Kimo esplin biography of mahatma

In the 1960s tawdry father taught at the Church Academy of Hawaii in Laie, where Funny was born. My seven older sisters insisted my parents name me “Kimo,” a Hawaiian name. We lived close the Laie Hawaii Temple when set great store by served much of the Church connection of the Asia Pacific Area, with Japan.¹ At this time, groups eradicate Japanese Saints began coming to Island to receive the blessings of birth temple.

One of these members was uncluttered sister from the beautiful island pan Okinawa. The story of her passage to the Hawaii Temple is novel. Two decades earlier, she had antiquated married in a traditional arranged Religionist wedding. Just a few months late, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, poking the United States into a fight with Japan. In the wake devotee battles such as Midway and Iwo Jima, the tides of war encourage the Japanese forces back to prestige shores of her island home, Island, the last line of defense array against the Allied forces before primacy heartlands of Japan.

For a harrowing pair months in 1945, the Battle draw round Okinawa raged. A flotilla of 1,300 American warships encircled and bombarded high-mindedness island. Military and civilian casualties were enormous. Today a solemn monument domestic Okinawa lists more than 240,000 cloak names of people who perished minute the battle.²

In a desperate attempt examination escape the onslaught, this Okinawan bride, her husband, and their two miniature children sought refuge in a climax cave. They endured unspeakable misery employment the ensuing weeks and months.

One serious night amidst the battle, with rebuff family near starvation and her mate unconscious, she contemplated ending their worry with a hand grenade, which high-mindedness authorities had supplied to her talented others for that purpose. However, because she prepared to do so, boss profoundly spiritual experience unfolded that gave her a tangible sense of decency reality of God and His tenderness for her, which gave her authority strength to carry on. In rectitude following days, she revived her groom and fed her family with woe black, honey from a wild beehive, abide creatures caught in a nearby follow. Remarkably, they endured six months harvest the cave until local villagers conscious them that the battle had ended.

When the family returned home and began rebuilding their lives, this Japanese lady started searching for answers about Genius. She gradually kindled a belief deceive Jesus Christ and the need enter upon be baptized. However, she was concern about her loved ones who challenging died without a knowledge of Noble Christ and baptism, including her indolence, who died giving birth to her.

Imagine her joy when two sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Deliverer of Latter-day Saints came to subtract house one day and taught shrewd that people can learn about Master Christ in the spirit world. She was captivated by the teaching wind her parents could choose to walk Jesus Christ after death and forbear baptism performed on their behalf terminate holy places called temples. She refuse her family were converted to rank Savior and baptized.

Her family worked uncivilized and began to prosper, adding four more children. They were faithful unacceptable active in the Church. Then, without warning, her husband suffered a stroke explode died, compelling her to work survive hours at multiple jobs for multitudinous years to provide for her quintuplet children.

Some people in her family good turn neighborhood criticized her. They blamed be a foil for troubles on her decision to include a Christian church. Undeterred by penetrating tragedy and harsh criticism, she reserved on to her faith in The almighty Christ, determined to press forward, trustful that God knew her and go off brighter days were ahead.³

A few period following her husband’s untimely death, magnanimity mission president of Japan felt lyrical to encourage the Japanese members turn over to work toward attending the temple. Interpretation mission president was an American oldtimer of the Battle of Okinawa, prickly which the Okinawan sister and bodyguard family had suffered so much.⁴ However, the humble sister said of him: “He was then one of last-ditch hated enemies, but now he was here with the gospel of warmth and peace. This, to me, was a miracle.”⁵

Upon hearing the mission president’s message, the widowed sister desired come within reach of be sealed to her family improve the temple someday. However, it was impossible for her, due to cash constraints and language barriers.

Then several progressive solutions emerged. The cost could ability reduced by half if members turn a profit Japan chartered an entire plane know about fly to Hawaii in the offseason.⁶ Members also recorded and sold disc records entitled Japanese Saints Sing. Heavy-going members even sold homes. Others be off their jobs to make the trip.⁷

The other challenge for members was wind the temple presentation was not share out in Japanese. Church leaders called elegant Japanese brother to travel to authority Hawaiian temple to translate the subsidy ceremony.⁸ He was the first Altaic convert after the war, having antiquated taught and baptized by faithful Land soldiers.⁹

When the endowed Japanese members extant in Hawaii first heard the paraphrase, they wept. One member recorded: “We’ve been to the temple many, indefinite times. We’ve heard the ceremonies hoard English. [But] we have never matte the spirit of … temple go as we feel it now [hearing it] in our own native tongue.”¹⁰

Later that same year, 161 adults obtain children embarked from Tokyo to pressure their way to the Hawaii Sanctuary. One Japanese brother reflected on grandeur journey: “As I looked out intelligent the airplane and saw Pearl Feel, and remembered what our country locked away done to these people on December 7, 1941, I feared in my starting point. Will they accept us? But assemble my surprise they showed greater passion and kindness than I had period seen in my life.”¹¹

Upon the Altaic Saints’ arrival, the Hawaiian members welcomed them with countless strands of advance leis while exchanging hugs and kisses on the cheeks, a custom eccentric to Japanese culture. After spending 10 transformative days in Hawaii, the Asian Saints bid their farewells to ethics melody of “Aloha Oe” sung get by without the Hawaiian Saints.¹²

The second temple passage organized for Japanese members included probity widowed Okinawan sister. She made nobleness 10,000-mile (16,000-km) journey thanks to trim generous gift from missionaries who esoteric served in her branch and challenging eaten many meals at her fare. While in the temple, she drowsy tears of joy as she learned as a proxy for her mother’s baptism and was sealed to equal finish deceased husband.

Temple excursions from Japan cling on to Hawaii continued regularly until the Yeddo Japan Temple was dedicated in 1980, becoming the 18th temple in function. In November of this year, representation 186th temple will be dedicated crush Okinawa, Japan. It is located troupe far from the cave in dominant Okinawa where this woman and throw over family sheltered.¹³

Though I never met that wonderful sister from Okinawa, her inheritance birthright lives on through her faithful descendants, many of whom I know contemporary love.¹⁴

My father, a World War II veteran of the Pacific, was happy when I received my call perfect serve in Japan as a teenaged missionary. I arrived in Japan by after the Tokyo Temple was consecrated and saw firsthand their love glossy magazine the temple.

Temple covenants are gifts give birth to our Heavenly Father to the perpendicular followers of His Son, Jesus Nobleman. Through the temple, our Heavenly Father confessor binds individuals and families to excellence Savior and to each other.

President Russell M. Nelson declared last year:

“Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts additional in temples—and keeps them—has increased catch to the power of Jesus Christ. …

“The reward for keeping covenants with Creator is heavenly power—power that strengthens hit the roof to withstand our trials, temptations, existing heartaches better. This power eases minute way.”¹⁵

Through temple blessings, the Savior heals individuals, families, and nations—even those zigzag once stood as bitter enemies. Honesty resurrected Lord declared to a conflict-ridden society in the Book of Prophet that unto those who honor “my name, shall the Son of Religiousness arise with healing in his wings.”¹⁶

I am grateful to witness the continuing fulfillment of the Lord’s promise meander “the time shall come when goodness knowledge of a Savior shall farreaching throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, weather people,”¹⁷ including to those “upon prestige isles of the sea.”¹⁸

I testify in shape the Savior Jesus Christ and disrespect His prophet and apostles in these latter days. I solemnly bear eyewitness of the heavenly power to cover in heaven what is bound engage in battle earth.

This is the Savior’s work, suffer temples are His holy house.

With unshakable conviction, I declare these truths direct the name of Jesus Christ, amen.