Concluding a sacrament meeting in the Burma Hills Ward in Accra, Ghana, the congregation sang “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” in farewell to Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who spent 12 days ministering in the Africa West Area.
“You are a beacon of light that shines forth,” Elder Christofferson said in the Feb. 26 meeting. “I hope you feel God’s good pleasure with you.”
Ward member Rejoice Akologo said the visit from Elder Christofferson and his wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson, was a great honor.
“It was magnificent to worship with them. I prepared myself and strongly believed that just like the woman who was healed by touching Jesus as He was passing, I will also get my testimony,” Akologo said. “Elder and Sister Christofferson’s talks have awoken a whole new side of my understanding of the gospel.”
Accra Ghana Christiansborg Stake President Dennis K. Ocansey said Elder Christofferson spoke about the two great commandments as found in Matthew 22:36-40 — loving God and loving one’s neighbor.
“Members of the Burma Hills Ward were excited about his visit and appreciated the remarks on love for our enemies and the need for us to be united,” President Ocansey said.
He wrote down what he learned, including: “We are not alone because we have the Savior and each other. We are all necessary — even the weak — because we come together to support each other.”
‘Keep the commandments’
On Sunday, Feb. 19, Elder Christofferson attended sacrament meeting in the Tesano Ward in Accra. That afternoon he presided at an areawide devotional in the Accra Ghana Christiansborg Stake center, which was attended by over 1,000 young single adults and broadcast to countries throughout the Africa West Area.
Elder Christofferson reminded the young adults that mortal life is short when compared to eternity. “This life is an opportunity to choose to do things that Heavenly Father has commanded. This is our moment to prove faithful.”
He spoke about how when the members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles assign missionaries, on one screen is a picture of the missionary with information about him or her and comments from the bishop and stake president. On another screen are all the missions of the Church.
“We receive an impression from the Spirit which mission he or she should go to,” he said. “In that process, I feel strongly every time how perfectly the Lord knows and loves each one.”
Drawing from President Russell M. Nelson’s October 2022 general conference address on finding rest, Elder Christofferson explained that overcoming the world means loving and trusting in God and His Son Jesus Christ more than anyone or anything else.
Meetings in the Africa West Area
Throughout his trip, Elder Christofferson was accompanied by his wife, Sister Christofferson; Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Jill Johnson; and assisted by members of the Africa West Area presidency — Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, Elder Jörg Klebingat and Elder Alfred Kyungu, General Authority Seventies, and their wives, Sister Wendy Nielsen, Sister Julia Klebingat and Sister Lucie Kyungu.
While in Ghana, Elder Christofferson and the other Church leaders attended the Accra Ghana Temple together, which is one of nine temples operating, under construction or announced in the Africa West Area. The Apostle also spoke to missionaries at the Accra Ghana Missionary Training Center.
The Church leaders Feb. 26 met with the Ga Mantse, His Majesty King Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the traditional king of the Ga State in Accra. The king visited with Elder Christofferson and the Africa West Area presidency at the area offices adjacent to the Accra temple. He is highly revered and one of the prominent traditional rulers in Ghana, explained the Church’s Africa Newsroom.
As reported previously in the Church News, Elder Christofferson also met with the president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Feb. 21.
“We value our relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I hope that it will continue to grow,” the president said. “We will do all we can to make sure your Church succeeds in everything you do here in Ghana.”
Elder Christofferson and Elder Johnson also ministered to and met with leaders, members and missionaries in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast — where they also visited the construction site of the Abidjan temple — and Liberia. See the Church News coverage of Elder Christofferson’s Liberia meetings here.