Prepared for This Work: The Journey of President and Sister Ganbat

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When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent its first senior missionary couples to Mongolia in 1992, few could have imagined the seeds they were planting. The missionaries arrived shortly after Mongolia's transition from communism to democracy and came primarily as educators, teaching English and university classes while building relationships and serving the people. Because proselyting was restricted, they shared the gospel largely through friendship, service, and example. Among the students whose life they quietly influenced was a young high school student named Tamir Ganbat.

Today, more than three decades later, President Tamir Ganbat and his wife have returned to Mongolia to serve as mission leaders of the newly created Mongolia Ulaanbaatar West Mission. Looking back, President Ganbat can clearly see the Lord's hand preparing him for this sacred responsibility long before he ever joined the Church.

In the early 1990s, President Ganbat was beginning high school at a Mongolian-Russian school where students studied Mongolian, Russian, and English. At the time, he knew almost nothing about Jesus Christ beyond a vague memory of seeing a film about Him. As he reflects on those years, President Ganbat remembers having Mary Cook and Joyce Cox as English teachers. "I didn't know it at the time," he said, "but that was my first exposure to the Church."

While he was learning English from senior missionaries, his mother was also becoming acquainted with them. As a government employee responsible for processing visas, she worked closely with several missionary couples and developed friendships with President Cook and President Cox.

As Tamir was deciding what to do after graduation, the Cooks and the Cox’s suggested going to the United States for a year of high school. They arranged for Marshall and Jolene Ogden, of Boise, Idaho, to be his host parents. Before he left Mongolia, his family learned that the Ogden family were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President and Sister Cox explained, “They go to church every Sunday, but you don’t have to go.” But his mother told him, "They are taking you into their family. While you are there, you should do what they do and go to church."

Growing up Buddhist, President Ganbat had a very different understanding of religion. "My idea of religion was going to the temple, lighting a candle, and then going home," he recalled. "I was impressed that they lived every day what they believed." As he attended church meetings and activities with the Ogden family, his understanding of faith began to change.

One experience in particular left a lasting impression. During his year in Boise, President Ganbat attended a stake conference where the stake presidency was being reorganized. Elder Russell M. Nelson was present to preside. Before the meeting, Tamir met Elder Nelson and remembered thinking he seemed like a kind older man. But when Elder Nelson entered the chapel and the congregation stood in reverence, he sensed something different. "At that time I felt something," President Ganbat said emotionally. "That he was someone special."  During the meeting, Elder Nelson asked Tamir to stand and introduced him to the congregation as a young man from Mongolia who was not yet a member of the Church. Then Elder Nelson said something President Ganbat has never forgotten. "He is here in Boise for a reason."

President Ganbat remembers Elder Nelson reading from the Book of Mormon, where the invitation is extended to come unto Christ. "As he was reading it, it felt like he was inviting me to come unto Christ." That evening became a turning point. For the first time, he studied the scriptures and missionary discussions with genuine intent. He followed the invitation to pray and ask God for himself. "It was the first sincere prayer I had ever offered," he said. "I knew it was good. I knew it was right. And I knew I needed to do something about it." He decided to be baptized.

The Lord continued preparing His future servant. When Tamir was baptized in April 1997, Elder and Sister Cook were there to witness the ordinance. By then, Elder Cook had become a General Authority Seventy. President Ganbat still remembers Elder Cook's simple counsel: "Be a good member. Always be a good member." Those words became a guiding influence throughout his life.

While President Ganbat's conversion story began in Mongolia and continued in Idaho, Sister Ganbat's story was very different. A lifelong member of the Church, she comes from pioneer ancestry on both sides of her family. After high school, she attended Ricks College, which later became BYU-Idaho.  President Ganbat also attended the school following his mission. During their senior year, the two met and eventually married. "When I received confirmation that this was the man I should marry," Sister Ganbat said, "I knew my life would permanently be tied to Mongolia. I needed to be willing to go there if the Lord ever asked."

That call came in December 2025 when they were invited to serve as mission leaders for the newly created Mongolia Ulaanbaatar West Mission.  Acting in faith, the Ganbats left their established lives behind. They resigned from their jobs, rented out their home, and moved to Mongolia with their two youngest children. When asked about receiving the call, President Ganbat said: "I felt really humbled. I never imagined that we would be asked to serve this way. I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life and am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this unique capacity."

The transition has required sacrifice from the entire family. "They were willing to go," Sister Ganbat said of their children. "They are giving up a lot, and it is a big ask. But they are here, and they are doing it." An interesting family connection is that their third child, Joseph, received a call to serve in the Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Mission before his parents received their own mission call.

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As President and Sister Ganbat begin leading the new mission, they see tremendous opportunities ahead. "There are a lot of places in Mongolia where the Church isn't established yet." President Ganbat said. "There are so many opportunities in these areas." Reflecting on his own experience as a missionary in San Francisco, California, he added: "My mission changed my life for the better. It really cemented my testimony of the Savior and my commitment to the gospel. My hope is for our missionaries to truly become converted to Christ."

Sister Ganbat expressed her love for the Mongolian people. "They are really open and caring and focused on the right things: education and family."

Missionary service in Mongolia continues to be unique. Traditional proselyting methods are limited, and missionaries do not wear traditional name tags. Yet President Ganbat sees evidence every day that the Lord is directing the work. "Despite these things, the Lord is preparing people," he said. "I hear miracles from our missionaries every week."

More than thirty years ago, the Lord began preparing one young Mongolian student through two English teachers named Sister Cook and Sister Cox. Today, that same student has returned with his family to help lead the Lord's work in Mongolia.