Elder Cook Ministers to Saints in Asia with Love and Wisdom
Elder Cook Melayani Orang Suci di Asia dengan Kasih dan Kebijaksanaan

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The House of the Lord – a temple – is coming soon to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and local Saints could hardly be more excited.

This excitement reached new heights during a visit to Cambodia by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Mary.

Speaking to these Saints at a multi-stake conference, Elder Cook bestowed a blessing upon them, “In this special time, when a temple is coming to Cambodia, may the blessings of heaven rain down on you, and may you be blessed in ways you cannot even imagine, particularly in your families.”

The Church in Cambodia celebrated its 30th anniversary last year and now has approximately 17,000 members. For years, these Saints had to use their lifetime savings to visit a Church temple, often only once in their lives. When President Russell M. Nelson announced their temple in 2018, Area Seventy Elder Bunhouch Eng remarked that temple worship for them “is no longer just a dream."

Reflecting on Cambodia's history, the Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled from 1975 to 1979, resulted in the deaths of two million people and the destruction of many records. This has made family history work challenging, but has also underscored the importance of temple work.

To help members prepare for making temple covenants, Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, president of the Asia Area Presidency, encouraged them to attend temple preparation classes, become worthy to obtain temple recommends, and search for ancestors who are waiting for their saving ordinances to be performed.

During the conference, Elder Cook was particularly touched by the large choir of young single adults. “They look good,” he recalled with a smile. “I had this feeling that while [Cambodia] has a (Church) history not as long as some other areas, the future is very bright. I came away with feelings that marvelous things are going to happen, and I can hardly wait to see the temple finished.”

Following their visit to Cambodia, Elder and Sister Cook also ministered to members and missionaries in Taiwan and Malaysia. Everywhere they went, they were warmly embraced by their audience with joy and love. In Taiwan, the choir even included participants who are not members of the Church.

While Buddhism is the dominant religion in Cambodia and Taiwan, Malaysia has a vibrant Muslim-majority population. Church growth rates in these places vary, and each environment is unique, presenting its own challenges for being Latter-day Saints as a minority.

Sister Cook expressed, “We love to meet members in different countries all across the world. No matter where we live, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are of one mind and one heart. We take great comfort in knowing that the Lord is mindful of us…No matter what circumstances we are in, the Lord knows us personally.”

In encouraging Saints to remain steadfast and immovable in their faith, Elder Cook shared a lesson he learned from Elder Harold B. Lee, while he and Sister Cook were raising their family in San Francisco in the 1960s, during a time of significant social unrest. Elder Lee taught that if Church members would follow three simple principles, they and their families could be protected:

1. Build Zion in your hearts and in your homes.
2. Be an example, a pillar of light in your community.
3. Focus on the principles and covenants that are taught in the temple.

Yu-Fang Chou from the Taichung West Stake said she was deeply impressed by these three reminders. Some time ago, she and her husband were trying to decide whether to emigrate to provide a better growth environment for their children. “However,” she said, “I found peace and assurance in Elder Cook’s counsel, which stated that as long as we do these three things, we can raise our children in the gospel of Jesus Christ!”

Duncan Horne of the Kuala Lumpur Branch said, “We really enjoyed learning about the three things that we can do…especially out where we are, away from many other Saints.” He and his wife, Fidelia, and kids live far from other members of the Church. He conveyed that although they have always tried to teach these principles in their homes, they take on high importance when instructed by an apostle of the Lord.

The apostle also seized every opportunity to testify to the audience that their prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, is God’s prophet on earth and he is directing the Church under the guidance of the Savior.

“President Nelson is unique because he is so decisive,” Elder Cook said. He noted that most decisive people are not very humble. “But he is as humble and sweet as you could imagine. He is kind to everyone, and he listens to everyone.” He can be decisive because he receives directions from the Lord and through the councils of the Church. “In a world in commotion and contention, we have a kind and decisive prophet who is close to the Lord, giving us the guidance that we need for our day.”

As he concluded his tour, accompanied by the Asia Area Presidency, Elder Cook said he was impressed by members and missionaries at each location, “I see in the people I met with a commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that's what I'm most pleased about.”