Leaders & Ministry

Elder Rasband meets with stake, district and branch presidents from 11 countries comprising the Bangkok temple district

The gathering the night before the temple dedication draws leaders from Cambodia to Indonesia to Pakistan, who are charged to help their members be ‘recommended to the Lord’

By Scott Taylor Oct 28, 2023 9 a.m. EDT

Elder Ronald A. Rasband greets local Church leaders from 11 Southeast Asia countries in Bangkok.

Leaders & Ministry

Elder Rasband meets with stake, district and branch presidents from 11 countries comprising the Bangkok temple district

The gathering the night before the temple dedication draws leaders from Cambodia to Indonesia to Pakistan, who are charged to help their members be ‘recommended to the Lord’

By Scott Taylor Oct 28, 2023 9 a.m. EDT

BANGKOK, Thailand — Many attending the Sunday, Oct. 22, dedication of the Bangkok Thailand Temple saw it as a historic event, giving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints its first house of the Lord centrally located in central Southeast Asia.

Stretching from Cambodia to Pakistan and from Nepal to Indonesia, the Bangkok temple district is the Church’s largest as far as combined geography and population. So when stake, district and branch presidents from 11 Southeast Asia nations gathered the evening before the temple dedication, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles also applied a “historic” label.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband and Sister Melanie Rasband pose for photos with local Church leaders from Southeast Asia.

“My heart is so full seeing you here tonight. I want to say that heaven is smiling on us tonight,” said Elder Rasband, adding, “This has been a historic night.”

Attending the Saturday evening, Oct. 21, dinner meeting in a central Bangkok hotel ballroom were presidents and spouses from the following units in the Bangkok temple district:

Cambodia — 2 stakes, 4 districts
India — 4 stakes, 3 districts
Indonesia — 2 stakes, 1 district
Laos — 1 branch
Malaysia — 5 districts
Myanmar — 2 branches
Pakistan — 3 districts
Singapore — 1 stake
Sri Lanka — 1 district
Thailand — 4 stakes, 2 districts
Vietnam — 2 districts

Elder Ronald A. Rasband and Sister Melanie Rasband watch a program in Bangkok.

Joining Elder Rasband, who dedicated the Bangkok Thailand Temple, and his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, were the Asia Area presidency and other General Authority Seventies, Area Seventies and emeritus General Authority Seventies who were participating in the dedication.

Elder Rasband called the 11 nations the Church’s “formative countries” in the temple district. Two other temples are under construction in the district — the Phnom Penh Cambodia and Bengaluru India temples — with two others announced and in planning for Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Members arrive at the Bangkok Thailand Temple prior to the dedication.

Because of Bangkok’s central location in the Church’s Asia Area and its importance in tourism and commerce, “it really is a gateway into Asia,” said Elder Benjamin M.Z. Tai, a General Authority Seventy and Asia Area president. “It attracts people to come here.”

Elder Tai said it is interesting to see the current development of the Church in the Asia Area, where half of the world’s population resides. “Any way into the future, it’s easy to see how this could be multiple areas, just because of the way the Church will grow.

“And Bangkok’s location, ease of access and logistical connections makes it an ideal area as a center of the Church in Southeast Asia — and with a temple, even more.”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband makes a few remarks at a dinner for the Church leaders in Bangkok.

For most of these leaders, the weekend provided a first time attending a temple dedication in person, Elder Rasband said, although some may have participated remotely last year with the rededication of the Hong Kong Temple. And it may be the first time — or perhaps the second or third — to be inside a temple.

“To be able to come with their spouses and to see and sit with other leaders, they will have a vision of actually what this work is all about and what the Church is in Asia,” the Apostle said.

Mindful that many of the leaders will return home where there isn’t a temple, Elder Rasband emphasized the importance of having Latter-day Saints throughout Southeast Asia being “recommended to the Lord and living a worthy, temple-recommended life.”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband takes a few moments to talk to Chaitaya “Cherry” Thongmee.

He added: “Even though they can’t come to the Bangkok temple often because of their circumstances, they can each have temple worthiness and the blessings and promises that come from that.”

His charge to the visiting stake, district and branch leaders: “Take back to your countries and the people the Spirit you feel here this weekend. There will be more [temples]; the Lord will continue to pour out His Spirit on Southeast Asia.”

The participating leaders were grateful for the evening gathering, the temple dedication and to be with Elder Rasband.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband speaks at a dinner for the Church leaders from across Southeast Asia,

“It’s a moment of great joy, because what it means to the people in Thailand, in all of Southeast Asia and for us in Singapore,” said Singapore Stake President Jean-Luc Butel. “We’re waiting for a temple hopefully in a few years, and to see the gathering of these brothers and sisters and to feel that great spirit — I’m just happy tonight.”

Tiengsack Inthavong, branch president in Vientiane, Laos, said it was a “great honor to meet the Apostle of the Lord.”

He added: “I am sure that there are a lot of people in Laos who would like to come, and we will take them here to the temple.”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband and Sister Melanie Rasband greet attendees at a dinner for the Church leaders from across Southeast Asia,