On the extended trip, President Hinckley dedicated the Fukuoka Japan 
Temple on Sunday, June 11, the Adelaide Australia Temple on Thursday, June 
15, the Melbourne Australia Temple on Friday, June 16, and the Suva Fiji 
Temple on Sunday, June 18. (Please see the June 17 and June 24 Church News 
for coverage of the temple dedications.)

President Hinckley also met with 2,600 members in Bangkok, Thailand. He 
later addressed 250 members of the Church in Darwin, the capital of 
Australia's Northern Territory, and with some 1,000 members in the Pacific 
island nation of New Caledonia.

On the way home to Utah, President Hinckley visited the American Samoan 
capital of Pago Pago where he presided at a meeting of nearly 5,000 Church 
members which was held at the Veterans Stadium.

Accompanying President Hinckley during his tour were his wife, Marjorie, 
their daughter, Jane Dudley, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of 
the Twelve and his wife, Patricia Holland.
"It was a very gratifying experience to see President Hinckley bless the 
members of the Church in these distant areas of the world. He loves them 
and they surely love him," Elder Holland said. "We saw the Lord's hand 
upon him day after day as he gave so energetically and unstintingly to the 
people. He addressed and visited with many members who had no previous 
hope that they would ever see a prophet of God in person. The whole trip 
was a marvelous experience for these Latter-day Saints, including Elder 
and Sister Holland."

BANGKOK, THAILAND
President Hinckley traveled here June 12, meeting with the Thailand Prime 
Minister Chuan Leepkai and Bangkok Governor Bhichit Rattakul. A 
"pre-birthday" celebration, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Bhichai 
Rattakul, was held in President Hinckley's honor that evening.

Michael A. Goodman, president of the Bangkok Thailand Mission, said that 
government officials welcomed President Hinckley to Thailand amid 
expressions of "courtesy, respect and great honor."

President Goodman added that during a private visit June 13, the prime 
minister thanked President Hinckley for "all the work that LDS volunteers 
have done" for Thailand. The prime minister mentioned especially the 
service provided by 100 LDS volunteers who, during the past three years, 
have taught more than 300,000 English teachers and students in a program 
established by the governor.

Before leaving Bangkok, President Hinckley addressed an LDS member 
meeting June 13; more than 2,600 attended the meeting held in the Thailand 
Air Force Convention Center. Some Church members had traveled 18 hours by 
bus to attend the meeting, which marked the first visit of a Church 
president to Thailand.

During brief remarks, President Hinckley recounted his first visit to the 
country in 1961, a time when there were only a half dozen Church members 
there. "We went quietly in the morning into Lumpini Park, a small group of 
us, including Elder Marion D. Hanks of the Seventy, and there we lifted 
our voices in prayer. We prayed that the Lord would smile upon this land, 
that He would touch it by the power of His Holy Spirit, that the way would 
be opened for missionaries to come here, that the faithful would accept 
the truth, and that the Lord would do a great and good work here.
"I came back on three or four other occasions. Now it's been a long time 
since I was here and I have seen a miracle, a very real miracle."
President Hinckley said the Lord has opened the way for the Church in 
Thailand.

"To think that we were greeted here and welcomed here by the governor of 
this great city of 10 million people. To think that we had the privilege 
this morning of meeting the prime minister of this land. To think that 
last night we were given a wonderful party and many of you were there. 
Again, today, we met with many government officials. I can scarcely 
believe it. The Lord has heard our prayers. He has let us endure 
difficulties for a long season, but now heaven is smiling upon us. I thank 
Him from the bottom of my heart for this great blessing."

President Hinckley told the members that they are pioneers in carrying 
forward the work of the Lord in their country and promised that, if they 
were faithful, the time will come when a temple will be constructed in 
Thailand.

"The Lord expects so very, very much of you. He expects you to be the 
best people in all of Thailand, and you ought to be because you have a 
knowledge of His everlasting truth."

Elder Holland encouraged the young people to stay close to the Church, to 
prepare for missions and to plan to go to the temple. He asked the adults 
to be more helpful in the conversion and retention of new members, to 
befriend them and to assist them in learning about the Church.
After the meeting, as he was leaving the building, President Hinckley 
stopped to greet Srilaksana Suntarhut, a pioneer of the work in Thailand 
and the principle translator of the LDS standard works into the Thai 
language. Now 78, she was baptized in 1968, the year the mission was 
opened in Thailand.

DARWIN, AUSTRALIA
President and Sister Hinckley were greeted at the airport here June 14 by 
250 Latter-day Saints -- many men dressed in white shirts and ties, many 
women in nice dresses. One sister had traveled 1,500 kilometers for the 
brief opportunity to meet the Church president.

"I had no idea we would have 250 of you here," said President Hinckley to 
the members of the Darwin Branch. "But you are here, and you've made the 
effort to be here. You do us great honor in your presence here in such 
numbers."

President Hinckley, who had visited Darwin once before many years ago, 
said he was glad to see the progress of the work and the strength of the 
branch.

"What a wonderful thing it is for you to have a branch here where you can 
work together and live together and be Saints together and enjoy the 
company of one another."

President Hinckley then expressed his appreciation for the members. "We 
do love you and want you to know that," he said. "We love you. We pray 
that the Lord will bless you, prosper you, look after you, care for your 
great happiness in the gospel.

"We leave you our testimony of the truth of this work. God does live; 
Jesus is the Christ; Joseph was a prophet; the Church is divine; and it 
will bless every man, woman and child who takes advantage of the 
opportunity of membership. I don't hesitate to promise that. I know it is 
true."

Elder Holland bore his testimony to the members and encouraged them to 
remain faithful, even in such distant locations from the heart of the 
Church. Then President Hinckley and Elder Holland shook hands with as many 
members as possible before reboarding the airplane.

NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA
Addressing members gathered here June 17, President Hinckley spoke of his 
trip to Japan and the Pacific.

"It has been a very long journey," said President Hinckley, the first 
Church president to visit the island. "But it is worth it to look into 
your happy faces."

About 1,000 Church members crowded into the local meetinghouse to hear 
the Church leader; many more gathered outside in tents to which the 
meeting was sent via video feed.

"Here we are, a part of this great French nation that includes France, 
Tahiti, New Caledonia and other parts of the earth," President Hinckley 
said. "Thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for making the effort 
to come here. Thank you for warming our hearts with your cheerful 
countenances. We respect you. We admire you. We love you. You are part of 
this great Church family -- [almost] 11 million strong -- scattered over 
the earth."

During his address, President Hinckley recalled traveling to New 
Caledonia 30 years earlier, and promised that the Church will continue to 
grow in the area.

"We are the key to that growth," he said. "Everyone of you becomes the 
key to that growth. It is your example, it is the way you live, it will be 
what people see in you that will make the difference in the growth of the 
work in this part of the earth."

President Hinckley asked the members to live the gospel. "Get on your 
knees and say your prayers. Pour out your hearts to the Lord. Tell Him 
what you would like to accomplish, and He will bless you.

"You are a covenant people. You are a special people. When you were 
baptized into this Church you came under an obligation that will remain 
with you all of your lives to live as He would have you live. Every week 
you partake of the sacrament, the emblems of His sacrifice, of His 
suffering in your behalf, and a reminder of the covenant you make to take 
upon yourselves the name of Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. And He 
makes a covenant with you that He will bless you with His Spirit."

Elder Holland noted how gratifying it was to see President Hinckley 
received so warmly in Thailand after making his initial visit there nearly 
40 years ago, at which time he dedicated the land for the preaching of the 
gospel with no native Thai members anywhere in the country. Elder Holland 
told the New Caledonia members that now, 39 years later, President 
Hinckley addressed in Bangkok a standing-room-only congregation of 2,600 
members -- virtually all Thai. Elder Holland commented that time is always 
on the side of truth, and that "out of small things proceedeth that which 
is great."

PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA
On the last leg of a "long and wonderful journey" and after crossing the 
International Dateline, President Hinckley addressed 5,000 members here 
June 17 in Veterans Stadium -- filled with the "happy, wonderful spirit of 
Samoa."

Before the meeting, President Hinckley's party was met by the governor, 
Tauese Sunia, his wife, and other legislative and judicial 
representatives. They were also greeted warmly by members, who draped them 
with beautiful leis.

"What a choice and delightful and wonderful people you are, my brothers 
and sisters," President Hinckley said. "You are so friendly. You are so 
kind. You are so gracious. You just can't do enough for other people. We 
are so very, very deeply grateful."

President Hinckley then directed his remarks to the young people in the 
congregation. "You young men and women, you wonderful boys and girls, you 
people who have been born with a great and precious birthright, how 
important it is that you live the gospel, that you follow the path that 
your parents have laid out for you, that you go forward and make something 
of your lives."

He counseled the youth to stay away from alcohol and drugs, to watch 
their language, to go to seminary, to get an education and to serve a 
mission.

"There will be another generation in American Samoa of Godly youth, of 
those who love the Lord and seek to do His will, who will be married in 
the temple that exists here [in the Samoan islands] and will bless the 
lives of another generation yet to come.

"Now that, my brothers and sisters, is my earnest plea to the young men 
and women who are with us tonight. I just can't help saying it strong 
enough because I feel it is so very, very, very important. Nothing is more 
important to you than the things of which I have spoken.

"Get on your knees, you boys and girls, every night and every morning, 
and don't let anything come into your lives which would take from you the 
desire to pray."

President Hinckley then reminded everyone in the congregation that they 
are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "That is 
no small thing," he said. "That is a very important thing. There is 
nothing any more important in the world than the fact that we are members 
of the Church of Jesus Christ. We have taken upon ourselves His name."
Before leaving, he left his love with the Samoan Saints. "May I just say 
that we love you -- oh, how much we love you. We love the governor and 
these government officials. They are always so kind to us. We love the 
people of this island. We love the people of this land."

Elder Holland also spoke to the members, offering encouragement and 
counsel. He then directed the congregation in both English and Samoan 
versions of "Happy Birthday," sung with love to President Hinckley in 
anticipation of his 90th birthday. He concluded with a testimony of the 
Prophet Joseph Smith, inasmuch as the "156th anniversary" of the Prophet's 
martyrdom would come four days after President Hinckley's birthday.


© 2000 Deseret News Publishing Co.