Following a visit with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Church President Dallin H. Oaks reminded members that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a family-centered church in a social media post Sunday, July 12.
“We cherish the opportunity to spend time together,” President Oaks wrote. “Moments like these remind us that families are central to Heavenly Father’s plan for His children.”
He taught in the caption that the family is an ideal place to learn about “the importance of marriage and children, the purpose of life, and the true source of joy,” as well as “kindness, forgiveness, self-control, and the value of education and honest work.”
Several other Church leaders also posted on social media this week.
Answering the question “How can we discern between truth and deception in a world today with such rapidly evolving technology and change?” President D. Todd Christofferson, second counselor in the First Presidency, posted a video to social media Sunday, July 12.
President Christofferson quoted both Moroni 10:5 and Doctrine and Covenants 9:8 to teach that distinguishing between deception and reality is a combination of the Spirit and critical thinking. The bottom line, he said, is: “We look to the Lord. Does this take us toward Him or away from Him?”
Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson, sitting with first counselor Sister J. Anette Dennis and second counselor Sister Kristin M. Yee, answered questions on Sunday, July 12, that sisters in the Church submitted about the upcoming Sunday schedule change.
Sister Dennis explained in the video on the Relief Society Worldwide account that the fifth-Sunday schedule will remain the same. Sister Yee then counseled that large Relief Society groups counsel with the bishop to find new ways to engage in the lesson.
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified of the divinity of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s calling in a video posted Wednesday, July 15.
Joseph Smith was “foreordained to be the Prophet of the Restoration, to restore the Church Jesus Christ established,” he taught.
“What a marvelous time to be engaged in the Lord’s work,” wrote Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a social media post Tuesday, July 14, when he shared about a new record of 88,500 missionaries serving in the field.
“As the Lord’s missionaries give their heart, might, mind, and strength to their missionary service, the Lord will magnify their efforts,” Elder Rasband wrote. “He will bless them with strength beyond their own and fill their lives with joy as they participate in the great and marvelous hastening of the Lord’s work.”
Following a 10-day ministry in Brazil to teach and support young women and children, Primary General President Susan H. Porter and Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency posted a video Thursday, July 16, about their experiences in the country.
President Porter wrote, “Our testimonies of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ were strengthened as we met with children, families, and those leading humanitarian efforts.”
Standing in front of the Provo Missionary Training Center, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared a pivotal moment in a video Sunday, July 12, about an instant in his life that prepared him to serve a full-time mission.
“As I approached my twelfth birthday, my bishop met with me and taught me how to prepare to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and be ordained a deacon,” he said. “At the end of our interview, he reached into his desk, took out some papers, and invited me to fill them out. To my surprise, they were missionary recommendation papers.”
Years later, while on assignment in Brazil, Elder Soares met with his former bishop and was able to reminisce on that exact moment. “Seeing him again filled my heart with gratitude for the lasting influence a bishop can have when he lovingly invites and patiently helps a young person follow the Savior,” he said.
Elder Gérald Caussé of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared Thursday, July 16, the conversion story of his mother-in-law, Francine.
After two young missionaries knocked on her door, Francine was compelled to read the Book of Mormon and soon after wished to be baptized. “This beautiful story reminds me of how grateful we should be for the restored truths that are unique to this Church,” he said.
Men and women hold many of the same responsibilities in the Church, yet they are different by divine design, taught Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency, in a video posted Monday, July 13.
“I think it’s interesting to note that 99% of what men and women do in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the exact same,” she said. “We teach, we testify, we expound scripture, we serve, we minister to one another, we lead. But 1%, by divine design, is different.”
