“God is at the
helm. Never doubt it. When we are confronted with opposition, He will open the
way when there appears to be no way. Our individual efforts may be humble and
appear somewhat insignificant. But the accumulated good works of all, laboring
together with a common purpose, will bring to pass great and wondrous
accomplishments” (Gordon B. Hinkley, “God is at the Helm”, Ensign, May 1994).
Examples of the work of the Lord
can be found in the scriptures. In Moses, the Lord Himself explained His work,
“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and
eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Other examples of His work include missionary
work, temple work, and the work of serving His children here on earth.
In Isaiah we read that, “the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”
(Isaiah 11:9). We have seen the fulfillment of that prophecy in many ways. I
will only list three relatively recent examples.
In 1961 construction on the
Berlin Wall was started. “The Berlin Wall [was] a barrier that divided
Berlin…Constructed by the German Democratic Republic…the wall completely cut
off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin”
(wikipedia: Berlin Wall). Garold and Norma Davis wrote about the struggles of
the church members in the area, and the ray of hope of the Lord preparing a way
for the opening of the doors to the gospel again:
“During this time of darkness and difficulty, an event took place that later proved to be a turning point for the Church in the German Democratic Republic. On 9–10 November 1968, mission president Stanley D. Rees of the North German Mission and his wife visited the GDR, bringing with them Elder Thomas S. Monson of the Quorum of the Twelve. Sister Krause recalls: “He [Elder Monson] was so young we thought he was a missionary, because the Mission Presidents often brought missionaries with them when they came.” At a meeting in Gorlitz, Elder Monson promised the Saints of eastern Germany they would have all the blessings other members of the Church enjoyed. Although outward events of the “cold war” in the German Democratic Republic did not seem to be altered immediately, subtle changes began taking place within the Church in that country—slowly at first, but accelerating over the next twenty years.
"On 27 April
1975, on a hilltop overlooking the Elbe River between Dresden and Meissen,
President Monson dedicated the German Democratic Republic for the preaching of
the gospel. On 24 August 1977, President Spencer W. Kimball spoke to the saints
in the Dresden chapel, the chapel that had been converted after the war from an
officers’ casino. In August 1982, the Freiberg stake was created. On 23 April
1983, ground was broken in Freiberg for a temple. In June 1984, the Leipzig
stake was created, and in 1985, the Freiberg Temple was dedicated. Permission
was given to build new chapels for the saints: in Freiberg, alongside the
temple; in Leipzig; in Zwickau; in Dresden; and in Karl-Marx-Stadt.
“Finally, in
October 1988, it was announced that after fifty years, full-time missionaries
would once again be permitted to come from outside the country to establish a
mission. A brighter day was majestically dawning over the German Democratic
Republic” (Garold & Norma Davis, “Behind the Wall: The Church in EasternGermany (Part 1: Saints in Isolation, 1945–1989)).
It was in November of 1989 that
“the East German government announced…that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany
and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans crossed and climbed onto the wall,
joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere”
(wikipedia: Berlin Wall). Despite the physical barriers that were in place, the
Lord was able to work with the faithful saints to further His work behind the
wall.
Another example of the Lord
hastening His work occurred in June of 1978. It was at this time that the First
Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaimed that,
“all worthy male members of the Church [could] be ordained to the priesthood
without regard for race or color” (Doctrine & Covenants; OfficialDeclaration #2). Since that time the priesthood, together with all the
blessings available through it, has continued to spread throughout the earth.
The People’s Republic of China is
another example of the Lord hastening His work. Even as recent as 2013, Elder
Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spoke about the country
of China and the work of the Lord there. He said, "The church has no
proselyting missionaries in the People's Republic of China…Nor does it have any
plans to send missionaries, or to engage in any proselyting activities in
China.” (Deseret News, “New LDS site answers questions about Mormons andChina”, 15 March 2013).
On the Church’s website about Mormons
and China it states that, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
not one of the five recognized religions in China” (www.mormonsandchina.org). However,
there is an LDS temple there—in Hong Kong. Elder Monte J. Brough and Elder John
K. Carmack explain,
“In 1898 Hong
Kong became a British colony with the signing of a 99-year lease, expiring June
30, 1997. In December 1984, British and Chinese authorities signed a
declaration confirming that the British government would hand over Hong Kong to
the People’s Republic of China on July 1, 1997” (Elder Monte J. Brough and ElderJohn K. Carmack, How the Hong Kong Temple Came to Be, Ensign, December 2006).
Through a series of miraculous
events, a temple was built in Hong Kong, and dedicated in May 1996, so when Hong
Kong was returned to the People’s Republic of China in 1997 the temple went
with it.
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints has members living in China, but they are encouraged to obey
the laws of the land (see Articles of Faith 1:12). “Over the years, the Church
has built a strong relationship of trust with the People’s Republic of China by
always respecting the important laws and traditions of that country" (www.mormonsandchina.org). The Church is observing Chinese laws and
directions on religious activities by not allowing access to this website, containing religious information, to those in China.
The work of the Lord will
continue to go forth, and it will be interesting to see how things will work
out with the gospel spreading to all parts of the earth. I know that the Lord
is at the helm, and in charge of His work. As Joseph Smith stated,
“[T]he
Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from
progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble,
calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and
independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept
every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be
accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the
Church, 4:540).
