Here is a fun video of a couple of Taiwan Missionaries. One of them happens to be my neighbor. I think they give a good representation of missionary work with the Chinese people.
Chinese Missionaries
I had the great fortune of serving a LDS mission in the Washington D.C. North Mission. At the time there was only our little Montgomery Chinese Branch which met in an old chapel in Potomac Maryland.
Montgomery Chinese Branch
It was frustrating sometimes to meet someone who spoke mandarin chinese but lived in Virginia, which was outside our mission boundaries. The Washington D.C. South Mission at the time did not have Chinese speaking missionaries.
I am happy to finally see a branch formed in that area. KSL article. The Twin Lakes Chinese Branch will meet in Centreville, Virginia. It is very exciting to see the growth of the church in that area in providing chinese speaking members a place to hear the gospel in their native language.
Hosea Stout
In August of 1852 the first missionaries were called to Asia. Four were called but only three made the journey. They arrived in Hong Kong on April 27, 1853. Hosea Stout kept a journal which has been published a few times.
You can read a typescript of his journals here: Diary of Hosea Stout
Another mentions in the Millennial Star can be read here: http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/MStar,17044 and here: http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/MStar/id/6819
CHINA MISSION.- We have received a letter from Elder James Lewis, dated San Francisco February 14, who, with Elders Hosea Stout and Duncan Chapman, is on a mission to China. Elder Lewis states that, at the date of his letter, all the Elders for the other missions had sailed from San Francisco, and that himself and Elders Stout and Chapman were expecting to sail in a few days from there, for Hong Kong. It is our prayer that these brethren may be enabled to open the doors and windows of the “Celestial Empire,” that its inhabitants may be cheered with the celestial light that is now beaming from the heaven of heavens. It will afford us special pleasure to hear from time to time of the progress of the various missions which are now on foot amongst the nations.
祈禱的步驟
1.「我們的天父⋯⋯」2.「我們感謝祢⋯⋯」3.「我們祈求祢⋯⋯」4.「奉耶穌基督的名，阿門。」
Prayer Steps – Proper Vocabulary for Praying in Chinese
- 祈禱的步驟
胡唯一 Article July 1992
胡唯一敎長 – Below is the text from a Liahona article about Hu Wei-Yi, the translator of the Chinese Book of Mormon.
人生過了不惑之齡，就逐漸老邁退化，然而，79歲的胡唯一卻活躍於田徑場上，並創下台灣區高齡組100米、200米、400米短跑紀錄。
胡弟兄是西台北支聯會的祝福敎長，他在70歲從敎會的翻譯員退休後，就一直從事跑步的活動。
他是台灣最早的敎友之一，也是翻譯中文摩門經的人。1963年11月5日，當時的十二使徒議會成員興格萊戈登長老按手選派他爲翻譯員，而胡弟兄就在1964年完成摩門經的翻譯，並於1965年出版中文的摩門經。
亞洲區域會長李伯特莫林長老極其稱許他說：「胡弟兄絕對遵守福音每一條敎導，他在忠誠、奉獻、辛勤工作上都立下了極佳的典範。」
1913年，胡弟兄出生於中國上海，36歲時，是蔣中正國民政府軍中的將軍；然而，國民黨戰敗後，他就帶著妻子逃到台灣，開始人生的新旅程，也就在此刻，他接受了福音。
他回憶說：「我是個很麻煩的慕道友，聽了17次課程才決定受洗。」
在戒煙、戒酒、戒賭後，於1958年聖誕夜受洗，而他的妻子則因看到他的改變，也在隔年接受洗禮。他由於先前的煙、酒、賭博等惡習而導致負債，付什一奉獻也就成了難題；但是在當時，第二任南遠東傳道部會長泰勒會長授予他麥基洗德聖職後，這一切都改觀了。
在這項聖職授予中，他蒙得應許在他付什一奉獻後，天上的窗戶一定會爲他而開。他的確聽從了這項勸告，幾個月後，他在工作上獲得升遷，薪水多了，還有額外的收入能償還債務。
胡弟兄受洗時，敎會剛在台灣萌芽發展，也沒有多少中文的敎會書籍刊物，由於他在英文學習上的熱誠使他加入摩門經的翻譯工作。
胡弟兄靈性成熟、待人和善、爲人幽默，堪稱最夠資格的翻譯員。
他被選派爲翻譯員後，就向所屬的航空公司請假一段期間，以便全心投入翻譯的工作。而的確，中文的摩門經出版後，傳敎工作也跟著蓬勃發展。
35年的敎友生涯中，他對敎會的貢獻不僅在翻譯部門的服務工作，也包括擔任分會會長、副會長及南遠東傳道部副會長。
他在田徑場上的成就乃是因爲他個人對短跑的興趣，而且早在他離開翻譯部門前就開始練習。
他說：「我在航空公司及翻譯部門工作時，由於公司離家有很長的一段路，我就騎著脚踏車上下班，藉著騎脚踏車慢慢鍛鍊體力。「起初，並不曉得自己有這方面的潛力，但在敎會所舉辦的運動曰，我發現我並不輸給年輕人，他們還落在我後面。」
從那時起，他就不斷加强訓練，締造紀錄。胡弟兄是台灣區男子75—80歲多項短跑紀錄的保持人，包括100米17秒、200米36秒、400米84秒。
他代表台灣參加1985年在加拿大舉行的世界名人赛中，赢得400米短跑銀牌及100米短跑銅牌。現在他則打算練習長跑，看看是否也會有同樣優異的表現。
Liahona 05-11 – lds.org
Liahona 05-2011 – Taiwan Site
Text is not yet available on the new site, but you can watch video or listen to the talks in Mandarin.
http://lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2011/04?lang=eng&clang=cmn
Should be up soon.
I came across this video series on YouTube. It is a history of Missionaries and the Church in Taiwan. It includes a great interview of Hu Wei-I 胡唯一。
Today I was looking through the 1974 issues of the 聖徒之聲. On page two of the September issue I found a stylized quote from the recently translated Doctrine & Covenants. The Taiwan edition was published in April of 1974.
Here is a scan of that verse.
“你要在一切事物上感謝主你的神”
—教約59：7
This translation held through until the D&C was retranslated in 2007. Here is the new translation.
“凡事都要感謝主你的神”
—教約59：7
“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things”
I read an interesting article on CNN today. A famous Chinese blogger named Han Han who created magazine and tried to get it published, but had difficulty getting it through the government approval system. Article.
The writer mentions two interesting things that may be of interest to those wishing to see the gospel spread throughout china:
- There are three different sets of “licenses and permits” needed to get anything published and distributed in China. This would make it difficult to get religious materials distributed. Plenty of places to for the material to rejected.
- The blogger Han Han is stopping the production because he doesn’t see a chance for change until the current leadership changes in 2012. Change is always good.
With the letter from the “Elders” to the Chinese government a few weeks back and other loosening of restrictions I hope to see positive change in the coming years.
