Meeting in an Auckland meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Neil L. Andersen delivered a message on Wednesday, 18 March, that resonated with those gathered in person and with viewers watching across New Zealand via broadcast.
The message was to: “Speak more of Christ.”
Elder Andersen continued: “We love Him, we adore Him, we believe in Him, we trust in Him, and we trust in His sacred Atonement.”
Drawing from the scriptures, he reflected on key moments from the Saviour’s life—His birth, His baptism, His ministry, and the miraculous occasions recorded in the New Testament when He raised the dead: the son of a widowed mother, the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus, and Lazarus.
“My dear fellow believers in Christ,” Elder Andersen said, “it’s easy to talk to you about Christ. He lives. He is resurrected. Our faith will not be in vain, for He is very, very real. And one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is the Christ.”
For those attending, the message was very clear.
Quinn Lockyer said the invitation was to “speak more of Jesus Christ—to teach and testify of Him not only through our actions and kindness, but also by speaking of Him with our friends and family.”
Ilaisa Talataina added, “Spread the word of Jesus Christ and do it every day.”
David Skea reflected simply: “Talk more of Christ. Come unto Christ, and there’s joy in the gospel.”
That joy was also emphasized by Elder Edward Dube of the Presidency of the Seventy, who attended the gathering with his wife, Sister Naume Dube, alongside Elder Andersen and his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen.
“We want joy,” Elder Dube said. “We feel this joy when the Lord is pleased with the choices we make as we come to church and renew our baptismal covenants.”
Elder Dube also encouraged all in attendance to strengthen faith in Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ by searching the scriptures, praying regularly, worshipping in the house of the Lord, and by following the counsel of President Dallin H. Oaks and other prophets, seers, and revelators.
Sister Kathy Andersen shared that the faith of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand has inspired her from earlier in her life, after reading about former Church President, Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985), and his visit to New Zealand in February 1976. During that visit, President Kimball and his wife, Camilla, recovered from illness in time to speak to a devotional of approximately 3,000 youth in Hamilton.
Reflecting on the faith of those who prayed for the Kimballs’ recovery, Sister Andersen said their devotion left a lasting and personal impression on her life.
“I express my deepest gratitude to you tonight for the blessing you have been to a girl who lived across the ocean and whom you never knew,” she said. “Your faith has impacted my life in a deeply significant way.”
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Sister Naume Dube spoke about the joy found within families and the importance of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
“It keeps our families together,” she said. “It keeps our families united. It keeps our families focused on the Saviour.”
As the meeting concluded, Elder Andersen returned to his central invitation.
“In the coming days, we should speak more of Christ,” he said. When sharing testimony, he encouraged members to begin simply: “I know Jesus is the Christ. Let it start with the Saviour.”