February 16th, 2025, 9:41am
Editor’s Note: Elder Kevin R. Duncan, Director General of 70, was the Chilean Church in the timing of the 100th anniversary of South American prayer and devotion for Elder Melvin J. Ballard’s 1925 Gospel Sermon. I looked back on my personal experiences in service.
I look back on the seven years I served in Chile. First as a young missionary in the early 1980s, later as a deputy legal counsel for the Latter-day Saints’ Church, and ultimately as a mission president – I am overwhelmed by thanksgiving of Jesus Christ’s love and life-changing. His gospel power for.
As a young missionary, I was blessed with teaching humble and faithful Chilean people and wanted to learn more about the Savior. Again and again, I have witnessed firsthand how life has improved as individuals and families have chosen to accept Jesus Christ and follow him by living his commandments. The light of their eyes, the peace in their homes, and the joy of their hearts, gave testimony that Christ is the source of true happiness.
One of the most important experiences of my early mission was the opportunity for my fellow peers, and I had to serve as part of my first teacher at the Chilean Missionary Training Centre in 1981. He dedicated his life from 18 months to two years to inviting others to Christ. Their faith and enthusiasm were inspiring and we saw them grow in their testimony and ability to teach the gospel and felt a deep love for them. Even in those early days it was clear that the Lord was rushing to his work in Chile, blessing their people and raising a generation of missionaries who would strengthen the church for years to come.
A few years later, in 2003, I returned to Chile and served in a different capacity. This time I will be as a deputy legal counsel for the church. One of the major challenges facing faithful members of the church is that they are unable to divorce from previous marriages, and many people are unable to legally marry lifelong companions, and they are in the temple. It was to prevent me from entering. With the inspirational leadership from then-Jeffrey R. Holland, who is now acting as representative president of 12 apostles, Quorum, and the efforts of the church’s communication and the dedicated individuals of the Chilean government, We worked tirelessly to pass the law. Divorce and marriage open the doors of the temple to many who have long been waiting for a sacred blessing. The 2004 law, consistent with the “Family: Declaration to the World,” defined marriage as the union between a man and a woman.
My service as an ordinance worker at Santiago Chilean Temple was particularly meaningful. It was a kind mercy from the Lord as President Spencer W. Kimball was privileged as a young missionary when he visited Chile and smashed the ground for the temple in 1981. Driving him, serving his security team, and being part of that historic moment left a lasting impression on my soul. Decades later, serving as an ordinance worker in the Lord’s Holy House felt like a fulfillment of a journey that began many years ago.
In 2005, I was called to be the president of the Chilean Santiago North Mission. One of the sweetest blessings of the time was the opportunity to witness the achievements of past labor. Among these sacred moments was the seal of my fellow brother Urtia, who I had taught 20 years ago, but at the time I was not ready to receive the gospel. We baptized his wife and children, and a few years later, one of those sons (now in the presidency) made preparations for his father to accept the gospel and be sealed in the temple. He called me out with fun news that he had been doing it. Tears of joy filled our eyes as we witnessed this precious family now bound forever.
Another important experience as my family came and I passed through Puente Alto in Chile. We saw two missionaries walking around with a large bundle and we offered them a ride. They accepted and explained to members of the ward who washed their clothes and did the laundry. When we arrived at the family home where we did their laundry, I recognized the man as someone who had taught me 20 years ago. He was now bishop. What impressed me the most was seeing the light of Christ in the eyes of the whole family. Then something soft happened. My father pulled a photo of me and my peers from his wallet. In tears he explained to my wife that these were the angels who brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to their young family.
These moments, while very personal, reflect the love of our Heavenly Father, are reminders that the Lord is always working in the lives of His children. The gospel of Jesus Christ truly changes the mind, lifts the burden and brings eternal joy. He personally knows each and every one of us, he prepares the path to our salvation and gives people in our lives to guide our homes. There is no doubt that it will be placed in life.
I love Chilean people. I love missionaries who serve very faithfully. And above all, I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. What a privilege to become an instrument in his hands and witness his love for the Chilean people.
