“This is the 50th anniversary of the Church here in Indonesia,” said President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as he concluded his weeklong Southeast Asia ministry Thursday in Jakarta.
“May I express, on behalf of the leadership of the Church, our heartfelt gratitude for the faithfulness of Church members here in Indonesia," said President Nelson.
The prophet addressed Latter-day Saints gathered in Jakarta for a devotional at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. The devotional was broadcast to all congregations in the country.
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He praised Latter-day Saints in Indonesia for pledging 5,000 hours of community service, which included efforts to feed the hungry, projects to clean up and beautify the community, work to assemble hygiene kits and blood drives.
Indonesia was the fourth and final stop on his ministry, which also included meetings with government leaders and members in Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore. His wife, Wendy, and Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Katherine, accompanied President Nelson on the trip.
There are currently about 7,500 Latter-day Saints in 24 congregations in Indonesia. The country has one mission.
President Nelson admonished the members to draw near to the Lord and follow His teachings.
“Maybe some of you have wondered if President Nelson is going to say anything about a temple in Indonesia,” he said. “You will determine when that happens.”
The prophet explained that there would need to be enough members to staff and operate a temple. He also encouraged the congregation to work on their family history.
"It takes a long time to build a temple," explained President Nelson.
“Jesus Christ makes it very clear that he does not like anger,” said Sister Nelson, who discussed the importance of avoiding contention. “By anticipating an interaction in advance, we can learn how to respond with love rather than anger, even when provoked. We can pray right in the moment to be given an extra measure of patience or compassion for a person who is lashing out in anger.”
She continued, “Now the scriptures are filled with inspiring examples [of those] who were serious about living the Savior’s doctrine of zero contention.”
“President Nelson’s presence here tonight is a testimony that the Lord remembers you,” said Elder Christofferson. “The Lord cares about you and loves you. You are not forgotten by the leaders of the Church. You’re not forgotten by the Lord himself. We know you pray for us and we pray for you.”
The apostle spoke about the importance of centering our lives on Jesus Christ. “You won’t have time for sin. You may not have time for all the good things you would like to do, but you will have time for what matters most — Jesus Christ and eternal life.”
“The world will take notice if we live by the precepts that we espouse,” said Sister Christofferson. “We must be a people of character, a people the Lord can trust.”
The Church currently has 166 temples around the world, and more have been announced or are under construction. Earlier this week, President Nelson released an artistic rendering of a new temple in Cambodia.
President Nelson became the 17th president of the Church in January 2018. Since that time, he has traveled across North America and to Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific and South America to minister to Latter-day Saints and meet with government, business and religious leaders.
