During a 10-day ministry in the Mexico Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met with members, missionaries, local Church leaders and government officials in cities across Mexico.
He was accompanied by his wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson; members of the Mexico Area presidency; and Area Seventies assigned to the cities and missions he visited.
Elder Christofferson also participated in a 36-minute radio interview with Mariano Osorio, a well-known radio host in Mexico, as part of the ministry.
God’s promise of ‘divine support’
During his conversation with Osorio, Elder Christofferson shared a few lessons he’s learned while serving as an Apostle. He highlighted a visit to Botswana where, amid a severe drought, he felt inspired to pray with local Church leaders.
Shortly after, it began to rain heavily, he explained. This experience taught him “God sometimes wants us to ask Him for the blessings He already desires to give us.”
Reflecting on why bad things happen to good people, Elder Christofferson explained that one’s decisions and the decisions of others affect one’s life. Even so, he taught, “God promises divine support to overcome challenges and find joy, especially through prayer and the Spirit’s guidance.”
Elder Christofferson then testified of the Spirit’s ability to minister individually to millions of people. He also described the plan of salvation and invited listeners to prepare spiritually for eternity, specifically counseling the youth to follow the Savior’s example, study the scriptures daily and pray constantly.
On covenant confidence and ‘constant miracles’
On Sunday, May 25, Elder Christofferson participated in a stake conference in the Guadalajara México Bugambilias Stake Center in Jalisco, Mexico. There, he invited over a thousand Saints to have confidence in the promises God has made with them individually by covenant.
“We can have confidence when we make covenants with God because we receive His promise individually,” he said.
Citing the recent teachings of Church President Russell M. Nelson, Elder Christofferson told individuals how they may grow their confidence before the Lord. He taught that by cultivating charity and virtue, one can have confidence that God will listen and provide support.
Also in Jalisco, Elder Christofferson spoke to local youth and their parents at a devotional for prospective missionaries.
“What a privilege we have to be part of this great progress,” Elder Christofferson said at the May 24 devotional. “The Lord knows how to carry out His work and allows us to participate in it. It is a unique blessing.”
During the devotional, Elder Christofferson recounted experiences from his service as a young missionary in Argentina to illustrate that missionaries experience “constant miracles” through their service.
He said, “They see change in people’s lives, they see joy and happiness because they get to take part in touching others’ hearts and bringing them to God’s kingdom.”
How ‘faith is born’
Returning to the country’s capital at the close of his ministry, Elder Christofferson gathered with Saints in the México City Los Heroes Tecamac Stake on June 1, testifying to them of the role the Spirit and service play in strengthening faith.
“The Holy Ghost testifies to our being that it is true, and from there, faith is born,” Elder Christofferson said. “By walking His path — the covenant path — we will have greater faith in Him.”
Elder Christofferson also taught that service strengthens faith, since the ability to see others’ needs is one way to hold up the Savior’s light. He then quoted the Savior’s promise recorded in Moroni 7:33 and encouraged attendees to aspire to that kind of faith.
“If ye will have faith in me,” the Savior’s invitation reads, “ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.”
Meetings with government officials
While in Baja California Sur, Mexico, on May 29, Elder Christofferson met with the state’s governor, Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío. Together, they discussed how the Church can support the state’s community, especially in its similar pursuit to support health, security, education and human rights.
On May 27, Elder Christofferson visited Mexico’s Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. He spoke with her about the Church’s arrival in Mexico in 1876 and recognized the valuable support of the Ministry of the Interior in preserving religious freedom. This support, he said, “has made the growth of the Church in Mexico possible.”
Elder Christofferson gifted Castro Cosío and Rodríguez each a copy of the Book of Mormon at the end of their visits.
— Alfredo Alcántara Hernandez and Gustavo Ramos Mera from the Church’s Mexico Area communications department contributed to this article.
