President Hinckley, returning to the U.S. after touring Southeast Asia, stopped on Guam Monday and spoke to the Saints there. The first visit of a prophet to the U.S. territory, this Member's Meeting was a rare opportunity for the nearly fifteen hundred members of the Guam District to see the prophet. Addressing a crowd of nearly seven hundred in the Guam Hilton and teleconferenced to the chapel on nearby Saipan Island, President Hinckley admonished the people to "come to know the God of Heaven. You have to cultivate [a testimony], nourish, and feed it, by reading the scriptures, by attending church. . . ."

President Hinckley began his address by reminiscing about his first visit to Guam as a General Authority. At that time he had the responsibility of overseeing areas of Asia, and with the blessing of President McKay he and President Hugh B. Brown toured much of Asia. Their stop on Guam was only one hour while their plane refueled, but they were able to meet fifteen saints. He was pleased to see the much larger crowd that came to hear his address many years later.

Remembering an experience calling an Elders' Quorum president who felt he was not the best choice, he commented that the "simple man, who had a marvelous way with words" was one of the best presidents the Quorum full of professionals ever had. "Accept all responsibilities," he counseled, since it is the Lord who knows who will mature and fulfill those assignments. "The Lord will magnify you and you will grow."

Nanette Delfin, mother of three young children who had never seen the prophet, and her husband Oscar were at the hotel early to get seats near the front. Shawn, her five year old, kept asking her "when's he gonna come," and Sister Delfin was worried that they would be restless throughout the hour and a half Member's Meeting. However, the children were calm and quiet; "it was a wonderful evening.

"I just wish that the people of Guam could all have known what a momentous event this was for Guam. Tomorrow most of them will go on as always, little knowing the message and the spirit that the prophet brought," she added.

President Hinckley concluded by leaving his blessing on the members; "May the peace of heaven be with you."

Ken Anderson, District Clerk

Guam District, Micronesia Guam Mission, Pacific Islands Area