What is the most important thing in this world? I say to you it is the people, it is the people, it is the people! (He tangata, he tangata, he tangata) -Maori Proverb

"Every morning . . . , missionaries should get on their knees and plead with the Lord to loosen their tongues and speak through them to the blessing of those they will be teaching. If they will do this a new light will come into their lives. There will be greater enthusiasm for the work. They will come to know that in a very real sense, they are servants of the Lord speaking in His behalf. They will find a different response from those they teach. As they do so by the Spirit, their investigators will respond under the influence of the same Spirit."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley-

 Vic and Rangi Parker - Sister Rangi Parker with the support and help of her husband, has dedicated the last 26 years of her life to collecting histories, photographs and memorabilia from former New Zealand Missionaries to document the history of the Church in New Zealand.

Rangi Parker at the Church History Centre in Temple View Hamilton.

 This is a pattern in the carpeting of the building.

President Rudd (President of the Hamilton Mission) and President Kezerian at the old MTC in Temple View.

 President Rudd's father Glen L. Rudd with his wife. He served as a missionary in New Zealand under President Matthew Cowley, as Mission President in NZ, as Pacific Area President and as the New Zealand Temple President.

 This is how the early missionaries in New Zealand use to travel.

Rulon James Crook soon after arriving in New Zealand to serve his mission in 1914.

The following is his story told by his son, James Crook, who also served a mission in New Zealand.

"I've seen a lot of things in my life, faith wise. My father was sixteen years

old and they had to travel about sixteen miles to Stake Conference by

buck board, team and wagon, and he had a large family of boys and one

girl.

They went to the Conference and as the Conference was proceeding, the

visiting General Authority called the following missionary Rulon James

Crook to the Auckland New Zealand Mission. Now my father was only

sixteen years of age, and his Dad was quite a missionary. He leaned over

to him and said “Rulon will you go?” My Dad had aspirations of College,

he had only one more year of High School and was going on to College,

the only one in the family, none of them ever wanted to go until he came

home. Well, he went to New Zealand. There were a lot of things involved

in that.

When Dad got home he was twenty one years of age. He wanted to go back

to school but he was too old, so he didn't get a chance to go to College.

He was very good at mathematics. He married a young lady from the same

community, a community of about 300 people. Her name was Rula and

they had four children, the first one they buried, she had appendicitis and

whooping cough, and I was the youngest. In 1933 during the middle of

the Great Depression, a letter came to Dad asking if he would go back to

New Zealand as they needed Elders back there who could speak the Maori

language. This was in 1933. So Dad goes and Mother is left alone, with

three children. I'm the youngest.

A lot of times we talk of missionaries. We should do, but you know my

mother went through a great deal. She had one daughter that had polio,

and in a farming area where the snow is deep, my mother got small pox

in the corner of her eye, and it swelled up. I don’t know whether you have

ever seen smallpox. It’s like huge boils right in the tear duct of your eye.

e.

The doctor said “I can’t do anything for you. You’re going to have to go to

Salt Lake which is 250 miles away. They left for Salt Lake and on the way,

stopped at the home of Elder Maughn. My Dad and he were companions

for a while.

The next day they went to see the doctor and he was going to take my

mother’s eye out, and Elder Maughn went to the President of the Church

and he told him the story and the President of the Church went over and

administered to her. The next day the doctors come in ready for surgery.

He looked at it and said there’s nothing wrong with this eye. My mother

was a very dedicated member of the Church. Sometimes I’d like to have

somebody say something about those who provide for. I was just a little

guy and I saw all this. I thought you would like to know the story."

We have a great missionary heritage here in New Zealand. Much to live up to and great examples of faith, sacrifice, and dedication.

While attending the annual CCM for the Stake Presidents, Mission Presidents and Area Seventy we were able to attend the temple and be there the night they turned on all the lights.

Isn't this a wonderful missionary tool. Flocks of people came to visit and see the lights. I heard one little boy, as he saw the outstretched arms of Thorvaldsen's Christus in the visitors center say, "Is that really Jesus?"