Elder Cook’s Ministry in Japan Strengthens Interfaith Bonds and Honors Pioneers

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has concluded a 10-day ministry to the Asia North Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The last leg of his journey was to Tokyo and Osaka. (Learn about the first part of his trip, a visit to South Korea.)

On September 10, the Apostle discussed the importance of interfaith cooperation for humanitarian projects with the Rev. Yoshiharu Tomatsu, chair of Religions for Peace Japan. Elder Cook also visited the headquarters of Rissho Kosei-kai (a Buddhist movement) in Tokyo.

Because Christians comprise only 1% of Japan, Elder Cook said interfaith collaboration with the Shinto and Buddhist faiths, among others, are essential.

“We can’t do it just with the Christian faiths,” Elder Cook said. “We’ve got to do it with faiths that are historically significant. And they’re wonderful faiths. To have a strong relationship with them helps to have friendships and unity and collaboration in a way that builds each other and strengthens each other. And they appreciate it deeply to have that kind of relationship.”

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The Rev. Tomatsu, who has attended Brigham Young University religious freedom gatherings, expressed gratitude for the Church’s humanitarian work in Japan. This includes aid after the massive tsunami of 2011 and, more recently, service and relief after the earthquake on the Noto Peninsula earlier this year.

“The most important thing is the human beings and also the life and the happiness of the people,” the Rev. Tomatsu said. “Why not work together? We can work together. That is very important. We really appreciate it.”

As he did in South Korea, Elder Cook set aside time to honor the earliest members of the Church in Japan. Many of this group of members were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ in the 1950s and 1960s.

On Friday, September 13, 2024, in Tokyo, Elder Cook told these seasoned Latter-day Saints that he prays the rising generations will follow their faithful example.

“You have done the thing the Lord would want you to do in becoming members of His Church,” Elder Cook said. “It’s my prayer that the generations that are following you will follow your path. There’s a Chinese proverb: ‘When you drink the water, don’t forget the spring from which it sprung.’ It’s good for us to remember pioneers. It’s good for us to express appreciation to you. We are honored to have you here.”

The 97-year-old Yaeko Wantanabe was baptized in 1950. She was one of the first Latter-day Saints in Japan.

“I’m not sure if I’m a pioneer, but I was interested in Christianity even when there were no churches,” Yaeko said. “I thought about God when looking at nature, and I had the desire to know God.”

The faith she planted decades ago has grown into a rich spiritual heritage her family treasures and continues to nurture.

“Because of my grandma’s decision to join the Church and accept the gospel, I personally have a lot of guidance in my life,” said Tomo Wantanabe, Yaeko’s grandson. “And especially now, me having my own family, there are a lot of things in this world that confuse families. And there are many times as a parent myself that I have to help my kids to see things. And I think the gospel has been benefiting me tremendously as a father who needs to protect them, teach them, and guide them in their lives. That has been a very great blessing in my life and my family’s life.”

Two days later in Osaka, Elder Cook gathered Japanese pioneers at the future site of the Osaka Japan Temple.

The Apostle urged them to inspire the rising generations to gather their genealogical records and go to the temple for their ancestors.

“I believe you’ll be held in sacred remembrance by future generations as people who accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and lived it,” Elder Cook said. “Let us be joyful among the younger generations. When they seem burdened, help them see the joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Brother Masanobu Nakano and his wife, Hiroko, were among the pioneer members at the Osaka Temple site to hear Elder Cook.

“I felt honored to welcome Elder Cook and be in his presence, along with the fellow pioneers in Osaka who have diligently worked to build a foundation for the Church in our era,” Nakano said. “I felt strongly that Heavenly Father loves us and expects us to continue growing for many years to come.”

“I know that the Lord guides us through our prophets,” added Hiroko. “I am so grateful that Elder Cook, one of the prophets, came all the way here to be close to us, allowing us to listen to his talk and hear his voice. I felt as though the Lord Himself was right there with us.”

Elder Cook’s visit to Japan comes 20 years after a special visit President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) made to the country. President Packer was accompanied then by Elder Cook (a General Authority Seventy) and others as they came to share the new missionary guide  “Preach My Gospel.”

Japan was a sacred place to President Packer. The former Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was stationed in Japan as a military pilot in World War II. He had unique spiritual experiences in the country that set the course for his life. It was here he decided he would pursue a teaching career in the Church and focus on his future family.

Elder Cook spoke to Saints in Osaka in the same place President Packer spoke in 2004.

“This meeting was in honor of what President Packer said 20 years ago in this same venue and [to remember] how everybody felt and how important that was to this part of the Lord’s vineyard,” Elder Cook said.

The Apostle added that President Packer’s example of focusing on the most important things in life is a wise path for the rising generation to follow.

“We must stay close to our families, and we must stay close to the Lord and His prophets,” Elder Cook said. “Many in the younger generation have their lives almost absorbed by trying to move forward and make as much money and achieve as many titles as possible. I think President Packer had it right. He was going to concentrate on family and what was eternal. We want you to be successful too. We want you to have that balance.”

Elder Cook also taught the Saints to remember that worship and adulation should be reserved for God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

“The Savior overcame everything that is unfair about life,” Elder Cook said. “The reward of righteousness is peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. We can lay our burdens at the Savior’s feet. Jesus Christ lives.”