The Words of the Sudo Family
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The Words of the Sudo Family |
Father was born on January 6, 1920, according to the lunar calendar, in Chungju, North Korea. Before his birth his grandfather had many significant visions about his coming. Moon is the family name. In Korean it would be Moon Sun Myung.
The written characters for Father's name have a special meaning. One portion has the meaning of fish and another portion has the meaning of ships. Fish and ships are symbols of Christianity. One other part means sun, the other moon, maybe light, something like truth. Therefore, "light of truth that came to Christianity" is the meaning.
Father and Mother have 11 children now. The eldest daughter is Ye-jin and Hyo-jin is the eldest son. The others children are In-jin, Heung-jin, Un-jin, Hyun-jin, Kook-jin, Kwon-jin, Sun-jin, Young-jin and Hyung-jin.
Father was the second son of a farmer. He had three elder sisters, one elder brother and three younger sisters. Tragedy surrounded Father's family; some even died.
Father's brother was very nice to him. He understood somehow that his younger brother was given some special mission from God, and although he never knew Father's mission, he would do anything for him.
Father was an unusual boy, as his intuition was always far better than the judgment of adults. Father himself said from youth he could understand what was good or bad.
This little boy, from the beginning was also endowed with a special strong will. Once he made a decision he never left it and never gave up.
Father has always been able to understand a man's mind. He can understand what we are feeling even though we don't say anything Therefore, people said this boy is unusual, this boy may either destroy the world or save it.
When Father was ten years old, he was determined to get three doctorate degrees in different fields. Maybe Father intended to be a scholar when he was young but when he became fifteen his mind changed. He saw the pain and misery of people and the impurity of this world. His heart began to ache and he thought many people must feel pain when they saw this world. Many have wailed over the misery of the world, but no one could be responsible for that misery. Father felt he must save the world and solve the wretchedness of mankind.
When he was 16 years old, in the early morning of Easter Sunday, in the depths of his prayer, Jesus came to him He said, "I am Jesus who came 2,000 years ago." He told Father that his mission for the accomplishment of God's will on earth was unfulfilled and now Father must be responsible for that mission. Father was amazed, and hesitated. It was very easy to decide to do something by himself, but once he made this promise he must fulfill the greatest mission in the world. Jesus asked him again and finally he said yes. From that time on, he began the historical task of searching for the truth by which he could save the world.
He went to the top of a mountain and walked along the lake shore asking God for the truth through which he could save the world. Pounding the earth he asked God many questions. He asked God to reveal to him the nature of the relationship between God and man. The answer from God a father and son relationship.
Then he asked, if the relationship between man and God is father and son, the love between God and man must be the center of the universe. Then why was this center of the universe broken? Who broke this relationship? Satan? If it was Satan, then who is Satan? Who created him? Father also asked heaven for answers to questions about the mission of Jesus and the true meaning of the Last Days.
Now Satan came to Father to interfere with his mission. The struggle was so severe; Father said if we were involved in such a battle against Satan we would be crushed into pieces. Satan's spiritual power was terrible, but Father persevered, and gradually he gained an offensive position. Some truth was given from heaven directly, but most of the truth was restored through battle against Satan. Even God couldn't give 100 percent because man must fulfill his own portion of responsibility. Therefore, God couldn't give all information.
Especially the most difficult task was to find the secret of the Fall of Man. Satan interfered with Father the most over this point, but Father stood steadfast. In the final moment when Father pointed out the key by which man fell, Satan's countenance became pale.
From 16 to almost 25 years old, through nine years of communication with spiritual world and with God, Father had to develop the Divine Principle. Father prepared externally for his mission. One day, he went to church and prayed. His prayer was so deep and inspiring that the whole congregation had never heard anything like this before. They were inspired and moved. Women even shed tears. Afterwards ladies dashed to him and embraced and kissed him, because they were so inspired and moved by this 16-year-old boy.
Father also visited a village where many beggars were living He went there with his hair cutting kit and opened a barber shop with free service. In this way he was able to talk over many things with them When Father didn't come, the beggars missed him.
Father is a man of tears. When Father knew that the depths of God's heart were betrayed by man whom He loved most, he couldn't stop crying He cried and cried, week after week and month after month. His face became swollen. When he was walking on the street, even the neighbors couldn't recognize Father.
Father told us we can leave Unification Church, but Father cannot because he knows how much God suffers. Even though Father was forsaken by all, still Father couldn't forsake God. We can forsake God but Father can't forsake God.
When he was 19, Father went to Japan where he prepared many things to fulfill his mission. Father went to college at Waseda University in Japan. This university is just like an Ivy League school and is the most prestigious university in Japan. He had many experiences in Japan to prepare him for his mission.
He went to work and he became good friends with his fellow laborers. They thought he was interesting, and many people gathered around him. At the same time he joined an underground movement to free his native nation of Korea from the oppression of Japan. Because of this, policemen knew Father very well and always chased after him. Father was arrested many times.
One day a policeman wanted to force him to give the names of his comrades, but he never spoke. Then a special policeman from the secret police began to interrogate and torture Father. He was tortured until the policeman's weapon broke. The Japanese police department used a method of torture imported from Russia, which was very cruel. Father shed blood but he endured. He was tortured many times.
Before Father left Japan he prayed on a hill and said, Heavenly Father, the time has come to go back I am leaving Japan, the land of resentment, but when in 20 years I come back again. I want to raise many people who can obey me even at the price of life. In 1944, before the end of World War II, Father in obedience to God's direction went back to Korea.
On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, and from then, Father started his mission on earth, from the position of servant of servants. He served a spiritual lady by even washing her underwear. To be a servant of servants to a spiritualist is to be the servant of God
Father went from South to North Korea on June 6, 1946. When many refugees were coming down to the South, Father went north alone. Father remembers those days and said it was dark with no light at all. In the darkness he started his mission in Korea.
Father went to a city that was filled with religion. There were many pious Christians there and many churches and many spiritualists. People called this city the second Jerusalem, the Jerusalem of the East Father went there even though it was under the dominion of communism. Here Father started his mission and began to witness.
It started with an old woman who had been a pious Christian for 30 years or more. These old Christian ladies gathered around Father from the beginning. Most of them were given revelations.
When Father was walking, the woman found him. She came to Father's house and heard his speech. Father couldn't call it Divine Principle, just new interpretations of the Bible. The depths of Father's talks were so incredible that many Christians began to gather around Father, but some information was given that Father was a spy from Japan and Father was arrested.
At the same time, one woman was arrested whose name was Mrs. Ho. Mrs. Ho was the leader of what was called the "Inside Belly" church. This church was given many revelations and was preparing for Jesus' Second Coming. They knew that the Messiah was coming to Korea and that he would come through his mother's womb. They were given much information on the pitiful life of Jesus.
Mrs. Ho. the leader of this group, had a vision or dream in which there appeared the story of fidelity between a man and woman. The dream had special significance because of the special prisoner that was placed now next to Mrs. Ho's cell. He was Father.
Father knew she was the very woman for whom he was looking so he gave a note to her written on the wrapping paper of chopsticks Father said, deny your mission before the Communists. Deny the fact the Messiah is coming through mother's womb. Pray about who wrote this letter.
She felt, however, that if she denied her mission, it meant rebellion or betrayal to God. Therefore, she couldn't obey Father. Because of disobedience to Father, Satan invaded.
A jailer found the note and Father was taken out and was investigated. "If you wrote this note, then who are you? Are you the Messiah?" they asked him.
Father could say nothing. Then they began to torture him. The method of torture was imported from Japan aid more terrible than the one the Japanese police imported from Russia. Father was given no food and no sleep, and was tortured through the water treatment
The Communists said Father was a monster and started the next terrible torture. Father said when he was tortured this time, in order to cope with Satan he stiffened his muscles with all his might. Otherwise, both his bones and intestines would be ruined at once.
Father's skin was torn, and blood trickled over his entire body He began to vomit blood. Still the Communists continued to torture him. Though Father was a man of strong will, still he had physical limitations. Finally, almost dead Father fainted. His body was thrown out into the cold and dark of North Korea.
Miraculously enough, one person found him and brought him back. He was bleeding and vomiting blood. Sometimes a small basin full of blood was vomited. His face was pale and his body was filled with wounds and scars No one could imagine Father would survive. Some began to make funeral preparations. But owing to the warm care of his followers and Chinese herb treatments. Father recovered consciousness and began to eat and drink little by little.
Soon after, Father recovered and again began to speak God's message. Many wonderful Christians gathered around Father again, but others became jealous. More than 80 letters came to the Communist Police Department about Mr. Moon, some from ministers. Father was arrested again February 22, 1948. The charge they used to rearresting him was advocating chaos in society. At the court Father explained that people came to him to be inspired by truth and love. When Father was sentenced, it was for five years in prison.
After one month Father was sent to a so-called labor concentration camp, in Hungnam. It was a fertilizer factory. His job was to pack the fertilizer in 40-kilogram rice bags and load them onto a railroad cargo car. Forty kilograms is about 80 pounds, and they had to fill 1300 bags a day. Each team had ten people.
It was a terrible job. Not 100, not even 200 bags a day. But 1300 bags to fill and load on the train, it was grindingly heavy work. They shed sweat all day long even in the winter. Because of the chemicals, which penetrated through the rice straw bags, their skin was always inflamed and stripped, often bleeding.
Father said sometimes he could see his bones. Still Father worked very hard to help others. Many people gathered around Father because they knew if they joined Father's team they wouldn't have to work so hard.
Father did very well and within a couple of months was the exemplary prisoner. They worked almost without food, just old rice made into something like a boiled ball. Not a rice ball, actually, but barley ball. There was a shortage of food, and they starved all day long, falling into hopelessness.
Within three months, then, everyone became skinny and sometimes sick. Within one-half year some began to die, and within one year more than 90 percent died. The purpose of this Communist camp wasn't to educate prisoners but to kill them. Instead of shooting them, the Communists used their manpower until they died. They went into camp from the south gate and came out, dead, from the north gate. When Father was sentenced to five years; it was a death sentence.
Father knew very well he was destined to die yet he was determined to survive. The method he used was unusual. All prisoners went to the factory and worked and came back to eat. Though sick or wounded, still they had to go because according to the Communists, in order to live you have to eat. In order to eat you have to work. This is the principle. Unless they could work, They were not given food.
So even the sick and wounded people went to work and came back to the camp, without hope. Without a strong will, they were like sleepwalkers. It was like being a pendulum; from factory, to dorm, to factory. In the morning go to work and come back in the night, every day, without any hope or any joy.
At the beginning of his imprisonment, Father cut his food in two and gave one half of the food to other prisoners, keeping the rest for himself. Only on Sunday did he eat all. Father had no hope to live on the food given him, but only through giving to others. Those who were given food felt they were given something more precious than life how grateful they were! But he who was able to give this precious food felt the greater joy of love. He felt gratitude and hope because of this food.
Father said he disciplined himself to change the spiritual element into physical energy. From the food, love, joy, hope and gratitude became his nourishment. Father subsisted on these half portions of food during the first three months of his imprisonment.
Won Pil Kim, who joined in Pyongyang when he was 18 years old, never betrayed Father. Won Pil Kim was Father's first disciple. When he brought some gift to Father, usually Father gave to others and only afterwards took a portion for himself.
One day a gift sent to Father was missing. The other prisoners hunted for the thief. Finally a prisoner was found with the gift. They took him to Father, accusing him of stealing. He was pale, and people gathered around, watching what would happen. But Father said, even though he's a thief, still if someone is hungry, he has the right to eat. Then he opened the bag and gave the thief three handfuls of the flour and let him go.
From that time one, everyone respected and loved Father. Some prisoners were even given revelation that prisoner number 596 was the Son of God. Prisoners would sometimes leave their suits in their rooms and when they came back from work their pockets were swollen. When they opened them, they found barley flour. Everyone knew who did it; they didn't have to say anything.
But walking through the hallway, Father coming from the opposite way, they would meet and stop each other, their eyes filled with tears of gratitude and respect. Father's eyes also filled with tears of love and compassion. When their eyes met each other, it was a very joyful and precious moment. Father asked us if we ever had this kind of experience.
Many prisoners began to feel, even at the price of their life, they must obey Father. Twelve people, in fact, made a deep pledge to obey Father in this way. He didn't teach them any words of the Divine Principle, but he loved them more than anyone else.
When the U.N. troops landed in the Korean peninsula the North Korean army troops ran away. On their way back they killed many Korean people. At this point, the Hungnam Communists decided to shoot every prisoner. Father was in line to die; they started shooting then stopped just before reaching Father. A miracle happened and he was saved by the coming of the UN troops. This was October 14, 1950.
If Father had been the usual man, as soon as he was liberated he would have returned to his family. But he couldn't forget those who followed him when he was witnessing in the North. Father also loved his 12 disciples from Hungnam so much that he couldn't forget them. He began visiting them, one by one, but those who had followed Father could follow no longer. They were already far away from Father, their minds and hearts a thousand miles from him. But still Father visited them; once, twice, three times. Only Won Pil Kim and three women obeyed and still followed Father.
At the same time, as you know, Red China dispatched troops, and the U.N. troops had to retreat. Therefore, many people began to flee to the South again. There was also a man, Mr. Park, from the Hungnam concentration camp. Incapacitated by a broken leg in a cast, he was sad because he thought Father must have left without him. But when Father did return for him, he said that he could not go South, and entreated that Father forget him. But Father asked how he could do that and found an old bicycle. Father steered the bicycle, Mr. Park sat in the seat with his big cast and Won Pil Kim pushed the bicycle from behind, and this is how they went to the South.
They found the main roads occupied by Red army troops, so they had to go by trails in the mountains, sometimes crossing rivers, often where there was almost no road. No matter what they encountered, Father proceeded to the South. He started on November 4, 1950.
In Seoul, they stayed a while to search for friends to take with them, but most had left already. After Christmas, Father left Seoul to go farther south. Many people were not going south because they couldn't find food or a place to stay. But even without eating or resting Father and his followers traveled on.
In this course there are so many stories and so many miracles surrounding Father. This course is the course through which, ideally speaking all Unification Church members should go, to understand Father's way.
They finally arrived at a city where they could get a train to Pusan. At this time, Mr. Park left the group, promising however to come back.
The train was filled with people. There was no room in the passenger car, or even in the cargo car, so Father and Won Pil Kim stood in the front of the locomotive, exposed to the bitter winter cold.
When they arrived in Pusan, there were many refugees. The Communists had once before invaded the South, so many people fled to Pusan and stayed there. Even now some still live in the special houses constructed then it was miserable.
When Father arrived, no one could recognize him. When Father left Seoul or even Pyongyang he had traditional Korean clothes. But when he arrived in Pusan his robes were completely black because of the dirt and grease and sweat of travel.
Father had to go somewhere to earn money to live. He went to the docks, where he found heavy labor work unloading freight from boats to land. He worked at night, because if he worked during the daytime he couldn't witness. It was a dangerous job, but he did it so he could witness.
Then Won Pil Kim, who was a painter of sorts, started to help Father by drawing pictures. At that time many American soldiers were there and they all had photographs of their wives and children. Won Pil Kim began by tinting the black and white photographs. At the same time, he drew portraits of the soldiers to be sent to America. He drew pictures all day long and often into the night. But until his work was finished Father never slept He came to him and sat beside him and looked and gazed upon him. Then, Father began to help by drawing in the background while Won Pil Kim drew in the figure. The finished picture or portrait was sent to America. Therefore some American ladies must even now have Father's painting
Father couldn't find a place to stay and had to make his own house. The city of Pusan has low mountain ranges, and is fairly long. On the slope of a mountain Father made his house with cardboard, like a cave dweller. He made his house with small pieces of wood and soil, the walls covered with cardboard. It was pretty cold. Father told us, when he was sleeping he could see the twinkling stars in the sky through a crack in the roof. And some days, when Father woke up, his blanket was covered with streaks of snow. Father said he couldn't forget this.
Won Pil Kim said that on the cardboard there were many, many characters of Korean Hangeul. Father got inspiration one night and called him, "Hey, get up and write this down'" And in the candlelight Father began to speak as Won Pil Kim wrote everything down. This was one portion of the Divine Principle.
When Father came to Pusan, he was in a miserable situation and many things happened. But even in the most serious situation, Father never stopped witnessing. One day a Christian student visited Father because she heard two nice young men were living there. She came to witness to the two young people. She came and Father invited her in, and listened to her speak When she finished, Father asked her to pray and she prayed.
The next time she came, Father said, I am also Christian. Then she asked Father to pray, and Father prayed. The contents and depth of that prayer were incredible. The girl was amazed; and she became serious. Father explained questions, which had never been clear to Christians before. She was inspired and began to come to Father to hear him speak.
Because of her Christian background it was very difficult to receive Father's words. She doubted many times. But finally she decided to obey Father and became the first woman disciple. Her name is Hyun-sil Kang.
In those days, Minister Lee and Hyo Won Eu, the late president, also came
Then father went to Taegu where he spoke, day and night, day and night. Father also began to speak the Divine Principle itself. Then Father went to Seoul again and started his Church on May 1, 1954. It has oriental style house roof tiles on a crooked house. There was a door that was difficult to open and close. Father was just 34 years old, very skinny, very different from now. Mr. Eu and Mr. Won Pil Kim are other dignitaries now, but then they were just like boys.
There have been so many difficulties in Father's course.
Already, many people had been gathering around Father. Of special interest is a music teacher of Ehwa University. After she heard the lecture, she was inspired and spiritually open. She invited people to hear lectures; many students came to hear Divine Principle and were changed at once. They brought their friends every day. Then, beginning one person, two, three, five, ten, almost a hundred people began to gather at this small Church Then, the authorities of the school were amazed and sent a spy to see what was going on.
They chose their most intellectual person, sharp like a sword. She was sent, and Mr. Eu began to give the lecture, in one room, with a blackboard. Because Mr. Eu had a leg problem, he couldn't stand, so lying down, he gave the lecture. And she sat down but she never smiled.
But at the end of the lecture of the Principle of Creation, she discovered she could understand the mechanism of the spirit world, and she smiled. And she continued to hear the lecture, and gradually she also began to be excited. And when the lecture finished she decided to stay, and never went back.
The authorities of the school were angered and decided to dismiss these professors and also the students. They gave an order to the students and said they can choose, either the Unification Church or the university. If they go to the Unification Church, they should quit school. If they stay in school, never go to the Unification Church. They were afraid, and most of them didn't quit school; they left the Unification Church. Out of close to 100, 13 stayed. Mrs. Won Bok Choi is one of the 13.
The persecution always drove members away Families came and took members away. Some left, leaving a note. Some days, Father was so grave and serious. Father gave a sermon every Sunday, but each time his sermon was filled with tears. He shouted to people. Father always expressed the grief of Heavenly Father and the grief of Jesus. But the people left one by one. It was almost impossible.
According to testimony, Father didn't speak at all for a couple of days. Father was persevering by himself, without saying anything at all. And even in the depths of tragedy. Father loved the people so much. This was the preparation period before 1960. People were very young, therefore, they didn't know the depth of Father's grief. Still, Father gave them so much love. He brought people to the seashore, to the mountain, and gave talks and delight. Father fought in the most terrible situation and gave the greatest joy to young members. Therefore, old-timers of Korea always remember this age.
And then the final chance was given to Father. This is the beginning of the first seven year course in 1960 with Father's marriage to Mother. From this point, Father started the final dispensation to save the world.
When Father looked around him, he couldn't see any possibility of witnessing in Seoul. After facing this reality, Father gathered all members of the Unification Church, men and women, young and old and sent them pioneering. They went to the country and some fishing villages. In the city of Seoul, everyone was opposed to the Unification Church.
In the countryside, the persecution was so terrible, it was difficult to witness directly. In Korea you could knock at a farmer's house, and say. "I am an evangelist, hello, how are you?" Then people say from the next moment, "Unification Church?" "Ehh Get away!" They slammed their door. This was usual this was the beginning of witnessing, not the end.
Many pioneers suffered so much often having nothing to eat or wear. But when their 40-day period was finished they came back and met their brothers and sisters without saying anything, they embraced each other with tears; man and woman, young and old. They went to Father. Father didn't say anything, but the same tears were trickling over his cheeks. In this way, the foundation of the Unification Church was laid. The foundation of the Unification Church isn't money or property. Tears sweat and blood are the foundation of the Unification Church. This is the pioneering Spirit. During this period both Father and Mother slept on the floor. They didn't eat as others did.
In 1967 after so deep toil, the first seven-year course was successful. On January 1, 1968, God's Day was declared, and our fortune changed the foundation to save the world, through the victory of the first seven-year course, was laid.
If you compare the indemnity in America with the indemnity condition in Korea it's just nothing. America is just given blessing, no indemnity at all. The persecution is just trivial, like breathing in May or spring season, very pleasant. Whenever we see Ted Patrick, Rabbi Davis, a parent's organization, or communism, Jesus freaks, or anybody, it is nothing, compared to the persecution in Korea.
And even now, even after the most crucial and victorious second seven-year course, he is still suffering to save the world. He must go through a terrible course from now on. From now on, America will persecute him. If, after a three-year course, Father is successful, then the world will persecute Father in the name of Communism. After the third seven year course Father's real mission will be finished. However, from a practical point of view, he must continue to help this world.
So many things need to be solved poverty in Africa and Asia, crime, sexual corruption and racial problems. There are so many religions. Especially the unity with Islam will be difficult. His entire life is filled with suffering. Even in the spiritual world, Father must start another suffering course, beginning from of the rock-bottom of hell.
This is the painful way of restoration. This is the foundation of the Unification Church.