DOWNLOADOn Friday, 9 May, Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, Second Counsellor in the Pacific Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opened the BYU Women’s Soccer Team’s final devotional in New Zealand with a powerful message:
“If you desire lasting peace and happiness, even joy that goes beyond temporary happiness, Jesus Christ truly is the source.”
The event, held at the Porirua Stake Centre of the Church of Jesus Christ, was attended by more than 250 people, including young missionaries, curious friends, and local Latter-day Saints.
Abbi Sines, Halle Dixon, and Lucy Kessler shared their personal witness about the joy that comes from choosing to make Christ the focus of our lives.
Abbi shared her disappointment of tearing her ACL and the challenge of being out of soccer for a whole year.
When she was “fully healthy” and ready to play again, Abbi’s thoughts were focused on what she would do during the game, “how I would defend, how I would attack.” But when she stepped onto the field to play her first game of the season, she was surprised because her thoughts were on Jesus Christ.
“The only thing that I felt was gratitude and I felt so much joy and peace that I was able to play and to be healthy.”
DOWNLOADHalle Dixon also suffered major injuries. “The most powerful lesson that I've learned throughout all that I've been through is that when you put God first, everything falls into place. I have seen firsthand that God answers our prayers, even if they may not be as fast as we'd like. His timing is always perfect. I have become desperate for my Saviour, Jesus Christ, and truly need Him every single day.”
When Lucy Kessler started university, she felt overwhelmed. She wondered if she was making the right decisions. Her parents encouraged her to look to the Saviour for answers.
“Throughout high school, I went through the motions. I went to church for my family. But as I started my freshman year in college, I realised that my relationship with my Saviour was what I really needed… When we reach out to Him, He is there. He is holding his hand out, waiting for us.”
Addie Gardner and Mattyn Summers spoke about what it means to make a covenant with Heavenly Father.
Addie Gardner served as a missionary in Cape Verde, Africa. “The people were super poor, but their faith was huge,” she said.
She explained that many were willing to make covenants with God and were baptised and received temple ordinances. Addie saw how covenants changed the lives of the people.
“There was a light of hope in their eyes. There was peace in their homes. They talked about how making these covenants gave them purpose and helped them through poverty, sickness, and loss.”
“Covenants aren't just old church words,” Addie continued. “A covenant is a spiritual contract, with love at the centre. Covenants are personal promises between us and the Saviour.”
DOWNLOADMattyn Summers was born and raised in Utah and played soccer at a university in Missouri before coming to BYU. She was “really shocked” when she went there because “people said lots of cuss words and they [some] drank alcohol.”
Mattyn was excited for “this opportunity to go teach all these people the gospel.” But there were challenges. “All of our games were on Sundays, and we were either traveling or playing, so I never made it to church” and “rather than being a missionary, I was actually in need of a missionary.”
She continued, “I knew of Jesus Christ, but I kind of turned away from Him and I was in this darkness. But He is so aware of me because He put the only other member in the whole entire university in my path, and I was so grateful to meet her because she really was a missionary for me.”
“She brought me to church. She loved me and she taught me. And eventually I was able to get back on the path. Without her, I know that I never would've made it to the temple to make my next covenant with the Lord. Thanks to her and her example, I felt very strongly that I should go on a mission, that I should turn away from soccer for a little bit and dedicate myself to the Saviour.”
Mattyn served as a missionary in the Puebla Mexico North mission.
DOWNLOADSister Amy Jaggi shared about a time when she felt extremely sad. She couldn’t sleep, so she prayed and wept and asked Heavenly Father what He wanted her to do right now.
She opened the scriptures, trusting that the words on the page would be a message just for her.
Sister Jaggi read the words, “cry unto God for all thy support… let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever… let thy heart be full of thanks unto God…” (Alma 37:35-37).
She said, “It was as if Heavenly Father was there wrapping His loving arms around me and I felt comforted.”
Elder Jaggi concluded with an invitation to “get to know some of these powerful sisters.”
He said, “When you see them singing to you in humility about the Saviour’s suffering and pain in the garden of Gethsemane and then that pain intensified on the cross… just know that they are like you.”
He added, “but they are powerful women and when you see them on the field you would not want to come across them. They are in the top 20 in the USA. Here they are standing in front of us witnessing of the source of their strength and power.”