2,000 meet in Jamaica
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KINGSTON, Jamaica — On a beautiful Jamaican evening, a congregation of 2,000 gathered in an outdoor amphitheater to hear the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley during a short stopover May 15 en route his way to Brazil to dedicate the temple at Campinas May 17. (Please see Church News, May 25.)
"The saints in Jamaica were just thrilled," said Jamaica Kingston Mission President Norman G. Angus during a Church News telephone interview. "They never thought the prophet would stop in this little country to speak to them personally."
President Hinckley and his wife, Marjorie, were joined by his second counselor, President James E. Faust, in speaking at the fireside in the Ranny Williams Entertainment Center in Kingston. When the meeting began at 7 p.m., "it was an ideal night for Jamaica; beautiful weather," President Angus said.
President Hinckley told the Jamaican gathering: "I would just like to speak to you for a few minutes, tell you how much I love you, how much I appreciate you. I want to say thank you for all that you do to help one another. We live in a great society of Latter-day Saints whose duty and obligation it is to assist one another and help one another and carry one another's burdens."
After teaching them several gospel principles, President Hinckley told the members: "Be loyal to the faith. Be loyal to God. Be loyal to Jesus Christ. Be loyal to the Church of Jesus Christ, and in so doing, you will be loyal to yourselves."
Continuing, he said: "Now, finally, you live in a great land. Really. It is not a large land. It is one of the small nations of the earth, but it is a great land of great people who have won their independence. This was once a British Commonwealth country. You are independent now. Be loyal to your country. Build it up. Be good citizens. Strengthen it. Be honest and upright and forward-looking people, and pray for the nation of which you are a part, and its leaders that they may lead the people of this nation in righteousness."
President Faust gave counsel and promised that great blessings would come to Jamaica as a result of this visit by a president of the Church.
The members of the Church in Jamaica received short notice about President Hinckley's visit, President Angus said, adding, "You can't believe how fast the news travels. I received calls from all over the island from members asking, 'Is [President Hinckley] really coming?' "
President Angus said that the congregation also included some members who traveled from another part of the mission, the Cayman Islands, an hour-long flight.
