, master’s degree in applied finance in and Elder Vern P. Stanfill, Second Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, , Mali, 1996 from Macquarie University. His Counselor. Mauritania, Maritius, Niger, Nigeria, career has involved teaching math, as Elder Vinson succeeds Elder São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, well as training and lecturing at univer- LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., who has served , , and Western sities. His main occupation for the last alongside his wife, Jane, for the last Sahara. There are more than 273,000 23 years has been as a financial advis- five years in the Africa West Area. Latter-day­ Saints in the Africa West er. He recently retired as joint CEO Elder Curtis will move to Salt Lake City, Area—part of a worldwide member- and chairman of Northhaven Wealth Utah, USA, and become the Assistant ship approaching 16 million. Management. Executive Director of the Priesthood Members, missionaries, and congre- Since joining the Church in 1974, and Family Department and assistant gations of The Church of Jesus Christ Elder Vinson has served in numerous in the supervision of the Utah areas. of Latter-day­ Saints have been in the callings, including bishop’s counselor, The changes will take effect on Africa West Area since 1978. bishop, high councilor, stake presi- August 1, 2016. Elder Vinson has been serving as the dent’s counselor, regional represen- Members of Latter-day­ Saint Area First Counselor in the Africa West Area. tative, mission president’s counselor, presidencies are witnesses of Jesus In 1974, Elder Vinson received a ordinance worker, and Area Christ who teach the gospel and bachelor’s degree in mathematics and Seventy.

Elder Marcus B. Nash, First Counsellor Elder Terence M. Vinson, President Elder Vern P. Stanfill, Second Counsellor

August 2016 A3 Terence Michael Vinson was Marcus Bell Nash was born in Seattle, During this time he was involved in born in Sydney, New South Wales, Washington, USA, on March 26, 1957. managing a portfolio of real estate Australia, in March 1951. He married He married Shelley Hatch in May 1979. and financial instruments, as well as Kay Anne Carden in May 1974. They They are the parents of five children. structuring philanthropic and estate are the parents of six children. Elder Vern P. Stanfill was sustained matters. Elder Stanfill holds both com- Elder Marcus B. Nash was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The mercial fixed wing and rotorcraft rat- as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day­ ings and has been involved in aviation Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day­ Saints on April 4, 2015, at age 57. At the for both business and pleasure. Saints on April 1, 2006. time of his call he had been serving as Elder Stanfill has served in a number At the time of his call he had been a member of the Sixth Quorum of the of Church callings, including full-time­ serving as a member of the Fifth Seventy in the North America Central missionary in the France Toulouse Quorum of the Seventy in the North Area. He is currently serving as a mem- Mission, executive secretary, elders America Northwest Area. He has served ber of the Africa West Area Presidency. quorum president, bishop’s counselor, as President of the South America Elder Stanfill received a bachelor’s bishop, high councilor, stake presi- West and South America Northwest degree in agricultural economics dent’s counselor, high priests group Areas and as assistant in the North from Brigham YoungUniversity in leader, and stake president. America Northeast and North America 1981. He started his career in man- Vern Perry Stanfill was born Southeast Areas. He has also served aging the family ranch in large cattle, in Townsend, Montana, USA, on as an Assistant Executive Director in hay, and grain operations. He sold this August 8, 1957. He married Alicia the Church History and Correlation business in 1998 and became involved Cecile Cox in 1980. They are the par- Departments and as the Executive in managing family assets and trusts. ents of four children. ◼ Director of the Correlation Department and as a member of the Boundary and Leadership Change Committee. Elder Nash graduated from LOCAL NEWS Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and earned a law degree Elder Rasband Testifies from the J. Reuben Clark Law School to the Faithful in West Africa at Brigham Young University. He was From an article contributed by Gerry Avant a partner in a major Seattle law firm at the time of his call as a Seventy. embers in the Takoradi Elder Ronald A. Rasband took spir- Elder Nash has served in many MGhana Stake line up to itual nourishment to Latter-day­ Saints Church callings, including full-­time mis- shake hands with Elder Ronald A. in the West African nations of Nigeria sionary in the El Salvador San Salvador Rasband of the Quorum of the and Ghana as he fulfilled an assign- Mission, stake president, bishop, ward Twelve Apostles on March 19 after ment March 10–21 to a part of the world Young Men president, elders quorum the Saturday evening session of their where many of the gospel’s pioneers are president, and Gospel Doctrine teacher. stake conference. spoken of in the present tense.

A4 Liahona AFRICA WEST AREA LOCAL PAGES LOCAL AREA WEST AFRICA

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gives counsel to missionaries serving in the Ghana and Ghana Accra West Missions on Sister Melanie T. Rasband, Sister March 14, 2016. Jane C. Curtis, and Sister Kay Vinson traveled with their husbands and addressed various groups of members. In Nigeria, Elder Rasband addressed members in a combined conference

for the three stakes in Aba on March 13. The conference was held in the stake center on the grounds of the Aba Nigeria Temple complex. “The members filled the stake center and a tent outside with closed circuit TV. There were as many mem- bers outside as there were inside,”

Members in the Takoradi Ghana Stake line up to shake hands with Elder Elder Curtis said. “Elder Rasband Ronald A. Rasband on March 19 after the Saturday evening session of went to the conference early; peo- their stake conference. ple were there an hour ahead of the meeting. Elder Rasband shook hands and talked to the people. There was Elder Rasband joined a few of they are loved and appreciated,” Elder a great feeling of love that went both the Apostles who have been able Rasband said. ways—from Elder Rasband to the to visit the Aba Nigeria Temple site Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. of people and from the people to Elder since President Gordon B. Hinckley the Seventy and President of the Rasband. (1910–2008) dedicated the temple on Africa West Area accompanied Elder “It rained very hard that day, yet peo- August 7, 2005. Rasband on his assignment to Nigeria. ple came in great numbers to receive “The members were thirsty for the Elder Terence Vinson of the Seventy the blessing of having a member of the word of the Lord. They were thirsty and a counselor in the Africa West Quorum of the Twelve Apostles come and hungry for one of the leaders of Area Presidency accompanied him and spend time with them.” the Church to come and tell them that in Ghana. Elder Curtis said, “They are a remarkably faithful people. We have a hard time scheduling all the visits to Missionaries from the the temple that the members through- Ghana Accra and Ghana out Nigeria wish to make.” Accra West Missions attend a meeting over Elder Rasband said after traveling which Elder Ronald A. the roads to the temple he regarded Rasband presided on the site as an oasis. “It’s just beautiful. March 14, 2016. We walked through the temple and then met with missionaries serving in

August 2016 A5 the Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission in had a little meeting with some of the 1978. After he was baptized that year, the stake center on the grounds of the original pioneer Saints who were he taught the people whom he had temple complex.” there at the time of the organization unofficially baptized that they needed After they left Aba, Elder and Sister of the first branch in Ghana,” Elder to have the ordinance performed by Rasband went to Accra, Ghana, where Rasband said. those holding priesthood authority, they were met and accompanied by The branch members were taught which had then become available to Elder and Sister Stanfill. the gospel by William “Billy” Johnson all worthy males in the Church. On March 14, they held a devotion- before he was baptized. In the early “We could see how happy they al in the Ghana Missionary Training 1960s, having received some literature are,” Elder Rasband said. “That was Center and then, in the stake center about the Church, he wrote to Church a priceless experience, to meet with on the Accra Temple complex, met headquarters requesting more informa- those early Ghanaian Saints who with missionaries serving in the Ghana tion and asking for missionaries to be began this whole wonderful expan- Accra and Ghana Accra West Missions. sent to Ghana. Then-Church­ President sion of the Church in Ghana.” Elder Rasband presided over the Africa David O. McKay (1873–1970) wrote On March 20, Elder Rasband and West Area Interim Mission Presidents’ back, saying that in the Lord’s own Elder Vinson divided the Takoradi Seminar March 15–16. They also met due time, missionaries would be sent. Ghana Stake to create the Mpintsin with Accra Ghana Temple workers and Brother Johnson studied the Book of Ghana Stake. The day before, they attended a temple session. Mormon and the LDS publications he interviewed 30 leaders in preparation to Elder and Sister Rasband and Elder had received. He began preaching the calling one as the new stake president. and Sister Vinson then traveled on gospel, even holding meetings before “I asked them a question I typical- March 17 to Cape Coast, Ghana. “We missionaries arrived in Ghana in late ly ask: ‘Do you love your wife?’ Time

Sister Melanie T. Rasband, right, Sister Tamara Vinson, and Sister Kay Vinson (far left) pose for a photo with women who are among early converts to the Church in Ghana.

Elder and Sister Ronald A. Rasband, seated at center; Elder and Sister LeGrand Curtis Jr., seated at right; and Nigeria Port Harcourt Mission President and Sister Anthony M. Kaku pose with missionaries in the Nigeria Harcourt Mission on March 12, 2016.

A6 Liahona AFRICA WEST AREA LOCAL PAGES - - A7

August 2016

Local Church leader Daniel Sister Rasband said the youth Sister Rasband said the youth a safe haven for victims of domestic for haven a safe Residents violence and homelessness. training holistic and become receive better prepared to seize future oppor a better life. tunities for Jane Irina Mrs. Dr. Kabason thanked Village, The Potter’s of founder Adu, “bringing these children together for and training them to be great people He said in society and in the nation.” beautifully groomed with the bright beautifully groomed est smiles.” in Ghana performed a program of “They performed dance and music. holding on to and gladness, with joy ◼ their culture.” ­ -

day Saints day congregation of The Church ofcongregation of ­ Jesus Christ of Latter- The Potter’s Village students perform during Village The Potter’s the presentation program. The donation, from the Accra Ghana from the Accra The donation, comprised Village, The Potter’s “We learned that the whole “We of 127 residents, mostly children, is mostly children, of 127 residents, A donated supplies to residents in Accra Easter over Village of the Potters last March. weekend included clothing, Stake, Adenta writing materials, items, food bedding, and other supplies. water, toiletries, tude, love, and humility. They were were They and humility. love, tude, came to meetingsThey . . . beautiful. Village Receives Donation The Potter’s Accra Ghana Adenta Stake from Ghana a Mormon Newsroom, Adapted from of West Africa is a very church- Africa is a very area of West on the I was . . . going people. we of tears everywhere verge amazed at their grati I was went. - -

- day Saint day While the Brethren were meet While the Brethren were “In the adult session of stake “In the adult session of stake Elder Rasband taught for spousesElder Rasband taught for who] love the Lord, the Church, and the Church, the Lord, who] love are willing tothe gospel—and they it. by it and live defend Throughout so much of the trip there of these val this amazing feeling was [and happy very iant Saints who were area. “We heard about their dreams “We area. and finding the Church and their faith. ing with priesthood leaders, Sister ing with priesthood leaders, met withRasband and Sister Vinson pioneers in the some of the women ‘I love you conference.’” you ‘I love bers, they would say something like, something like, say would they bers, ‘Dear or you,’ I love ‘Elder Rasband, deemed it the We you.’ I love Apostle, 15:12, ‘That ye love one another, as I one another, love ‘That ye 15:12, time every Afterward, you.’ loved have the mem to I shook a hand or spoke Thomas S. Monson wanted them to Monson wanted Thomas S. I quoted John them. he loves know ‘Brethren and sisters, I don’t know ‘Brethren and sisters, that you but I can tell well, that you I told them that President you.’ I love conference I said from the pulpit, I said from the pulpit, conference to say “I love you” to reinforce the to reinforce you” “I love to say daily kindness that stems from love. me teach you part­ me teach you of Latter- culture?’” don’t really do that here in Ghana. here in Ghana. don’t really do that people.’ loving not a verbally We’re let you ‘Will respond, And I would and say, ‘Well, I love her, yes.’ Then yes.’ her, I love ‘Well, and say, love tell her you ‘Do you I asked, we ‘Well, say, would And they her?’ after time, they would look at me would they after time, VISIT AREA WEBSITES!

Students of The Potter’s Village show appreciation.

Africa West Area Websites: English: africawest.lds.org French: afriquedelouest.lds.org

The founder of The Potter’s Village, Dr. Mrs. Jane Irina Adu, accepts the donations.

Donations made to The Potter’s Village by the Adenta Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day­ Saints.

that the donation is a demonstration will go a long way to help the children. of love, similar to the great love Christ She reminded everyone that the first has for us. He advised the children to donation The Potter’s Village received, “depend on our Heavenly Father” in 16 years ago, came from The Church Mormon Newsroom Ghana: everything they do. of Jesus Christ of Latter-day­ Saints. She www.mormonnewsroom.​ com.​ gh​ Mrs. Adu thanked the Church for then expressed her love and apprecia- Mormon Newsroom Nigeria:

the support and assured the donation tion for the Church. ◼ www.mormonnewsroom.​ org.​ ng​ ◼ ENGLISH—AFRICA WEST

A8 Liahona