President D. Todd Christofferson thought of a scripture verse as he stood in front of Independence Hall — where the U.S. Constitution was signed — in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 12.
The second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was thinking about Doctrine and Covenants 101:77, which teaches the Constitution was “established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh.”
“[That means] all mankind, not just in this nation but everywhere in the world,” President Christofferson said. “I think it’s proven to be that wherever those principles have been adopted, the people have flourished and the blessings that we enjoy have been enjoyed by them.”
President Christofferson joined faith leaders in Philadelphia to attend Becket’s annual Canterbury Medal Gala on June 11, where he also offered the invocation, according to a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The event, which celebrates religious freedom, comes as the Church and the United States commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
President Christofferson was joined by his wife, Sister Kathy Christofferson; Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Lesa Stevenson; and two General Authority Seventies — Elder Matthew S. Holland and his wife, Sister Paige Holland, and Elder Alexander Dushku, and his wife, Sister Jennifer Dushku. The group also visited historic sites during their time in Philadelphia, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.
Becket is a public-interest organization committed to protecting the free expression of religious traditions. Both President Christofferson and Elder Holland, who leads the Church’s global communication efforts, praised Becket for defending and promoting religious liberty for all.
“[Becket is] very effective,” President Christofferson said. “They do a superb work. The key to their success is that they are focused on religious liberty for everyone. Not just certain faiths, but all faiths and even those who have no faith. They are intent on ensuring that everyone has what the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights provides, and that is freedom of belief and religion and practice.”
Elder Holland was reminded of a statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith in which he said he would be willing to die for the rights of all different faiths, not just Latter-day Saints.
“We see that with Becket,” Elder Holland said. “We are willing to stand with others to defend their rights. And they are willing to stand with us. There is a power and a principle of equality and inclusiveness that we’re doing this in a multifaith way.”
Missionaries in Toronto
From Philadelphia, President Christofferson traveled north to meet with more than 250 missionaries in the Canada Toronto Mission, including a granddaughter, on June 13.
The meeting occurred a few weeks before the mission is divided into three missions.
“I take it as a sign of progress, of the Lord hastening His work,” President Christofferson said. “We will end up with the Toronto West, Toronto East and Montreal missions in this part of Canada, which tells you a lot about what’s happening. It’s a growing, strong, vibrant area in the Church.”
Missionaries said they came away with strengthened testimonies and uplifted spirits.
‘Be firm, be faithful’
Later the same day, President Christofferson spoke to hundreds of Latter-day Saint youth in Toronto, encouraging them to strengthen one another and focus their lives on Jesus Christ.
“I plead with you to, whatever your situation is in your ward or branch, to support each other, to care about each other, even to pray for each other, and to do all you can to encourage each other to be strong, to be firm, to be faithful,” he said.
President Christofferson also taught them about the importance of being a good example to others.
“You don’t always realize how important, how strong your example can be, how many people are observing [you], both in and out of the Church,” he said. “They draw strength from that when you’re strong. You can be a big help just by being a righteous Latter-day Saint.”
Attending the devotional helped Amelia Fischer, a youth, feel seen and loved.
“He kept saying, ‘The Lord loves you individually, and He cares for you,’” she said. “That part really stood out to me personally. He looked around and said it multiple times. And he just kept repeating it. … No amount of words can describe how I felt tonight. I felt the Spirit so strongly while I was in there. I just know I felt Christ’s love, and I could feel the power that His disciples have.”
