by Steve Cale, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea,
28 Feb 2004
The temple in Seoul Korea has a promise of temporal
protection attached to it. I know of no other temple in the world for
which temple attendance will protect the country from war.
I'm a Korean linguist for the U.S. Air Force. I've
been stationed in Korea for 12 of the last 22 years. I served my
mission in Sendai, Japan and then returned home to Idaho and married my wife
Lauri. I joined the Air Force in 1982 and was sent to the Defense
Language Institute in Monterey, California to learn Korean. I was then
assigned to Osan Air Base and arrived in Korea in 1984. I am an
Intelligence professional.
On December 14, 1985, my wife and I were privileged
to attend the dedication of the Seoul Temple. The day was very
cold and the wind was blowing very strong, but as we waited in the parking
lot of the temple for our session, we were kept warm by the many
friends surrounding us. We entered the temple and took our seats.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was a counselor in
the First Presidency at the time, was to dedicate the temple. In his
remarks before the dedicatory prayer, he made a comment that was so
startling, that I committed it to memory. He said, "If you will use
this temple, you need not fear an invasion from the north." What a great
promise!
I also remember the remark, because during my mission, I had the
opportunity to work with Elder Kikuchi of the Seventy. He was also at
the dedication and afterwards as we were talking, he
remarked how neat that promise was. My family left Korea in 1986 and
returned in 1988 for a second tour. We stayed that time until 1991. The
Saints in Korea had been attending the temple regularly and I feel this is
why the 1988 Olympic Games were held without incident even though the
North Koreans had threatened to disrupt them.
In 1993, my family and I returned yet again to Korea
and at that time, tensions were increasing over the possible
development by the North Koreans of nuclear weapons. In 1994, it actually
appeared that we might go to war with North Korea over this issue. Even
though I had heard a prophet of the Lord declare that we would be
protected, I began to doubt the promise. I wondered if perhaps I had
misunderstood President Hinckley's words that day.
That summer, many of us were invited to Seoul to a
training session with Elder Boyd K. Packer and Elder Henry Eyring. The
chapel in Shingdang was filled with church leaders both Korean and American.
Elder Eyring spoke first and then Elder Packer stood up to speak. He
let us know that "training" was not the only reason that he and Elder
Eyring had come to Korea. He told us that President Hinckley was
concerned for the safety of the saints in Korea. Therefore, the day before,
President Packer and Elder Eyring had gone up to the Demilitarized Zone,
the border between North and South Korea, and had performed a
priesthood ordinance which placed guardian angels at that border. He told us
that because of our faithfulness in attending the temple, we would be
protected.
I don't know if I was more surprised to hear that there were actually
guardian angels at the border, or that there was a priesthood ordinance to put them there.
One Korean stake president asked Elder Packer, "how long will they be there?" His answer was,
"as long as they are needed and you are faithful in your temple attendance." Now I
knew we were safe for I had heard the promise twice.
In 1996, President Hinckley came to Korea on his way to Hong Kong to
dedicate the temple there. He held a regional conference in Seoul,
which we attended. During his remarks at this conference,
he made reference to the temple promise, and said he was going to change
it. He told us that we now needed to attend the temple faithfully, and
also appreciate it. He told us that we were all being protected by the Lord
because we had done as we were told. This was the third time I had heard
the promise and the second time from President Hinckley's own mouth.
I know that this promise is true. I have seen events happen in
conjunction with my job, in which many times the experts have been
confused as to why the North Koreans did not attack.
I know it is because they cannot.
As a member of the U.S. Air Force, part of my job is to help protect
the Republic of Korea from attack. I feel as a member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I can do more to
protect South Korea by attending the temple. As long as the saints in Korea
attend the temple they are protected. I have been so blessed to not
only witness the prophet of the Lord proclaim this great promise, but
also have been here to see the fulfillment of those words.
