Extracts from what True Mother has been saying to members since Father’s ascension. She spoke at a regional presidents’ meeting on October 1 in Korea and at locations on an island off Korea’s southwest coast and a southwest coastal town, both on the same day, October 13. She has already spoken on two continents. The fourth excerpt comes from her October 27 message to members at morning hoondokhae in Las Vegas during the course of the WFWP Twentieth Anniversary Assembly. As she indicated on September 23 at the Cheongshim World Peace Center, she has already begun to “stand in the forefront to lead the providence on earth.”
Extracts from True Mother’s Speech to American Leaders called to Cheon Jeong Peace Palace, on 8.16 (October 1)
While Father was still in the hospital, I told the regional presidents that at this point, “For us there is no stopping.” Now that Father has ascended, we need to remember that our Unification Church originated from divine spirit[1] and the truth. Though years have passed, the reality is that we have not seen our church membership increase or our members mature based on our hearts of love emanating from our shimjeong.
In the beginning, when Father was carrying out his ministry, once members came to the church, they never wanted to leave. They wanted to stay with Father, even if it meant staying up all night. If there was anything Father wanted done, those members wanted to do it for him, voluntarily and willingly. The life of faith our members led at the time was like that. So, though ours was a small church, it was overflowing with love, and we united and overcame the most difficult of times.
Many blessed couples in the Korean church have unforgettable stories. Married women who had joined the church before their husbands did went through many difficulties when their husbands were unsupportive. Moreover, we were all in a position where we had to go out to pioneer; everyone had to go, regardless of age or sex. Women who had families had to do pioneer witnessing as well; to do that, some even left their children in orphanages.[2] The early days of our church were like that.
Thus, Korean church members had to make many sacrifices in advancing the blessing providence from the 36 couples to the 430 couples. (I believe Mr. Kuboki, the former president of the Japanese church, was blessed among the 430 couples; he represented his nation.) Thanks to such early efforts, we now have conditionally blessed up to 400 million couples worldwide, as you well know.
True blessed families that are united centered on True Parents should write Unification Church history. The president of our church in those early days, Rev. Eu, gave lectures all day long, even though he suffered from physical disabilities. Even healthy people find it difficult to give lectures for an hour or two, let alone all day long. Besides, he was undernourished because we were so poor at the time.
The people found and established through that process became the thirty-six couples. This is why we treasure the thirty-six couples, because the root of our collective shimjeong is in them. Therefore, all of us, including members in Korea, Japan and the United States, need to return to that beginning time when we were passionate and our church constantly overflowed with true love. We must begin anew. Accordingly, we will have Divine Principle taught continuously in our churches and have workshops continuously.
Father has passed away. How long do you think I will live? Twenty years? Thirty years?
You should pull yourselves together mentally and physically, and do whatever it takes to unite and fulfill what you were unable to do for the Parents—what you were unable to do though you only received love until now, even if it means making effort, spending sleepless nights. Even then that would not suffice. At this time, you had to see Father ascend earlier than you expected. I’m sure you are feeling deep pain over this. How much have you reflected on this?
As those of you who came to the ceremony may have seen, we sent Father off with a splendid ceremony. I still feel, though, that we could have done more. We should have sent him off on a pan-national, a global scale. As it was, what would we have done if the construction of the Peace Center in Cheongpyeong had not been completed?
Therefore, from now on, we need to do our best, which means to witness. This is still a satanic world, so you need to implant the Divine Principle in people’s hearts, and nurture them to grow until they are ready to receive the blessing.
I spoke of two things at the leaders’ meeting. First, the revival of the church. Second, that I will provide money for scholarships to develop leaders among the first- and second-generation members of our church from all parts of the world. For this reason, though it is my heart’s desire to preserve everything True Father used as mementos, I am going to sell the helicopter so that I can take part in cultivating leaders among our second generation worldwide.
This is proof that Father was concerned about the future and that he loved all the world’s peoples. I am going to use the money I raise from selling it, and add some more of my own, to carry out this important task. You may also donate whatever amount you wish to this initiative, even if it is just ten dollars. I am telling you this because I want you to know that I am going to spend this money with that purpose in mind.
We have the True Parents and the truth. Do you understand? That is why our future is bright. I will revive all of our churches. Our church in Korea needs to live and breathe. Therefore, through our actions and practices, blessed families need to set an example for others, and bring our neighbors and clans to follow us. The same is true for those in Japan. The leaders—those in charge—and the blessed families in Japan should also lead lives of this type.
I have already mentioned to you that you should begin each day by holding hoondokhae with your families. This was because I feel the urgency of educating our children, second-generation members. Until now, you couldn’t find time to spend with your children because you were carrying out church work. Henceforth, however, you should begin your day together having hoondokhae with your children. Please begin your day in this way.
We need to educate and nurture our second-generation members. No matter what position you are in, you need to think of the generations to come. Moreover, the leaders need to design the future. You need to reflect on how much a sense of urgency and vigor you have toward looking for someone who can take over your responsibility. If you haven’t achieved this, you should do your best to do so from now on, risking your lives if necessary. Do you understand what I am saying? [Yes]
Before Father passed away, he made plans and told me about them as we rode here in our car, saying things like, “Mother, I wish for something to be done here. I wish for these people to be nurtured in this way. I wish for this and that to be done here.” Now, I know that he had been asking me to do these things because he was preparing to depart this world. Every time he came down here, he always had something to say about what needs to be done.
You might think me greedy if I hope to live thirty more years, so within twenty years I should accomplish all that Father has left incomplete and all that he desired to achieve. The truth is, however, that I am overburdened as things stand. Our most urgent task is to establish the true order and tradition, both internally and externally. Also, as soon as possible, we need to show ourselves and the rest of the world that the Unification Church is still going strong, growing and developing, so that those in the wider world can come to us of their own free will.
It is important for you to try hard in witnessing, but we also need these people to come to us of their volition, based on our providential achievements, guided by the thought in their hearts, Oh! This is my ultimate destination!
We also need to bring them to receive the blessing. This is called for in this era, right after True Father’ ascension, which is why we cannot delay any longer. I will continue on. At this time, don’t you feel the need for us to witness to as many people as possible? [We do.]¡¦ I know that you have tried to show True Father’s glory and prestige to the world, but if you had witnessed to more people and restored the nation, they would have come even if we had told them not to. We need to effectuate that.
What is truly important is the number of people we can call our members, those who know the Divine Principle, not just the number of people that come to Sunday Service. Do you understand what I mean? [Yes]
We need to continue giving Divine Principle lectures in our churches. People need to be reborn through the teachings. When such individuals, families, tribes, peoples and nations can practice true love, that is where Cheon Il Guk is. That is the kingdom of heaven on earth. When this happens, each and every individual will find peace in his or her own heart.
I had a dream in the early days, right after Father and I married. In the dream, I was holding a child’s hand, carrying a package and walking along on a dangerous cliff-edge path. I couldn’t see what was in front of me, but I succeeded in following this path without falling over the edge of the cliff. At the end of the path, I reached a bright light. I believe that time is now.
Let us all work hard so that on Foundation Day many people will come flocking here, like the tide coming in, whether they are eminent members of society or ordinary people. Let’s make it a day on which large groups of people come flowing in like clouds.
This is why we need many capable people. This nation needs to become God’s homeland and True Parents’ nation as quickly as possible. I will begin by strengthening our internal structure, by developing leaders that can fully devote themselves to guiding members and managing churches.
I believe Father is also telling us, for the last time, You need to accomplish all this, and when you have done so and succeeded in your tasks, come back to me and I will embrace you.
Once again, I ask you to try to become people that True Parents and especially True Father will remember.
True Mother’s Message at the Ocean Cheon Jeong Gung on 8.28 (October 13)
“My eyes became sensitive to light, so I need to use sunglasses. I’m sorry. During the forty-day period of preparing meals [for True Father][3] coming here has been difficult. Since I intend to sell the helicopter, I won’t have it soon. Coming here by boat is not easy. I am unsure that I will be able to come again this year. I went to bed worrying about that.
When I was offering the meal, I was told, “If it is okay with you to go to Geomun Island, I will have a meal there.” That means that Father’s thinking is my thinking, and my thinking is Father’s thinking. During the forty days, I felt I must come here and I was worried that I couldn’t. Yet, Father said he wanted us to come here, so here I am.
[To Sun-hee Davis, the church leader there[4]] How many members do you have now? “We have about seven members now.” About seven. [Mother sighs.]
This is an important place, and you have to educate people here. In order to teach them quickly, fire must always be burning in the church. It shouldn’t go out. To that end, all of you must gather your resolve.
You shouldn’t lose sight of the honor of having lived in this era when you could attend True Father. It all depends on you. Shouldn’t you become a person Father wants to recognize in the spirit world? In order to do that, what should you do? [We need to continue witnessing and teaching.] We shouldn’t rest. I said we should establish a church that is alive and breathing. When life exists, movement must occur. Only something dead remains still.
Father loved this place. If you were determined to restore all the people on Geomun Island within a month and made supreme effort, don’t you think Father would help you? Father, who transcends time and space, would do great work through you if he were moved by the greatness of your sincerity and effort. Haven’t you been thinking like that?
The international situation is very hard to gauge. It is hard to fathom what China has in mind. You have to protect this place yourselves. You need to have Strong Korea lectures[5] here. You should bring everyone on this island together. Don’t sleep at night, stay awake; make this into a church where a fire is constantly burning. Wouldn’t Father, who is going around the world, be pulled to Geomun Island because of your sincere effort? I’m saying that this shouldn’t become a place Father bypasses as he goes elsewhere.
Think of the situation if I had not been here when Father went to the spirit world. What do you think? As people who have lived with True Parents and breathed the same air, your responsibility is very great. In the eyes of your descendants, you will naturally be graded; it might be determined for example, that you were a loyal patriot; you accomplished your responsibility, you became a person whom Heaven remembers, or you are someone who just walked past. Nobody can help you in this; it’s up to each of you. So will you exert your maximum effort, or not? [We will.]
True Mother’s Message at Blue Sea Garden in Yeosu on 8.28 (October 13)
To date, we have held many ocean workshops here. What was the purpose of having ocean training workshops? Our Unification Church must now be reborn with God’s spirit and truth. This is the time, while reorganizing external activities, we should maintain internal stability. Japanese women have worked so hard for the global providence, but from now on we should have results to show that “we accomplished this.” I will make that happen for you. Eternally maintaining the foundation Father established is a matter of urgency. I will put everything, one by one, in order, from one to ten, and we should keep Father’s teachings alive, without letting them drop to the ground.
I came from Geomun Island and this place[6] also needs to be organized again. I consider our second generation important. In order to ensure that in the end your efforts have not been in vain, I should educate those in the second generation. What should you leave behind, you blessed members who are living in the same era as True Parents? What will it be? Will it be your honor? Your money? What should it be? If we don’t leave a solid foundation for later generations, when will the world center on God? Korea and Japan must be the world’s center. When you spin a top, it keeps spinning, doesn’t it? That is what Japan and Korea must do.
You must be reborn through the Principle. Do you understand what I mean? I said that our church must be alive and breathing, and must be somewhere that Divine Principle lectures continue without end. Give lectures to three people at the church every day, teach the Principle, share the teachings. Eventually we need to give birth to new Blessed Families. The sooner the better. It is urgent to the hour.
I am seventy years old. Isn’t that so? If I live another thirty years in good health, I will be a hundred years old. How will I look then? Think about that. You are younger, so you can have more hope, but I feel a great sense of urgency. Do you understand what I mean? [Yes]
Take ownership and do activities that are alive and “breathing.” Then the spirit world will assist you 100 percent. What is the wish of those in the spirit world? What is our wish? It is the establishment of the kingdom of heaven on earth and in heaven. Isn’t it? Cheon Il Guk. How exciting, elating and divine would it be to realize that in our lifetime? If we go through life feeling that, how could we sit calmly and placidly? We are bound to exert ourselves.
Our goal won’t disappear with the passing of Foundation Day. We have to bless all of humankind and create Cheon Il Guk citizens. In order to do that, what should you do? [Mother wipes away tears.] Those in the spirit world won’t help people who do only what they are told to do, who only live from one day to the next without making any distinction between them. Do you understand? You must be able to feel the true meaning of risking one’s life and giving one’s all.
I am asking you to become people who report to Heaven every day and who move with Heaven all the time. Now, you must work hard as if twenty-four hours aren’t enough hours in a day. You need to work in place of the spirit world, so think of one day as forty-eight hours. You should be reborn in God’s word. Without considering any condition, you purely wanted to come and see me and wanted to listen to me with a thankful mind. You didn’t think to yourself, If I make this much effort, I will get this much back, or if I do this, I will become a leader.
That type of mind-set didn’t exist in the early days of the church. We have to go back to that time. We must build a movement in which true love overflows.
Hoondokhae at Cheon Hwa Gung, Las Vegas, on 9.13 (October 27)
Whether we knew it or not, it is clear that all the people of the world, with one heart and one intention, sent Father off. In fact, your responsibilities are very important. Everything depends on whether you fulfill your obligations or not. We don’t know how many years later it will be, but eventually we will all go to the spirit world.
Father, who is now in the spirit world, trusted that we were doing our work on earth, even though he knew that some could not be trusted. Therefore, you need to do your best during this period, so that when you enter the spirit world, Father will remember you and say, Ah! At least you tried; and now you’ve come.
What should you do to make this possible? Father gave us our goals before he passed away. Foundation Day is not the end. We need to do our best until we have liberated all humankind and brought the world’s 6.5 billion people into God’s presence. This is why Father urged you for a very long time to fulfill your mission as tribal messiahs.
The reality, however, is that you have been unable to witness even to those people around you. How pitiful that is! At present, America is internally struggling. The American members need to reflect on themselves and repent¡¦.
The American people in this day and age are living in the same era as the Lord’s Second Coming, and if they say, “We didn’t know,” for the most part, you are responsible for their ignorance. It will not end with just accusations. You will not find even one place to hide in in the eternal world, nowhere. Do you understand this point? Father believed in you. Why, then, did your witnessing not succeed? Why were you unable to restore your tribes? The more I think about it, the more fully I realize that you did not receive much help from Heaven. You did not reach the standard of becoming God’s object partner. You should repent for that¡¦.
Because Father knew that he had a stubborn streak to his character, he began his work with his mind centered first on Heaven in all respects, going through a long period of devoting himself in prayer as if offering penance, saying, Before wishing for dominion over the universe, let me gain perfect dominion over myself!
On the other hand, what have you done? When you were promoted to a slightly higher position, you thought of it as success—you men in particular. In this regard at least, women have sinned less than men. Father spoke harshly to women, telling them they must pay indemnity for Eve’s fall, but now the era of indemnification is over and this is no longer necessary. We are now in the realm of equal status, equal rights and equal participation, aren’t we? [Yes] It is true that women need to take the lead at this point, which is why I brought all my daughters-in-law with me¡¦.
Many men are here in Las Vegas. Is it easier for men to unite or for women to unite? [It is easier for women to unite.] The men here should think to themselves that they are mourning at Father’s grave side for three years[7] and try to unite. Is there anything you cannot achieve with True Parents?…
One Bible verse states, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”[8] I believe we need to place great importance on this. It suggests that depending on whether we fulfill our responsibilities on earth, the stage for Father’s work in the spirit world will widen. Thus, the earthly plane is very important. That was why God created the heavens and the earth, and why He created Adam and Eve on earth. He spoke of the kingdom of heaven being on earth first.
Father alone cannot achieve the kingdom of heaven in heaven. Though God is the God of light, until now the spirit world has remained in darkness, because the evil spirit world has grown strong. Did you know that? Most spiritual mediums form connections to the middle spirit world. If you go up a mountain there are mountain spirits, for example. When they pray they can only form a connection to that level of the spirit world; they cannot connect to a higher plane. If I continue talking about this, it will interfere with today’s program! I believe that I should have hope in all of you, so will you help? [Yes] Will you men help? [Yes.] You should work, with women leading the way.
The only way we can save America is for women to take the lead. After close observation, I’ve come to see that politics cannot be trusted. It is full of men who live day to day. When they think something is righteous, why can’t they go about it like a man? They look petty, small-minded and ludicrous to my eye. They have bigger bodies and greater strength than women do. Yet, how can they be so narrow-minded…?
Since we are living in that kind of era now, men should not think themselves superior and should make unity. Only when they are united can they exert their full power. Who is interpreting into English? [It is Moon-shik Kim.] Men, pay attention! [Yes!]
When Father first came to America, he said, “America is sick, so I have come as a doctor. America is in flames, so I have come as a fireman.” At present, America is in flames and is about to fall off a cliff. Not one nation in the world respects America. That is why America has adopted the no-visa policy.[9] In the past, America was arrogant. The truth is that, now, America is more unstable than any other country. The former Soviet Union is looking to the future and doing everything it can to become one with Europe and keep China in check. In fact, a minister in Putin’s administration attended our most recent UPF assembly.
I see that it all depends on how you do. Those who say, “It won’t be; it can’t be,” won’t be able to achieve anything. Those who translate their words into action can accomplish what they set out to do. This observation is based on the reports I’ve received. Do you understand? [Yes.] I hope Father continues to love America, because, if he does, it will give me a reason to come here more often. The fact is that when I leave this time, I don’t know when I will come again. It all depends on how you do. I hope you will not think this is a small thing but actually return to the mind-set prevalent at time our church began. You should strive to create an environment in which the sound of Divine Principle lectures never ceases in our churches.
To give Divine Principle lectures, you first need to have the right attitude. Okay? No matter how difficult your environment is, you are standing in Father’s place conveying Heaven’s word. You should therefore think, “I believe I should first have dominion over myself.” When you think like that, you will automatically change your clothes and dress more smartly, wash yourself when you find yourself dirty, and invest all your sincerity. That’s natural. Giving birth to something living cannot be done by merely killing time and hosting programs. The same is true for women giving birth. Just because the time has come does not mean a woman will have her baby at that moment. I could explain this better if men had experienced the pain of labor even once. If so, men would become so much more humble.
You should not be self-centered. You need to put yourself aside; to do so, you first need to unite your mind and body and thus begin working and acting on what you say. This is how you can achieve freedom and peace. If I am happy, and those around me are happy, that is freedom, isn’t it? The problem is your own self. The kingdom of heaven is where such people live together. All you need to do is to translate Father’s teachings into action and lead your lives accordingly. Stop giving excuses and stop making up theories for not doing that. First take dominion over your own selves.
That is why I am doing so many things now. It is all for you and your future generations. How could you possibly deal with the Christians of today? Not knowing that the Lord has come again, those old-fashioned Christians hang on to their worn-out Bibles and offer prayers and devotions asking the Lord to come on the clouds. If they come to understand the providence, how much will they repent and lament? “The Lord came and went while I was still alive!” How devastated would they be by that thought? This fact would dumbfound them more than the fact that they waited two thousand years for nothing. I will create a book that will make them throw away their Bibles, a book that will make them feel that Father is eternally alive.
Yesterday, I heard a brief report to the effect that members in South America held a bazaar to raise money to come here,[10] and they prayed, “Please let us earn just $1,000.” They were able to come because they made $1,070. As you can see, Heaven helps you with even the smallest things based on your thoughts and efforts; these members came here with joy, gratitude and hope in their hearts.
Know this! Our future is not dismal but bright! Open your eyes in the morning feeling nothing but gratitude. Go to sleep at night with a grateful heart, saying, “I did this and that today. I was able to do all this thanks to our Heavenly Father’s protection. Thank you. Tomorrow, I will make even more effort to return all that I have received to God.” If you do that, you can’t help being happy.
Many of you have come from America, Japan, Korea and other places to attend the Women’s Federation assembly. Let us begin our work from this point. [Yes.]
Then let us shout loudly three times. Heavenly Father, thank you! [Heavenly Father, thank you!] True Parents, thank you! [True Parents, thank you!] All of us, thank you! [All of us, thank you!]
[1] In the original church name (HSAUWC) in English, this term was rendered “holy spirit.”
[2] A reference to the special three-year witnessing mobilization in 1970, when some members temporarily lodged their children in care facilities in order to fulfill the requirements of the condition.
[3] In Korean, sangshik (상식); a common practice in Korea and elsewhere in Asia, but the forty-day period of sangshik is a custom specific to the Unification Church.
[4] True Father had quite recently assigned Mrs. Davis to the post of church leader for Geomun Island.
[5] She’s referring to lectures initiated by Kook-jin nim that advocate (among other things) that Korea assess its military preparedness vis-à-vis China, in case China decides to use its military for hostile means.
[6] Blue Sea (Cheonghae) Garden Training Center
[7] An apparent analogy to a Korean tradition by which the oldest son lived beside his father’s grave for three years after his father’s death.
[8] Mt 18:18
[9] Possibly a reference to the visa waiver program for certain countries that “maintain high counterterrorism, law enforcement, border control, and document security standards.”
[10] Presumably referring to True Parents’ birthday at the beginning of the year, when a large group came from various countries