Jamie and Justin

Jamie Christie's brother Justin was in town and we went to dinner together. The food was amazaing and it was fun to meet Jamie's brother.

Posted 12 April 2026

Elder Reagan

This is Elder Reagan and Elder and Sister Robb. Elder Reagan has been transferred from Shibuya

Posted 12 April 2026

Elder Scott

Elder Scott just before transfer from Shibuya. We look forward to connecting with these young missionaries after we return to Utah.

Missionary Day at the Tokyo Temple

One of our fun experiences is to serve as ordinance workers at the Tokyo Temple on the days that our missionaries can come for a session. This is Sister Ellie Stocker. She used to serve in Shibuya was transferred. We really enjoy serving with these young missionaries.

Posted 12 April 2026

New Years In Japan

A traditional activity for New Years is to pound Omochi. This is putting cooked rice in a large mortice and pounding with a large wooden hammer until it is solid white mochi. Susan is helping with this activity that took place behind the temple annex. We had a joint activity with the Azabu ward and the Shibuya YSA branch.

posted February 2, 20267

Steven Sharp Nelson

Steve Nelson came to Asia to pick up his son who is finishing a two year mission in Korea. While in Korea Steve and his wife and son did 6 musical firesides for the saints there. The area presidency was able to get them to do an additional fireside here in Tokyo at the Temple Annex Building. The fireside was last night December 21, 2025. The chapel and cultural hall were packed to the brim with standing room only. It was truly a magical evening with great music and heartfelt testimonies. Dec 21, 2025

The Tokyo Temple

As part of our mission we are serving as ordinance workers at the Tokyo Temple. We recently had an Ordinance Worker Devotional. The chapel at the Azabu Annex was filled with ordinance workers from the Tokyo Temple.

The Land of Vending Machines

Just a random street with the normal vending machines. Posted November 28, 2025

Astin Martin

Tokyo is famous for high end luxury cars. When we visited the Ginza we found an Astin Martin Dealership. They are so hot.

Ragtop

Here is the ragtop version of the current Astin Martin model.

Il Coro Celeste

Sunday I was honored to be able to participate in the recording of a broadcast that was streamed on YouTube. See the link to the left. This is a Japanese member choir that is creating gospel based performances after the format of the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. Shato Okamoto, a member of our YSA branch, is a professional clarinet player and he and I performed a clarinet duet--Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. It was fun for each of us to share our talents as part of this broadcast.

Posted 28, October 2025

Miracle Meeting

Another miracle meeting happened this past week while Susan and I vistied Sapporo and attended the Sapporo Temple. While we were waiting for our rental clothes, an ordinance worker who was assigned to the main foyer, kept checking on us. Finally she asked my name and where we were from. I explained in Japanese that we were visiting from Shibuya were we are assigned as a senior missionary couple to the YSA Branch there. She remarked that my Japanese was very good. I told her that I served in Hokkaido as a young missionary and that I was Elder Platt.

To my great surprise she remembered my in the Otaru branch where I had served as a young missionary. She also is Zokumasu Michiko's best friend from that period. We reminisced about that time. She only worked one session a week at the temple. A small miracle that she was there on the one day and time that we would visit. See below for more information.

posted October 14, 2025

Otaru Branch 1973

This is a picture of some of the members from the Otaru branch in 1973. Furukawa Yukie, Otani Yukie before she was married, is in the red sweater. She says she still has that red sweater. We took time after our session to meet up in the annex building cafeteria next to the temple. There we met a group of members who were from Otaru prior to the time I served there. What a great tender mercy to see these dedicated members continuing faithful so many years after my first mission!

More Otaru Members

This is another picture of Otaru members that Yukie shared with me. She again is in the picture with the red sweater.

posted October 14, 2025

The Tokyo Temple

Yesterday was temple day for our zone of missionaries in the Tokyo South Mission. The temple provided an English endowment session for about 40 of our missionaries. Susan and I were able to attend with them along with our mission president and his wife, President and Sister Tueller.

posted September 24, 2025

Another View of the Temple

This is another view of the Tokyo Temple. It is a great blessing to serve and live so close to this wonderful temple. Originally dedicated in 1980 it was the first temple to be built in Asia in this dispensation.

posted October 2, 2025

Baptisms

Tradionally convert baptisms are slow in Japan. In spitie of this Japan has experienced slow steady growth in church membership. There are many multi-generational member families now. Once converted, Japanese members tend to be very committed and active members of the church.

Our area has been blessed to have two convert baptisms in the last two weeks. This baptism is a young new member who was contacted on the street by the full time elders. From left to right are President Murikami, the branch president of the YSA Branch, Elder Isaac Smith who performed the baptism, Ryunoske our new member who was baptised yesterday and Elder Ito who confirmed Ryunoske a member of the church.

Posted September 15, 2025

Miracles Continue

Wednesday, Susan and I met up with James Christy and his mother and brother. As a young missionary in Otaru Japan, I taught and baptised James' mom. (She was sister Zokumasu Michiko at the time) The first miracle was meeting James in the Shibuya YSA branch when we first came to Japan and then realizing that he was Sister Zokumasu's son. "Michiko" now lives in Minnesota with her American husband. James is in the front of the picture and his brother, Johnny, is in the back next to me. See below for the continuing miracle.

Upon meeting James' mother and sharing a lunch together, Michiko pulls out this letter that she received in the Spring of 1975. It is from Lois Rowley. Sister Rowley was the Relief Society president of our ward when my mother was dying from cancer. I remember her devoted service to my mother as she would come every day just to talk. Mom so appreciated her visits and her updates about mom's children and neighbors. I know that my brothers and sister and I will always feel a deep gratitude for her devoted service at this time in our lives. The miracle is that a few months ago, prior to her son telling her about me serving in Japan again, she cleaned out a lot of old items at her home. Many old pictures and letters were thrown out, but for some reason she held onto this letter. What a flood of tender memories came over me as I read sweet Sister Rowley's words. So here, in Japan, in 2025, this treasure was given to me. We both laughed and cried together about 50 years of separation and the tender mercy of a reconnection.

My mother's struggle with and eventual death with cancer was hard. But I was touched at the time by the devotion and love of good neighbors and friends. This was epitomized in Sister Rowley's devotion not just to her calling, but to our beloved mother. I decided when mom passed, that if a church could teach people like Sister Rowley to be so kind and loving, I wanted to be all in. That was the moment that I chose to gain a testimony. I was 17 years old in 1971 when mom passed. A little over two years later I began my mission in Japan. How else would such a tender mercy like this come into our lives. The gospel it true! The Lord has a plan for mankind and he has a special plan for each one of us. May we strive to find that plan and fulfill it while here on earth that we may experience the eternal joy and happiness that is promised by the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Below is the complete letter for all to read. Further down you can see my first post about the moment that James and I realized we had this connection from my first mission. Posted September 4, 2025

Lois Rowley

Introduces herself and wites about my presentation to the 9th Ward Rellief Society

Her Family

She writes about her family and how much the gospel of Jesus Christ means to them.

She requests a return Letter

She wants to be pen pals with Sister Zokumasu

Out for Birthday Dinner

Susan took me to a really nice restaurant for my birhtday. The geisha in the background is just a poster so don't get excited. There is such a variety of food available here in Shibuya. Including things from around the world. We are enjoying serving together and are drawing closer to each other as well as the Lord through our missionary service.

posted August 26, 2025

The Shibuya District

Sister Platt and I are pictured here with the Shibuya District of missionaries. Elder Kelley, who is taking the selfie, Elder Hancock who is in the back middle, and Sister Brown, second sister from the right, are all headed home this Saturday after completing their missions. These are great missionaries who have worked really hard. It will be sad to see them go but we know there are great things ahead for them. From the left these missionaries are: Elder Platt, Sister Platt, Elder Ito, Elder Tullis, Elder Sheber, Elder Hancock, Elder Peck Sister Brown, Sister Rodriquez and Elder Kelly. Posted July 24, 2025

Family Home Evening

This was our family home evening for Monday night with the YSA members and friends. We had 25 people come for spaghetti dinner and a fun get-together with friends, Sister Yamamoto just returned from her mission in the Fukuoka mission and gave us a message on the importance of the Book of Mormon. It is great to see the depth of faith among these young members of the church. Posted July 8, 2025

Today's Miracle

Today, through a series events, I became aware of this wonderful young man who is a member of the Shibuya YSA branch. Jamie and I hit it off because he is fluent in English and Japanese and because he served a mission in Hokkaido (which is where my first mission was) and is now living and working in the Shibuya area.

During our conversations, he learned that I had served in Otaru Japan many years ago. He asked if I had known a Sister Zokumasu at the time. I remembered the name but not too many details. Posted June 20, 2025

Otaru Branch

It turned out that his mother was a young lady who attended the Otaru Branch. His parents are living in Minnesota now, but Jamie texted her and asked about me. She returned this picture of me teaching her mother along with my Japanese companion Elder Hara. I was the missionary who baptised his mother. Elder Hara confirmed her a member of the church.

What are the odds? Susan and I knew that this was the right call for us from the moment that we opened the call. It just felt right! Now we know that one reason was to unite us with a wonderful member who is the son of a young lady that I taught and baptized many years ago. The Lord just keeps pouring out his blessings on us. We can never know the eternal outcomes of the service that we give even when we sometimes feel small and inadequate!

Posted June 30, 2025

Light Lunch

This is a light lunch prepared by a member of the YSA branch for temple night at the Tokyo Temple. The session was at 7:00 PM and most do not have time to go home or get dinner prior to coming to the temple for temple night. Members are kind enough to provide food for those who come on that evening.

Homemade sushi is the best. The fresh vegetables and scrambled egg make a great combination with the sushi rice and nori (seaweed) wrapping,

Posted June of 2025

Women's Conference

Senior Sister missionaries and younger sister Missionaires had a women's conference this week. Many strong testimonies. Posted June of 2025

Shibuya Sky

This is the view from the 47th floor of the Shibuya Scramble Square Tower. It is 751 feet above street level.

Japanese Lunch

This is a typical lunch with tempura.

Our Apartment

This is our apartment. It is within about a 4 minute walk to the church building. We are on the first floor of a four story building. Very nice. We are so excited to finally be here. Posted June 10, 2025

A New Friend

At the MTC we were assigned to practice teaching another missionary that was not in our study group. Through this assignment we met Elder Kerry Christensen. He will be serving a mission to Guam to be the financial secretary for the mission.

It was a great miracle that we discovered many connections with Elder Christensen. He served a mission when he was younger in the Hawaiian mission. He served while Todd Hansen, who was from my home ward in Cedar City, and was my brother's friend, was a missionary there. He remarked that he remembered Todd and that he was a famous missionary who was greatly respected.

Then we learned that he had married a sister of Japanese ancestry who was from Hawaii. His wife past away three years ago so he is serving as a single brother. He remarked that he was having trouble doing family history work in Japan. With Mine and Susan's background and connections we have a plan to help him with his wife's family history. This is a miracle that out of all the other missionaries at the MTC we connected with Kerry. We have made a life-long friend and will get some help when we are in Japan with his family history. Posted June 5, 2025

Our Study Group at the MTC

From June 2, 2025 to June 6, 2025, we studied at the MTC with teacher, Brother Kidd, and the couples to the right.

From left to right the this group includes: Elder David Platt, Sister Susan Platt, Brother Kidd, Elder Brown, Sister Brown, Sister Kimball and Elder Kimball.

The MTC

We started our MTC experience today, June 2, 2025. As senior missionaries we will only be at the MTC for 5 days. The time will be spent on basic missionary training using primarily Preach My Gospel.

We had 99 brand new senior missionaries start at the MTC this morning. We were divided into districts with 3 or 4 couples per district in order to do our training. This allowed for time for everyone to share their thoughts and testimony. We are in a district with a couple that is going to Manchester, England and another couple going to Copenhagen, Denmark.

The day was long and we are tired, but we feel good about our experience today. Posted June 2, 2025

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