The Savior’s Healing Power upon the Isles of the Sea

Experiencing Divine Intervention Amidst War

Elder Esplin recounts the harrowing experience of a Japanese woman during the Battle of Okinawa. Despite the extreme conditions, she experienced a profound spiritual event that gave her the strength to carry on.

One desperate night amidst the battle, with her family near starvation and her husband unconscious, she contemplated ending their suffering with a hand grenade... However, as she prepared to do so, a profoundly spiritual experience unfolded that gave her a tangible sense of the reality of God and His love for her, which gave her the strength to carry on.

• The woman and her family survived six months in a cave during the Battle of Okinawa.
• She experienced a profound spiritual event that gave her the strength to carry on.

• Have you ever experienced a divine intervention during a difficult time in your life?
• How did this experience strengthen your faith and resolve to carry on?
• How has God's love been manifested in your life during times of extreme difficulty or despair?

Finding Faith and Joining the Church

After the war, the Japanese woman sought answers about God and eventually found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She and her family were baptized, and despite facing criticism and tragedy, she held on to her faith.

Imagine her joy when two sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to her house one day and taught her that people can learn about Jesus Christ in the spirit world.

Undeterred by profound tragedy and harsh criticism, she held on to her faith in Jesus Christ, determined to press forward, trusting that God knew her and that brighter days were ahead.

• The woman was captivated by the teaching that her parents could choose to follow Jesus Christ after death and accept baptism performed on their behalf in temples.
• Despite facing criticism and tragedy, she held on to her faith and remained active in the Church.

• What led you to find and join the Church?
• How have you maintained your faith despite criticism or adversity?
• What experiences have helped you trust that God knows you and that brighter days are ahead?

The Journey to the Temple

Elder Esplin shares the efforts made by Japanese members, including the woman from Okinawa, to attend the temple in Hawaii. Despite financial and language barriers, they found innovative solutions and experienced the blessings of the temple.

The cost could be reduced by half if members in Japan chartered an entire plane to fly to Hawaii in the offseason.

While in the temple, she shed tears of joy as she acted as a proxy for her mother’s baptism and was sealed to her deceased husband.

• Japanese members made great sacrifices to attend the temple, including chartering a plane, selling homes, and quitting jobs.
• The woman from Okinawa was able to attend the temple thanks to a generous gift from missionaries who had served in her branch.
• She was sealed to her deceased husband and acted as a proxy for her mother’s baptism.

• What sacrifices have you made to attend the temple?
• How have you felt the blessings of the temple in your life?
• What experiences have you had acting as a proxy for your ancestors in the temple?

Healing Power of the Savior and Temple Covenants

Elder Esplin emphasizes the healing power of the Savior and the blessings of temple covenants. He testifies of the heavenly power to bind in heaven what is bound on earth.

Temple covenants are gifts from our Heavenly Father to the faithful followers of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through the temple, our Heavenly Father binds individuals and families to the Savior and to each other.

The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way.

• Temple covenants are gifts from our Heavenly Father to the faithful followers of His Son, Jesus Christ.
• Keeping covenants with God gives us access to heavenly power that strengthens us to withstand trials, temptations, and heartaches.

• How have you felt the healing power of the Savior in your life?
• How have temple covenants strengthened you during trials and tribulations?
• What blessings have you experienced from keeping your covenants with God?

The Legacy of Faith

Elder Esplin concludes by honoring the legacy of the Okinawan woman and testifying of the ongoing fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to spread the knowledge of the Savior throughout the world.

Though I never met this wonderful sister from Okinawa, her legacy lives on through her faithful posterity, many of whom I know and love.

I am grateful to witness the ongoing fulfillment of the Lord’s promise that “the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people,” including to those “upon the isles of the sea.”

• The Okinawan woman's legacy lives on through her faithful posterity.
• The Lord’s promise to spread the knowledge of the Savior throughout the world is being fulfilled.

• What legacies of faith have influenced your life?
• How have you seen the Lord’s promise to spread the knowledge of the Savior being fulfilled in your life or in the world around you?
• How can you contribute to the ongoing fulfillment of the Lord’s promise?