Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of October 2024 general conference. Elder Soares spoke of submitting one’s will to the Lord’s will, with a full commitment to His higher and holier ways. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Soares’ talk summary
With the parable of the priceless pearl, Jesus Christ taught that obtaining the kingdom of heaven requires aligning one’s mind and desires with the will of the Lord.
The Savior achieved a perfect, divine level of submission to the Father by allowing His own will to be swallowed up in the Father’s will.
Stumbling blocks include thinking, “I do what works best for me,” or being “authentic” with self-centered pursuits, personal preferences and behavior that don’t match God’s loving plan and His will.
“One of the most glorious moments of mortality occurs when we discover the joy that comes when doing always those things that ‘work for and please the Lord’ and ‘what works for us’ become one and the same. To decisively and unquestioningly make the Lord’s will our own requires majestic and heroic discipleship.”
At that sublime moment, one becomes consecrated to the Lord, totally yielding his or her will to Him. Such spiritual submissiveness is beautiful, powerful and transformational.
“I pray that each of us in our time and turn will be able to declare, with covenant confidence, to our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ that ‘what works for Thee, works for me.’”
See the full text of Elder Soares’ talk: ‘Aligning Our Will with His’
Notable quotes
“To decisively and unquestioningly make the Lord’s will our own requires majestic and heroic discipleship.”
“The Savior achieved a perfect and divine level of submission to the Father by allowing His will to be swallowed up in the Father’s will.”
“In things that truly matter, there is an inner space where we are free to choose whether or not we will decide to follow the pattern the Lord has prepared for our life.”
Who is Elder Soares?
- Elder Ulisses Soares was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on March 31, 2018. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, he is the first person from South America to serve in the quorum.
- Both Elder Soares and his wife, Sister Rosana Fernandes Soares, served in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission. They began dating after their missions when they ran into each other at a stake dance. They have three children.
- Elder Soares was an accountant and auditor for multinational corporations in Brazil and, later, director for temporal affairs in the Church area office in São Paulo.
What has Elder Soares done recently?
- Elder Soares shared a message of “covenant confidence through Jesus Christ” in the April 2024 general conference.
- Throughout Mongolia and the islands of Japan, Elder Soares ministered to Saints, missionaries and leaders in May, sharing how to find joy in the journey while serving in the kingdom of God.
- In June, Elder Soares helped fill the Salt Lake Tabernacle with nearly 3,000 Portuguese-speaking Saints in Utah, speaking about God’s love and sharing his testimony through words and song.
- The G20 Interfaith Forum in Brasília, Brazil, took place in August, and Elder Soares participated as a representative from the Church. “As a collective moral mangrove, we can protect future generations from forces of addiction, isolation, narcissism and moral relativism that could consume them,” he told those in attendance.
Read more of Elder Soares’ general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter.
