Editor’s note: Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy, reflected on his personal experiences of Church service in Chile in timing with the 100th anniversary of Elder Melvin J. Ballard’s 1925 prayer and dedication of South America for the preaching of the gospel.
Reflecting on the seven years I spent serving in Chile — first as a young missionary in the early 1980s, later as associate legal counsel for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and ultimately as a mission president — I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the love of Jesus Christ and the power of His gospel to change lives.
As a young missionary, I was blessed to teach the humble and faithful Chilean people, eager to learn more about the Savior. Time and time again, I witnessed firsthand how lives improved as individuals and families embraced Jesus Christ, choosing to follow Him by living His commandments. The light in their eyes, the peace in their homes and the joy in their hearts bore testimony that Christ is the source of true happiness.
One of the most cherished experiences of my early mission was the opportunity my companion and I had to serve as some of the first teachers at the Chilean Missionary Training Center in 1981. It was a sacred privilege to instruct and prepare these valiant young missionaries who had dedicated 18 months to two years of their lives to inviting others to come unto Christ. Their faith and enthusiasm were inspiring, and we felt a deep love for them as we watched them grow in their testimonies and abilities to teach the gospel. Even in those early days, it was clear that the Lord was hastening His work in Chile, raising up a generation of missionaries who would bless their people and strengthen the Church for years to come.
Years later, in 2003, I returned to Chile to serve in a different capacity — this time as the Church’s associate legal counsel. One of the great challenges facing faithful members of the Church was the inability to divorce from prior marriages, leaving many unable to be legally married to their lifelong companions and preventing them from entering the temple. With inspired leadership from then-Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, who now serves as acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the efforts of dedicated individuals in Church Communications and the Chilean government, we worked tirelessly to help pass legislation allowing for legal divorce and marriage, thus opening the doors of the temple to many who had waited so long for that sacred blessing. That 2004 law even defined marriage as the union between a man and a woman, consistent with “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
My service as an ordinance worker in the Santiago Chile Temple was particularly meaningful. It was a tender mercy from the Lord, as I had been privileged as a young missionary in 1981 to assist President Spencer W. Kimball when he visited Chile to break ground for that temple. Driving him, serving on his security team and being part of that historic moment left a lasting impression on my soul. Decades later, to serve as an ordinance worker in that holy house of the Lord felt like the fulfillment of a journey that had begun many years before.
In 2005, I was called as president of the Chile Santiago North Mission. One of the sweetest blessings during that time was the opportunity to witness the fruits of past labors. Among these sacred moments was the sealing of Brother Urrutia, a man my companion and I had taught 20 years earlier but who, at the time, was not ready to receive the gospel. We had baptized his wife and children, and years later, one of those sons — now serving in a stake presidency — called me with the joyous news that his father had accepted the gospel and was preparing to be sealed in the temple. Tears of joy filled our eyes as we witnessed this precious family now bound together for eternity.
Another cherished experience came as my family and I drove through Puente Alto, Chile. We saw two missionaries walking with a large bundle, and we offered them a ride. They accepted and explained they were taking their laundry to a ward member who washed their clothes. When we arrived at the home of the family that did their laundry, I recognized the man as someone we had taught 20 years prior. He was now serving as the bishop. What moved me most was to see the Light of Christ in the eyes of the entire family. Then, a tender thing happened. The father pulled out of his wallet a picture of me and of my companion. With tears in his eyes he explained to my wife that these were the angels who brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to their young family.
These moments — so personal, yet so reflective of the love of our Heavenly Father — remind me that the Lord is always at work in the lives of His children. The gospel of Jesus Christ truly changes hearts, lifts burdens and brings eternal joy. I have no doubt that He knows each of us personally, that He prepares the way for our salvation and that He places people in our lives at just the right moments to guide us home.
I love the people of Chile. I love the missionaries who serve so faithfully. And above all, I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, whose infinite Atonement makes all this possible. What a privilege it has been to be an instrument in His hands and to witness His love for the Chilean people.
