'Fulfill Your Life's Mission,' Young Latter-day Saints Urged

Visiting American publishing executives, Sheri Dew and Laurel Christensen, spoke to approximately 5,000 Samoan Latter-day Saint youth and young adults at three separate meetings in Apia this week.

Ms Dew and Ms Christensen encouraged the young people to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit by keeping God’s commandments, reading the scriptures and following the counsel of modern-day prophets and apostles.

Both women are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and live in Utah.

At a special devotional meeting at Pesega’s Church College this week, Ms Dew looked over the enthusiastic crowd and said, “As I saw you, I felt a wave of your spirit.” She asked them to invite the Holy Ghost into their lives in much the same way as they invite friends into their lives.

She went on to discuss the importance of obeying God’s commandments. She told the story of an otherwise ordinary-looking young missionary who consistently achieved great things because of his obedience. “Obedience brings forth blessings but exact obedience brings forth miracles,” she said.

Ms Christensen encouraged the youth to “Stand in holy places.” She said that the temple is holy but that they could make the places they are in holy, by the way they live and act.

Samoan Church leader, Elder Meliula M. Fata, gave concluding remarks at the three meetings.

He encouraged the youth to better prepare for missionary service. He invited them to read and study the scriptures, bear testimony of Jesus Christ, pray, keep the commandments, teach and help others.

The previous evening, Elder Fata, Ms Dew and Ms Christensen spoke to a group of about 1,000 university-age single adults.

Ms Dew encouraged them to fulfill their life’s mission. “No one can take your place,” she said. “Your responsibility is to build the kingdom of God and to do other things specific to your life.” She told them that to find out what those things are they needed to seek the voice of the Spirit.

Elder Fata invited the young people to share the knowledge and blessings of the gospel with others.

Laurel Christensen is an executive with Deseret Book Company and the author of several books concerning religious faith and young women.

Sheri Dew is president and CEO of Deseret Book Company and the author of several books, including the biographies of two presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Presidents Gordon B. Hinckley and Ezra Taft Benson. In March 2003 the White House appointed her as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls at the United Nations.

Elder Utua’aloga Fasavalu Meliula M. Fata was recently called to be an Area Seventy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He has previously served as mission president in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. He has served in numerous callings in the Church including bishop and stake president.