LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Speaking just days after being named as second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President D. Todd Christofferson bore witness of the name of Jesus Christ and of His Resurrection to thousands of people over two days of meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I want you to know that I know that He lives,” President Christofferson said in a special stake conference of the Las Vegas Nevada Blue Diamond Stake on Sunday, Oct. 19.
“I bless you that it will be your testimony and that you will feel the love and know of His concern and care for you — that you are the sheep of His fold and you can have total confidence and trust in the resurrected Lord, His Church, His word and His Second Coming.”
Besides this stake conference, he presided over a leadership training, a missionary meeting and a youth devotional Oct. 18-19.
In each meeting, he began by giving greetings from Church President Dallin H. Oaks. The Las Vegas assignment was on his schedule for several months, President Christofferson said, and last week when he talked to President Oaks about whether he could still go, President Oaks told him, “Yes, and give them my love.”
President Christofferson has now seen the calling and setting apart of a prophet of the Lord twice as an Apostle — with President Russell M. Nelson and now President Oaks. He said that each time he had a direct witness from the Lord that it was His will.
The chapel and overflow areas filled early for the stake conference. Just last month, ground was broken for a second temple in the Las Vegas area, the Lone Mountain Nevada Temple. Members of the Blue Diamond Stake will be in the new temple district and are looking forward to worshipping in the house of the Lord after working and praying for it to be built.
Before its future dedication, President Christofferson invited the members to prepare by becoming more holy and better disciples of Jesus Christ.
Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, also spoke during the weekend’s meetings, as did Elder Jose L. Alonso, a General Authority Seventy and president of the United States Southwest Area; Elder Eduardo F. Ortega, a General Authority Seventy; and Elder Thomas A. Thomas, an Area Seventy.
Many members here can trace their roots to pioneers who came to Nevada. In 1855, 30 Latter-day Saints from Utah built a fort by a spring-fed creek in the Las Vegas Valley. The area later became downtown Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas Stake was created in 1954. Today, Nevada is home to nearly 200,000 Latter-day Saints in almost 350 congregations.
Last Sunday, the Elko Nevada Temple was dedicated, becoming the third operating house of the Lord in the state, following Reno (dedicated in 2000) and Las Vegas (1989).
‘God is at the helm’
On Saturday morning at the Las Vegas Nevada Redrock Stake Center, President Christofferson led combined leadership and priesthood leadership conferences for the leaders in 10 stakes.
He told them this area has long been a place of great strength in the Church — a place of spiritual depth, commitment and conversion. And he hoped to help them learn ways to make their service and efforts more fruitful.
“Thank you for what you have done and what you are doing,” he said.
He blessed them to know that as they take a step, the Lord will guide their steps. “Just begin; you will find that the Spirit comes.”
President Christofferson, Sister Yee, Elder Alonso and Elder Ortega taught about entering into a covenantal relationship with God in the house of the Lord and becoming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. They also answered questions from the local leaders.
Sister Yee pointed to experiences and opportunities in the Church where people either offer or receive Jesus Christ’s relief: “Opportunities for us to facilitate an experience with the Savior and to feel His Spirit and to know Him better. … And as we feel these experiences, we desire a covenant relationship with Him.”
Foothills Ward Bishop Larry G Ewell, in the Redrock Stake, said he felt confirmation that “God is at the helm” and that President Christofferson “is another one of the Lord’s anointed, lifting where he stands and being part of the work.”
Bridget Morgan, from the Las Vegas Nevada South Stake, received answers for how she can help her ward’s Primary children.
“This has been so edifying and fulfilling for me and everything that I need to teach to our kids,” she said.
Leanne Davis, who serves in the Las Vegas South Stake Relief Society presidency, said, “I feel edified and excited and ready to hit the ground running with new ideas and direction.”
Not an everyday occurrence
When speaking to hundreds of high school juniors and seniors on Saturday evening, Oct. 18, President Christofferson asked them to look out for each other, to pray more and to take part in sharing the gospel to all the world.
He said he hoped the youth would get to know the Prophet, President Oaks, better — and pay attention to what they will hear from him. “He is anxious to do what the Lord wants him to do.”
Sister Yee told the youth to look for their gifts and use them. The Lord will do wonderful things with them, she said. “As you put Him first in your life, you will look back and praise the life that He gave you.”
Some of the youth had a school homecoming dance that night. Luke Pratt, 17, from the Carnegie Ward, Henderson Nevada Carnegie Stake, and Sarah Foote, 17, in the Somerset Ward, Las Vegas Nevada South Stake, were dressed up for the dance but came to the devotional.
When asked why, Luke said: “This is more important. It’s not every day that an apostle, and now a member of the First Presidency, comes to speak, and being able to hear it in person is really special.”
Sarah said she learned “the youth today are so important and we are so uniquely situated to spread the gospel. … Maybe we are here like Esther ‘for such a time as this’ (Esther 4:14).”
Brooke Merrell, 16, from the Summerlin Ward in the Redrock Stake, had a ward Young Women activity that day where they went rappelling. They met in the morning at the stake center before heading to the cliffs, and President Christofferson was there in the parking lot, too.
Brooke said she was honored to shake President Christofferson’s hand. That experience, and then the evening’s youth devotional, became spiritual bookends to her day of physical challenges and triumphs.
“Tonight I learned that the Spirit is always with us and that the Church is true — from his own mouth, that the Church is true — and that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He lives,” Brooke said.
Bringing people to the Savior
In a meeting with the Nevada Las Vegas West Mission on Saturday, President Christofferson taught from 2 Nephi 2 and outlined how the Atonement of Jesus Christ allows the possibility for all to become whole, cleansed and sanctified.
“You are bringing people to Christ so He can do what no one else can do,” President Christofferson told the missionaries. “You are bringing people to the Savior.”
Every teaching must be about Jesus Christ; He must be front and center: “We are witnesses of Him because it all depends upon Him. We teach in His name, we testify of His name, we use His name, because it is His name that makes it all possible,” President Christofferson said.
Sister Yee reminded the missionaries to trust in the Lord and in the covenants they have made with Him in the temple.
“Trust in the same Savior that you trusted when you came on your mission. He still loves you; He will guide you,” she said.
Elder Alonso invited the missionaries to remember that they represent Jesus Christ when they visit with both friends and members of the Church.
And said Elder Ortega, “I know that the Lord leads this work, and He is ready to serve side by side with you.”
After, Elder Addair Eslava, a full-time missionary from Mexico whose mission assignment is to speak Portuguese, said he will apply what President Christofferson taught, “not just to be a hearer of the word but a doer of the word as well.”
His companion, Elder Jackson Corda, from Logan, Utah, also speaking Portuguese, said he learned more about unlocking the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Sister Emily Richards, from Draper, Utah, a Spanish-speaking missionary, said: “It is His name and His power that makes everything possible. As a missionary and as a representative of Him, I’m here to help people receive this gift and be able to help people enter into His path of happiness.”
Sister Riley Adams, from Bonita Springs, Florida, also Spanish speaking, agreed. “We can preach on His name and use His name and that truly everything begins, ends with and runs through Jesus Christ.”
