This week on social media, Church leaders testified of the importance of the family and celebrated several milestones within the Church.
Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke in a Sept. 22 reel of the significance of the Hill Cumorah, where Joseph Smith obtained the gold plates under the direction of the angel Moroni.
Elder Bednar said: “In this sacred place, visitors will learn the Lord preserved and brought forth the Book of Mormon to give light and knowledge to God’s children throughout the world. In this sacred place, visitors will learn the Lord restored His gospel and kingdom to the earth, beginning with the ministry of the Prophet Joseph Smith.”
He also explained in a Sept. 26 post that the strength and growth of the Church in Arkansas is remarkable. “Clearly, the Lord is hastening His work. As He does so, the real question for each of us is this: Are we allowing the Lord to hasten His work within us?”
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared a photo from the day he married Sister Mary Cook nearly 63 years ago.
“When a man and woman are sealed in the temple, they obtain and receive together priesthood blessings and power to direct the affairs of their family,” he wrote in a Sept. 25 post. He added that “when they work together in love and righteousness, their decisions are heaven blessed.”
“God ordained that men and women should marry and give birth to children, thereby creating, in partnership with God, the physical bodies that are key to the test of mortality and essential to eternal glory with Him.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote in a Sept. 24 post.
He explained that as children of God understand what it takes to return to Him, they will understand the importance of physical birth and spiritual rebirth as “the two prerequisites of eternal life.”
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke in a Sept. 24 reel about where the temple will stand in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He recalled the joy in the faces of Mongolian members of the Church when they were told they would have a house of the Lord in their land.
The temple site is at the base of a mountain range called Un’ol, which means “Mountain of the Lord,” he said. “The wonderful people of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, will take good care of the beautiful house of the Lord to be built in their country.”
Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson discussed the nuances of raising children, sharing stories of faithful individuals in her life who have faced the heartache of not being able to have children, despite their desires of having families of their own.
“Whatever our personal circumstances, we are all part of the family of God, members of an earthly family and preparing to be eternal parents,” she assured in her Sept. 24 post.
She also shared her experiences ministering in the South Pacific, including Samoa and Vanuatu.
“My heart is overflowing with joy and love for the good people of Samoa,” she said in a Sept. 21 reel.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared on social media what he spoke to Brigham Young University students during his devotional in Provo, Utah, on Sept. 23.
On the 30th anniversary of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” he addressed its significance, highlighting five terms in the document that are special to him: “family,” “Creator,” “eternal destiny,” “children” and “happiness.”
“‘The Family Proclamation’ helps us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, to recognize that our lives, our daily choices distinguish us from the ways and advocacy of the world around us. It also teaches about family, marriage and gender and their part in the kingdom of our Father in Heaven,” he wrote in a Sept. 23 post.
In a Sept. 25 post, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles talked about a recent ministry to West Africa. He explained his hope and confidence in the local Latter-day Saints building up the Church in the area.
“I found something very special there,” he said. “Heavenly Father is absolutely mindful of His children in this unique and growing part of the Church of Jesus Christ.”
Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, shared in a Sept. 19 post from the remarks she made during BYU Education Week.
“Becoming a vessel in His hands brings fulfillment, joy, purpose, power and peace,” she wrote.
Artificial intelligence and other technological innovations don’t have the answers to every problem, and they can’t replace one’s own efforts, said Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a Sept. 25 reel.
“When we receive wisdom and understanding from God, we can begin to see as He sees — things we would otherwise not understand.”
Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency, recounted that one of her sons had wanted to attend the temple one day but didn’t make it in time. After calling the temple, a kind sister responded, “Come, we will find a place for you.”
She wrote in a Sept. 23 post: “‘Come, we will find a place for you’ is not only an invitation but a declaration. A declaration of love, compassion and belonging. It made me think of the many ways and many places in which we gather as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the importance of helping one another feel a sense of belonging.”
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified in a Sept. 25 post that “the restored gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims the principle of full partnership between woman and man, both in mortal life and in the eternities.”
Both men and women possess specific attributes and divinely appointed responsibilities, he added, but they “fill equally relevant and essential roles in God’s plan of happiness for His children.”
