"The Savior’s Healing Power upon the Isles of the Sea" Talk Outline

Last updated on March 30th, 2024 at 11:47 am

General Conference Applied

“The Savior’s Healing Power upon the Isles of the Sea” by Elder J. Kimo Esplin; October 2023 General Conference

Corresponding General Conference Applied episode show notes: S2 E26

Talk Outline

Invitations

“One Japanese brother reflected on the journey: ‘As I looked out of the airplane and saw Pearl Harbor, and remembered what our country had done to these people on December 7, 1941, I feared in my heart. Will they accept us? But to my surprise they showed greater love and kindness than I had ever seen in my life.'”

Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)

“Through temple blessings, the Savior heals individuals, families, and nations—even those that once stood as bitter enemies.”

Promises

None.

Doctrines

Ordinances and Covenants: “An ordinance is a sacred, formal act that has spiritual meaning. Each ordinance teaches spiritual truths. Ordinances are performed by the authority of the priesthood and under the direction of those who hold priesthood keys. Some ordinances are essential to exaltation and are called saving ordinances. They include baptism (see John 3:5; renewed by the ordinance of the sacrament), confirmation (see Acts 2:36–38), and, for men, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (see D&C 84:33–34). Other saving ordinances—the endowment and the marriage sealing—are performed only in temples. The temple is one of the most sacred places on earth. It is the house of the Lord.”

Principles

Repentance: “A vital part of repentance is to forgive those who have sinned against us. The Lord will not forgive us unless our hearts are fully cleansed of all hate, bitterness, and bad feelings against other people (see 3 Nephi 13:14–15). “Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin” (D&C 64:9).”

Christlike Attributes

Charity and Love: “Charity is ‘the pure love of Christ’ (Moroni 7:47). It includes God’s eternal love for all His children.

“The prophet Mormon taught, ‘Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love’ (Moroni 7:48). As you pray to have charity fill your heart, you will taste of God’s love. Your love for people will increase, and you will come to feel a sincere concern for their eternal happiness. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like Him, and you will labor in their behalf.

“As you pray for the gift of charity, you will be less inclined to dwell on negative feelings such as anger or envy. You will become less likely to judge or criticize others. You will have more desire to try to understand them and their points of view. You will become more patient and try to help people when they are struggling or discouraged. (See Moroni 7:45.)”

Attribute Activity

“I feel a sincere desire for the eternal welfare and happiness of others. (Mosiah 28:3)”
“When I pray, I ask for charity—the pure love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47–48)”
“I try to understand others’ feelings and see their point of view. (Jude 1:22)”
“I forgive others who have offended or wronged me. (Ephesians 4:32)”
“I reach out in love to help those who are lonely, struggling, or discouraged. (Mosiah 18:9)”
“When appropriate, I express my love and care for others by ministering to them through word and deed. (Luke 7:12–15)”
“I look for opportunities to serve others. (Mosiah 2:17)”
“I say positive things about others. (Doctrine and Covenants 42:27)”
“I am kind and patient with others, even when they are hard to get along with. (Moroni 7:45)”
“I find joy in others’ achievements. (Alma 17:2–4)”

Most Important Quote

“Later that same year, 161 adults and children embarked from Tokyo to make their way to the Hawaii Temple. One Japanese brother reflected on the journey: ‘As I looked out of the airplane and saw Pearl Harbor, and remembered what our country had done to these people on December 7, 1941, I feared in my heart. Will they accept us? But to my surprise they showed greater love and kindness than I had ever seen in my life.’

“Upon the Japanese Saints’ arrival, the Hawaiian members welcomed them with countless strands of flower leis while exchanging hugs and kisses on the cheeks, a custom foreign to Japanese culture. After spending 10 transformative days in Hawaii, the Japanese Saints bid their farewells to the melody of ‘Aloha Oe’ sung by the Hawaiian Saints.”

Powerful Stories

“In the 1960s my father taught at the Church College of Hawaii in Laie, where I was born. My seven older sisters insisted my parents name me ‘Kimo,’ a Hawaiian name. We lived near the Laie Hawaii Temple when it served much of the Church membership of the Asia Pacific Area, including Japan. At this time, groups of Japanese Saints began coming to Hawaii to receive the blessings of the temple.

“One of these members was a sister from the beautiful island of Okinawa. The story of her journey to the Hawaii Temple is remarkable. Two decades earlier, she had been married in a traditional arranged Buddhist wedding. Just a few months later, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, thrusting the United States into a conflict with Japan. In the wake of battles such as Midway and Iwo Jima, the tides of war pushed the Japanese forces back to the shores of her island home, Okinawa, the last line of defense standing against the Allied forces before the heartlands of Japan.

“For a harrowing three months in 1945, the Battle of Okinawa raged. A flotilla of 1,300 American warships encircled and bombarded the island. Military and civilian casualties were enormous. Today a solemn monument in Okinawa lists more than 240,000 known names of people who perished in the battle.

“In a desperate attempt to escape the onslaught, this Okinawan woman, her husband, and their two small children sought refuge in a mountain cave. They endured unspeakable misery through the ensuing weeks and months.

“One desperate night amidst the battle, with her family near starvation and her husband unconscious, she contemplated ending their suffering with a hand grenade, which the authorities had supplied to her and others for that purpose. However, as she prepared to do so, a profoundly spiritual experience unfolded that gave her a tangible sense of the reality of God and His love for her, which gave her the strength to carry on. In the following days, she revived her husband and fed her family with weeds, honey from a wild beehive, and creatures caught in a nearby stream. Remarkably, they endured six months in the cave until local villagers informed them that the battle had ended.

“When the family returned home and began rebuilding their lives, this Japanese woman started searching for answers about God. She gradually kindled a belief in Jesus Christ and the need to be baptized. However, she was concerned about her loved ones who had died without a knowledge of Jesus Christ and baptism, including her mother, who died giving birth to her.

“Imagine her joy when two sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to her house one day and taught her that people can learn about Jesus Christ in the spirit world. She was captivated by the teaching that her parents could choose to follow Jesus Christ after death and accept baptism performed on their behalf in holy places called temples. She and her family were converted to the Savior and baptized.

“Her family worked hard and began to prosper, adding three more children. They were faithful and active in the Church. Then, unexpectedly, her husband suffered a stroke and died, compelling her to work long hours at multiple jobs for many years to provide for her five children.

“Some people in her family and neighborhood criticized her. They blamed her troubles on her decision to join a Christian church. Undeterred by profound tragedy and harsh criticism, she held on to her faith in Jesus Christ, determined to press forward, trusting that God knew her and that brighter days were ahead.

“A few years following her husband’s untimely death, the mission president of Japan felt inspired to encourage the Japanese members to work toward attending the temple. The mission president was an American veteran of the Battle of Okinawa, in which the Okinawan sister and her family had suffered so much. Nonetheless, the humble sister said of him: ‘He was then one of our hated enemies, but now he was here with the gospel of love and peace. This, to me, was a miracle.’

“Upon hearing the mission president’s message, the widowed sister desired to be sealed to her family in the temple someday. …

“The second temple trip organized for Japanese members included the widowed Okinawan sister. She made the 10,000-mile (16,000-km) journey thanks to a generous gift from missionaries who had served in her branch and had eaten many meals at her table. While in the temple, she shed tears of joy as she acted as a proxy for her mother’s baptism and was sealed to her deceased husband.”

The Best Footnote

Footnote 9: “The translator, Tatsui Sato, was baptized July 7, 1946, by a US serviceman, C. Elliott Richards. Tatsui’s wife, Chiyo Sato, was baptized on the same day by Boyd K. Packer. Separately, Neal A. Maxwell fought in the Battle of Okinawa, and L. Tom Perry was among the first wave of Marines to go ashore in Japan following the peace treaty. Elders Packer, Maxwell, and Perry would become members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.”

Questions for Reflection Asked by the Speaker