Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took to social media this week to share messages of encouragement, testimony and faith.
“Both our desire and our action to help someone who is sick, hungry or in trouble will bring peace to our personal lives,” Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said.
A two-time refugee, Elder Uchtdorf reflected on the worldwide flow of refugees and emigrants and their suffering, and called upon his social media followers to “be cognizant of our responsibilities as Christians” and to help the poor and the needy.
A few days later, Elder Uchtdorf also wrote a post about overcoming self-doubt and criticism, and pointed out several successful individuals who endured criticism about their abilities, such as Walt Disney, Fred Astaire and Vincent Van Gogh.
“Perhaps we all see ourselves as a little less than we are,” Elder Uchtdorf suggested. “You may be just the person God is looking for.”
Sister Reyna Isabel Aburto, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, visited the institute at Utah Valley University and met with members of the LGBT community last month. She shared three truths with them and wrote about them in a social media post.
Sister Aburto also posted about the newly renovated Mesa Arizona Temple, the closest temple to the Southwestern United States and to all of Latin America when it was first built in 1927.
President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote in a social media post that ward members should “work in a spirit of unity to include one another.” He advised against comparing oneself with others or judging others, and encouraged his followers to remember that Jesus Christ is “interested only in our personal growth.”
“Every one of us has access to the blessings of the priesthood,” Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham said in a social media post, “and each of us has the ability to strengthen others as we minister to and willingly serve them.”
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote a tribute to his older brother Gary, who recently passed away after a battle with cancer.
“If more people had an older brother like Gary, more people would find it easier to have faith in Jesus Christ,” he wrote.
The opportunity to show members of the media, government leaders and members of other faiths the newly renovated Mesa Arizona Temple “filled my heart with joy,” Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote in a social media post. “This is the house of the Lord and the sacred promises we make here allow us to feel His influence in our lives in real and significant ways.”
Sister Amy A. Wright, second counselor in the Primary general presidency, shared her experience visiting the film set of Book of Mormon Videos during the filming of Christ’s visit to the Americas and His interactions with the children.
Young Men General President Steven J. Lund wrote about the time that “a little spark of lightning landed in (his) soul” as he was seeking a personal witness of the truth of the gospel.
Brother Jan E. Newman, second counselor in the Sunday School general presidency, shared how a personal question was answered for him during general conference.
