SYDNEY, Australia — During the first stop of a multi-island Pacific Area ministry, Elder Quentin L. Cook spoke to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19.
Elder Cook shared his conviction that members of the Church worship only God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father has called Apostles and others to lead the Church, but Latter-day Saints worship only God, he said.
“We worship the Father and the Son, and we are ministered to by the Holy Spirit,” Elder Cook said.
Prior to being called as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Cook served as the Pacific Islands Area president, from 1998 to 2001. He shared with the Latter-day Saints some of his memories of notable events during his time as the area president. He also told them he developed a great love for the people across the Pacific as he served them.
As he spoke in a special stake conference on Sunday with the Sydney Australia Fairfield Stake, Elder Cook cautioned against worshipping idols, encouraged paying heed to the counsel of modern prophets and reinforced the need to endure life’s trials to the end.
“If we are too impressed by material things,” he said, “those become idols.” He invited members to identify those things that might fall into that “idol” category and to replace them with more worthy pursuits — including studying and living the gospel at home.
Elder Cook was accompanied on this ministry trip by his wife, Sister Mary Cook. Like Elder Cook, she said children have a way of magnifying truth.
“The only thing better than truth is truth sung by Primary children,” she said following a musical number, “He Sent His Son,” sung by the Fairfield stake’s Primary choir. She then noted that music can be one easy way to encourage children to participate in “Come, Follow Me” lessons at home. She showed that each week’s lesson has a suggested song to help teach the gospel doctrine from that week’s chapters of study.
Elder Cook was also accompanied at the weekend’s meetings by Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Pacific Area presidency. Elder Philip J. Barton and Elder Robert H. Simpson, Area Seventies, also attended, with their wives, Sister Kieryn C. Barton and Sister Jinny A.B. Simpson. Australia Sydney Mission President Gabriel W. Reid and his wife, Sister Heather L. Reid, also attended. The Reids will conclude their mission this summer and move to Utah, where President Reid will begin service Aug. 1 as the second counselor in the newly sustained Sunday School general presidency.
Elder Cook expressed gratitude for the teachings of latter-day prophets and recounted some of their teachings that have stood out to him throughout his life. He recalled President David O. McKay’s teachings on finding success at home with family instead of through professional accomplishments. He remembered President Spencer W. Kimball’s teachings about repentance. He talked about President Gordon B. Hinckley’s constant emphasis on the divine nature of families. And he concluded with a summary of some of President Russell M. Nelson’s teachings. This included President Nelson’s encouragement to get on and stay on the covenant path and become a covenant people. But Elder Cook also noted that Church leaders at the level of the Quorum of the Twelve have felt the same way that ward leaders often feel — unprepared and inadequate.
When the Cook family lived near San Francisco, California, Elder Cook said, he recalled thinking about the members of the Church he was responsible for in a calling he had at the time. The more he thought about their unique situations and circumstances, the more he was able to focus the message he needed to share with each of them.
“‘How can I help build their faith in Jesus Christ?’ I asked myself,” he said. Elder Cook said that question continues to be on his mind many years later because building faith in the Savior can help any individual through any challenge they face. He encouraged leaders and parents to ask themselves this question when they find it difficult to help those they are responsible for to navigate trials with faith in the Savior.
Elder Cook taught that it is important for Latter-day Saints to remember that accepting the gospel is not a one-time act.
“To attain the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement, we must endure to the end,” Elder Cook said. “No one is saved by grace the moment we accept the Savior.”
He concluded his message Sunday by sharing a blessing on those at the stake conference.
“I bless you that, in a world where there is not peace, that you will have personal peace.”
Staying on the covenant path
Elder Wakolo spoke about ministering and encouraged the Saints not to get overwhelmed by the idea of ministering to everyone. He spoke of the example set by the Savior in 3 Nephi to minister to all by ministering one at a time.
“We do not group minister. We pray to individualize the ministering message,” he said.
Elder Barton pointed out that the Pacific Area has 10 dedicated temples and another 10 that have been announced.
“But where are we leading the people to? Who are we leading the people to?” he asked. “We are helping others draw closer to the Savior.”
Elder Simpson taught about covenants and their place in the lives of those who would follow the Savior.
“The covenant path is about the covenant relationship with the Lord,” he said. He taught that keeping covenants allows individuals to be guided more directly by the Holy Ghost.
“The Spirit will invite us to change, … because Heavenly Father is interested in our becoming.”
President Reid estimated that his wife and their family have made more than 10,000 cookies over the past three years. He said Sister Reid always wants to have cookies for the missionaries when they meet with them around the mission. He said the missionaries are always more excited to see her and her cookies than they are to see him and to talk with him. He asked if the same feeling is had with studying the scriptures.
“We have to feast upon the words of Christ to know all things which we should do,” he said.
Sister Reid said spiritual doubts can come when individuals are too focused on the messiness of individual ingredients that lead to the final product of “spiritual cookies.”
“Because the Lord knows how little we understand, He has infinite patience with us,” she said.
What members felt impressed to do and change
Mercy Fagalima Faumui of the Villawood 2nd Ward, a Samoan-speaking ward in the Sydney Australia Fairfield Stake, said she was grateful for Elder Cook’s counsel on overcoming trials.
“Everyone goes through their own trials,” she said. “Always seek help from Heavenly Father because He’s the only one who will always be there for us when we’re going through those trials.”
Dominic Hehepoto of the Fairfield 1st Ward, a Tongan-speaking ward in the Fairfield Stake, was touched by Elder Cook’s mention of latter-day prophets leading up to President Nelson.
“Each prophet had their time, their dispensation. And it was spiritual to learn from each of those prophets and what they lived and their work here on earth,” Hehepoto said.
Tierite Tenea from the Cowra Branch in the Orange Australia District listened to Elder Cook as he spoke to adults on Saturday. He was thankful for the guidance Elder Cook shared to help him with his family and in his calling.
“I feel like Heavenly Father loves us, and He keeps on giving us direction through His Apostles and leaders,” Tenea said.
Robin Solman of the Tamworth Branch in the Coffs Harbour Australia District was excited for her daughter, Bella, to hear from an Apostle in person this weekend. Bella has been the only young woman in her branch, and this was a unique opportunity for her to be with and learn from an Apostle of Jesus Christ. As a mom, Robin Solman said she came to this weekend’s meetings looking for answers on how to help her daughter stay strong as one of the only members of the Church at school and in their community.
“I feel a greater dedication and a greater desire to get her to the temple and to get our family to the temple as often as we can,” she said. Accomplishing that new goal will be a challenge due to the 10-hour round trip required to attend their nearest temple, in Sydney. But she feels this sacrifice will bless all her family, she said.
