Once Again, the Angel Moroni Lifts and Inspires as it Looks Over Tokyo (English Version)

A gold-leafed statue of the Angel Moroni was carefully placed atop the spire of the Tokyo Temple, on April 17, 2019. This is a visible sign to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and community members as well, that progress is being made towards the reconstruction of the Tokyo Temple.

“The placement of the Moroni statue symbolizes a rededication of our hearts to missionary work, temple work, and family history, on both sides of the veil,” Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, Area President of the Asia North Area, enlightened.

Onlookers at the temple site, as well as those watching from the Prince Arisagawa Park across the street, were filled with excitement as they watched the crane lift the Moroni statue, and the temple construction team carefully setting it into place.

Moroni, an ancient prophet in the Book of Mormon, revealed the location of the buried golden plates to Joseph Smith in 1823 in upstate New York. The Book of Mormon, a sacred book of scripture published in 1830, is the translated record of these plates. It is another testament of Jesus Christ to the world.

The Tokyo Temple was dedicated October 27-29, 1980, by President Spencer W. Kimball. In October 2017, the temple was closed for renovation. Members of the church are anticipating the day its doors will reopen for temple ordinance work.

“The Angel Moroni looks towards the east to proclaim the gospel; repentance brings us closer to the Lord, and places us on the covenant path; and then worthiness qualifies us to receive temple ordinances.” Elder Choi pointed towards the large window in his office that oversees the Tokyo temple, now encased in panels and scaffolding.

He is equally elated with the building of the Okinawa Temple, as announced in the April 2019 General Conference. “The members in Okinawa are very spiritually purified, and humble, and ready to accept a temple.” In a February 2019 Stake conference in Okinawa, Elder Choi expressed to the saints that he sensed that they were prepared in their hearts, and willing to accept guidance from the Lord.

In voicing his enthusiasm of the upcoming May 4, 2019, ground-breaking of the new temple in Guam, Elder Choi stated, “the Yigo Temple will greatly benefit eternal families in Guam and Micronesia.”

Both new temples will not only bless those that live near them, but also thousands of tourists each year. “Guam and Okinawa are among the most popular vacation sites for Japanese and Korean families,” Elder Choi explained. “Many saints will be able to spend time with their families on vacation, and also renew their covenants in these temples. This will be a great blessing to the saints in the Asia North Area, with effects which will be felt for generations.”

Elder Choi spoke of these three temples with great excitement. He reflected on the prophecy given by Elder Henry B. Eyring while speaking us in April 2003 general conference: “A few years ago I spoke to the missionaries in the training center in Japan. I promised them then that a great day would dawn in that nation. I said that there would be a great increase in the members speaking eagerly to those they met of their testimony of the restored gospel. My thought then was that the courage to speak would come from an increased admiration for the Church in that land. I know now that the great miracle, a mighty change, will come inside the members, not in the world around them.”

“The time has now come,” Elder Choi emphasized, “for the saints in the Asia North Area to eagerly share their testimonies to the world.” A sign that change is occurring may be witnessed by the reconstruction of the Tokyo Temple, and the building of the Okinawa and Guam temples.

Elder Choi has a strong desire for more temples to be built in Japan and Korea in the near future. He feels that this will happen as members in the Asia North Area show great faithfulness and work hard in serving others and in sharing the gospel on both sides of the veil.

At the placement of the Angel Moroni, Elder Takashi Wada, a member of the Asia North Area Presidency, discussed this sacred event. “The experience we had watching the Angel Moroni reminds us that we need to continue to spread the gospel and enjoy the blessings of the gathering of Israel to prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ.” He feels that the saints of the Asia North Area are very blessed. “We hope the members of the church will take advantage to become temple ready and worthy to receive temple recommends, and by gathering ancestral names”

Pres. Russell M. Nelson affirmed in his closing remarks of the April 2019 General Conference: “As we speak of our temples old and new, may each of us signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we renovate our lives through our faith and trust in Him. May we access the power of His Atonement by our repentance each day. And may we dedicate and rededicate our lives to serving God and His children—on both sides of the veil.”