Japanese Article (Link)
Doctrine and Covenants, Section 4, begins with a declaration that a “marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.” It then states that “if ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work”, followed by the declaration that “the field is white already to harvest….”
In a March 18, 2026, letter from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the borders of the “white fields” mentioned in Section 4 were widened yet again for more “workers”. The letter announces that the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles “have determined that, effective immediately, the bishop may call a man or a woman to serve as ward Sunday School President"
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Sisters working in the field© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Four days after the First Presidency letter, President Sekiguchi, the Branch President of the Tokyo Shibuya YSA (Young Single Adult) Branch called Mai Yamada to be the Sunday School President of the branch. She was sustained in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday, March 22 and set apart by the Branch Presidency that same day.
Mai Yamada is a faithful and active member of the Shibuya YSA (young single adult) Branch. She is a third-generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is originally from Hokkaido. She explains that for all her family, attending and participating in Church activities, callings, and service, were a normal part of life. She explains that she found her own personal testimony at about the age of 14 and later experienced a deeper affirmation of that testimony of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel as she pondered and prayed about her Patriarchal Blessing and the deeper meaning of the calling and role of a patriarch.
She has served in many different formal callings in the Church and is often seen serving others in simple but generous and attentive ways. She is a ready participant in both assigned and unassigned service in the Branch. She is sensitive to the needs of others and serves unselfishly and helpfully. Her desires to serve are sincere and are matched by faith-filled, spontaneous action.
Her new calling will bring new challenges, responsibilities, and tests to her and her counselors. Her calling is described in the First Presidency letter as follows:
“The ward Sunday School Presidency oversees efforts to improve gospel learning and teaching at home and at church.”
The Church’s General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”, states that “The Sunday School helps accomplish God’s work of salvation and exaltation. It does this by helping God’s children learn and live the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The General Handbook provides that Sunday School leaders, teachers, and classes:
- Strengthen faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ by teaching “the doctrine of the kingdom” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:77).
- Support home-centered and Church-supported gospel learning and teaching.
- Help members teach in the Savior’s way.
As the membership of the Church continues to grow, the work outlined for the Sunday School described above will become increasingly critical. For each member, the challenge of maintaining and fortifying their individual faith, testimony, and active discipleship will face consistent challenges and barriers. Whether the challenge is growing in faith, enduring to the end, or returning more fully to the fold, the task of “helping God’s children to learn and live the gospel of Jesus Christ” continues.
President Yamada and her counselors are “called” to lead in the effective implementation of these important initiatives. They are tasked with teaching the “teachers” – assisting in the essential work of helping each member become humble and effective teachers in the tradition and fashion of the Savior himself.
The First Presidency has said to us all: “What a glorious opportunity you have to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ! Whether or not you have a specific calling to teach, you are a teacher. As a disciple of the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, you have opportunities to share His light wherever you go—in the home, at church, as you minister to others, and among your friends. To teach the gospel is a sacred trust. It is an essential part of the Lord’s work….
Therefore, meaningfully supporting and advancing “home-centered and Church-supported gospel learning and teaching” will require the work, creativity, and spiritual attentiveness that is presented by the unique setting of a YSA Branch. The Sunday School Presidency will exemplify, teach, support, nurture, and foster a growing spirit of self-reliance in the work of learning and applying the gospel.
As they work to fulfill these responsibilities, they will have the leadership, prayers, and inspired power of the Branch Presidency and the collaboration of the other members of the Branch Council. Indeed, this Sunday School Presidency will receive direction and guidance from the branch leadership as they provide effective, inspired orientation and direction.
They will be blessed to discover and use the ever-growing and expanding tools, instruments, resources, and means that are being provided by the Church. (See 125 Years of Translating Church Materials into Japanese ). As they mine this growing “library” of resources in the Japanese language, they will witness miracle after miracle of added spiritual muscle and strength in their efforts.
For example, President Yamada, her counselors, and the teachers in the Branch Sunday School will find rich resources for each of their callings in the Church’s Gospel Library, including online Sunday School resources for each of their callings.
Finally, President Yamada’s call was made just before the of changes to the 2-hour Sunday church meeting schedule. These changes - scheduled in a recent announcement to take effect in September of this year - will bring new opportunities and challenges. Sunday School every week on an abbreviated schedule is the framework that the Lord has dictated. Finding and applying the means to effectively realize the vision and inspiration entailed in the new schedule is a new opportunity for this Sunday School Presidency. With several months before the new schedule commences, President Yamada, her counselors, and the Branch Council will work, learn, and teach to assure that the new schedule will function effectively.
President Yamada will encounter a “white field”, rich with opportunity to bless lives, strengthen faith, and bring about salvation and exaltation for all participants in the Shibuya YSA Branch. The evident personal devotion of she, her counselors, and the leaders and members of the Shibuya YSA Branch will honor this call and work openly and happily with the Savior in this work. They will be united in learning and teaching like the Savior.
