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News Item: 2000 Jan 29 - Pres Subandriyo Comments
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| 2000 Jan 29 - Pres Subandriyo Comments | 10 Mar 2002 |
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Comments from President Subandriyo To Our Dear Friends: This is a report of the visit and meeting President Gordon B. Hinckley had with us in Indonesia this week. President Hinckley's visit was part of a larger trip through the Pacific Rim area. He came to us from Hawaii, the Gilbert Islands, and Australia. Before returning home he will visit the saints and have meetings in Singapore and Guam. President Hinckley arrived at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport outside Jakarta at approximately noon on Thursday, January 27. He arrived in a small private jet provided as a courtesy by Utah businessman John Huntsman. Traveling with President Hinckley was his wife, Marjorie Pay Hinckley, his daughter, Kathleen Hinckley Barnes, Elder Boyd K. Packer, and his wife, Emma Jensen Packer. Not long after his arrival, President Hinckley had a meeting with Indonesia's new president, Abdurrachman Wahid. This meeting was arranged by a member of the church, Hal Jensen. Brother Jensen has been friends with President Wahid for a long time. President Wahid told President Hinckley about Indonesia and his hopes and desires for the country. President Hinckley updated President Wahid about the church. Later that afternoon, President Hinckely met with local leaders of the church, including President Subandriyo, and took some time to relax a little bit and do some shopping in Jakarta. Thursday night President Hinckley had dinner with President Wahid. Also attending this dinner were some members of President Wahid's cabinet. This dinner started at 8:00 PM and lasted until 11:00 PM. Friday, January 28, dawned a beautiful sun-filled morning in Jakarta. Members of the church from all over Indonesia waited to meet with President Hinckley today with great anticipation. This would be the first time the prophet and president of the church would meet with the saints in Indonesia. When President Hinckley's visit was first announced the joyous news spread quickly. Members from as far away as Sumatra and Sulawesi made their plans to travel to Jakarta and spend even a little time with their beloved prophet. Because these outer islands are so far away and because air tickets are so expensive, these saints took five days to travel to Jakarta by boat. Many of the saints in Java came to Jakarta in buses. For many the trip took over 18 hours. Many left Thursday and arrived very early in the morning on Friday. Arrangements were made to house these saints coming from all over the country in a local Boy Scout camp. Priesthood leaders in Jakarta distributed assignments to help these saints with meals and to help coordinate transportation to the meeting hall. There were many opportunities to serve. The saints were scheduled to meet with President Hinckley in the Manggala Wanabhakti conference center. The conference center is part of the Department of Forestry and is very near the MPR Parliament Building. The meeting was set to begin at 2:00 PM. The saints started to take their seats early in the morning. The hall was near full at noon. President Hinckley and Elder Packer arrived at the conference center early for a short prayer meeting. Four young girls dressed in native costumes from some of Indonesia's different tribes greeted them and their wives with large bouquets of flowers. After the prayer meeting and in order to have as much time as possible with the saints, President Hinckley asked the meeting to begin early at 1:50 PM. All in the hall rose when President Hinckley entered the hall. A combined choir from all of the branches in West Java began to sing, We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet (Kami Besyukur bagi Nabi), in Indonesian. The saints took out their white handkerchiefs and waved their love and greeting to the prophet. President Hinckley took his white handkerchief out and waved back. Many were deeply moved. Many were in awe. Many were in tears. President Hinckley presided over this meeting. He asked President Subandriyo, president of the Indonesia Jakarta Mission, to conduct. President Subandriyo greeted the saints and the friends and non-members they brought with them. The opening hymn was: Come, O Thou King of Kings (Datang, Maha Raja). The opening prayer was offered by Brother Ketjana Putra, President of the Jakarta District. Next the choir sang a special arrangement of the Indonesia Jakarta Mission song, Truth Forever More, written by Randy Morris. (Randy served as a missionary in Indonesia from1977-79.) Seeing the prophet now in Jakarta, many of the long-time members and returned missionaries in attendance could appreciate these words of the song: "The darkness has been lifted, never to return. Truth forever more." The first speaker was Sister Steffie Subandriyo, wife of President Subandriyo. She shared her testimony and referred to a statement made by Elder Legrand Richards in a conference talk in April 1951, "You just go on, and live right, and don't you lose your courage...." She counseled the members to have faith and be brave in sharing the gospel. The next speaker was President Subandriyo. He spoke about the growth of the church in Indonesia and what it will take to grow the church even faster. He said this visit of President Hinckley has opened the door, but it is the local saints who must now enter and take it upon themselves to grow the church faster. He read to them from the following scriptures: Jacob 1:19; Doctrine and Covenants 82:10; and 1 Nephi 2:20. He counseled the saints that if they would keep the commandments, the Lord would help them with their needs and help them accomplish their righteous goals. Sister Packer was the next speaker. Translating for her was Sister Atin Limbong. Sister Packer said she was impressed with Indonesia. She said the church has several prophets, seers, and revelators. She said two of these were with the saints in the meeting: President Hinckley and Elder Packer. She counseled the members to give heed to their words. She shared her love with the group and closed with her testimony about the Savior and the truthfulness of the gospel. She said she would never forget the saints in Indonesia. The next speaker was Elder Packer. Translating for him was Brother Manuel Meyer. He, too, said he was impressed with Indonesia. He said when Latter-day Saints meet for the first time it is the same as if they have known each other all along. He said he made a study some years ago about why people join the church. He said his information came from interviewing new members. He said a common thing he found was that most or all of these new members were first impressed by the lives of the members of the church they worked with, lived closed to, or associated with. Later, when taught the gospel by the missionaries, it was easier for them to join the church because of the goodness they had seen earlier in the lives of its members. Elder Packer said the church and the gospel always produces good people wherever in the world. He counseled the Indonesian Saints to be good people, to live good lives, to be good examples of honesty and hard work for their neighbors and co-workers. He also told a story from the life of his wife's great grandmother. He said she was from Denmark. He said when her family was taught the gospel, they accepted it with great devotion. He said at that time there was a call for members of the church to gather together in America and build the kingdom there. He said the parents of his wife's great grandmother answered this call and took their smallest children to gather with the saints in America. He said they could not take all their children because the cost was too high. Their three oldest daughters were left in Denmark until the time they could earn enough money to make the trip and rejoin their family in America. He said the oldest of these daughters was engaged to be married. He said her fiance wanted her to stay in Denmark and not go to America. He put several gold pieces in a purse and offered it to this young woman if she would stay in Denmark and not go to America join with the saints there. Elder Packer said this young woman did not accept this offer and eventually went to America with her sisters to be with her family and the members of the church there. He continued by saying that now the call is to build the church in each country where the saints live. He added that many of the sacrifices of church membership now are as hard as those experienced by his wife's great grandmother. He counseled the Indonesian saints to support their country, to support their new president, to be good citizens, to develop strong testimonies of the gospel, and to serve one another. He told them he had a sure testimony of the Savior. He invoked the blessings of the Lord on them and said they would be helped with their needs for food, clothing, and shelter. He gave them his love and sat down. Next, all stood for a congregational hymn: Come, Come Ye Saints (Mari, Mari Orang Orang Suci). President Subandriyo announced that Kathleen Barnes, daughter of President and Sister Hinckley, would be the next speaker and that she would be followed by her mother. Again, Sister Limbong translated. Sister Hinckley wanted to go first, so she did. She told the saints they were a lovely group to look at. She especially mentioned the choir of Primary children sitting in the first several rows in front of her. She commended them for their reverence and thanked them for spirit in their voices. She said she has loved the Savior since she was a small child. She said her parents had a picture of the Savior hanging prominently in their home. She said that life can, indeed, be hard. She added, however, that knowing its purpose can make life wonderful and easier to bear. She shared her love for the saints and closed. Kathleen, the Hinckley's adult daughter, then shared a few comments. She said she was very grateful for the opportunity to be able to travel with her parents, to share in their spirit, and to have the chance to serve them. She said she is grateful to be part of such a wonderful family. She added, however, that we, as members of the church, are all part of the same great, wonderful family in the gospel. She shared her love for the Indonesian members and closed. President Hinckley was the final speaker. He rose to speak. The spot light from the rear balcony focused on him. His first words were loud and powerful, "My dear wonderful brothers and sisters in Indonesia.... It is wonderful to be here with you." All eyes and ears were fixed on him. He said he was told to expect 1100 to attend this meeting. He praised the saints for the over 1850 that were in attendance. President Hinckley said he was very happy to meet the Jakarta Mission president, President Subandriyo. "He is a small man with a very big smile," he said. The members smiled and acknowledged, knowing this is true. He continued: "President Subandriyo served as a missionary while a young man. His wife, Sister Steffie, also served as a young sister missionary. They met after their missions, married, and are raising a fine family within the gospel. It is a good thing to marry within the church. I counsel you young Indonesian saints to do the same: Marry within your faith." President Hinckley said he was very impressed with Indonesia's president, Abdurrachman Wahid. He asked the saints to pray for him. He asked the saints to support their country and be good citizens wherever they are. He said the country will grow and overcome the challenges of the past. He asked the saints to help and serve each other. He counseled the saints to pray for each other. He pronounced boldly, "We bless those among you who are sick, afflicted, or in need." He encouraged and counseled the saints to help grow the church where they are. He said, "Let the light of the gospel show through to others by your actions and by the good lives you lead." He shared his hope that all would return home from this meeting with a strong resolve to be better Latter-day Saints and to share the gospel more. He said Heavenly Father expects us to show our love to him through the actions and goodness of our lives. He counseled all to develop a deep love for the Savior and show this through service to others. He said Heavenly Father expects all of us to develop a deep love for him. President Hinckley said the Lord expects us to live the simple things of the gospel. He counseled the saints to pay their tithing. He said one of President Wahid's ministers knew about the payment of tithing in our church and mentioned it at dinner the night before. The minister told President Hinckley that if the church would reduce the tithe to one percent, then he would join the church. President Hinckley said, "The Lord set the tithe at 10 percent and it will always remain at 10 percent." President Hinckley started to close his remarks. His closing comments included counsel to the saints to love each other. He said, "We love you. I do not know if I will ever come back here again. I am an old man. This year I will be 90. We are old, but we are doing the best we can. We love you and will never forget you. I leave my testimony with you. Jesus lives. As surely as the sun will rise over this great city in the morning, Jesus lives." He counseled the saints that when they arrived at their homes to open the scriptures and read some of the words from the Savior in the New Testament. He said to also read in 3 Nephi, Doctrine and Covenants Section 110, and to read Moses's grand vision recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. He counseled the saints to thank the Lord for their children. His final words were, "May the Lord's peace be with you. May you be blessed with the food, clothing, and shelter you need." There was great strength and great love in President Hinckley's words. It was very evident in the influence it had on his translator, Manuel Meyer. Many times during the stop-and-go English/Indonesian exchange of speaker and translator Manuel's voice would break a little, grow thin, and quiver. He did his best to translate President Hinckley's counsel word for word and still maintain his composure even while being touched himself by the strength of the spirit. The meeting was powerful and moving. We are grateful for the prophet's visit. The closing song, sung partly by the choir and partly by the entire congregation, was: The Spirit of God (Roh Allah). It, too, was powerful and an appropriate close to such a wonderful meeting. Eddie Prayitno, President of the Surabaya District, gave the closing prayer. President Hinckley then made his way off the stage. The choir sang: Abide with Me (Tinggal Denganku). The congregation brought out their white handkerchiefs again and waved a loving goodbye to President Hinckley. Like before, President Hinckley, took his own kerchief out and waved back. There was hardly a dry eye in the building. We are grateful to the many who helped make this visit possible. We are grateful for the faith and strength of the saints, many of whom sacrificed much and traveled for days to see and hear the prophet. We are grateful to the saints in Jakarta for opening up their hearts and sacrificing much to prepare food, accommodations, and transportation for the saints coming from outlying areas. We are grateful to the many returned missionaries who contributed funds to help transport many members of the church who would not have otherwise been able to raise their own funds. Most importantly, we are grateful to Heavenly Father for allowing this visit to happen. We are grateful for the strength and reassurance to our testimonies. It was a great blessing that we will never forget. President Subandriyo Indonesia Jakarta Mission |
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