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Elder Ulisses Soares Reaffirms Apostolic Promises, Invites Japanese Saints to Increase Faithfulness During Nationwide Member Fireside Broadcast

 

Nagoya, Japan – Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke at a nation-wide member broadcast on Saturday, August 31. Also speaking were Yoon Hwan Choi of the Seventy and President of the Asia North Area, Elder Terrence M. Vinson of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Kaye Vinson, and Elder Soares’ wife, Rosana. The entire Asia North Area Presidency, consisting of Elder Choi, Elder Takashi Wada, and Elder L. Todd Budge, and their wives were in attendance.

Elder Choi began his speech by quoting Isaiah 55:8-9 where the Lord said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are … my thoughts higher than your thoughts’. A living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has asked us to live in a higher and holier way. We should do that.”

As an example, Elder Choi referred to the recently concluded Young Single Adult Conference in Korea. “This was our first time to hold an area wide conference. We had many fears. Six months ago, when we checked, only 200 Japanese members had registered. But we had faith and worked hard. Over 500 attended. We had over 1400 YSAs attend from Korea, Japan, Guam, and Micronesia. We laughed together, we danced, we got tears together. We became one in Christ. Nothing is impossible with the Lord.”

Elder Choi told the congregation that Elder and Sister Soares had taught them how to have joy in the gospel. “Elder and Sister Vinson know how to open their hearts and become one in Jesus Christ. Let us open our hearts and look up. Just focus on what the Lord has asked you to do. If you do, even though you have a lot of challenges and difficulties, all of them will go away, I promise you, as Area President.”

Sister Vinson described how the love she and Elder Vinson had for each other had grown and blossomed over the years. “When we first got married, we thought we loved each other more than any other couple. However, over the years, we had children, worked though challenges, and our love grew. One Christmas, I wanted to give a special gift. Just saying ‘I love you’ didn’t seem enough. So, I went in prayer to the Lord. I was impressed with an idea. I found a special photograph of the two of us looking at each other and laughing. Just two old people focused on each other. I had the picture blown up, poster size, and in the space between us added a scripture: “I have found the one my soul loveth (Song of Solomon 3: 4).” It was perfect. My testimony is that through the gospel we can develop that kind of marriage. That is my prayer for everyone here.”

“What a joy it has been to meet with the saints in Japan,” Elder Vinson began. “This week you have been visited by an apostle. He has seen Japan through the eyes of an apostle. I am grateful to have shared in that. When an apostle sees through an apostle’s eyes, he sees the future. That is revelation.”

“We bring you the love of President Nelson,” he continued. “I have seen his love for the saints. As you recall, recently, President Nelson made a tour of the South Pacific. He and I talked before he left about a good friend of ours, Brother John Gibson, formerly of the Seventy, who lived in Australia, one of the places President Nelson would visit on his tour. Our friend was very sick. President Nelson said he would call him the next day. I wondered why he did not just wait until he went to Australia when it would be much easier. However, Brother Gibson died before President Nelson arrived. That is the type of person President Nelson is. He yielded himself to the promptings of the spirit to call a faithful brother just before his passing. The call lifted the spirits of Brother Gibson and his wife.”

Elder Vinson reminded the congregation about Enos, a prophet in the Book of Mormon. “Enos went hunting in the woods. While there, he prayed. At first. he prayed for himself. The Lord forgave him of his sins. Next, Enos prayed for his brethren, the Nephites. That prayer was answered. Next, Enos prayed for his ‘brethren’ the Lamanites. It was interesting he called them brethren,” Elder Vinson shared. “They were his enemies. Yet, as a result of his prayer, the Lord promised to bless the Lamanites also.”

“We need to do likewise,” Elder Vinson stated. “We need to look outward. Some of us have not progressed to that stage. Some want to pick and choose whom they minister too. We cannot be that way. We need to be like Enos and love even our enemies. Enos had changed. If we have that same attitude, we may have that same feeling. Our Heavenly Father loves us. He has given us a simple task; love Him with all our hearts, and our neighbors as ourselves.”

Sister Soares began by telling a story about a man who had no faith or religion. “He said, ‘I am a good man, I treat others kindly, I read the Bible every day, I have no need to go to church.’” Sister Soares pointed out that the Lord himself established the church (Ephesians 4:12).

“The purpose of the gospel is for our improvement,” she continued, “for our progress and happiness so we can live with Him again. This requires more than simply being nice and feeling the spirit. It requires faith, repentance, baptism and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. It requires receiving the saving ordinances through the priesthood.”

“It was through attending church I learned how to be a good mother,” she added. “There I learned that the Lord lives and loves me. At church we renew our covenants each week by taking the sacrament. Sacrament meeting is one of the most important meetings in the Church. I begin to prepare to take the sacrament as soon as I wake up each Sunday morning. I pray and tell the Lord I am ready to listen to His voice. I ask Him to help me with my mistakes and He always does. When we were young, my husband and I lost two of our children, but, we did not lose faith, because we learned at church we can live together again. This is possible if we keep the commandments and the covenants we made in the temple. I testify we need the Church. It was created to teach us how to live. The gospel is true. It can change our lives. It certainly changed mine.”

“What a wonderful week,” Elder Soares began. “We are bringing home with us sacred moments. We enjoy the spirits you bring. You have pure hearts.”

Elder Soares reminded of the prophetic promises by Elder Henry B. Eyring, Elder Hugh B. Brown, President Gordon B. Hinkley, and others.

“President Hinkley said ‘the day is not far distant when there will be stakes of Zion on this great land. That the day will be hastened or delayed according to your faithfulness.’ The promises made by prophets are based on and conditional to our faithfulness. He was inspired to invite all of the people of Japan to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, and the faithfulness of this people will bring prosperity.”

Elder Soares urged: “This is the invitation I want to repeat to you, my dear brothers and sisters. As a member of the 12 apostles I reconfirm the promises that have been made to your nation, but I invite you to reconsider your faithfulness to the gospel. This will not only bless your nation as a country but will bless you individually and as families in the Church.

“These promises are extended to the whole earth, in fact,” he continued. “But when the prophets are inspired to speak directly to one nation, to one specific group of people, they are seeing the future. Their eyes are seeing what is ahead of us, the veil opens, and they are able to predict what is going to happen in the future, if we are committed to living the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the role of prophets, seers, and revelators on earth, they are called to warn the people about the future. They warn the people about the blessings they can receive, but all of this is conditional. If we obey the commandments, the Lord will open the Heavens for us.”

“Prosperity in the world is seen as money, goods, properties, but in the eyes of the Lord means different things,” he continued, “protection, a happy life, blessings from Heaven especially in moments of difficulties. This may include material things, but that is not what we were are expecting. When I proposed to my wife, she said yes but under certain conditions. One was to be faithful to the law of tithing. When we first got married, I worked all day, went to school, and spent Saturday at the university. That’s how our life began. The Lord tested us. She had several medical conditions. Someone recommended a good doctor. The doctor was not covered by our insurance. For someone on a very short budget, that was an extra burden. I wondered if I would have enough money for tithing. I didn’t doubt, but thought medical treatment was important and should be paid before tithing. I explained this to my wife, but she stopped me. ‘Do you remember you promised me you would not deny our family the blessings of obeying tithing?’ She opened the scriptures and reminded me of promises the Lord made to the children of Israel (Malachi 3: 10-11). The Lord said he will rebuke the devourer for our sakes so that he will not destroy the fruits of our ground. Our fruit was our income. Even in our moments of trial paying tithing is not a matter of money, it is a matter of faith.”

Elder Soares stated this principle pertains to all commandments. “As a family we taught our children to keep the Sabbath day holy. One Sunday, our son, who struggled to find friends since there were no members in his school, was invited by a school mate to practice for an upcoming tennis championship. We let him struggle with the decision. A knock came at the door. We wondered what he would do. We ran to the window to watch. A short time later he came back in with a sad face. He was not happy. We waited for his words. What did he say? ‘You taught me the sabbath day is important for us and the Lord. So, I told my friend I will stay with my family, and not play tennis.’ We were filled with gratitude and felt the spirit of the Lord in our home. We must create traditions to allow our children to make good decisions.”

“My dear brothers and sisters, I invite you with all of my heart to consider the promises made for this country.”

Elder Soares also invited the Saints to reconsider the level of faith to live the principles of the gospel. “Analyze with your family, or individually, each one of the commandments the Lord has revealed through His prophets, including the recent revelations they have received to help us develop more faith and by doing better. This way, we will not delay the blessings of prosperity in this nation but will hasten the promises.”

He stressed: “Let’s not allow the pressures of this society or country to delay the blessings that the Lord has promised to us. Let our light shine before the world. I promise you, in the name of the Savior Jesus Christ, that if we do these things, the Lord will shower His blessings upon us. He will open the Heavens and He will bless individuals and families with the prosperity that has been promised to this nation.”

In closing, Elder Soares declared: “I invoke the blessings of Heaven upon you that you can, through your faithfulness, receive the prosperity that Has been prepared by the hands of our Savior Jesus Christ.”

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