PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
SOLICITED FROM
THE NFEM RM's
FOR A CHRONICLE OF KOREA,JAPAN, AND OKINAWA
MISSION HISTORIES
By President Paul C. Andrus, NFE Pres. 1955-1962
The Northern Far East Mission including Japan, Korea, and Okinawa was created on July 28, 1955, by President Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Quorum of the Twelve. Accordingly, the fiftieth anniversary of the Northern Far East Mission is July 28, 2005. The Korean Mission was organized on July 8, 1962, leaving the Northern Far East Mission to include Japan and Okinawa.
The Northern Far East Mission continued in existence until September 1, 1968, when it was divided to form The Japan Mission with headquarters in Tokyo, and The Japan-Okinawa Mission with headquarters in Osaka. During these thirteen years there were ???? full-time missionaries who served in The Northern Far East Mission.
As a fitting way to commemorate the NFEM Fiftieth Anniversary, may I suggest that each Northern Far East missionary write up an account of his or her service there. These accounts could then be compiled and would constitute a historical treasure documenting the events of these vital thirteen years in the history of the church in Japan, Korea, and Okinawa.
These accounts would be firsthand accounts written by the missionaries who actually experienced these happenings, rather than second hand or third hand accounts concocted by well meaning writers handicapped by not having been there and not having experienced these events themselves.
Japan, Korea, and Okinawa, are three separate nations each with their own culture, history, and language. The story of the introduction and establishment of the church into these three nations is a separate saga and should be treated separately.
First hand accounts of their own experiences in bringing the gospel to Korea should be written up by the NFEM missionaries who served in Korea.
Likewise, first hand accounts of their own experiences in bringing the gospel to Okinawa should be written up by the missionaries who served in Okinawa.
The story of the introduction of the church into Japan has been written and there are no longer survivors to add first hand accounts of that story. But the saga of the reintroduction of the gospel into Japan after world war II and the building up of the church during the years of the Northern Far East Mission would be greatly enhanced by the personal accounts of the Northern Far East missionaries who labored in Japan.
This would produce three separate histories of the Northern Far East Mission: NFEM History in Japan; NFEM History in Korea, and NFEM History in Okinawa.
Compiling all of these accounts would be a monumental and probably impossible task. However, through the miracle of e-mail, it would be possible to compile and post the accounts of those who submit them by e-mail.
If this project sounds like a good idea to you, I would solicit your stories NOW. If we get started now, we should have a wonderful collection of first hand accounts written, submitted, and posted before the end of 2004.
Aloha, Paul C. Andrus
EDITOR GEORGE McCUNE'S NOTE: THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO EVERYONE. SEND YOUR WRITEUPS TO WAYNE W. SUMMERS,Website Administrator, Ogden, UT
Do not procrastinate!
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