Elder Forsyth Says "Zai jian"

Brandon Forsyth, second son of Steve and Tina Forsyth, younger brother to Adam - and older brother to Aubrey, Cody, Emily, Dallen, Noah, Idie and Nathan, entered the MTC on Wednesday, October 13. For the next two years, he will serve the Lord and His children in the Singapore Mission where he will teach the gospel in the language of Mandarin Chinese.

Elder Forsyth, who studied Chinese in high school and has loved all-things-Asian since he was a child, is excited about a call to Singapore.

According to his mother, he frequently uses movie lines relating to the Asian culture, including his most recent favorite, “clearly you’ve never been to Singapore” from Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Following his mission, Elder Forsyth hopes to study international business with an eye on a career somewhere in Asia.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in this tropical rainforest country with no distinct seasons, is still in its infancy. In the second most densely populated country in the world, there is only one mission, 10 congregations and a total LDS population of fewer than 3000 members among more than 5 million residents.

In 1960, there were only four members living in Singapore where this small group of Latter-day Saints from the British military and from Hong Kong met together as often as they could. Missionaries first arrived from the Southern Far East Mission in March 1968. That same year the Church established the first congregation in Singapore and a year later, the Southeast Asia Mission was created. In 1970, government officials restricted preaching and limited visas for missionaries but, through the efforts of approximately 100 local members, the Church continued to grow, and in January 1980, the Singapore Mission was reopened.

Admittedly, growth of the Church in Singapore has been slow, but with Elder Forsyth’s hardwork and dedication to the work, many will hear the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the next two years.