Stories: Converting 5000 at Komatsu Tractor
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| On Tuesday, 26 September 1978, at exactly 16:00 hours, Elders Roy S. Kanno and R. Lee Richan walked into a cool foyer. From behind a desk a pretty woman with black spectacles arose and politely greeted the two visitors. Bending quickly, she gracefully put out two pairs of green slippers out for the two missionaries, and checked her calendar. Without a word, she called her boss, the president of the world-renowned Komatsu Tractor Company, and exchanged quiet words. She then stood and ushered her guests into a large board room, gently closing the door on her way out.
On that hot, sunny afternoon in Komatsu Japan, an admittedly minor but unusual event in the history of the Japan Nagoya Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was about to take place.
From noon to 13:30 the two young men would give a business presentation that would have made J. Paul Getty proud. Intellectually ready and dressed immaculately, the two then got the sharpest-looking haircuts of their lives. Then a long walk, starting at the prayer held at the Komatsu Tractor Company's outer gate, through the clangs and hammering noises coming from the darkened, stinky plant buildings, up the long drive to the glass doors of the front office (polished attach‚ cases in hand) became one of the scariest and most promising efforts these two had offered in their relatively short lives.
I know. I was there.
I stood and went to the boardroom window, thinking back. The specific reason I'd requested the meeting was business. Elder Kanno and I were concerned with the business of presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. Komatsu was interested in hearing how his business, involving over 5,000 persons, could benefit financially from what we had to say.
To make the most effective use of my time and talents, early in my mission I had reasoned that business contacting was something that would generate the most converts. To me it was more scary than trudging around to houses or streeting, but Japan lifestyles were still largely based on Confucianism, including the loyalty to the head of the workplace. If we as missionaries could gain favor with a president or other leader, I reasoned the employees would likely turn an ear as well.
So for months as Elder Kanno and I had driven by the huge Komatsu company on our way to other places, yellow tractors and heavy construction equipment catching my gaze as I cycled up the long hill beside the compound. As an engineer I was interested in seeing the inside of the factory, but I was also quite dedicated to missionary work. I desired to convert the big cheese.
And so we'd asked. One afternoon we'd hidden our bicycles outside the outer gate and walked up as if we were visiting businessmen from a foreign land. To get by the guards we acted as if we belonged here. We walked up to the front desk and told the secretary that we wanted to see the big man the next week for thirty minutes starting at either two or four o'clock. Which would be better? She asked our names and we matter- of-factly told her, practically willing her to write them down. It worked.
The large wooden door to the conference room suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man stepped in. He was friendlier than we had a right to expect, and introduced himself with a warm handshake. We three exchanged business cards, and sat down at the head of the table, all on the same side, with me at the head. I took a big breath and began.
I explained that we were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we had a message for him. We introduced ourselves individually, Elder Roy Stephen Kanno, fresh from American Fork, Utah, and myself, the senior and area district leader from Lexington Massachusetts. As promised to his secretary when we made the appointment, we said we planned to finish within 25 minutes. He nodded his assent, and kindly asked us to continue.
I'd planned to pull no punches. I said that we were in Japan to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, and although it would be to his benefit to understand these things in his own life, our presentation today was about auxiliary church programs which could help his employees without directly involving them in the church. Through profiting his employees lives, Komatsu Tractor would directly benefit. Thankfully, he seemed to recognize the connection.
We explained how the LDS church Family Home Evening program can bond the entire family. Once a week, usually on a Monday, the family members plan to meet together in a family council to discuss domestic matters as well as learn gospel principles. Church leaders have counseled that holding regular family home evenings will do more than any other activity to create lasting relationships, helping it's members to avoid the pitfalls of an increasingly corrupt society.
Elder Kanno then took command. He explained that our intention was to teach Komatsu Tractor's 5,000 employees about the family unit and how to strengthen it through programs such as Family Home Evening. It would cost nothing to anyone, but we hoped it would be a beginning.
Our audience seemed quite captive.
On cue I pulled out some statistics, properly charted and graphed. First I asked him to think of his own experiences. It was common for large companies to have a Monday workday attrition rate of about 5% to 7% of the workforce. The president smiled that was his case as well. I pointed to the fact that in his case, if those 250 absentees had been making money for Komatsu at Y5,000 yen per hour (a modest rate of return), they would have lost him Y1,250,000 yen per hour, or in an eight-hour day over ten million yen. Eyebrows went up.
Then I suggested that cost was entirely avoidable. We should look at the causes of the absenteeism. Almost all would call in with a sickness of one sort or another, but if we broke it down, we could imagine that some were due to weekend alcohol consumption, domestic mis-communication or school trouble. A small percentage might even be from transportation or sudden accidents. True sickness might even have been caused by self- inflicted illnesses stemming from tobacco, such as emphysema or bronchitis.
In short, I said that with proper training and mind set, the majority of his “sick” cases were preventable. For example, I said that he himself knew how ineffective a day he would have after a fight with his spouse. He smiled his agreement. I said that Family Home Evening would go a long way to promote better relations between all of the 5,000 families he was responsible for. I also said that our church had other teachings that would also help Komatsu Tractor. For example, that alcohol and tobacco were not for the body. If we could help his employees eliminate these unnecessary addictions, sickness and suffering would be reduced.
Elder Kanno said it was our intent to educate his employees. At no cost or obligation we would enter their homes and teach them a half-hour lesson about Family Home Evening. We would also provide posters and banners for placement around the factory, proclaiming the solidarity and importance of the family.
As backup for what we claimed, we turned to the Book of Mormon, explaining it was a companion to the Bible. In it we had underlined promises which indicated that his company as well as his family would benefit from hearing our message, such as
And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall
prosper... (1 Nephi 2:20)
and many other scriptures, likely from the discourse of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon.
Twenty minutes after four o'clock we put down our presentation, charts and sketches. As a matter of course we had asked him to comment on the points during the presentation, answering his questions along the way. So even if we knew we had his support, it was time to close the deal.
The president of Komatsu Tractor was quiet a moment before he spoke. He finally said that the program itself was acceptable. As long as we didn't try to convert those who didn't want anything more than to hear us, we were free to start our program on a trial basis. He suggested first a group meeting within the company. We were to report to him the next Tuesday to plan the program.
Elder Kanno and I stood to go. We shook hands and beamed as we were shown to the entry way. As we walked into the sweltering heat, we nearly squealed with glee. We both knew that the Lord had blessed us from the first word. Now we had a job teaching 5,000 people!
But in four days it was all over. Taken by complete surprise, I was transferred to Nagoya Dai 6-3 Ward area on Saturday 30 September 1978, leaving greenbean Elder Kanno and his new companion Elder Brown to work in Komatsu. I pleaded with President Kenji Tanaka about our arrangements at Komatsu Tractor, and asked him if I couldn't stay. President Tanaka told me the Lord felt differently, and then gave me a warm blessing which said that things would be taken care of at Komatsu. I ventured faith that it would be just so.
Years later, according to Elder Kanno, Elder Brown felt that he and his new junior companion were better suited to house contacting. Those, apparently, were Elder Brown’s talents, and I’m fine with that.
Frankly, I don't understand the aftermath. But I do know from experience that a missionary using his or her unique talents for the right reasons can do miracles, to get goals that others simply can't attain. We are all suited to reach certain people with the message of the gospel in our own certain way, and we must give it our best attempt.
I also do know that the Lord knows more than we do. If we venture faith not only in what we can do, but if we have faith that our efforts are open to be corrected to become the RIGHT thing, we cannot fail. It’s only when our pride gets in the way that our efforts can actually harm us.
I was just thankful to be a small part of a real miracle that unfolded that scorching September day.
R. Lee Richan
March 1993, Osaka/Kyoto Japan |
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