Elder Ulisses Soares and Other Church Leaders Speak Via Technology to Brisbane Latter-day Saints and Friends

Elder Ulisses Soares, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke via video conference technology on Sunday 6 December to congregations in Brisbane, Australia.

Elder Soares talked about how many Latter-day Saints and others around the world are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with faith and optimism.

He said that many are following the counsel of President Russell M. Nelson, to “Let God prevail” in their lives, including how we serve others during the pandemic.

Elder Soares quoted from the Doctrine and Covenants (82:10): “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”

“Our Heavenly Father is doing everything possible to help us come back into His presence,” he said. “May we do all we can to let God prevail in our lives so we can return to Him.”

Elder Soares said, “We live in a world that is increasingly placing less importance on God and Jesus Christ.”

He said that he and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, “have experienced an increase in our faith and felt strengthened by each other’s comments as we delve deeply into the scriptures. We have felt more delight in the Lord, and we are learning how God can prevail in our lives.”

“Despite the challenges and difficulties of this mortal experience,” he said, “I promise you that you will experience great blessings in your life as you strive to follow the counsel of our Prophet, to let God prevail in your life.”

As a seer, President Nelson has the capacity to see things God has hidden from the world, Elder Soares said. “As we follow his counsel we can be able to survive spiritually as we prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.”

He added, “Receiving revelation is a great privilege of every member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Elder Soares spoke about the gift and companionship of the Holy Ghost, which “fills our hearts with love, and guides us throughout our lives.”

He urged all to partake of the sacrament weekly, in order to receive peace, forgiveness, revelation and strength.

“Let us ask for more wisdom, let us find our sacred grove, a quiet place we can regularly go, and pour out our heart about our concerns, our fears and our weaknesses. As President Nelson says, ‘the very longings of our heart.’ Then let us listen, and record the feelings and thoughts that come to us. And the actions we are prompted to take.”

Elder Soares said, “God really wants to open the heavens for us. The Lord is always ready to assist us in receiving the answers we are looking for, and the guidance we are seeking.”

“The privilege of receiving personal revelation is one of the greatest gifts of God. I can assure you there are great things that our Father in Heaven wants us to know.”

He said that allowing God to prevail in our hearts is a sign of our desire to live the covenants we have made in our lives, our devotion to our Saviour Jesus Christ, and a measure of our conversion to the gospel.

Elder Ian S. Ardern, Pacific Area President of the Church; Sister Paula Ardern; and Sister Becky Craven, Second Counsellor in the Church’s Young Women General Presidency, also spoke in the Brisbane meeting.

In his remarks, Elder Ardern shared lessons for a faith-filled, happy life, taken from a sermon by king Benjamin, a prophet in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

He encouraged parents to teach their children the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to live the gospel with their families.

He invited young men to prepare for missionary service, “in the first MTC [missionary training centre], which is in the home, with mother and father as the teachers.”

“Missionary service is a priesthood duty for our young men, and an opportunity for our young women who wish to serve also,” he said.

Elder Ardern encouraged all “to learn the mysteries of God” through scripture study, temple worship and personal revelation. “As we study the doctrine, the eyes of our understanding are opened.”

He invited those in attendance to “record our most powerful, spiritual experiences” so we can draw strength from them, in the future.

Elder Ardern urged attendees to leave behind cultural beliefs and practices which are not in harmony with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. “We must not let any part of our earthly culture hinder our adoption of the culture of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Elder Ardern encouraged all to study the scriptures at home, especially using the “Come, Follow Me” gospel curriculum, and to then reinforce these learnings when we come to church each Sunday.

He urged attendees to search the scriptures diligently, “so you will profit thereby.”

“It is not so much a matter of how many times you go through the Book of Mormon,” he said, “but how much of the Book of Mormon goes through you.”

“We thank you for your goodness, your faithfulness, and your steadiness,” Elder Ardern said to the Brisbane Latter-day Saints.

Sister Craven spoke about some of the “must-haves” in a Christ-centred life.

One such essential part of a disciple’s life was faith, she said. “Having faith in Jesus Christ means that we trust Him completely. Faith in the Saviour and His Atonement is a spiritual gift, and it’s necessary for our salvation.

She also spoke about the power of prayer, and being open to inspiration to help someone else. “When in doubt, pray,” she encouraged those in attendance.

Sister Paula Ardern spoke about her journey to the United Kingdom, some years ago, to learn more about some of her ancestors. She said that this experience brought her closer to her family and to God.

Sister Ardern invited those in attendance to invite family, friends and others to learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

She shared that her mother was sought out by the missionaries and invited to come back to church. This lead to Sister Ardern’s father accepting the gospel, and her family being sealed together in the Hamilton New Zealand Temple.

The meeting was conducted by Elder Carl R. Maurer, Area Seventy.