Elder Carl B. Cook of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke at the Suva Fiji Stake Conference on Sunday 15 September.
He was accompanied by his wife, Sister Lynette Cook, who also spoke during the conference.
During the conference, Elder Cook invited a Latter-day Saint pioneer in Fiji, 83-year-old Marianne Wright, to share her feelings about the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sister Wright joined the Church in the 1960’s. She says her life changed for the better when she learned about the Church’s health code, known as the Word of Wisdom.
That evening, Elder and Sister Cook, along with Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita and Sister Tazuko Yamashita, spoke at a devotional for returned missionaries.
Elder Cook led a discussion about what young people can do to love and support those who are currently not participating fully in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They discussed ideas such as having more activities, listening to them, being a friend, holding returned missionaries reunions, devotionals and other activities.
He quoted Doctrine and Covenants 84:106: "And if any man among you be strong in the Spirit, let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also."
Referring to counsel given to missionaries by former Church president Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008), Elder Yamashita encouraged the young people in attendance to value “a knowledge of and love for God, love for the scriptures, love for parents, love for people, how to work hard, assurance that the Spirit is there to guide us, understanding of teamwork, the value of personal virtue, faith to act, and the humility to pray.”
Sister Cook spoke about the tender experiences she and Elder Cook have had while in Fiji, including meeting two families who are new members of the Church.
“The joy that came to them of learning of Jesus Christ and the joy that comes through repentance is a gift,” she said.
Sister Cook encouraged everyone to be a missionary and find opportunities to share the gospel.
Sister Yamashita spoke about forgetting yourself and serving others. She referenced President Hinckley's experience on his mission and how his father sent him a letter with that message.
“If you are struggling,” Sister Yamashita said, “forget yourself, and serve.”
