Some came in a convoy of buses. Others traveled in chartered trains. Still others came by family car. When they arrived, members of the Church in the New York City area more than filled the 20,000-seat arena at the famed Madison Square Garden to hear President Gordon B. Hinckley speak April 26.
"It's an honor to have the prophet here," said Etta Nembhard of the Jamaica 1st Branch in Queens, N.Y., in the New York New York South Mission, who arose at 2 a.m. and traveled by mass transit to stand first in line."I feel as though Heavenly Father sent a message for us, and that's why I'm here, to get that message."
"You honor us greatly in the efforts you have made to be here," said President Hinckley in his opening remarks during the Sunday morning member meeting.
"I understand that more had planned to come by bus from rather distant places. We have told them that it will be easier for us to go to them, than for them to come to us."
The meeting, translated into 11 languages, is the first-ever conference of the Church in Madison Square Garden. Those who attended included Church members, local officials, international dignitaries, as well as business and media executives.
Many dignitaries, who were greeted by President Hinckley in a reception prior to the meeting, included: Mike Wallace of CBS News, 60 Minutes; Kenneth Chenault, president and chief executive officer of American Express Co.; Willis Reed, senior vice president of New Jersey Nets; Rand Araskog, chairman and CEO of ITT Corp.; Ronald Bianchi, Harrison Town Supervisor; Dr. Jay Oliva, president of New York University; and Li Hyong Chol, North Korean ambassador to the United Nations.
Mike Wallace was amon the dignitaries who attended the meeting after the reception.
President Hinckley was accompanied by his wife, Marjorie, as well as Elder Marlin K. Jensen, president of the north America Northeast Area, and his wife, Kathleen, and Elder Donald L. Staheli, first counselor in the area presidency, and his wife, Afton.
The assembly was considered the largest in Church history in the New York area, requiring the arena's luxury suites to be opened to accommodate the overflow.
It has been more than 20 years since a Church president addressed members in New York City. For many members in the metropolitan area - an area where the Church has grown from 8,000 members a decade ago, to more than 20,000 - it was the first time to personally hear the prophet.
"It meant so much to be here," said Anthea Pierre, of the Midwood 1st Branch in Brooklyn, N.Y., also in the New York New York South Mission, who moved to New York from the Caribbean 14 years ago and joined the Church in 1994.
"It gives me the belief that the principles and the doctrines that we learn are real. They are from God, and he is a prophet of God."
"I was too excited to sleep," said Marisol rodriquez of Long Island, N.Y. "This is my first time to hear the prophet in person [since becoming a member three years ago]."
Members began arriving shortly after 6 a.m., five hours sprior to the start of the meeting, to secure a seat. Skies were overcast and the weather wet. But the rainy morning didn't dampen the psirits of Beth Keller, 17, from Pittspurg, Pa. She stood in line with four friends who entertained themselves with improptu singing of hymns, writing in journals and reading scriptures.
"It was 7 o'clock on Sunday morning in Grand Central Station and we kept running into people carrying their scriptures," she said. "We were like, `this is so cool, they're going where we're going.'"
To attend the meeting, a group of 1,000 members in New Jersey chartered and entire train and dubbed it, "The Mormon Express." Other groups requested additional cars be added to regularly scheduled trains.
Still others came in approximately 100 buses, including members of the Jarrettown Ward in Elkins Park, Pa., that chartered three buses.
"I don't think there's anybody in our ward who didn't come," said Theresa Ackerman. Despite the three buses, "many of the larger families in the ward still ended up driving."
Thirty-three member cadets from the military academy at West Point, N.Y., while dressed in full uniform, served as greeters.
The idea to invite President Hinckley came from Dave Checketts, a member of the church who is president and chief executive officer of Madison Square Garden, which owns all the professional teams that are home in the Garden, including the New York Knicks.
His desire to gather members from the New York area develope after a group of Orthodox Jews used the Garden for a 1995 memorial service following he assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
"I was sitting in the Garden filled with devout Jews, and I thought I would lovre to see a meeting like this someday to hear the current prophet and president of the Church," Brother Checketts said.
Arrangements were made after contacting the public affairs office of the Church in New York.
A New York Times article following the event said, "The crows at the Garden was respectful and neatly dressed, with men in suits and ties and women ind resses. Checketts saw to it that the Garden was equally respectful. . . signs were covered in deference to church members, who do not drink alcohol and avoid caffeinated beverages."
Music for the conference was provided by a 130-voice children's choir from the Scotch Plains New Jersey Stake, and a 150-voice choir from the New York New York Stake.
D
