Asia

“I never envisioned that my daughter and mother would get to join me in my mission.”

“If you follow those three things, you can be safe. You can raise your family.”

As a teen, Phong risked his life to escape communism. He then was led to the only One who could heal the painful memories of his childhood.

My grandparents were initially nervous about my decision, but how they kept nourishing our relationship inspires me.

Asia’s first “For the Strength of Youth Facility” has been specifically designed to host FSY conferences, helping Latter-day Saint youth have fun, strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ, and feel joy and belonging as they live the gospel.

Meet Anurat Kaeocha, one of the newest members of the Church in Thailand and project manager for the Bangkok Thailand Temple.

Yongsung Kim’s paintings depict a happy Christ and are inspired by his love for Jesus Christ.

Marguerite Gong Hancock is a techno-optimist in Silicon Valley whose family roots, faith, and passion for humanity inspire her to bring an abundant life to civilizations worldwide.

Three nations on this list don’t yet have a temple operating, announced, or under construction. Find out where.

“People perhaps do not know who Jesus Christ and President Nelson are, but they can listen to their words in my messages.”

Editor’s note: The following excerpt has been adapted from Voice of the Saints in Mongolia, the first comprehensive history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in that nation.

New temples in Brazil, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Bolivia now have construction sites announced. Find out where.

After Batchimeg told Soyolmaa that they could serve a mission, they decided to put in their mission papers together around March or April 1995.

As NYC fashion photographer Kah Poon chases the perfect moment from behind his lens, he’s grateful for a faith that reminds him to look beyond his camera and see the bigger picture.

President Jean B. Bingham and President Bonnie H. Cordon visited Cambodia, Singapore, and Thailand. See highlights from their trip.

Two Latter-day Saint couples in the Philippines played an integral role in the Church since it was first established in their country nearly 60 years ago.

As the pandemic restrictions eased in Hong Kong, young single adults donned masks, gloves, and painting clothes to help renovate a part of a local hospital.

While a virtual MTC may not be the setting missionaries imagined when opening their calls, for some this temporary shift is producing miracles at home.

Fighting a pandemic would be impossible without healthcare professionals working in unity, but they aren’t the only ones who have seen the need to join hands. Religious organizations across the world have put aside differences in an effort to offer hope and service to the staggering number of those in need.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the following statement on February 4, 2020:

President Russell M. Nelson’s 40-year professional relationships in China are facilitating a donation of supplies from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that will help Chinese health workers in their effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Rarely does an apostle happen to be in the area during the time of a natural disaster. But with the recent eruption of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has been able to minister to those affected by the volcanic eruption as well as meet with local leaders.

For the first time in 43 years, the Taal Volcano in the Philippines has erupted, sending ash, steam, and rocks nine miles into the sky.

It’s been 23 years since a prophet has visited Vietnam.

As Typhoon Hagibis made landfall on Saturday evening in Japan, the storm brought a record 36 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. Flooding and high wind speeds wreaked havoc throughout the greater Tokyo area leaving a reported 33 people dead and 19 missing. Several river embankments collapsed as a result of the heavy rains and flooding. Transportation systems, including Narita and Haneda airports, remained closed throughout the weekend as the storm passed.

"Having the knowledge of all my own mother endured, and being a part of that legacy, is why I cried when I heard the announcement. It’s why my mom gasped out loud — sitting in the Conference Center and hearing the announcement in person — and was flooded with emotion."

Following a group of people dressed in colorful, handmade tribal clothing up the stairs in a small Church meetinghouse in Hualien, Taiwan, Wen-hsiu Chen squeezed her way through the crowd for a chance to say a quick goodbye.

This article is republished with permission from Book of Mormon Central. For more inspiring and instructive content on the Book of Mormon visit Book of Mormon Central or follow them on Facebook.

Jiyeon Maeng stood in front of a bustling North Korean farmer’s market wearing a gray sweater and glasses—exactly what she had been told to wear by a complete stranger over the phone days earlier. The voice on the phone said that if she followed his instructions, he would help her reunite with her husband, whom she had last seen eight months before.

M. Russell Ballard, President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ, addressed nearly 700 Church members and friends at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi, India on May 19, 2019—his first visit ever to the country. He expressed his love for the people of India.

More than 7,000 miles and the world’s largest ocean separate Astrid S. Tuminez’s birthplace in the Philippines from her adopted home of Orem, Utah. But mere geography can’t aptly describe the massive distance this Latter-day Saint convert has traveled.

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the closure of the Hong Kong China Temple effective July 8, 2019.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broke ground for its first temple in Thailand on Saturday, January 26, 2019, in a much-anticipated event. Since the Bangkok Thailand Temple was announced in April 2015, Latter-day Saints around the world and especially in Asia have begun preparing for this new temple of the Lord.

Before bidding farewell to a group of Brigham Young University students, Mother Teresa asked her visitors from distant Provo, Utah, a final question:

A couple of years ago, Ray Goodson had his hip replaced on a Tuesday. By Friday, to the astonishment of, among others, his surgeon, he was off his pain meds and playing golf.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is pleased to announce that the official groundbreaking ceremony for the Bangkok Thailand Temple will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 26, 2019. The ceremony will be held at the temple site, which is located at 1645/6 New Phetchburi Road Makkasan, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Thailand.

I was a 29-year-old United States Air Force fighter pilot, hanging from a parachute, slowly descending into hostile territory. I looked below my dangling legs as I watched my doomed F-4 Phantom shudder, shake, and cartwheel its fiery way to the ground. Missing its tail section and a large part of the left wing, it was now totally engulfed in flames. It was hard to imagine I had been sitting in the cockpit, at the very center of the fireball, a few seconds before. Finally, I saw it hit the ground with a huge concussion that I could see but not hear. The fire and smoke reached into the sky several thousand feet. I thought for a few seconds how unlikely it was for a small-town Texas boy to be involved in such a monumental problem as this was turning into.

Damage assessments are underway in the Philippines and Hong Kong following Super Typhoon Mangkhut, the category 5 storm that hit Asia over the weekend.

At the first Face to Face event held in Asia, Elder Stevenson told the youth in attendance at the Manila MTC, "The covenant path is not a path for perfect people. The covenant path is for those who are trying to become perfect." He later added, "The gospel is a gospel of joy and it tries to teach us to be happy." Elder and Sister Stevenson continued to share their message of love and joy as they met with youth in Japan for another Face to Face event, and this time the apostle spoke in the native language of those in attendance.

Of India’s 1.3 billion people, its 13,500 members of the Church represent only a sliver of the country’s total population. But although this number seems small, the faith of the Saints in India is great. The Church in India has grown significantly since the gospel was first introduced, and more growth is coming. With the recent announcement of the new temple in Bengaluru, the hastening of the work in India is just beginning.

A family tragedy would lead this LDS housewife down an unexpected path—one that would bring hope and healing to thousands of people half a world away.

Twenty-four-year-old Shivam Shah was born in India and raised in Kenya, yet he jokes that it took moving to Draper, Utah, for him to be shot at. It was an attempted murder case that made headlines across the nation, but Shah doesn't remember that terrifying event as the day he almost lost his life—he remembers it as the day God saved his life, setting him on a path that helped him understand the reality of miracles, grace, and Heavenly Father's love.

Learn how Elder Takashi Wada, who was raised Buddhist, and his wife, Naomi Ueno Wada, who was raised Shinto, discovered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and sacrificed much to follow their new faith.

The first Mormon missionary in Thailand was Elder Elam Luddington, sent by Brigham Young in 1854. It was an exciting but short-lived expansion of the gospel into another part of the world—Elder Luddington struggled with the language and returned to Utah only four months after his arrival in Thailand. Latter-day Saints wouldn’t return to the Southeast Asian country until the Vietnam War years, when LDS servicemen and their families entered Thailand.

The First Presidency has called the following four new temple presidents and matrons. They will begin their service in November 2018.