Tsai Remarks at Closing Fireside

Brothers and sisters, tonight my heart is filled with gratitude for the many blessings which God has bestowed upon our families and upon our Chinese Branch.  Over the past twenty years, eight missionaries from our branch have served full-time missions.  This does not include President & Sister Foulger, who were called as full-time missionaries to serve in our branch, nor does it include Joshua Tsai, Kristy Tung, and others, who will leave in the future to serve full-time missions.  I am confident that many more Primary children and Youth will serve missions.  If my counting is correct, 100 missionaries have served in our branch, and Elders Hsiung and McLane are the 99^th and 100^th missionaries.  These wonderful missionaries have been the backbone of the growth of the Chinese Branch.  Through their efforts, 202 converts have joined the church.  President Monson said that “Missionary work is the lifeblood of the kingdom.” (Thomas S. Monson, “It’s Conference Once Again,” April 2011 General Conference)  Truly, each one of us have either been taught by a missionary or have had an ancestor join the church through a missionary.  My parents were taught by missionaries in 1971 in Taiwan, as were Sister Tsai and her parents.  This is God’s inspired church because he calls missionaries to declare his word.  In a few minutes, we will have an opportunity to watch a slideshow, listing all of the missionaries and converts in our branch.  As we watch, let us ponder the great blessings that have occurred because of them.

This work is God’s work.  God directs this work.  This church is God’s church.  I would like to say a few words about our special branch and the work of God in this branch.

First, I want to say something about branch presidents.  We have had five branch presidents who have served in our branch.  I want you to know that none of our branch presidents are perfect.  I know that for sure.  None of them sought the calling.  When they were called, they all had their doubts.  But they accepted the calling because they knew the calling came from God, they loved God, and they loved their fellowmen.  As an example, our first branch president, President Breglio, hesitated to accept the calling because he had forgotten much Chinese and because he had severe back problems.  Yet, he accepted the calling because he knew it was from God.  And we have been blessed because of his choice.

I believe that God established this Chinese Branch for special purposes.  President Hardy and the stake leaders were inspired to request the creation of this wonderful branch over twenty years ago.  God has led members and converts to come to this branch at the appropriate times to be part of and to bless this branch.  The branch is a great miracle.  To me, the branch has had three purposes.

First, this branch has given us the opportunity to use our native tongue to learn the gospel principles, to receive priesthood ordinances, and to perform these ordinances.  How many gospel lessons, Family Home Evenings, and missionary discussions have been taught in Chinese?  How many blessings for the sick, priesthood ordinations, Sacrament prayers, and temple ordinances have been performed in Chinese?  We have been truly blessed to receive these blessings in Chinese.  This is a direct fulfillment of Joseph Smith’s prophecy: “For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fullness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (D&C 90:11)

Second, this branch has helped us preserve our Chinese culture for ourselves and for our posterity.  Almost every year, we have celebrated the Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival.  We also have had a Dragonboat festival, a dragon boat race, and a celebration of Lover’s Day on the 7^th of July.  Since we live in America, we have also assimilated the American culture.  So, each year we have celebrated Christmas and New Year.  In addition, we have also celebrated Pioneers Day, Easter, and even Independence Day.  Through these celebrations, we have developed strong traditions for our families and for our branch.

Third, this branch has been a training ground for future leaders, teachers, and missionaries.  President Harrison is one of those leaders who have been trained by our branch, since he has served in our branch on two occasions, first as a Sunday School teacher and second as President Chiang’s executive secretary.   Then he was called as a bishop, mission president, and now stake president.  We have had eight missionaries sent out to be missionaries throughout the whole world.  Brother Shu Zhan returned to China and served as an Elders Quorum president.  Elder Sheffield is now living in Texas and serves as a bishop in his ward.  Many more leaders will go forth to the whole world from this branch.

The goal of this reunion was to bring members closer to Christ by:

• fellowshipping and reuniting with previous members and missionaries;
• sharing and rekindling faith-building testimonies; and
• reminiscing about the miracles of conversion, preparation of leaders, and growth in the branch.

I think we have accomplished each of these goals.

May God continue to bless this Chinese Branch and others like it throughout the world.  May God bless the Chinese people that their hearts may be prepared to receive the gospel.  May God bless the leaders of China, that the doors of China one day soon may be opened to the full-time missionaries.  May we continue to prepare ourselves to help in small ways to build the kingdom of God on this earth, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

弟兄姊妹: 今晚我的心充滿對神的感激. 感謝神給我的家庭以及這個分會的許多祝福. 過去的二十年裏,我們分會送出八位全時間傳教士. 這不包括Foulger會長夫婦,也不包括將要去傳教的蔡致賢長老, 及未來的幾位要去傳教的弟兄姐妹像 Kristy董敏姊妹和李明杰弟兄. 我相信還有更多我們現在的初級會兒童和男女青年會加入這項傳教的行列. 如果我的計算是正確的, ,這二十年來我們今天正好有一百位傳教士來我們分會服務過. 熊長老是第九十九位, 林長老(McLane)正是第一百位. 這些美好的傳教士是本分會成長的動力. 經由他們辛勤努力的結果, 兩百零二位歸信者加入了教會. 孟孫會長曾說”傳道事工是神國的血脈.” 真的, 我們每一個人不是直接由傳教士授課不然就是我們的祖先接受了傳教士的教導. 我的父母於1971年在台灣接受傳教士的教導,蔡姊妹的父母也是. 這是神啟發的教會,因為祂召喚傳教士們去宣講祂的話語,再過幾分鐘,我們將有機會看到許多過去的傳教士及歸信者的紀錄影片.

當我們在觀賞時,讓我們記得由於這些傳教士 我們所受的極大祝福.

這是神的事工,神引導著. 這是神的教會. 我想簡短的談一下我們這個特別的分會:

首先, 談到分會會長,從分會成立到現在我們有五位分會會長: Brelio, Foulger, 江會長,蔡會長和現任的沈會長. 我要大家知道沒有一位分會會長是完美的, 當他們接受召喚時,他們一定都懷疑過自己的能力,但他們接受召喚因為他們知道這召喚是來自神. 他們愛神,也愛他們的同胞. 我們分會的第一任會長: Brelio會長,害怕接受這召喚因為他已忘了很多中文, 他當時還有背的健康問題, 然而他還是接受了這項召喚. 因為他知道這是神的召喚. 也因為他的選擇, 我們受到了許多的祝福.

我相信神成立這個分會有祂的用意及特別的目的. 20年前, Hardy會長和支聯會領袖們受到靈感成立了這個分會.神一直在不同的時間裏帶領許多教友及歸信者來到這個分會,祝福了這個分會. 這個分會是一個奇蹟.

對我而言,這分會有三個目的:

第一: 是讓我們有機會用我們的母語,也就是華語,來學習福音原則、接受聖職教儀和其他各種教儀. 在這裡,曾經有過多少福音課程、家庭晚會及傳教士課程是用中文教導的?曾經有多少治病的祝福、聖職權柄的按立、聖餐祝福的教儀以及聖殿教儀是用中文實行的? 用中文母語使我們受到許多益處和祝福 (D&C 90:11)

第二: 這分會為我們和我們的後代保留祝中華文化的傳統.  每一年我們都慶祝中國農曆新年和中秋節. 我們也參與龍舟慶典、龍舟競賽以及七夕情人節. 我們既是住在美國也入境隨俗的慶祝聖誕節、獨立節和各種其他慶典,再加上教會傳統的先驅者紀念日和復活節等等…經由這些慶典我們發展出了強壯且獨特的家庭和分會文化傳統.

第三: 這分會是未來領袖、教師和傳教士的訓練基地. 豪會長曾在本分會主日學教師及執行祕書. 後來他被召喚為主教、傳道部會長, 然後是現在我們的支聯會會長. 本分會送出去八位傳教士到世界各地去傳播福音. 本分會受洗的舒展弟兄返回中國大陸後曾任長老定額組. 蔡致潔現在是亞洲單身支會慈助會諮理….我知道將來會有更多的領袖會從本分會出去.

這次的週年紀念活動的目標是要藉著(1)聚集和交誼來鞏固過去和現在的教會成員和傳教士. (2)分享見證,並鼓舞火熱的信心之建立(3)溫習回憶舊時歸信的奇蹟,  將教會成員帶向基督.

願神繼續祝福我們華語分會和世上所有各分之會. 願神祝福中國人,幫助他們的心準備好接受福音. 願神祝福中國的領袖們, 使中國在不久的將來接納全時間傳教士. 願我們繼續努力準備我們自己最小的一部分來建立神在世上的國度.