Quentin L. Cook

Quentin L. Cook came to Lusaka on 22 February 2023 where he held a member devotional and a missionary conference.

The missionaries have been busy contacting people and distributing 10,000 of these little cards inviting as many people as they could.

Emmanuel was at least one of the ones that walked for 1 1/2 hours to come to this meeting!!

                                     

It was a full house but not as many as was hoped. Some one told us there was about 500 in attendance but it was hoped there would have been 1000 or more. This picture was taken after the devotional. One thing I really enjoy about these people is how they love being together...all smiles and hugs! They tend to linger longer even when there is no Linger Longer! Besides, the Spirit was so strong I simply think no one wanted it to end!!

Less than five minutes before the meeting was suppose to begin, President Lumbama came from the stand down to Hal and I and asked if I would please come and play the piano for the meeting!! Oh my! All eyes watched, including Elder and Sister Cook, as I walked from the back all the way to the front and sat at the piano. There was a microphone attached to the speaker system so the piano could be heard throughout the building.  I had no idea what the songs were that I was supposed to play until they were announced! Talk about out of the comfort zone!!!

The meeting was wonderful of course! 

Elder Cook talked about Joseph Smith and about gaining our own testimonies.

He spoke of how the Book of Mormon is a volume of scripture.

Hal wrote in his notes, "A Professor of ancient history came to the mission office while Elder Cook was on his mission and said that he had read the Book of Mormon and recognized that it was true because it contained the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians and the phrase "And it came to pass" was one of the evidences that it was truly written by a people who understood that language."

Elder Cook spoke about the Word of Wisdom; that truth is declared by Prophets prior to science discoveries. He mentioned family centered, church supported curriculum, the proper name of the church, gathering Israel on both sides of the veil; how we worship Jesus Christ, not the Apostles and prophets, though they are respected.

As he left the chapel, the choir conductor asked if I would play, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet," while everyone sang.

The following morning, 50 of our 120 missionaries gathered for a mission conference with Elder and Sister Cook, President and Sister Silva (Second Counselor in Area Presidency), Brother Matswagothata (NO ONE can pronounce his name), and the Moyos. The other missionaries joined via Zoom because of distance.

This was a practice photo while we waited for Elder and Sister Cook to arrive. I sure do love these missionaries! 

Zambia Lusaka Mission photo with Elder and Sister Cook, 23 February 2023!

After the picture was taken each missionary got to shake hands with Elder and Sister Cook, along with the other visiting authorities. 

 Sisters...then Elders...

Hal and I brought up the end of the line. It was really sweet how they clung to our hands as they talked to us for a bit longer than those in front of us.

Notice Elder Cook hanging on to my arm as his wife shook my hand. They asked how we were doing; expressed deep gratitude for our service; inquired where we lived and how our family back home was doing. Typical things, but it was touching that they took that time with us.

Here I am shaking Sister Silva's hand. She does not speak English but had written her testimony and read it in the Lusaka Devotional, the night before. Her husband said it was the first time she had ever said anything over the pulpit in English. Their native language is Portuguese. They are from Brazil.

Again, I was asked just before the meeting started to play the keyboard. Wow! Didn't anyone think of these things beforehand??

In this meeting some of the Elder Cook's remarks included the following:

*Live Christian type lives.

*Share the gospel

*Love, share, invite

*Doing Family History is part of the Covenant Path

*By embracing and living the gospel we will have peace in this life and eternal life, hereafter. There will not be peace in the world but there will be individual peace.

In both meetings, at the end of his talk he emphasized that as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ he "knows the Savior's voice" and he "knows the Savior's face."

The icing on the cake was when Elder Cook, as he was leaving the meeting, singled out Elder Phelps, and once again stopped and thanked him for his service. He did not shake anyone else's hand as he left. It was very heartwarming and meaningful!!

There was such a reverence at the end of this meeting that no one could speak. We all just sat in silence.