The blessing of Hyo Jin Moon to Nan Sook Hong on at Belvedere

The beginning of 1982 was marked by a momentous event: the blessing of Hyo Jin Moon to Nan Sook Hong on January 7 at Belvedere. Hyo Jin was engaged to Nan Sook, younger sister of Ye Jin’s husband Jin Whi Hong, on November 22 of last year in Korea. She and her parents arrived in the United States on January 4 and attended Ye Jin’s birthday on January 5. That evening many New York area members and guests were treated to hear Nan Sook, a talented pianist who has been studying at the Little Angels School in Korea, in concert. At the International Youth Recital, sponsored by the New York City Symphony in the Manhattan Center, she played Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, by Robert Schumann.

My husband [Hugh Spurgin] and I were deeply honored to be one of the attendant couples in the wedding two days later. One hundred twenty people were present, including many of the senior couples and international leaders. All the guests were dressed in white robes. One couldn’t help but feel the presence of God so powerfully.

The wedding took place in the library of the main house, which was beautifully decorated with red carpet.

The special ceremony was opened by an invocation by Dr. Durst. The twelve representative couples, all in white robes~ formed a cordon through which the processional was led. Father and Mother, dressed in their traditional white wedding ceremonial dress, led the processional. They were followed by the attendants, who included Sun Jin, Kwon Jin as the ring bearer, and friends of the bride and groom. Finally came the bride and groom. Nan Sook was beautiful and demure in a western wedding gown. The ceremony itself was very short.

First Father asked the couple the three questions which he has asked at each blessing. After they assented, he and Mother sprinkled their heads with scented holy water and prayed over them. Then the bride and groom exchanged rings and gifts of watches. Special music for the service was provided by Ann Sadlier’s solo of “Sunrise, Sunset.” The song, so appropriate, brought tears to many eyes.

Mr. Young Whi Kim, former President of HSA-UWC, gave a sermon in which he spoke of God’s work through the Bible to create a family of his own children: Then Father concluded the ceremony by pronouncing them man and wife. They exited through streams of confetti and the traditional outpouring of rice. Immediately following, many photographs were taken of every possible group of people at the wedding. Afterwards there was a smaller traditional Korean wedding ceremony in Father and Mother’s suite, during which Hyo Jin and Nan Sook wore traditional Korean wedding clothes.

That evening, Father, Mother, Hyo Jin and Nan Sook hosted a reception at the Manhattan Center attended by representative members and broadcast to everyone in the World Mission ·center via videotape. During the wedding dinner the guests were introduced to Hyo Jin, Nan Sook, and her parents and heard entertainment by the Church’s Performing Arts Groups. Mr. Hong as well as the Korean church leaders familiar to American members offered their comments on the significance of the day’s event. At the close of the formal part of the program, Hyo Jin spoke to the guests. Then the family went to the stage, where Father and Mother, followed by Hyo Jin and Nan Sook, sang duets to bring the great day to a perfect close.