The Church in Hong Kong
Hong Kong became the headquarters of the Latter-day Saint Southern Far East Mission in 1955. Many converts were refugees and have helped build the Church and promote security. Adapting to the unique needs of local members, worship services are available each day, and the temple in Hong Kong (dedicated in 1996) is open for special Sunday sessions.
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History of the Church in Hong Kong
A crossroads for culture and commerce, the vibrant city of Hong Kong became the headquarters for Latter-day Saint missionaries of the Southern Far East Mission in 1955. Most early converts were refugees fleeing conditions of conflict and instability. Converts worked energetically to establish the Church while also pursuing a new life for themselves and their families. Church members and mission leaders worked together on several innovative employment, education, and health-care projects aimed at helping people find security in daily life. Though many members had very few material possessions, they contributed time and talents to Church and mission callings.
The temple in Hong Kong has drawn Latter-day Saints from all over North and Southeast Asia since its completion in 1996. In the temple dedication, President Gordon B. Hinckley prayed, “May [the temple] be a sanctuary of peace amid the rush and roar of this great city. May those who enter to serve here leave the world behind and reflect on the things of eternity.” To fulfill the promise of this prayer, Church leaders in Hong Kong have flexibly accommodated Saints’ diverse life circumstances. To serve the large population of foreign domestic workers who have only one day off per week, Church services are held every day of the week, and in 2014 the temple opened for special Sunday sessions. The Saints have deeply felt God’s love and trust as they renew sacred covenants in their own languages and circumstances.
Stories of Faith
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Notes
- 伍樹南與錢正民 Ng Shee-Nan and Chin Ching-Man. 耶穌基督末世聖徒教會香港簡史 1949–1997 (A brief history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong, 1949–1997). Hong Kong: Printforce Printing, 1997.
- 聖徒之聲 The Voice of the Saints. Hong Kong: Southern Far East Mission.
- Grant Heaton. A Documentry [sic] History of the Chinese Mission 1949–53, Southern Far East Mission 1955–59. Salt Lake City, Utah: Self-published, 1999.
- Stanley Wan. Hong Kong Kom Tong Hall: My Old Home. Place of publication and publisher not identified, 2008.
- Ng Chi Wan, ed. A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Aberdeen. Place of publication and publisher not identified, 2015.
- Lai Yu-Ning 賴汝寧, ed. The Church History of West Point, Hong Kong 教會在香港西環的歷史. Self-published, 2016.