This week on social media, President Jeffrey R. Holland spoke about three of his favorite titles of Jesus Christ: Alpha and Omega, Bright and Morning Star, and Witness, and he testified and taught of their truthfulness.
Also, the Sunday School general presidency created a new social media account titled “Gospel Learning and Teaching.” This account is meant to share tips, examples and insights for personal and family learning.
Other Church leaders testified of Jesus Christ, taught about offices of the priesthood and promoted Church resources for youth.
Read more below.
President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency, shared a clip from "The Need for a Church," from the October 2021 general conference, in a social media post Sunday, Feb. 2.
“Surely, the Bible is clear on the origin of a church and the need for it now,” President Oaks said. “We, of course, affirm that the scriptures, ancient and modern, clearly teach the origin and need for a church directed by and with the authority of our Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Alpha and Omega, Bright and Morning Star, Witness — three titles of Christ that President Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, testified of in a video on social media posted Wednesday, Feb. 5.
In explaining further one of those titles, President Holland said: “The bright and morning star is technically the last star you see before dawn, the last star in the heavens of the night leading into the dawn. And then, immediately, He’s the daystar.”
“Night or day, He’s the leading light that enlightens everything that matters, everything I need, everything I’m supposed to have,” President Holland said.
President Holland left audiences with the invitation to be witnesses of Christ not just through words but through actions as well.
The Young Women general presidency – President Emily Belle Freeman, Sister Tamara W. Runia, first counselor, and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor, studied the page “Make Inspired Choices” in the “For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices” pamphlet in a live video Wednesday, Feb. 5.
The three presidency members answered questions from young women as they appeared in the chat, discussing how young women can receive revelation for their personal, spiritual questions.
“This guide is an inspired document that helps us move from rules to reasons, the reasons why we make the choices that we make. Motives matter; they’re the reason we’re doing the thing that we’re doing,” Sister Runia said in the video. “I think that President Nelson gives us that idea of elevating our thinking in a higher and holier way, and I love that idea.”
Speaking on searching for spiritual answers from God, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught in a social media post on Sunday, Feb. 2, that God may not always give a detailed answer.
“The truth is that sometimes it doesn’t matter to the Lord what you decide as long as you stay within the fundamental covenants and principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ,” he wrote.
Elder Uchtdorf left readers with the promise that as they look back on their lives, they will see that “the dots do connect.”
Speaking specifically to the parents of young Primary children, Primary General President Susan H. Porter invited audiences in a social media post on Saturday, Feb. 1, to have faith-building conversations with their children.
Together with The Friend magazine and the Primary Worldwide pages, President Porter spoke about the January issue of The Friend, depicting a young Joseph Smith walking into the Sacred Grove, ready to ask a question of God that would forever change his life and the lives of millions more.
“What do we need to know from our Heavenly Father?” she asked.
“I encourage you to have those conversations with your children. That is why the Prophet Joseph Smith walked into the grove. He needed to know his standing before God. He needed direction on what to believe and the choices to make,” President Porter said.
“Nothing reinforces and sustains our efforts to have repentance as a continuous and constant part of our lives more than our privilege of taking the sacrament each week,” Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote in a social media post Monday, Feb. 3.
Speaking on the influencing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Elder Andersen taught, “We can approach the sacrament each week with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, signifying that we belong to Him.”
Elder Andersen urged readers to remember Jesus Christ and His suffering, His love for them and His willingness to take away their sins. He also promised enormous gratitude and a desire to become like Christ that will inevitably follow.
President Freeman also posted on the Young Women Worldwide page, explaining to the young women of the Church where they can find trustworthy resources online, including general conference talks, the “For Strength of Youth Guide” and the Young Women social media page.
She also shared the schedule for social media postings.
Monday: Tips for teaching
Tuesday: Presidency message
Wednesday: Activity idea
Thursday: Answer questions
“It’s a place where we can stay connected, and we love talking about things that are coming up,” President Freeman said. She also encouraged youth to follow the Strive To Be social media page, which regularly posts about the youth music.
Speaking with Pastor Bob Roberts, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discussed religious freedom at the Global Faith Forum in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Feb. 3.
In a post to social media two days later, Elder Soares commented on the importance of speaking with friends and relatives who have different religious beliefs than our own. He taught three benefits of doing so:
1. It strengthens our love and compassion for one another.
2. It broadens our perspective and can lead to greater insight.
3. It helps clarify and strengthen our own beliefs, allowing us to express them more clearly and confidently.
“The world would be better and more peaceful if more people joined together and sincerely tried to understand the perspectives of those who think or believe differently,” Elder Soares said.
The Sunday School general presidency created a new page Tuesday, Feb. 4, titled “Gospel Learning and Teaching” on Facebook and Instagram.
President Paul V. Johnson; Brother Chad H Webb, first counselor; and Brother Gabriel W. Reid, second counselor, can each been seen on the page, sharing their testimonies and inviting others to come unto Christ.
In this welcome post, the presidency wrote, “The posts and stories here will be things that you may want to use in a traditional Sunday School class, but as we continue to enhance the home-centered efforts of gospel study and learning, you will find tips, examples, and insights for your PERSONAL learning.”
“One way we can come unto Jesus Christ is to study and strive to emulate the holy attributes He exemplified during His tender yet profound interactions with women,” taught Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency, in a social media post Wednesday, Feb. 5.
Teaching about Elisabeth, John the Baptist’s mother, from the scriptures, Sister Wright wrote: “Elisabeth was a woman who believed. Despite her painful yearning and culturally shaming circumstances, Elisabeth’s steadfast and immovable faith in Jesus Christ displayed a remarkable understanding of God’s goodness and grace.”
She then invited readers to exercise faith in the Lord as Elisabeth did in times of trial.
Young Men General President Steven J. Lund; Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, first counselor; and Brother Michael T. Nelson, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency, spoke together in a video addressed to new priests on Thursday, Feb. 6.
“You’re at a very unique point in your journey of discipleship because you’ll be able to turn and mentor the teachers and the deacons, but you’ll also be able to look forward,” Brother Wilcox said.
President Lund then invited new priests to prepare spiritually to represent the congregation as they approach God in prayer to bless the sacrament each Sunday.
