The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Full of energy and love for the youth of Brazil, Elder Ulisses Soares testified of the Savior and His Atonement as the central part of the plan of salvation as he joined a youth nationwide devotional on Friday, Nov. 17.
The evening event originated from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles joined remotely from the Church Administration Building in Salt Lake City.
“I would love to be with all of you there in person,” Elder Soares said.
Elder Soares had originally planned on attending in person but said he was honored to change his plans to attend President M. Russell Ballard’s Nov. 17 funeral earlier that day with all other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elder Joni L. Koch, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Brazil Area, and his wife, Sister Michele Koch, attended the event in Belo Horizonte with Elder Odair Jose Castro de Lira, an Area Seventy, who conducted the meeting.
Elder Soares ministered earlier in the week to Latter-day Saints in the Caribbean. While there, he invited those participating in an area-wide broadcast to focus their lives on the Savior.
Speaking to the youth in Brazil, Elder Soares shared some of his own memories of growing up as the only member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his neighborhood when he lived in the country. And he reassured the youth that they are on the earth now for a divine purpose.
“God sent you to the earth during one of the most turbulent times in history,” he said. “I firmly believe that you are here to change the direction of the destiny of the entire human family.”
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.