As an Area Presidency we want to express our love and appreciation for your faithful lives and devoted service. In the past year we’ve watched you consecrate your time, talents and everything with which the Lord has blessed you, to the building of Jesus Christ’s church. The way you live the gospel by “loving the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and “loving thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37, 39) inspires us. We can’t imagine a more faithful people on the earth than the members in the Asia North Area. Nephi must have seen our area in vision when he saw latter day “covenant people…who were scattered upon all the face of the earth…armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.” (1 Nephi 14:14)
Despite the ‘commotion’ that increasingly fills the world (D&C 45:26), we are also seeing the hand of the Lord working through living Prophet and Apostles in miraculous ways. President Nelson reminded us of these in October General Conference when he said “My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment!” Elder Stevenson highlighted some of the events to look forward to in the next decade which will spotlight the church, beginning with the 100th birthday of President Nelson:
Our decade (2024 – 2034)
- 100th Birthday of President Nelson (2024)
- 181 + New Temple Dedications (including the Busan, Korea and UB, Mongolia Temples)
- Salt Lake Temple Dedication (2027)
- Bicentennial of the Church (2030)
- Salt Lake Winter Olympics (2034)
Oliver Cowdery used some words to describe the events of the restoration that are appropriate for our day - “These were days never to be forgotten…”
We look forward to the 2025 Come Follow Me study of the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History. Please keep in mind that learning the gospel, at its best, is home centered and Church supported. We hope you will join with us in reading and studying the Come Follow Me lessons in your home and come to church prepared to share what you have learned. We can also support and encourage one another as we strive to know and follow Jesus Christ.
As we study the Restoration, we will come to love the Prophet Joseph Smith, his successors, and President Russell M Nelson more. We will receive an assurance again and again that this is the Savior’s work and we are His servants working with Him in His vineyard for the last time.
In 2024 we were blessed to read and study the Book of Mormon. In 2025, we will learn of the ‘marvelous work and a wonder’ that brought forth the Book of Mormon. For example, we will be reminded of the miracle of Joseph Smith dictating nearly the entire Book of Mormon (600 English pages) in roughly 90 days (or 60 to 65 working days), from April 6th to the end of June 1829. The Book of Mormon manuscript shows he did it with very few corrections in a single draft with no punctuation. In those same 90 days Joseph still needed to provide for his family and did the following:
- Received the Aaronic Priesthood from John Baptist (15 May)
- Received and recorded 14 Revelations (D&C 6-19)
- Traveled to Whitmer Home in New York
- The 3 and 8 witnesses of the Gold Plates
- Application of copyright
- Finding a printer for the Book of Mormon
- Arranging the financing of the printing with Martin Harris
In 2020, the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith’s 1st Vision, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve issued the “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World”. It concludes with this testimony and promise:
“With reverence and gratitude, we as His Apostles invite all to know—as we do—that the heavens are open. We affirm that God is making known His will for His beloved sons and daughters. We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
We invite all to join with us in studying the message of the Restoration. As we do so, we know we will be blessed with increased faith in Jesus Christ and an assurance of its truthfulness of the restored gospel. That witness will increase our joy and give us hope in Jesus Christ that will serve as an ‘anchor’ to our souls and give us peace and assurance in times of trouble and turmoil that this is the Savior’s work and His promises are sure as we remain true to our covenants.
Sincerely
Asia North Area Presidency