Pray for the People of China

Lately the Chinese people have been on my mind for several reasons.  For one, I have been listening to a historical fiction book that describes some of the terrible things Mao did in China to control and kill so many of his people back in the mid-20^th century.  It has led me to think about the awful repression and lack of freedom experienced by millions of Chinese, so many of whom would have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ had they been given the opportunity to do so.  I have also learned along with the rest of the Church recently about the great love that the people of China today have for President Nelson because of the way he learned their language, taught them about his expertise in surgical operations, and then performed his last open heart surgery on China’s most famous opera singer.  In October 2015 President Nelson was honored with an official declaration that named him an “old friend to China.”  Then recently in his address to the youth of the Church, President Nelson spoke about this charge from President Kimball: “We should be of service to the Chinese people. We should learn their language. We should pray for them and help them.”  President Kimball asked that they pray for the people of China in 1979, and President Nelson made this remarkable statement: “For almost 40 years now, I have been praying for the people of China.” 

               Then recently I have had the opportunity to interact with a few Chinese members that has shown me that these prayers have not been in vain.  I met a woman at a temple who explained how she was originally from mainland China and had joined the Church because of the band Eclipse who came and performed where she lived.  I was impressed to hear her and her husband explain that there are over a hundred LDS branches of the church in China, but that the Chinese and non-Chinese cannot currently meet together in the same church services.  And then yesterday I went to Church to a small branch in Australia that was filled with new Chinese members.  As we sang the opening hymn, Nearer My God To Thee, I was moved by all of these Chinese members who were striving to be nearer to their Father in Heaven despite the godless state of their country for so long.  A new member from China taught the Sunday School lesson on keeping the Sabbath Day holy and I was amazed at how heartfelt and sincere her testimony of the Gospel and the Savior was, even in her broken English.  Surely, what was said at the beginning of the mission of Ammon and his brethren to the Lamanites could be said about the wonderful Chinese people: “And thus the work of the Lord did commence among [them]; thus the Lord did begin to pour out his Spirit upon them; and we see that his arm is extended to all people who will repent and believe on his name” (Alma 19:36).

               Perhaps then as members of the Church we all need to be more apt to pray for those countries, including China, who are not yet opened to the preaching of the gospel.  One of the invitations that President Nelson gave to the youth was this: “My fourth invitation is for you to pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You and I are living to see, and will continue to see, Israel gathered with great power. And you can be part of the power behind that gathering!”  In the Book of Mormon this same commandment was given to the Nephites: “Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God” (Alma 6:6).  Surely these invitations to the youth from President Nelson and to the Nephites of old from their prophets are just as applicable for all of us today.  Not long after this invitation to the Nephites was given, “The Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming” (Alma 16:16).  May the Lord pour out his Spirit upon all His children as we seek to take the gospel to all nations.