The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ offer all a divine birthright and the potential of eternal life, said President Russell M. Nelson in a message broadcast Sunday, Oct. 16, to 125,000 Latter-day Saints in Alberta and British Columbia.

“We have the potential of inheriting all the Father has,” he said. “The gift of eternal life is well worth the price of devoting our mortal lives to following Jesus Christ.”

President Nelson, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, intended to deliver his message from southern Alberta. But a mistake by an airline company prevented him and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson — who has deep Canadian roots — from making the trip; they instead broadcast their talks from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

“We cannot even begin to express how grieved we are that we are not with you in sunny southern Alberta — right there in Lethbridge,” said Sister Nelson.

In addressing the members, President Nelson recalled a time years ago when he met a woman who expressed joy to see him in person instead of on a television screen. “Then she added, ‘You look better on TV,’” said President Nelson. “So my dear brothers and sisters, perhaps our flight cancelation is not all bad,” he quipped.

President Nelson thanked members for their preparations for the meeting, specially expressing gratitude to the children who — in anticipation of his visit — wrote him tender notes expressing their love, gratitude for temples and appreciation for his general conference addresses. One child pointed out that her grandmother was Sister Nelson’s piano teacher. Others drew self-portraits and pictures of President Nelson.

Paying tribute to Sister Nelson, who was raised in Raymond, Alberta, President Nelson said, “When I really want to make Wendy happy, I put on my Raymond Comets (the local high school) T-shirt.”

Also participating in the devotional were Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Ruth L. Renlund, whose grandparents on both sides were born in southern Alberta.

To read the full article, CLICK HERE.