Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared messages of the Savior’s love with the people of Brazil during a five-day ministry in his home country.
“When people feel the Savior’s love, they are more inclined to walk on the covenant path and endure to the end,” Elder Soares said. “That is one of the main reasons we go [minister] around the world — and especially for me, here in my own country.”
Accompanied by his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, Elder Soares met with government officials, the nonprofit organization Amigos do Bem, missionaries and Church members throughout Brazil, according to a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“The people of Brazil are very faithful, and they connect with the Savior, Jesus Christ, easily,” he said. “It is wonderful to see the blessings the Lord has poured upon these people and upon this country.”
Building relationships with government leaders
On Monday, Nov. 17, Elder Soares met with Paraná Gov. Carlos Massa Ratinho Júnior and other government officials at Iguaçu Palace in Curitiba, Brazil.
“[The governor] is very interested in working with the Church and in blessing the lives of the people of his state,” Elder Soares said. “We have found a good environment in which to share the love of the Savior through our humanitarian projects.”
During the meeting, several government leaders expressed gratitude to Elder Soares for the humanitarian aid provided by the Church to the state of Paraná, including a donation of furniture and household essentials for senior citizen housing.
“We work with governments so they can see our sincere intention to share the love of God with the people and to help and support them in their dealings with those who are suffering,” Elder Soares said.
Elder Soares also spoke to the leaders about the importance of families in society and the Church’s effort to promote peace throughout the world and invited them to attend the February 2026 performance in Brazil of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
At the close of the meeting, Elder Soares was invited to offer a prayer.
“Being invited to pray in a government environment was deeply moving to me,” he said. “That shows the respect those people have for us, especially for the way we worship our Heavenly Father and the way we live the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Promoting humanitarian efforts
In São Paulo, Elder Soares visited the headquarters of Amigos do Bem, a nonprofit organization that provides aid to people living in the semiarid backlands of Brazil.
During this visit on Nov. 19, Elder Soares announced a financial donation from the Church that will help Amigos do Bem operate already-existing “transformation centers” in three locations. These centers provide daily tutoring, cultural activities and vocational courses to 10,000 children and youth in an effort to break the cycle of poverty in the area.
Alcione Albanesi, president of Amigos do Bem, spoke on her organization’s motivation.
“We must look around us and be instruments for good,” she said. “This is the legacy Jesus left. We are not just living and occupying the space God granted us on the earth, but rather we need to show fraternity [and] solidarity and help those who do not have the same blessings we have.”
This donation from the Church is part of a longstanding relationship with Amigos do Bem. Previous contributions have included cashew tree seedlings, tractors, school buses, water trucks, sewing machines, ambulances and food baskets.
Ministering to Church members
Throughout the five-day ministry, Elder Soares met with and taught members and missionaries in Porto Alegre, Curitiba and the Brazil Missionary Training Center.
In Porto Alegre, Elder Soares shared: “The Lord will do everything in His power to bring us back to the path. He will never tire of searching for us. He will always continue seeking us.”
His message was exactly what congregation member Bruno Luz needed to hear.
“I felt like [his message] was directed towards me and only me,” Luz said. “It was so special to hear the words of an Apostle directed so precisely to my doubts and my questions.”
Bruno’s mother, Jaqueline Luz, was also emotional during Elder Soares’ message, as she had been praying for her son to feel God’s love.
“I feel very grateful that through [Elder Soares] I heard answers to my prayers and felt the assurance that the Lord hears our prayers and that He has servants who speak and give us the answers we need,” she said. “[This] was very special because a special witness of the Lord touched the hearts of someone I love.”
