[Teachldsseminary] CHAT: New Apostle: Quentin L. Cook (long)

[Marji]

New Apostle: Quentin L. Cook

See picture here:  *http://tinyurl.com/2ejov7*

Elder Quentin L. Cook.  Joy comes when we have the Spirit in our lives (see
Alma 22:15). When we have the Spirit, we rejoice in what the Savior has done
for us.

Elder Quentin L. Cook

Elder Quentin L. Cook was sustained as a member of the  Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles on October 6, 2007.  Elder Quentin L. Cook was sustained as a
member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on April 4, 1998. He served in the
Second Quorum of the Seventy from April 1996 through April 1998. As a member
of the Presidency of the Seventy, he has supervisory responsibility for the
North America Southeast Area.

Elder Cook has served as Executive Director of the Missionary Department and
as President of the North America Northwest and Pacific Island Areas. He
also served as a counselor in the Philippines/Micronesia Area Presidency.

He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Utah State
University and a doctor of jurisprudence degree from Stanford University. At
the time of his call as a General Authority, he was vice chairman of Sutter
Health System. He had previously served as president and chief executive
officer of California Healthcare System. Prior to that, he was a managing
partner of Carr, McClellan, Ingersoll, Thompson and Horn, a San Francisco
Bay area law firm.

Elder Cook also served as a full-time missionary in the British Mission and
as a bishop, stake president's counselor, stake president, regional
representative, and Area Seventy.

Quentin LaMar Cook was born in Logan, Utah, USA, on September 8, 1940. He
married Mary Gaddie in November 1962. Elder and Sister Cook have three
children and nine grandchildren.
========

Friend » 1999 » June
Friend to Friend

>From an interview with Elder Quentin L. Cook, currently serving as president
of the Pacific Islands Area; by Kellene Ricks Adams

Quentin L. Cook, "Friend to Friend," Friend, Jun 1999,  6

I am the light of the world (John 8:12).

I can't remember ever not having faith in Jesus Christ. I always knew that
the Savior lived and that He loved me. Those feelings of faith came from my
parents, who taught me what was right and wrong, and from attending Primary
and other Church meetings.

Although I recall giving talks in Primary and taking part in other ways,
some of my favorite Primary memories are of singing. I love the Primary
songs. I still enjoy singing them. They teach of the Savior and the goodness
of the gospel.

In fact, I think one of the most important callings in the Church is the
Primary music director. It is certainly the calling that has had the biggest
impact on our family. My wife, Mary, served in that calling, so we often
sang Primary songs while our children were growing up. Whenever we were
riding in the car, and usually for family home evening, we sang Primary
songs. Mary taught the songs with such enthusiasm and excitement that even
the younger children were interested.

After we sang, we often talked about the lyrics, or words, to the song. Some
of our best gospel discussions have come after singing Primary songs. What a
glorious and fun way to learn gospel principles.

As an area president, I tour the missions in my area and I usually invite
Mary to lead the missionaries in singing a Primary song. You ought to see
them sing! There's a spark in their smile, a light in their eyes. They all
know and love those songs.

Another early Primary memory I treasure is a gift from a much-beloved
Primary presidency. When I was ten years old, I received a book, Poems That
Touch the Heart, for having 100 percent Primary attendance. I still read
that book, and when I do, I remember the enormous amount of love I felt when
I was at Primary. I knew that my Primary teachers genuinely cared about me
and what I did. This book symbolizes that love and interest.

Because of the warm feelings I had about Jesus Christ and the gospel, I did
the things that prepared me to gain a stronger testimony of Joseph Smith,
the Book of Mormon, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I
read the scriptures, prayed, and attended my Church meetings.

When I was fifteen years old, I had a talk with my older brother, Joe, who
was trying to decide whether or not to serve a mission. Joe was an
incredibly good example to me. He had planned on going to medical school,
but when the opportunity came to serve a mission, he took the decision very
seriously. We talked long into the night one evening about the gospel and
testimonies and missions.

We reasoned that if the Church was just a good institution, he could help
more people by attending medical school and becoming a doctor. On the other
hand, if Joseph Smith was actually a prophet and the Book of Mormon was
really true, going on a mission would be much more important.

That evening was one of the most important times in my life. After Joe and I
finished talking, I went into another room and prayed about the truthfulness
of the Book of Mormon and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I
got a very strong feeling that the things Joe and I had been talking about
were true.

Joe chose to serve a mission, and a few years later, I followed in his
footsteps, serving in the British Mission. My mission experiences greatly
strengthened the testimony that had begun in Primary.

What an incredible blessing it is to be raised with the understanding of the
gospel and to know what is good and honest and true! People who don't
understand what is right and what is wrong often get lost in life. They have
to decide over and over again how they will live.

The teachings of the Savior are the way to happiness. What an enormous
advantage to have that blessing in your life!

[photo] 1. As a 6- or 7-year-old

[photo] 2. At age 3, with his parents and his brother Joseph (8)

[photo] 3. As a college student

[photo] 4. Elder Cook, his daughter Kathryn (12), and his sons Joseph (5)
and Larry (8) on the Truckee River near Lake Tahoe

[photo] 5. Elder and Sister Quentin L. Cook and family

==========

A Friendly President
http://tinyurl.com/22ybyg

By Elder Quentin L. Cook

Quentin L. Cook, "A Friendly President," New Era, June 1998,  39

As a teenager, I thought of friends as people near my own age whose
association I enjoyed. I now realize that friends can also be those of any
age we hold in high esteem because of their positive influence in our lives.


Such a friend and teacher came into my life when I served my mission in
England in the early 1960s. Marion D. Hanks became my mission president, and
his teachings and example have blessed me throughout my life. What truly
characterized his life and teaching was his understanding and commitment to
the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let me share three of his lessons that have been particularly helpful to me.

The Attributes of the Savior

Elder Hanks wanted his missionaries to understand the attributes of the
Savior. He had us read the Book of Mormon, marking each reference to the
Savior, and then asked us to think about the implications of being a
follower of Christ. "Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I
say unto you, even as I am" (3 Ne. 27:27).

His testimony and the demonstrated love, appreciation, and awe which he
obviously felt for the Savior established an example which has been highly
influential.

The Wise Use of Agency

Elder Hanks taught that agency is much more than a gift; it is something you
have whether you want it or not (2 Ne. 2:27). We cannot control
circumstances, but we can control our spiritual reaction to those
circumstances.

On July 8, 1962, Elder Hanks wrote to us:

"Years ago a great friend and benefactor shared with me a great thought. I
believed it then and decided to build it into the foundation of my life. The
years have increased to absolute knowledge my assurance that it is true.
When we first came here I shared it with you and asked you to memorize it
and live by it. I would like all of you to learn it:

"There is no chance, no destiny, no fate, can circumvent or hinder or
control the firm resolve of a determined soul."

Determining in advance to live all the commandments has enormous power. This
has served me well throughout my life.

The Importance of Service

Elder Hanks taught that if the purpose of religion is to learn to love God
and your fellowmen, then to be religious is to be of service, as his own
life demonstrated. He not only fulfilled and magnified his callings, but he
also extended his love and service without restraint to those in need.

I have not had significant contact with Elder Hanks in more than 35 years
since returning from the mission field. However, the impressions he left
were so strong, and his teachings, particularly from the Book of Mormon, so
influential, that they have been magnified many times over in my life and in
the lives of those who served under him. We all consider him a dear friend.

============

Quentin L. Cook, "Lessons from the Old Testament: In the World but Not of
the World," *Ensign*, Feb 2006,  53–55
  [image: Image]

Sodom and Gomorrah have actual and symbolic significance representing
wickedness in the world. The Lord appeared to Abraham and said, speaking of
those who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah, "Their sin is very grievous" (Gen.
18:20 <http://scriptures.lds.org/gen/18/20#20>). Their sinfulness was so
great, and those who were righteous so few, that God destroyed these two
cities of the plain. The great prophet of our own day, President Gordon B.
Hinckley, has stated: "All of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah haunt our
society. Our young people have never faced a greater challenge. We have
never seen more clearly the lecherous face of evil."
1<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote1>

Separating evil from our lives has become even more essential since our
homes are wired to bring much of what the Lord has condemned into our own
living rooms if we are not vigilant. One of the most difficult challenges in
our lives is to be in the world but not of the world (see John
15:19<http://scriptures.lds.org/john/15/19#19>
). 2<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote2>Gospel
doctrine makes it clear that we must live in this world to achieve
our eternal destination. We must be tried and tested and found worthy of a
greater kingdom (see 2 Ne. 2:11 <http://scriptures.lds.org/2_ne/2/11#11>; D&C
101:78 <http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/101/78#78>). We must do as Abraham did
when he pitched his tent and built "an altar unto the Lord" ( Gen.
13:18<http://scriptures.lds.org/gen/13/18#18>)
and not do as Lot did when he "pitched his tent toward Sodom" ( Gen.
13:12<http://scriptures.lds.org/gen/13/12#12>
).
 Being a Light to the World

In early 1969, at the height of the "flower children" period in San
Francisco, California, the Bay Area was a magnet for drug use and all manner
of promiscuous and sinful conduct. A concerned stake president asked the
leadership of the Church if Latter-day Saints should be encouraged to remain
in the Bay Area. Elder Harold B. Lee (1899–1973), then a senior member of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was assigned to address the issue. He met
with a group of priesthood leaders and told them the Lord had not inspired
the construction of the Oakland California Temple only to have the members
leave. His counsel was for members to create Zion in their hearts and homes,
to be a light to those among whom they lived, and to focus on the ordinances
and principles taught in the temple.
3<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote3>

We cannot avoid the world. A cloistered existence is not the answer.
4<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote4>In
a positive sense, our contribution to the world is part of our
challenge
and is essential if we are to develop our talents. President Brigham Young
(1801–77) said, "Every accomplishment, every polished grace, every useful
attainment in mathematics, music, and in all science and art belongs to the
Saints." 5<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote5>

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) challenged members to accomplish
more, stating, "We must recognize that excellence and quality are a
reflection of how we feel about ourselves and about life and about
God." 6<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote6>

To accomplish the above, members of the Church need to be involved in the
world in a positive way. How then do we balance the need to positively
contribute to the world and to not succumb to the sins of the world? (See D&C
25:10 <http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/25/10#10>; D&C
59:9<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/59/9#9>.)
Two principles will make a significant difference.

*1. Let people know you are a committed Latter-day Saint.*

I learned the importance of this early in my career. After finishing my
education at Stanford Law School, I sought employment at a particular law
firm. No members of the Church were associated with the firm, but the firm
was made up of lawyers of character and ability. After a morning of
interviews, the senior partner and two other partners invited me to lunch.
The senior partner inquired if I would like a prelunch alcoholic drink and
later if I would like wine. In both cases, I declined. The second time, I
informed him that I was an active Latter-day Saint and did not drink
alcoholic beverages.

I received an offer of employment from the firm. A few months later, the
senior partner told me the offer of the alcoholic beverages was a test. He
noted that my résumé made it clear that I had served an LDS mission. He had
determined that he would hire me only if I was true to the teachings of my
own church. He considered it a significant matter of character and
integrity.

In my years in San Francisco, I knew some members who avoided letting their
associates know they were Latter-day Saints. Invariably they were drawn into
compromising situations that could have been avoided had they forthrightly
declared what they believed. They symbolically pitched their tents toward
Sodom (see Gen. 13:12 <http://scriptures.lds.org/gen/13/12#12>).

*2. Be confident about and live your beliefs.*

In our personal lives, we should avoid the evil "temporal pursuits of
mortality" 7<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote7>and
the destructive "behavioral and intellectual fashions of the
world."8<http://www.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=95848ebebcd6c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=true#footnote8>

A derogatory comment occasionally made about members of the Church is: "They
are like sheep waiting to be told what to do by their leaders. Why can't
they think for themselves?" While this comment may sound plausible on its
face, the truth is that faithful Latter-day Saints, in a thoughtful and
prayerful manner, study the doctrines and principles in the scriptures and
in the counsel from living prophets and then seek to receive a confirming
witness from the Holy Ghost. They don't have to make every heartbreaking
mistake in life. They know what is right and what is wrong. They don't have
to decide over and over again how they will live. They can benefit from the
life experiences of all those generations that have preceded them and from
instructions from our Father in Heaven and His anointed servants. They can
turn away from temptation.

We inevitably must make choices. If we know the doctrines and principles of
the gospel, we can make wise decisions. If our lives are pure, the Spirit
will guide us. Then we will be able to symbolically pitch our tents toward
the temple (see Gen. 13:18 <http://scriptures.lds.org/gen/13/18#18>) and the
covenants we have made to the Lord, and we will be in the world and not of
the world.

[photos] Photography By Robert Casey, except as noted; photography posed by
models

[photo] Photograph of classroom by Craig Dimond
 Notes

1. "Living in the Fulness of Times," *Liahona, *Jan. 2002, 6; *Ensign,* Nov.
2001, 6.

2. See L. Tom Perry, "In the World," *Ensign,* May 1988, 13–15.

3. Personal notes from meeting; see also D&C
115:5<http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/115/5#5>; Harold B. Lee, "Your
Light to Be a Standard unto the Nations,"
*Ensign,* Aug. 1973, 3–4.

4. See Gordon B. Hinckley, "Don't Drop the Ball," *Ensign,* Nov. 1994, 48.

5. *Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young* (1997), 196.

6. "The Gospel Vision of the Arts," *Tambuli,* Feb. 1978, 5; *Ensign,* July
1977, 5.

7. C. Richard Chidester, "Worldly, Worldliness," in Daniel H. Ludlow,
ed., *Encyclopedia
of Mormonism,* 5 vols. (1992), 4:1587; see also Alma
4:8<http://scriptures.lds.org/alma/4/8#8>
.

8. Neal A. Maxwell, "Overcome … Even as I Also Overcame," *Ensign,* May
1987, 70; see also D&C 121:34–35 <http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/121/34-35#34>
.

============
 Teaching with Church Magazines

Don L. Searle, "Teaching with Church Magazines," Ensign, Feb 2006,  56–57

Need help with your lesson? One of the best resources is in your hands.

Your children, or the young men or young women you teach, walk around every
day in a world filled with people and media promoting immoral lifestyles in
which marriage is incidental, drugs are the solution to problems, and
success in life means money, no matter how you get it.

With all the evil that young people brush up against, how can you teach them
they don't have to be part of it? How can you teach them to be in the world
but not of the world?

You can find appropriate scriptures that teach the principle—for example,
Doctrine and Covenants 133:5: "Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear
the vessels of the Lord." But can you "liken all scriptures unto us" (1 Ne.
19:23) so your children or students will see how the principle applies in
their own lives?

A scriptural story might help. Joseph fleeing from Potiphar's wife could
come to mind (see Gen. 39:1–20). But you can already hear your 15-year-old
saying, "How does something that happened thousands of years ago have
anything to do with me?"

So where are you going to find stories or other resources to show that
principles taught in scripture apply today?
Lessons in Your Hand

You're probably looking at one of your best lesson resources right now.
Month after month Church magazines offer a steady supply of gospel-based,
Church-approved materials for teaching.

Let's look at a couple of examples from this issue.

In his article "In the World but Not of the World"  (page 53), Elder Quentin
L. Cook of the Seventy writes of a prospective employer who, knowing young
Quentin Cook was a Latter-day Saint, tested his integrity by offering him
liquor and wine. The man wanted to learn whether he would compromise his
standards for the sake of personal gain. That is a test many young people
could face.

Maybe you have had similar experiences. If you have, sharing them would be a
good way to help others see that when we stand up for our moral standards in
everyday situations, we are winners in the long run. They can know it is
true because they know you.

Elder Cook's article supports lesson eight—"Living Righteously in a Wicked
World"—in this year's Gospel Doctrine manual. Each month specific articles
in Church magazines support lesson topics in the Sunday School manual or in
Teachings of Presidents of the Church. But every article, whether paired
with a specific lesson or not, supports spiritual principles. When we read
the article and discover what those principles are, then the Holy Ghost can
teach us how the article could help "liken all scriptures unto us."

You can see some of the spiritual topics covered in a particular month by
looking at the list on page 80 labeled "Gospel Topics."
A Simple Outline

What if you wanted to use an article in the magazine as a basis for a family
home evening lesson? To use Elder Cook's article, you might make a simple
outline like this:

• Principle: In a world where wickedness surrounds us, we need to live by
the Lord's standards.

• Scriptures: Genesis 39:1–20; Josh. 24:15, 24; John 15:14, 18–19.

• Supporting story: Elder Cook's story teaches, among other things, that we
never know when we may meet challenges to gospel standards and so it is
important that our commitment to them be firm. This would also be a good
place for a supporting story from your own personal experience. Maybe when
you were younger you went to a movie and found it did not meet your
standards, so you walked out. Or maybe a friend saw you there and said
later, "I didn't know people in your church went to movies like that," and
you learned that you might have made a better choice. When you share your
own learning experiences, children and youth can understand that you have
faced the same kinds of challenges they do. Perhaps one of your children
would also have a story to share.

Other Supporting Material

Personal experience stories in the magazines often support a point you need
to make in a lesson. For example, the story "I Chose Sunday School" (page
67) can be related to the principles covered by Elder Cook. A woman chooses
to go to church and finds the next day that the Sunday School lesson
material plays an important part in her success on an academic test.

You can search for supporting material for gospel lessons in a variety of
sources: the scriptures, conference talks (including stories; see "They
Spoke to Us" in each conference issue), Church videos, manuals, or
www.lds.org . But one important resource already comes into your home each
month with articles and stories ready-made to help you teach lessons,
whether in the home or in a Church classroom. It is the magazine you are
reading right now.
-- 


God:  HEB qannah, 'possessing sensitive and deep feelings.'