Future historians will record that the events of April 1990 marked a turning point in the 20th century. In that month, the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, a religious leader from Korea, a land renowned for its religious zeal and, in particular, its fervent Christianity, met with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the communist world. The meeting of these two men represented far more than an encounter between a clergyman and a communist. The following year, Rev. Moon met with Kim 11 Sung, leader of North Korea.

Forty years earlier, Reverend Moon was a captive in a communist prison camp, accused and convicted of using his religious movement to stir up social unrest in the Marxist and atheistic regime of North Korea. At that time, communism was in its ascendancy, with the United States inclined to shrink from its wartime commitment, not wishing to be the world's policeman. At that time, Joseph Stalin ruled absolutely from the Kremlin; vast areas of Asia and Europe had been absorbed into the communist bloc following the Second World War, and the prospects for further communist expansion were increasingly self-evident.

In such circumstances, Reverend Moon found himself a political prisoner in North Korea. Those close to him in the labor camp where he spent almost three years testify of how he fervently prayed many hours into the night. He toiled alongside his fellow prisoners, bagging corrosive fertilizer, pondering how to liberate humanity from oppression and end communism's reign of terror.

Following his liberation from prison by advancing United Nations forces in October 1950, Reverend Moon went to South Korea. There he renewed his religious ministry, while also developing a sharp and systematic analysis and ideological critique of Marxism-Leninism. After establishing the Unification Church in 1954, he founded numerous educational, social, and media institutions in the succeeding decades, stressing that these would be critically important in accelerating the decline of the communist world.

From the late 1960s on, Reverend Moon openly predicted in numerous public speeches that communism would decline after 1978 (which indeed transpired as evidenced by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and their inopportune involvement in Nicaragua in 1979) and would totally collapse by the end of the 1980s. In 1985, Reverend Moon even went so far as to sponsor an international conference of scholars in Geneva which had as its theme the impending collapse of the Soviet Empire-in spite of the protests of certain academics who argued that the conference theme was inappropriate and unfounded. Just four years later, however, the Berlin Wall did indeed collapse, followed two years later by the fall of the Soviet Union itself.

The present text is a testimony to and reflection on the victory of God and humanity over communism. It might also be described as a tribute to the work and accomplishments of Reverend Moon as well as a tribute to the efforts of Dr. Bo Hi Pak, a disciple who has worked with Reverend Moon for more than 40 years, toiling for the realization of Reverend Moon's vision.

Originally this project was conceived by the American Leadership Conference staff. In fact, an earlier version was presented to Dr. Pak on the occasion of his 60th birthday in 1990. Thomas Ward, William Lay, and Frederick Swarts laid the groundwork upon which this present collection of speeches is built.

As principal interpreter to Rev. Moon and as a key figure in many aspects of Rev. Moon's ministry, there were ample opportunities for Dr. Pak to speak at public and private events. We have tried to compile a collection that would demonstrate the magnitude and extent of his activities, life, faith, and commitment, and ultimately serve as a tribute to Rev. and Mrs. Moon, whom Dr. Pak considers his spiritual parents.

This two-volume collection covers a broad period from the 1960s to 1999. Primarily the collection includes speeches and talks Dr. Pak gave in English in America, Europe, and Latin America. It does not include the many speeches Dr. Pak gave while he lived in Japan and Korea. The first volume generally consists of speeches written and delivered in a public setting. To help guide and orient the reader, one chapter (Background to Specific Speeches and Organizations) briefly introduces the various organizations that served as the forum for most of Dr. Pak's speeches. The second volume contains sermons and speeches that were given extemporaneously and dealt more with spiritual and religious matters. Dr. Pak frequently gave deep inspirational guidance to the members of the Unification Church and other seekers of truth.

Many people contributed to bringing this collection to light. Special thanks to Dr. Pak's staff, past and present, including: Laura Andrews, Rosina Aguerre, Lorraine Ambrose, Lori Antelock, Mark Barry, Caroline Betancourt, Shirley Chimes, Tony Colombrito, Elena Decker, Lynn Marie Diamond, Dan Fefferman, James Gavin, Margaret Herbers, Kay Hughes, Kathy Hwang, Judith Lejeune, Bernice Rechlis, Celia Roomer, Francisco Rondan, Lisa Take, Paul Tobkin, Debra and Mike Wilkins, and Gerard Willis.

On their behalf and on the behalf of all those who have been touched by Rev. and Mrs. Moon, we take great satisfaction in presenting these volumes of selected speeches of Dr. Pak.

The Editors

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