From Interim to Permanence

Once it became clear that we (the church and the Interim Recognition Committee or IRC) were on the path to recognition, a matter that had been mentioned in several visits and high level discussions by Elders Holland, Gong, Stevenson over the past year, and they began to come back to us with "well, put a proposal together we can act on" the wheels were in motion. As in many organizations where control of the outcome is a concern, they didn't want to authorize a meeting without knowing what would be decided. They wanted the documents in advance. So we submitted the proposed agenda, action items, new operating rules and charter for approval prior to the District Conference where the matter would be presented for vote. Dialogue back and forth was carried on- this should be changed, a charter isn't needed, etc. Given the number of agencies that needed to approve, and the fixed point of availability of Elders Cook, Stevenson and Gong on May 31, we had a tight time frame to work with, especially since they had informed us that 20 working days would be required to prepare the decision. In reality, the time ahead of the conference was the critical variable, and in the end, they asked we postpone the conference one week to give them more time to review the proposal with the agencies concerned in advance. But the really important event took place on that morning of the District Conference, April 24, when a unanimous vote of the saints voted to sustain the IRC and recommend full recognition of that entity as representing the church in Vietnam.

                                

With that came approval to move forward with our event and publicize more widely to those further afield. The Committee quickly came together to begin plans. The great and over-riding goal was to "bring the church out of obscurity" and the magnitude of this task seemed daunting to the no longer "interim" RC. Their intial request for help from a "professional" event planner was rejected. But they did not know of the "ram-in-the-thicket" in the presence and skill-set of Sister Vanwagenen.

                                

Nor did they know the abilities of the new members of the RC, or the power of synergy in taking counsel together. 

                               

As we first weighed the various purposes and desires of the different stake-holders in the event, it became clear that a single event could not meet the needs of both the members of the church and government officials who might be invited as guests to the ceremony. Questions about the venue to be used were considered as well, whether to try to cram into the chapel, "our space" where we could invoke the spirit more readily, versus a rented event space. In the end, the decisions to host the public ceremony in the Keangnam building was wise, and in a manner, affirmed our presence (the Mission office) in that tower as a tenant. Our concerns that we would be viewed as paltry and insignificant, due to low attendance that might make the room feel like we were "marbles in a box" were unfounded, indeed blown out of the water. The 110 set chairs, and the sixty additional chairs brought in after the reception, were not enough to contain the 40 or more who were still standing through the festivities. 

      

      

  

The RC learned quickly how to come together to counsel over decisions, and also learned the value of meeting together often. Despite the challenges of different locations, different languages and technical difficulties, they found the skills they needed, and learned how to work together and give of their talents. Perhaps that was the greatest blessing of the event. 

While the committee had initially budgeted a significant amount to cover the costs of press coverage, and then had that shot down when it was recognized that the practice of paying the cameramen and such (since there is no advertising revenue here for state TV, the economic model is different) was in violation of a long-standing church policy, the ultimate press coverage was quite extensive and accurate. The prepared press kits and the video footage were amply used and accurately quoted. Most likely this was largely due to the coinciding purposes of the Committee for Religious Affairs, that being to use the event to illustrate and bolster the image of religious freedom, "even though they are small." But it worked together for our good.

The momentos given to the guests were another "perfect fit" kind of thing. Sister Vanwagenen who worked with Sister Anita Hummel on several pieces of decor for the mission office, including some large urns featuring a depiction of the Tree of Life, and some lacquerware plaques, three, touting the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity

       

(not without purpose in contrast to the traditional trinity of Phước, Lộc, Thọ--  Blessing, Prosperity, and Longevity) had the idea to include those same virtues in a small laquerware tray in the same finish as used in the wall plaques.

       

It was the ideal item because it was of intrinsic value, taught the gospel in a subtle and elegant manner, yet did not cross the line of propaganda or literature that would be discarded. Many also received a copy of the Meet the Mormons DVD. Did the Lord care about these details, the number of "coincidences" involved would seem to indicate that he did. Elder Cook's concluding comments and wish "that the virtues of faith, hope and charity would bless the lives of more and more people" in Vietnam seemed to tie it together well.

The second purpose the committee acknowledged was to strengthen the members. When would the next time be that two of the Twelve Apostles would be together in Vietnam? The members responded by gathering in faith, taking time from work, sacrificing to get flights to Hanoi from HCM, and bringing their best selves to sit at the Apostles feet to be instructed. But again, we needed to "up our game" and see better the possibilies. The chapel space was not ideal, and had problems, but the vision of what it could be was captured and a massive movement undertaken to rehab, recondition and re-orient it so that the number of saints could be accomodated, and so that it could be a welcome space for the spirit. Again, Sister Vanwagenen coordinated and spearheaded the efforts and directed some of the specifics to enable the transformation to occur. With choir seating behind the podium in the kitchen area, and on the stairs, the number inside the doors exceeded 150, not counting the angelic attendees in the choir. The broadcast worked flawlessly, but almost seemed un-needed given the number of HCM members attending in Hanoi. That sense of unity and national purpose filled a great purpose as they were blessed by Elder Cook.

Being on the program with two apostles and two seventies, one doesn't want to overstay the welcome, but the following words seemed to fit the space, had I been able to read them through the tears and technical delays.

Tôi có vài lời cho ngày nay, và tôi mong các anh chị em sẽ hiểu được ý của tôi.

It's now just 20 years since Pres. Gordon Hinckley on the 29th of May, following a marvelous dedicatory service at the temple in Hong Kong, set the stone of dedication more firmly and fully  to allow the gospel to thrive in Vietnam. A great period of peace pervades this country, and here we are gathered in Hanoi, a city of peace. So many have come before us and endured periods of strife and conflict, hardship and trial, to prepare the means that we might celebrate together this day In a period of peace. Their sacrifices are honored and accepted by the Lord, and his blessings in fulness assured for the generations before you, and the great and noble posterity that will follow you for many generations to come.

Giờ đây chỉ sau 20 năm, từ sau lễ cung hiến vĩ đại tại đền thờ HK, Chủ Tịch Gordon Hinckley vào ngày 29 tháng 5 đã dâng lên lời cầu nguyện cung hiến đặt nền tảng vững chắc và hoàn chỉnh để phúc âm đến được Việt Nam. Một thời gian tuyệt vời của hòa bình tràn khắp đất nước này, và nơi đây chúng ta đang  tụ họp tại Hà Nội, một thành phố hòa bình. Thực sự, nhiều người đã đến trước chúng ta và chịu đựng những thời kỳ xung đột, chiến tranh, và tranh chấp, vất vả, khó khăn và thử thách, để  chuẩn bị các phương tiện mà chúng ta có thể cùng nhau cử hành và tôn vinh ngày này Trong một thời kỳ hòa bình. Những sự hy sinh của họ được Chúa tôn danh và ghi nhận, và các phước lành trọn vẹn của Ngài mang đến sự yên tâm cho các thế hệ đi trước ta, và các hậu thế tuyệt vời và ưu tú mà sẽ theo a/c/e trong nhiều thế hệ tới.

That they might be more fully blessed, it is imperative that we follow the admonitions of the Lord's many servants who have come to guide the way. "Do it right from the beginning" "Wear out your handbooks from frequent study" "Don't ever leave this church" "Be always worthy of and obtain a Temple recommend". But really, these are all invitations to Come Unto Christ, and be perfected in him. That was Moroni's invitation as he closed his chapter in the Book of Mormon. Continue to repent, continue to improve, to learn and live the covenants you have made at baptism, with the priesthood you have received and in the sacred temples. Come unto Christ, come and partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life, and as you do so, beckon to your family, your ancestors, your children and posterity yet unborn, to Come unto him.

He lives, this is his church. He directs this work through revelation to his apostles and prophets. 

Để được Ngài ban phước dồi dào hơn nữa, đòi hỏi chúng ta làm theo những lời khuyên bảo của các tôi tớ của Ngài, những người đến hướng dẫn chúng ta. "Làm tốt ngay từ ban đầu" "Hãy học tập các sách hướng dẫn đến nỗi chúng bị hao mòn và cũ đi " "Đừng bao giờ bỏ giao ước của mình với giáo hội này!" "Hãy luôn luôn sống xứng đáng với hoặc có được giấy giới thiệu vào đền thờ!" Nhưng nói tóm lại, tất cả những lời khuyên bảo này giống như lời mời   "hãy đến cùng Đấng Ky Tô để được toàn thiện trong Ngài." Đó cũng là sứ điệp  của Mô rô ni trong chương cuối Sách Mặc Môn. Hãy tiếp tục hối cải, hãy tiếp tục trau dồi và trở nên tốt hơn, tiếp tục học hỏi và sống theo những điều giao ước mình đã lập khi làm phép báp tem, khi tiếp nhận chức tư tế, khi bước vào đền thờ thiêng liêng. Hãy đến cùng Đấng Ky Tô, hãy đến và được hưởng trái của Cây Sự Sống. Và đồng thời hãy mời gia đình, tổ tiên, và  cũng như con cháu của mình, và hậu thế chưa sinh ra nữa cũng đến với Ngài.

Ngài hằng sống; đây là giáo hội của Ngài; Ngài điều kiển công việc Ngài bằng sự mặc khải cho những vị tiên tri và sứ đồ.

That should be evident to even the most cursory observer of what has transpired here. Hurrah for Israel!

Reflections on "Recognition"

We were witnesses and participants in history, in the unfolding of a new chapter in the building of Zion, as the hinges of time and eternity opened an effectual door for the preaching of the gospel in Viet nam, and not just on earth, but also in heaven.  As such, perhaps we have an obligation to share our perceptions and experience, both on the scenes, and behind the scenes of what was reported in the media, public and social. 

First, the event was a long time coming, but it was also just one of many steps critical for the teaching of the restored gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ was first brought to Vietnam by Jesuit missionaries in the late 1600s, in conjunction with Portuguese traders and military influence. Notable among these was a Frenchman, Alexandre de Rhoades, pictured here,

                                 

who spent considerable time in Tonkin and in Cochin China over his life, and in the process learned the language well. He attained considerable success in conversions and followers who assisted in building congregations and churches. But he is most remembered for his Romanization of the written language, in a coherent phonetic construct that replaced in the early 1900s the modified Chinese script or pure Chinese script that had been engrafted onto the language about 10 Centuries earlier. In so doing he made literacy an achievable goal for the vast majority of the populace, and made the scriptures accessible. The Bible translations still pose some problems given the tendency to impose doctrinal constructs or bias in their various versions, but this was such a significant step it cannot be overstated.

The colonialization period also produced the seedbed for conflicts that led to the coming of US servicemen in the 1960's, another landmark by-product being the contact of the Church with Vietnamese culture, and the beginnings of conversions. This led in turn to the monumental translation work of other pioneering saints who further laid the foundation for a marvelous work. Their stories have been told elsewhere so I need not recount them here, but their names will be held in reverence by many millions for their sacrifices. 

The outcome of the American war, with the breeching of that foothold of the gospel in Saigon and elsewhere, seemed at the time such a setback, termed by one observer as "the snap of the silver thread" that many had looked to as the one bright hope from an angry tapestry of war and conflict in the land. But in the Lord's hand, the ensuing scattering of so many Vietnamese people through the world, from all over the country, if not from every clan, was but the pop of the seedpod in the gospel winds that could guide them into fertile seedbeds of gospel training and nurture. And now as we witness a generation of able, consecrated and endowed young missionaries returning to the lands of their forefathers with the light of the gospel beaming from their eyes and the love of the Savior abundant in their hearts, we see the wisdom of the Lord of the Vineyard at work, bringing to pass his "strange act," a "marvelous work and a wonder" no longer about to come forth, but actually coming forth.

       

The work of a generation of church leaders and members found a sweet fulfilment and moment of celebration as the Saints and many government officials gathered in Keangnam Tower for the "Le Don Nhan Quyet Dinh Cong Nhan" of the Church. It's arrival was not without some trepidation at the last minutes and some skepticism about what it would actually mean. But it did represent a good faith effort to allow the church to flourish in Vietnam. As we deliberated over the wording of the request, and the likely meaning of the decision, I like the explanation from one member of the representative committee about the process. Relationships are so important in the dealings, so often trumping laws, policies and otherwise, that this effort, and perhaps especially the earlier step, the "interim" recognition, illustrated so well. The process was a dance, of words, of stance, of face, but performed with a desire to further the relationship.

"I'm sorry that we don't have a straight-forward answer for you. However, in this email, I'll try to be as clear as possible with my explanation. This should clarify what President Hassell emailed a couple of hours ago. 

"May I share a simple analogy first? I promise, it will make sense what's I'm trying to explain. An American asks a Vietnamese person to give them 5 cows so he can start raising [them,] producing milk and other dairy products. In the American mind, he thinks about the breed that he always saw growing up and gave the sweet milk he loved.

       

[ Interestingly, these are also what are commonly seen in Vietnamese Dairy advertising spots.] When the Vietnamese deliver the 5 cows, they are not the same. The American says, "I wanted this and this breed, why do you give me these. I won't accept them." The Vietnamese responds, "You told me to give you 5 cows. Here they are. They can provide you milk to make dairy products as you want. Even if we wanted, we don't have the breed you request. These are the local cows and they practically will do the same things you want."

       

"First of all, depending on how we phrase it, our main objective has always been: to legally operates as an entity in Vietnam with all, but not limited to, the following functions: conduct religious activities, buy, lease and own properties, have bank accounts, receive donations, obtain licenses for printed religious materials, able to import religious materials, preach the gospel, work with third parties on projects and pay them, etc. 

"By the letters of the law, i.e. the provisions in Decree 92, it would have taken us a long time to obtain the status we currently enjoy. Thanks to all of the relationship building over the years, they granted us the IRC status two years ago. Since then, we obtained an official chop, started to import religious materials legally, conducted religious activities, rent buildings. Mr. Pham Dung, in many occasions has said that when it's time, they will just remove the word "interim" making the Representative Committee the official governing board of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [in Vietnam.]

"The time is May 31, 2016. They will remove that word "interim." The document will be similar to that we received 2 years ago without the word "interim." This is their way of "fully recognizing the LDS church and grant them the nationally recognized status" even though it may not outright say so on a piece of paper. Why are they doing this: 

To be flexible while still keeping it within the bounds of Decree 92 based on "their interpretations" of the writen terms and provisions

To be on our good side for other political advantage, i.e. being on the good side with the US

To still have a control over the church by legally holding the representatives responsible for all that the LDS church does in Vietnam. 

"It seems silly to us but to them, this is how they control. If we view it their way, it makes a whole lot of sense. If they recognize an entity without anybody being responsible or with a foreigner being responsible, and if something goes wrong with the church, they can't hold anyone responsible by Vietnam Law at all. 

"So, they're going to recognize us fully, within their "flexible interpretations of Decree 92," by recognizing the Representative Committee. They're, finally, trying to give us the cows, but the Vietnamese breed, so to speak, that can provide us with all of the "dairy products" we've been wanting to have."

I'll put a few more thoughts on the actual process of preparation for the event, and the back-story there, into a separate post, but for now, I'll go enjoy some Vinamilk Ice Cream...

A Post for the Grandkids

Click here:

http://snowymornings.blogspot.com/2016/06/a-very-big-puddle-one-for-grandkids.html