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From Returned Missionaries
04/03/2008
Paul C. Andrus
Decision Of Destiny For Asia
The 1955 creation of the Northern Far East Mission and the Southern Far East Mission
In the divine providence, all of the children of Our Father in Heaven will have the opportunity to learn of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the timetable of the Lord, 1955 was the year for the church to begin to provide this opportunity to more of his children living in the vast area of Asia. In 1955 there were unprecedented opportunities for the church in Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. In the aftermath of World War II, and in the aftermath of the Chinese civil war, and in the aftermath of the Korean War, the people in each of these six nations were open and receptive and the political situation was favorable.
However, at the beginning of 1955 the church had a foothold only in Japan. Except for this small foothold in Japan the church was nowhere officially established in all of Asia. Korea had never been dedicated nor opened; Okinawa had never been dedicated nor opened; Hong Kong had been dedicated and opened but then the mission had been closed; Taiwan had never been dedicated nor opened; and the Philippines had never been dedicated nor opened. In all of Asia there were only sixty missionaries, all in Japan.
Nevertheless in each of these nations the people had been humbled by war and the political circumstances were sufficiently stable for the church to move in and take advantage of these unprecedented opportunities. Moreover, through the efforts of the LDS servicemen in all six of these countries and the efforts of the earlier missionaries in Japan and Hong Kong, there were members in each of these lands eager to welcome the church and the missionaries and to participate in building the Kingdom of God.
The question that faced the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve was how to best take advantage of these unprecedented opportunities. The church itself was still small with only a little over one million members worldwide and with fewer than 3,000 missionaries in the field. At that time in the aftermath of World War II there was a great demand for church resources and missionaries in Europe. What could be done and what should be done in Asia?
The momentous decision was to create two entirely new missions: The Northern Far East Mission, including Japan, Korea, and Okinawa, with headquarters in Tokyo, and The Southern Far East Mission, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines and Guam, with headquarters in Hong Kong. Underscoring the importance the brethren attached to this decision, President Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Twelve, traveled to the Far East in the summer of 1955 and organized these two new missions with Hilton A. Robertson, who had been serving as president of the Japanese Mission, as President of the Northern Far East Mission and H. Grant Heaton as President of the Southern Far East Mission. In November of 1955 President Robertson, who was not well, was released and Paul C. Andrus was called to replace him.
This decision of The First Presidency and The Quorum of the Twelve placed the responsibility for moving ahead in Japan, Korea, and Okinawa, squarely on President Andrus, and the responsibility for moving ahead in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Guam squarely on President Heaton. President Andrus found himself charged with the responsibility of carrying on and building up the work in Japan, and simultaneously charged with the responsibility of opening up Korea and building up the work there, and simultaneously charged with the responsibility of opening up Okinawa and building up the work there. Similarly, President Heaton found himself charged with the responsibility of reestablishing and building up the work in Hong Kong, and simultaneously charged with opening up Taiwan and building up the work there, and simultaneously charged with opening up the Philippines and building up the work there.
Beyond these six nations lay the untouched vastness of all Asia with over three billion of the children of our Father in Heaven waiting to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. The creation of the Northern Far East Mission and the Southern Far East Mission affirmed that the stepping stones to these waiting billions were to be Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines!
Looking back from the present year of 2007 it is thrilling and exciting to see the growth of the church in numbers and strength in these six nations, and even beyond these six nations in many more of the nations of Asia. It is thrilling and exciting to see the church now established and/or operating in Far-East Russia, Mongolia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan! Ongoing activities and preparations for expanding into China and Islam are underway and continue apace! How thrilling and exciting!
The saga of the church in Asia is well outlined by R. Lanier Britsch in his book From The East as he traces the history of the church in each nation in that vast area. Included in this work is an account of President Joseph Fielding Smith=s historic visit to Asia in 1955 and the organization of the Northern Far East Mission and the Southern Far East Mission. Also included are accounts of President Smith=s dedication of the lands of Korea, Okinawa, and the Philippines during this historic trip. Accounts of the dedication of China in 1921 by President David O. McKay and the special prayer for Hong Kong and China offered by Elder Mathew Cowley in Hong Kong in 1949 are also included, as is an account of the dedication of Taiwan by Elder Mark E. Peterson in 1959. From The East contains excellent accounts of the church in the various nations of Asia from their respective beginnings up to the year 1996. Included in this excellent work are histories of the church in Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines up to 1996.
The various extant histories of the church in the Far East describe the progress of the church in each nation but do not cover the unique roles played by the Northern Far East Mission and The Southern Far East Mission in establishing the church in these nations. There is yet room for a work covering the history of the Northern Far East Mission and the Southern Far East Mission and the special role for which they were created, that is, to prepare Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines to become the stepping stones to all of the nations of Asia. The decision to create these missions was inspired. The success of these missions heralded a great expansion of the proclaiming of the restored gospel in all of Asia.
The unique roles these missions played in the overall saga of the church in Asia should not go untold. Such a history should be from the perspective of the Northern Far East Mission and from the perspective of the Southern Far East Mission as these events came to pass, rather than from the perspective of each separate nation. This history should include firsthand accounts from the mission presidents, from the first missionaries to enter each country, and from the members the Lord raised up in each country to assist in getting the church started. There is a wealth of information to be drawn upon, information which is not found in the more general historical works which have been written. Many of those who could contribute such information are as yet living and this work should be completed before these sources are no longer available.
The year 2005 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the decision of destiny for Asia, the creation of the Northern Far East Mission and the Southern Far East Mission. Accordingly, 2005 was a good time to document this great event. In Korea in 2001, a commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the baptism of President Ho Jik Kim was carried out, and in 2005 a commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the dedication of Korea for the preaching of the gospel by President Joseph Fielding Smith was carried out. Elder Won Yong Ko, Area Authority in Korea, asked me in August of 2000 to send him information on how the first missionaries were sent to Korea and how the church was first established in Korea and the role played by President Ho Jik Kim. I searched my journals, compiled and sent to Elder Ko five articles: A Tribute To President Ho Jik Kim; Church Beginnings in Korea-Part One; Church Beginnings in Korea-Part Two; Moving The Church Ahead In Korea; and Korea Missionary Hepatitis Meeting. I am now going through my journals again and I have begun writing the history of the church in the Northern Far East Mission during my tenure 1955-1962. In 2004, Korean Mission Journals, an excellent compilation of testimonies and experiences of nearly 700 LDS missionaries who served in Korea during the years 1956 to 1975 was published by Shirley Palmer, David Ashworth, and L. Edward Brown. Included in this book are the testimonies and experiences of many of the first 52 missionaries to labor in Korea, all of whom were missionaries of the Northern Far East Mission. President Heaton has already completed in 1999 an excellent history of the church in China and the Southern Far East Mission including first hand accounts from his missionaries and from many of the early converts to the church.
Whether or not the story of the Decision of Destiny For Asia is ever recognized and told remains to be seen. Whatever happens, even though never recognized and never told, the vital role played by the Northern Far East Mission and the vital role played by the Southern Far East Mission in the bringing of the gospel to the billions of our Father In Heaven=s children in Asia is forever accurately and completely recorded in the annals of the Most High. By Paul C. Andrus. Originally written 3/9/01. Updated 6/26/07.