Elder Ulisses Soares was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 2, 1958. He was sustained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 31, 2018, and is the first and currently the only Apostle from South America to serve in the quorum.
Elder Soares received an undergraduate degree in accounting and economics from the São Paulo Pontifical Catholic University, School of Economic Science in 1985 and later received a Master of Business Administration degree. He was an accountant and auditor for multinational corporations in Brazil and, later, director for temporal affairs in the Church area office in São Paulo, Brazil.
Elder Soares married Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares in the São Paulo Brazil Temple on Oct. 30, 1982. They are the parents of three children.
In honor of his 63rd birthday, here are nine quotes from Elder Soares in the past year.
1. Turn to the Lord and ask for strength
“The questions ‘Why me?’ ‘Why our family?’ ‘Why now?’ are usually questions with no answers. These questions detract from our spirituality and can destroy our faith. We need to spend our time and energy building our faith, by turning to the Lord and asking for strength, to overcome the pains and trials of this world, and to endure to the end for greater understanding.”
— Devotional for French-speaking Saints in Haiti, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique, Aug. 21, 2021
2. Recharging one’s spiritual battery
“I testify that as we put our trust in Him and follow His counsel our capacity to avoid temptation will increase significantly. Our spiritual maturity will grow at a higher rate each time, and the influence of the Holy Ghost will be more intense and more constant in our lives. And, therefore, we will have a happier, purer and more consecrated life.”
— Caribbean Area For the Strength of Youth conference, July 26-30, 2021
3. #HearHim
“When I’m going in the wrong direction, I feel confused and lost. But when I allow my mind to reflect, the Lord starts to enlighten my mind, and the ideas start to come with more clarity. … This process has helped me to center my life more on the Savior and has helped me to hear Him more intensely and continuously.”
— #HearHim video and blog post, May 27, 2021
4. Lasting inner peace
“Coming unto Him does not tie us down or limit our freedom. Rather, it gives us reason for firm hope and provides a solid anchor to our souls, giving us a lasting inner peace that we need to live in these days and find rest in Him. … I testify to you that as we rely upon the rock of salvation, the Savior of our souls, and act in faith on His invitation to come and find rest in Him, we will be strengthened to deal with our struggles, our weaknesses and our temptations, and He will increase our capacity to feel a consistent peace in every circumstance of our lives.”
— BYU-Idaho devotional, May 16, 2021
5. Allow Christ’s Atonement to become ‘wholly effective’
“My dear friends, I testify to you that as we genuinely repent of our sins, we allow the atoning sacrifice of Christ to become wholly effective in our life. We will become free from the bondage of sin, find joy in our earthly journey, and become eligible to receive eternal salvation, which was prepared from the foundation of the world for all who believe in Jesus Christ and come unto Him.”
— “Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of Our Soul,” April 2021 general conference
6. To young adults
“You can literally help to shape the destiny of all mankind. By knowing and applying the Lord’s teachings in your life and drawing closer to Him, you will be able to make history. You are extremely blessed. The world needs you and your goodness. Great opportunities await you. Throughout human history, the Lord has done great works through faithful people like you.”
— Devotional for Portuguese-speaking young adults, March 21, 2021
7. Christ knows
“I want to assure you that Christ is always aware of the adversities we face in mortality. He understands all of the bitterness, agony and physical pain, as well as the emotional and spiritual challenges we face. He has a heart full of mercy and is always ready to help us, because He Himself went through all this in the flesh.”
— Devotional for Native American Latter-day Saints in Arizona, Feb. 26, 2021
8. A call for human dignity
“Dignity is about knowing who we are as human beings. The search for ultimate meaning, whether as an individual or in community, is a sacred prerogative. No one can impose that path on us; we must define it for ourselves. In all times and in all places, every person matters.”
— 2020 Annual (Dallas Fort Worth) Summit on Religious Freedom, Oct. 28-30, 2020
9. Courage to say ‘No’
“I invite all of us to ‘hear Him’ in every thought and follow Him with all our heart in order to obtain the strength and courage to say ‘No’ and ‘Get thee hence’ to all the things that might bring unhappiness into our life. If we do so, I promise that the Lord will send an added measure of His Holy Spirit to strengthen and comfort us and we may become individuals after the Lord’s own heart.”
— “Seek Christ in Every Thought,” October 2020 general conference
