The Words of Sun Myung Moon from 1987
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The Words of Sun Myung Moon from 1987 |
Beloved Heavenly Father! Today is March 31 (lunar date, March 3). Today, the new bridegroom Hyun Jin and bride Jun Sook are standing before the Parents to begin a relationship as eternal husband and wife centered on the love of God, True Parents, and the universe. I pray that You may bestow the grace of Your blessing upon them and guide them in the witness of heaven and earth, thus sanctifying the environment and blessing everything centered on You.
Father! We know that Your ideal of creation was for You to be the internal Father and for Adam and Eve to be the external father and mother centered on love, thus enabling You to have a lineage centered on love. However, You have been walking the path of infinite suffering due to the tragic mistake, the fall of Adam and Eve.
However, in the 1960s You were able to establish a new world of the ideal of creation centering on the True Parents, by restoring the history of misfortune and re-creating Adam and Eve. Following the path of tribulation on the individual, family, tribal, societal, national, world, and cosmic levels, You entirely indemnified the sins that all mankind and all nations committed. You allowed us to have the same foundation of victory as the True Parents, a victory that was brought about in 1985, the day of the new era of history. By going through the worldwide persecution and the hill of indemnity, You allowed us to experience that providential year of hope so that we might build a foundation leading to heaven. I thank You for all of this. I also thank You for letting the sins of fallen human beings be redeemed. By blessing the True Children, centering on the restoration of the lineage of the True Parents, You have given me the opportunity to bless Your secular sons and daughters.
When I think of all this, I thank You for allowing this day, March 31, 1987, to be a holy day and for consummating the foundation of this Blessing, which represents eight members of the victorious family freed from the fallen sovereignty.
Through this, You have built the ark of Noah on the family level. Now the history of joy, when all mankind can sing in happiness, has begun, thereby moving all mankind into the world of heaven. I thank You for allowing us to enter this era. Now all the children of the Unification Church can form a nation and world by connecting with this Blessing. I thank You for the joyful news of the Blessing of the True Children, which allows for the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven in the spirit world and on earth and the liberation of all human beings. From the bottom of my heart, I offer this day of glory that You have been longing for, which can liquidate all Your grief and lamentation by allowing us to go over the hill of suffering.
Today, all the family members of the Unification Church are assembled here. I pray that You would allow those who have been attending heaven and earth to have one heart, and I pray that their prayers for this newly blessed couple may reach heaven. By their prayers, let all the people and nations connected with these members have a relationship of love with this Blessing, centering upon Hyun Jin's and Jun Sook's foundation of married life. Let them have the privilege of cooperating with this Blessing and marching forward towards the realization of the ideal of the return of the Messiah, by spreading the news all over the world.
This newly wedded couple is embarking on a new life as a son who represents all men and a daughter who represents all women. I hope and pray that through their oneness of love You can expand the work of resurrection, so that all the divisions between men and women among the 5 billion people of the world, of all races, can be removed. I also pray that Your love may equally touch all those who are praying for this day.
As You now bless this new couple, please brighten their path of life with bright sunlight, and allow them to build a new family of heaven by overcoming all hardships. Allow them to be exalted as a noble and exemplary family for all mankind. By so doing, please allow them to produce children who can convey God's love to the world.
As they come to be bound as husband and wife, I earnestly pray that You will protect and guide them in their lives. I pray that their Blessing may be extended as a blessing to all mankind. Throughout their entire lives, what they should leave behind them is love. I sincerely hope and pray that Your blessing may allow them to be a husband and wife who can erect the example of love and keep the lineage of purity. I pray that, in sharing love with each other, they can connect with the source of radiant love, which is a moment You have been longing to experience.
I sincerely wish and pray that from now on, You will protect them in whatever they do and wherever they go, and that You can be proud of them. In Your love, I offer all the heartistic effort that has gone into the foundation of the nation, through the cooperation of heaven and earth. I sincerely ask You, before You and this new couple and all of humanity, to guide all of those who are connected in glory with the scope of this victory.
On this holy day, as I offer a new groom and bride to You in eternal Blessing, please accept them.
I pray that You may have dominion over everything throughout this time.
I pray in the name of the True Parents. Amen. Amen. Amen.
I had wondered the night before, "What kind of weather will there be on this special day?" Early the next morning I saw the rain just pouring down, as if heaven were purifying all the channels between the spiritual and physical realms. I said to myself, "This is the day of the Holy Wedding of the third son of our True Parents, Hyun Jin Nim, with Jun Sook Kwak, Rev. and Mrs. Kwak's third daughter. It's a day of celebration! This rain must be an expression of God's desire to clear His way down to earth to join our True Parents and rejoice with them."
The holy ceremony took place in the Grand Ballroom of the World Mission Center, which had been regally transformed into a chapel with bright blue, pink, red, and gold decorations. An aisle of white and brightly striped cloth led up to a broad altar covered with deep-red carpeting. Profusions of flowers graced each side of the altar. Huge lengths of bright blue fabric were draped along the walls and caught up atop the pillars with multicolored bouquets of flowers.
Sisters serving as ushers for the ceremony kindly guided all the guests, asking them to sign the guest book and leading them to their seats. Women wore all-white dresses for the occasion, and men wore dark suits with white ties.
For the first time at a wedding of the True Family, about 20 distinguished VIPs from outside the church were invited to attend. World representatives of the Unification Church had also been invited, and altogether over 500 people were gathered together to celebrate this significant event in God's providential history.
A few minutes past 10 a.m., Dr. Bo Hi Pak, the master of ceremonies, announced the beginning of the wedding. The audience became silent with reverent expectation for what was to unfold.
Dr. Mose Durst, the president of the Unification Church of America, offered the invocation, expressing gratitude for our being able to gather as a holy community to honor and support the wedding of Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim. He prayed that the bride and groom might form a sacred family as an example to the young and to the old. "We pray that through this ceremony, each of us can be uplifted and filled with the goodness and the love that transcends our ordinary days."
Twenty-four of the older blessed children entered the ballroom as bridesmaids and groomsmen -- the women in pink dresses, the men in dark blue suits -- and lined both sides of the aisle facing each other. The guests were asked to stand and face the center as True Parents, the officiators of the wedding, entered and slowly walked down the aisle, wearing their ceremonial white gowns with gold trim. The familiar sound of the "Song of the Banquet" was heard, being played on the balcony by the New York City Symphony Ensemble conducted by David Eaton.
True Parents' faces were serious, yet I felt joy and inner peace emanating from them. They mounted the platform, and Father lit the two seven-candle candelabras on either side of the stage. Then True Parents took their seats on the two stately chairs in the center of the altar.
Dr. Pak offered a brief explanation of the Unification Church tradition of weddings. The entrance of the bride and bridegroom is very important, he said. It expresses the whole process of the restoration of God and man's growth to perfection. The couple has to stop 21 steps before the altar and take a bow from the waist. Then at every seven steps, they take another bow. These three groups of seven steps, he explained, represent the stages of formation, growth, and perfection. They also represent the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Completed Testament Eras. The three steps of the altar that the couple mounts again symbolize these stages. The one final step up that the bride and groom make before the officiators symbolizes man's perfection in ultimate union with God.
At the sound of the traditional "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn, the procession of the bride and groom began.
First down the aisle came True Parents' youngest son and daughter, Hyung Jin Nim and Jeung Jin Nim. Holding little baskets of white, red, and pink rose petals, they strewed the petals on the aisle as they walked, creating a heavenly sprinkling of color for the bride and groom.
Behind them, arm in arm, the bridegroom and bride walked serenely towards the altar. In his ivory- colored suit, Hyun Jin Nim looked noble and handsome, an outstanding example of a son of the True Parents. He did not smile, showing that for him this was a most serious moment of commitment toward God and True Parents. Jun Sook Nim's dignified and gracious face showed total faith, humility, and gratitude for the Blessing being bestowed upon her. She looked beautiful in an ivory gown of satin and alencon lace, with a chapel-length veil and a long train. Together they looked so young and pure and yet at the same time so mature!
The bride's elder sister, Shin Sook Kwak, attended the bride diligently, straightening her train as she walked. The bride and groom mounted the stage and bowed before True Parents as they made the final step.
Father and Mother then sprinkled holy water over the bride and groom, and even far beyond them. Everyone was invited to join in a moment of meditation, whereupon Father read the wedding vows. Following that, True Parents placed their hands on the couple's heads as Father gave a long benediction, in a very loud and strong voice.
The bride and groom exchanged rings as a symbol of everlasting life and then bowed to each other. At exactly 10:35 a.m. Father made the official proclamation of the Blessing over the couple, with the words: "Bridegroom Hyun Jin Moon and bride Jun Sook Kwak: I, in the name of God and True Parents, before the world and the cosmos, hereby proclaim that you are now husband and wife Everyone applauded.
While the couple still faced True Parents, Rev. Young Whi Kim, president of the Unification Church of Korea, presented the congratulatory address. He explained the special meaning of this holy matrimony in God's providence:
The word "Hyun" in Hyun Jin Nim's name means manifestation. And the word "Jun" in Jun Sook Nim's name means wholeness and fullness. Their becoming one in holy matrimony means that God's ideal and plan will be manifested wholly and fully to the people of the world from here on out.
Mrs. Tokiko Richardson sang the congratulatory hymn "Ave Maria" by Bach-Gounod, filling the ballroom with a delicate and celestial quality.
The bride and bridegroom then turned around, their faces sober yet radiant, and bowed officially to greet the audience. Father and Mother led everyone in the traditional three cheers of "Mansei." The invited dignitaries were then invited to come up to the stage and greet True Parents and the bride and groom.
In a final prayer, Dr. Pak asked God that He may bestow upon the bride and bridegroom His profound and intimate love, so that they may become the bearers of True Parents' love and tradition and the manifestation of the divine ideal.
The recessional march rang out as the glowing new couple came back down the aisle, showered with pink and white heart-shaped confetti and multi-colored streamers. Noisemakers were blown loudly in congratulation. Two golden balls hanging from the ceiling suddenly fell open, and red and pink heart-shaped balloons cascaded down upon their heads. Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim could not contain their happiness. All of us were rejoicing with them as they made their way through the streamers, laughing. Father and Mother then rose and followed them out. The spirit throughout the ceremony was of warmth and joy. The divine spirit of God had certainly entered that holy place.
Right away the whole wedding company returned to the altar for dozens of official photographs of the entire True Family. Father and Mother looked very happy and satisfied. Father, at times, made everyone break into laughter by shouting loudly, "Smile!" as the photographer snapped the pictures.
An hour later, a traditional Korean wedding ceremony was held in a smaller room upstairs, where an elaborate offering table and a wedding cake awaited the bride and groom. The True Family, now all in Korean dress, with Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim wearing their richly colored Korean wedding costumes, performed the many symbolic bows and gestures of the ancient ceremony. The atmosphere was intimate and joyous, and many more photographs were taken.
That evening, a sumptuous banquet at the Manhattan Center was prepared. The Performing Arts Department had worked diligently to provide an exciting and moving evening of entertainment to honor the bride and bridegroom.
Before True Parents and the new couple entered the room, we began to prepare ourselves to welcome them. We wanted to show them our joy at the occasion of this Holy Wedding, and our gratitude for being witnesses to this great blessing, a gift that even more brothers and sisters were able to share at this banquet because of the great size of the room.
Finally True Parents, with all the eldest members of the True Family, came in and took their seats at the head table. Father was dressed very formally, looking elegant in a black tuxedo, with a black tie and a cummerbund glittering with gold. Mother looked extremely beautiful in a dress with a gold sequined bodice over a long burgundy skirt. Jun Sook Nim had changed into a lovely Korean chimachoguri in pink and green, and Hyun Jin Nim looked very handsome in his tuxedo.
Dr. Osami Kuboki, the president of the Unification Church in Japan, offered the invocation, inviting in the presence of God. Then, at the sound of welcoming applause, the bride and groom came up to the stage. The new couple was presented by Dr. and Mrs. Durst with gifts, and a huge four- layered wedding cake was brought for them to cut.
To celebrate this happy day, Dr. Pak suggested that everyone join together in making a toast, one for True Parents and one for Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim. Lifting our glasses high, we shouted together, "Long live True Parents!" and "Long live the bride and bridegroom!" It was a moving moment, and Father and Mother looked supremely pleased.
There are countless things to describe about the banquet: the beautiful decorations, the candlelight dinner, which was catered by a professional team of actors and actresses, and the background sound of a harp, played by Karen Stern of the New York City Symphony.
Following the dinner, Dr. Pak introduced the head table, briefly explaining the history of the Blessings of all the True Children. "It all started, though, with the very first blessed couple in the whole history of the Unification Church: Father and Mother!" he said. Father couldn't contain a great smile of satisfaction at this.
Dr. Pak explained that although Hoon Sook Nim could not attend the day's celebrations, she had phoned from Seoul, Korea, where she was performing that same evening with the Universal Ballet Company in a production held in honor of the bride and groom.
Now our attention was directed to the stage, where we were presented with an incredibly well-prepared musical program -- "an entertainment second to none',' as Dr. Pak described it. Covering the entire wall at the back of the stage was a majestic painting of Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim riding a flying Olympic horse against the blue sky, symbolizing the power, the strength, the virtue, and the love that the bride and groom will exemplify as a True Couple.
The first presentation of the evening -- a tribute to a future Olympic champion -- was the "Olympic Fanfare and March" from the 1984 Olympic Games, played by The New York City Symphony conducted by David Eaton. Yang Sook Lee then presented a piano solo in honor of the bride, who is herself a concert pianist. The bridesmaids and groomsmen sang two colorful numbers, and Moon Sook Choi offered a solo.
What brought down the house was the exuberant dance performance by Sun Jin Moon, True Parents' fourth daughter, along with Mi Sook Kwak, Rev. Kwak's fourth daughter, and Yun Shim Kim, Mr. Peter Kim's daughter. They danced to "Fire and Ice" by Pat Benatar, choreographed by our sister Concha Egea.
Hyo
Jin Nim sings "Sarang Hae."
A touching tribute to Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim, produced by Joe and Felicia Longo, portrayed the bride's and groom's life history in slides, and even included, to our great surprise, images of the Holy Wedding held that very morning! Joe Longo then presented a song he composed called "Real Man',' accompanied by the New Hope Singers International.
Our sister Georgia Lewis offered True Parents and the new couple the song, "This Moment with You," which was inspired by Heung Jin Nim. Before she started her song, she delivered a short message in Korean to the True Family. I thought, "Of course, on a day like this, wouldn't Heung Jin Nim want to embrace his dear brother and new sister and express in person his wishes and hopes for them?" Through our sister Georgia he found a way to convey something tangible. I definitely could feel his presence and love throughout the whole evening. Finally, Georgia was joined by Joe Longo and the New Hope Singers in a stirring number, "Universal Love."
Dr. Pak then asked Rev. and Mrs. Kwak to come on stage and share a few words. He introduced them as an exemplary blessed couple that has indeed gone the formula course in attendance to our True Parents. He recalled that Mrs. Kwak had a stroke nine years ago from which she almost died. It was only through the tremendous support and prayers of the True Parents and the members that she could even be standing on the stage that night. Rev, Kwak shared his gratitude for this day, and he stumbled over his sentences a few times as he tried to contain his feelings. It seemed like words were not enough to sufficiently convey his gratitude. The couple then humbly offered two bows to True Parents and sang for the new couple a Korean song. Afterwards Dr. Pak and Rev. Kwak warmly embraced each other.
In
Jin Nim sings "Bridge over Troubled Water," accompanied by
Jin Sung Nim on the piano.
Two special presentations were given by members of the True Family. Hyo Jin Nim offered his deepest congratulations to his brother and said that at an emotional moment like this, it would be difficult for him to sing. But in a low and tender voice
he started the familiar song "Sarang Hae." Each word vibrated with love and passion as he choked back his tears. The same trembling emotion overcame In Jin Nim, as she sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" accompanied by her husband Jin Sung Nim at the piano. I remembered that while they were growing up, the True Children often couldn't be with Father and Mother. Through those difficult and lonely times, the True Children have grown very close to each other, and it moved everyone to tears to see them express that incredible bond of love among them.
We all felt a mounting excitement as the new bridegroom and bride came on the stage, amidst a shower of confetti and streamers. First to speak was Hyun Jin Nim. Choking with emotion, he said, "I can truly say that I am blessed in so many, many ways" After a long pause he finally managed to say, "I have no words..." After another long struggle to contain his feelings, he ended with, "I just pray that I can become a true son to True Parents and to Heavenly Father and a true brother to my family"
Next Jun Sook Nim wanted to share her heart and she asked that Dr. Pak translate from her Korean. "I want to express my heartfelt thanks to True Parents and to Hyun Jin Nim," she said. "I am not your perfect wife yet, and I am probably quite insufficient in many ways, but please allow me to love you, please allow me to serve you, so that someday I will become your good wife."
Mi
Sook Kwak, Sun Jin Moon, and Yun Shin Kim dance to "Fire and
Ice." Left: Rev. and Mrs. Kwak offer a Korean song.
Perhaps the greatest delight of the whole evening was to hear Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim sing together "O Danny Boy'." They chose it because, as Hyun Jin Nim said, "We don't know any of the same songs!" Initially they seemed quite timid, but with the second song, "Country Roads',' Hyun Jin Nim got into the spirit and reached out and embraced Jun Sook Nim, pulling her to him as if to say: "Let's sing this together."
The evening, however, could not be complete without a performance from Father and Mother. They came to the stage accompanied by a rousing fanfare and roaring applause, and were presented with beautiful flower leis. In his sermons at Belvedere, Father has been demonstrating to us how well he can speak English. So the first thing he said, jokingly, was,
"It's too late now, it's almost 10 o'clock Then Father and Mother began to sing "Om Maya." Of course Mother had to sing it at times by herself, while Father went into all sorts of variations of the song, trying to unsuccessfully lose her. Father also conducted us all in singing "Om Maya;' in his matchless way. Mother offered a song called "Seoul e Changa" while Father delighted us with his dancing.
Soon the singing developed into more dancing. Some of the older members came up on stage and made a circle around True Parents and the bride and groom. The groomsmen lifted Hyun Jin Nim on their shoulders, tossing him up and down in exuberant joy. The audience was standing on its feet, and everyone joined in the merriment with clapping and singing. The celebration ended with four thunderous cheers of "Mansei!"
It had been a sweet taste of heavenly joy provided by God -- a true showering of blessings, because the True Parents were including all of us as participants in this Holy Wedding. Since hundreds of guests from all facets of our movement had attended the wedding and banquet, I felt True Parents wanted to reach out and embrace the whole world, giving as many people as possible the opportunity for a deeper connection to the heart of the True Family.
This Holy Wedding was another providential victory for the expansion of True Parents' work on this earth. Through this experience, each of us could be lifted up and become, as Dr. Durst said, filled with "the goodness and love that transcends our ordinary days."
Today, true parents, heaven, earth, and the spiritual world have come together to bless Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Soak Nim on the occasion of their Holy Wedding. It is with great happiness, therefore, that I offer my own deepest, heartfelt congratulations.
True Parents, honored guests, and beloved brothers and sisters: All around the world our family members are joining together with one heart to congratulate the bride and groom. We are overjoyed to see them today, grown up and being bound together in holy matrimony. Korean people have traditionally believed that when their children marry, they inherit the responsibilities of their parents. Marriage has always been considered the most significant event in a person's life. Nevertheless, it is difficult for us to realize the profundity of this moment and the jubilation with which we should celebrate the Holy Wedding of a child of the True Parents. But we can understand at least that this Holy Wedding has a special meaning in God's providence.
The word "Hyun" in Hyun Jin Nim's name means manifestation. And the word "Jun" in Jun Sook Nim's name means wholeness and fullness. Their becoming one in holy matrimony means that God's ideal and plan will be manifested wholly and fully to the people of the world from here on earth.
The name of True Parents is known to all the world but not always in the best light. This must be reversed. From this time on, True Parents will be manifested as they really are, and the truth and love of God, which has been given through our True Parents, will be fully introduced to and accepted by the world. Therefore, I would like to remind all the brothers and sisters of the Unification Church, all the good people of the world, and all those in the spiritual world to join with us in this place to offer our congratulations on the occasion of this Holy Wedding.
The groom, Hyun jin Nim, has a very courageous character and a strong masculine appearance. He is also very talented, especially in sports, and he is exceptionally good at horseback riding. He has, however, a very tender side to his nature, so that the total impression he gives is one of gentleness and kindness. This makes everyone around him feel comfortable and at peace. Hyun Jin Nim's eternal bride, Jun Sook Nim, can be compared to a placid lake. Her character is very peaceful and faithful, and I'm sure she will attend her husband wonderfully. It is my fervent prayer that the abundant love of our True Parents will descend on their marriage, and that their future will be blessed with eternal happiness.
This Holy Wedding is the seventh such happy event for our True Parents. In the Divine Principle, seven is the perfection number of heaven and earth. And it is the number upon which the number eight, the number of new start, comes. True Parents must feel the greatest satisfaction today because of the triumph of their great efforts in the dispensation for the restoration of mankind. Today, God's will is being substantially realized on earth, centering on this Holy Wedding. I am certain that from this day forward, God's providence will be able to proceed much more quickly, and more and more people will come from all over the world to join our True Parents' work. I pray, therefore, that God's loving hand will bless this holy couple and all our brothers and sisters all over the world.
On this celebration day, our worldwide family is united as one in offering our deepest love and congratulations from the bottom of our hearts. I pray for True Parents, for the precious four position foundation which they have successfully established on this earth, and for the eternal happiness of Hyun Jin Nim and Jun Sook Nim and their family.
Thank you.
Abonim, Omonim, for myself and our entire family, today is a most precious and special day. There are no words that could sufficiently convey the gratitude I feel. Throughout my life of faith, I can recognize how God and True Parents have granted me blessings even before I had even asked in prayer or expected anything.
Reflecting upon my whole past life, it is so clear to me that the invisible hand of God has been working through our True Parents in bestowing amazing blessings upon me and my family. Yet I must confess to you: Whenever I received these tremendous amounts of grace and blessing, I was not able to recognize them as such most of the time. It was only many days, months, sometimes even years later that I would understand or realize what had been given to me. And then when I tried to return something to God and True Parents, I found myself being blessed even more.
Dr. Pak mentioned a little bit about my wife. It is truly a miracle that she is able to stand by my side tonight. Without God and True Parents' grace, this would never have been possible. Especially tonight, my heart is filled with so much desire to give something back to my God and my True Parents, but somehow I feel empty. I can only pledge to make an offering to work even harder to serve God and the True Family.
Today, unfortunately, you have been able to see only a small aspect of Hyun Jin Nim's character. I cannot give you a complete picture, but I would like to share a little of my observations about what kind of man he is, especially about his internal side.
His faith in God and True Parents is absolute, and his love for them is incredibly deep. He is truly an example for all of us. Our Hyun Jin Nim is a man of heart and a man of action for God. He loves our members and sincerely wants to serve and care for them. I have also seen what a humble man he is, and what a humble lifestyle he has chosen; we can easily recognize this in the way he normally dresses. And we can see it in the way he treats others with such kindness and depth of heart.
Considering his young age, he is such a visionary and broad-minded person, and so accepting and forgiving of other. But towards himself he is very reflective, always deeply considering his own actions. I would like to urge all of you to please research and deeply think about not only Hyun Jin Nim but all the True Children's internal aspects and internal characteristics, and to try to learn from their example. Even though my tribute to Hyun Jin Nim is so limited at this moment, I want to leave you with the impression of what a gentleman and genuine son of God and True Parents he is.
Many of you probably do not know Jun Sook Nim personally. It would be a pleasure to share with you a little bit about her. In my many personal memories of her, she has never caused me any great concern or worry. Her faith and her love and her attendance to True Parents is so natural, and her studies, her lifestyle, and her personal relationships have always gone smoothly. I have never felt anything but pride in her. I have received many compliments about her from others. They praise her highly, because, in their words, they have seen in her a purity of mind and heart, a sincerity to serve, and an ability to create harmony with others.
After her engagement to Hyun Jin Nim, we could only repent to God for our ignorance of Jun Sook Nim's destiny. We simply did not support, protect, and guide Jun Sook Nim nearly enough to prepare her to live with the True Family.
At the engagement I couldn't express one word of thanks to True Father and True Mother, because no matter which word I could use, none of them could ever adequately convey my heart. Since that time, I have been praying for deeper conviction, faith, and determination to attend the True Family. I know well that I alone am not enough. Therefore, in my last will, which is not written down yet, I vow that throughout the next generations of my family, we will dedicate our entire lives to attend and support True Parents and the True Family.
Champumonim, chimchimuro, Kamsa hamnida!
Father and Mother, I have no words to properly express my heart of gratitude. I am absolutely not worthy of this blessing. This blessing came from nowhere. I did not do anything to deserve this wonderful day and this wonderful husband. But Father and Mother, the Blessing you gave me is now a reality. Once again,
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you, our True Parents.
Having offered my gratitude, the next thing I must do is repent -- repent for the life that I have led for the past 19 years, during which I have not been truly living up to your standard, your tradition, or your teaching, nor practicing your love. I know more than anybody else how unworthy I am to stand before you.
If I ever had a lifelong dream, it was to be close to the True Parents, to True Parents' family. I always wanted to be with the True Children, have give and take with them, smile with them, laugh with them. But to become a bride of one of True Parents' sons was totally unimaginable! Yet tonight, the impossible has become a reality.
Father and Mother, I pledge my life to you tonight. I pledge to you my absolute love and loyalty. I pledge that I will uphold the True Parents' family tradition and strive to be a good wife and keep the spirit of attendance. I hope that day will come when I can fulfill this pledge. But in the meantime, Father and Mother, I need your love and care. Please -- if you can -- teach me, lead me, push me, chastise me, so that I can truly become your ideal daughter-in-law.
When the engagement was given to me, it was totally unexpected shocking -- yet good news.
And ever since that day, Father and Mother, you have already bestowed upon me tremendous honor, love, warmth, and care. I am already indebted to my new brothers and sisters at East Garden. All I am going to say tonight is that I will do my absolute best all my life to live up to True Parents' tradition. I will follow the good examples ahead of me, so that someday I may be counted as a true member of True Parents' Family.
I would like to especially express a word of thanks to Mother, who has taken care of me so well. Despite her busy schedule, she took care of me in such a concerned and meticulous way. I will never forget this great honor that True Mother has given to me.
Finally, I would like to say a word of thanks to my physical parents. They were the ones who raised me, trained me, loved me, and educated me so that I could come to this wonderful moment. It is my fervent wish that my physical parents continue their path of serving True Parents with all their might and that they may always be champions of our True Parents,
I would like to thank all of you who came to celebrate this wonderful banquet and holy wedding day. I also want to thank the many people who couldn't be here tonight, but who prayed for me, prayed for us, prayed for this evening, so that this wonderful occasion could take place as it did.
Finally, I want to once again express my heartfelt thanks to True Parents and to Hyun Jin Nim. I am not your perfect wife yet, and I am probably insufficient in many ways, but please allow me to love you, please allow me to serve you, so that someday I will become your good wife.
Thank you very much.
May 25, 1969 Born in Seoul, Korea
Dec. 1973 Arrived in America
Jun. 1980 Graduated from Hackley Primary School
Jun. 1983 Graduated from Hackley Junior High School
Jun. 1987 Will graduate from Hackley High School
Hyun Jin Nim is a fine horseman who has competed in many equestrian events, including the 1985 Grand Prix. He is currently preparing to compete in the 1988 Olympics.
Jan. 23, 1968 Born in Taegu, Korea
Feb. 1980 Graduated from Young Ma Primary School
Mar. 1980 Entered Little Angels School
Apr. 1981 Came to America
May 1986 Graduated from Julliard Pre-College program
Jun. 1986 Graduated from Irvington High School
Sep. 1986 Entered the University of Michigan
Jun Sook Nim is a classical pianist and has won several competitions in both Korea and America.