• Introduction
• Viet Nam
• Thailand
• Burma/Myanmar
• Cambodia
• Laos

Introduction

Southeast Asia:

• The Lay of the Land - We look at geography and climate.
  
  
• Land of the Buddha -Introduces the fundamentals of the Buddhist religion, which dominates religious life in all countries..
  
  
• The East India Mission - The “East India Mission” is a little-known part of Church History from the 1850s ” That bold endeavor placed the first missionaries in Burma and Thailand (known as Siam at that time). Fortunately, Levi Savage Jr. left a detailed journal of his experiences. The next missionaries to Indochina would not arrive for over 100 years.
  
  
• War in Viet Nam - This event not only had a significant impact on the region but was the event that brought missionary work back to Indochina in modern times.
  
  
• Awful Aftermath of War -The end of the war in April 1975 was only the beginning of the horrendous aftermath. “Tevy’s Story” represents what happened to millions of Cambodians. Her story does have a happy ending, but such was not the case for millions of her fellow citizens.
  
  
• Where it All Began - Missionary work in Asia outside Japan and Korea began in Hong Kong in the 1950s. Hong Kong became the starting point for all other missions in Asia, including Taiwan and the Philippines. Early missionaries in Hong Kong were later called to preside over missions throughout the region.
  
• The Apostle for Asia - Finally, we will look at the impact of “The Apostle for Asia, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley,” whose influence on all of Asia was remarkable.
  

Viet Nam: The Children of the Dragon and the Descendants of the Fairy

• Missionaries in Viet Nam - Fifteen LDS missionaries served in Viet Nam between April 1973 and April 1975. They had excellent success and the Saigon branch was growing.
  
  
• The Evacuation - As the North Vietnamese military advanced on Saigon, the missionaries had to evacuate back to Hong Kong. What about the members of the Church in Viet Nam? What would be their fate? Church efforts to help Vietnamese refugees in Guam and the United States.
  
  
• The Home Teacher who went the Extra 50,000 Miles - One U.S. veteran of the war in Vietnam received a letter from the Vietnamese family that he had visited as their home teacher. The letter asked, “Can you help?” He became determined to help Latter-day Saints leave Viet Nam.
  
  
• Reestablishing the Church in Viet Nam - Senior missionaries return to Viet Nam to teach English. Over the years, many others have served in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
  

Thailand: Land of Smiles

• Bringing the Gospel to Thailand --In the 1960s, LDS members came to Bangkok in significant numbers. Elder Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated Thailand in 1966. Sixteen months later, the first missionaries arrived. Thailand’s first chapel near Soi Asoke opened in 1972.
  
  
• Progress Amid Trouble and Tragedy - The continual struggle for visas. Two missionaries are killed in an auto accident while returning from Laos. After visiting Sukhothai with their mission president, two missionaries spend six months in a Thai prison. The story hits newspapers around the world. The Church’s response and plan to avoid such problems in the future. What was the real tragedy of it all? The Thailand Bangkok mission was created in 1973, with a new focus on producing materials in the Thai language.
• The Thai Book of Mormon - This story details the translation of the Book of Mormon (first edition) into Thai. The work of Sister Srilaksana, an early convert in Thailand, and her dedication to the translation of LDS scriptures. The Lord guides her through revelation and blesses her health to accomplish the work.
  
  
• A Firm Foundation - The Church constructs new meetinghouses in many locations. Elder Neal A. Maxwell creates Thailand’s first Stake in 1995. Membership is approaching 20,000, but the strength of the priesthood is less solid.
  
  
• We are the White Shirts Political turmoil in Thailand has been a minor distraction on many occasions, but serious riots erupted in 1992 and 2010. At times, a schism in Thai society still sits just below the surface, denoted by red or yellow shirts..
  

Burma/Myanmar: The Golden Land

1. Burmese Who Sought for Truth - Two unrelated individuals, requested more information from the Church and then found a way to receive baptism. Their families later joined the Church as well.
   
   
2. Burmese Waters of Mormon - The Church formed a small branch in a remote region of Burma in the 1980s. Gordon B. Hinckley visited Burma in September 1987, dedicated the country, and baptized the first branch president, Brother Win Naing. About four months later, he brought others from his home area to Mandalay. Sixty-seven individuals were baptized at the Burmese Waters of Mormon .
   
   
3. Establishing the Church in Myanmar -The Church finally returned to Myanmar in 1998 when humanitarian services missionaries were called to serve in Yangon. Brother Joseph and his wife Emma joined the Church. In 2003, a Church branch was established in Yangon, and local missionaries were called to serve in other lands. On Valentine’s Day 2004, thirty-eight individuals (mostly young adults) were baptized.

Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder

• Seizing the Opportunity - The Church moved to enter Cambodia at just the right moment. The window of opportunity was small, but the Church did not miss it. The work of the earliest missionaries is presented along and the country’s dedication for the preaching of the gospel.
  
  
• A Mission for Cambodia - While the Church perfectly timed its entrance into Cambodia, the start of the new Phnom Penh Cambodia mission was as tough as it gets. Before returning to Cambodia, the mission spent seven weeks in Thailand, waiting for a civil war to subside. President Leland White relates the experiences of the first three years of the mission.
  
  
• The Challenges of Rapid GrowthStarting in the year 2000, Cambodia’s “Golden Period” begins. The missionaries performed 1,0000 baptisms in each of the first three years of the new century, and missionary work expanded beyond the capital city. Rapid growth brought many challenges. The number of native Cambodians serving as missionaries proliferates, and they outnumber the foreign missionaries.
  
  
• How to Build a New Branch - The way the Church began missionary work in Siem Reap, Cambodia, presents a model presents a model for opening a new city worthy of emulation.
  
  
• If You Build it, They Will Come - Moving well outside Phnom Penh, Church growth continues, but the rate slows somewhat, yet it still far outpaces that of Thailand. The Church builds new chapels in Battambang and Siem Reap, and these buildings stand out amongst others encouraging the people to want to learn about the Church inside them.
  

Laos: Land of a Million Elephants

• Across the Mekong– Missionary work in neighboring Thailand had been going on for more than twenty-five years before a path was opened for Humanitarian Services Missionaries to take up residence in Vientiane. They taught English classes, oversaw humanitarian service projects, and successfully drew some converts into the Church. They also found a good man to be their driver.
  
  
• One Strong Branch-The branch in Vientiane has native leaders and sends Laotian missionaries to other countries. The branch is part of the Udorn Thani Thailand District of the Thailand Bangkok mission.

The Appendix of the Book Includes:

• Dedicatory Prayer for the Land of Viet Nam.
• Dedicatory Prayer for the Land of Thailand.
• Dedicatory Prayer for the Land of Cambodia.
• Brief biographies of the Presidents of the Bangkok Thailand Mission.
• Brief biographies of the Presidents of the Cambodia Phnom Penh Mission.
• Brief biography of the author.