The news was first published on Tuesday, Aug. 13, on the Self-Reliance Brazil Facebook page.

The governor and his wife extended the invitation to the Church leaders to express their gratitude and appreciation to the Church and its members. The Church has been actively involved in numerous humanitarian projects in the state, such as donations and services recently provided in partnership with the state government. This active involvement underscores the Church’s commitment to the community.

Representing the Church at this significant meeting were Elder Ciro Schmeil, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Brazil Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Alessandra Schmeil. Also present were São Paulo Brazil Stake President Emerson Andrade and his wife, Sister Raquel Andrade; and Paulo de Araújo, Welfare and Self-Reliance manager of the Brazil Area.

The governor expressed his deep gratitude for the assistance provided by the Church in the city of São Sebastião, on the state’s northern coast, to the victims of the landslides caused by heavy rains. While the state government provided new housing for those affected by the tragedy, the Church donated appliances and furniture for the residents.

The first lady of the state, who also chairs the Social Fund of the state of São Paulo, expressed the same sentiment, mentioning the service of countless volunteers from the Church, who played a major role in sorting and separating the donated items collected by the institution and destined for the victims of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul.

Governor Tarcísio de Freitas repeatedly praised the Church’s social programs, saying, “Everything you do is incredible. Thank you very much.”

Finding faith after the floods in Rio Grande do Sul

Donations and humanitarian efforts in Brazil help increase skills and self-reliance

Humanitarian efforts in Brazil provide equipment, food and supplies

3 ways the Church is helping build self-reliance in Brazil

This year’s event, “Luz Divina: Jesus a Todos Chama,” will feature the worldwide launch of the song “Jesus Calls Everyone,” with lyrics in Portuguese written by Elder Soares, and music by composer and producer Elton Luz.

The Luz Divina Choir, comprised of about 300 members of Portuguese-speaking wards and branches of the Utah Area, will perform a version of “Jesus Calls Everyone.” Nathan Pacheco and the choir will also perform another arrangement during the devotional.

The event will not be broadcast online or recorded.

Who will perform

Along with the Luz Divina Choir, this year’s devotional will include:

• Nathan Pacheco, American tenor who served a mission in Brazil. He has soloed several times with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and was a featured vocalist during the 2009 Yanni Voices tour, produced by Walt Disney Records, and is currently signed to the Disney Pearl Series sublabel.
• Mila Luz, soloist in ”Luz de Las Naciones” and member of TheLuzMusic, a Brazilian group that arranges hymns, songs and inspirational music.
• Yaphet Bustos, former member of the BYU Vocal Point.
• Sophia Andrade, singer at the recent media event where the first batch of the Church’s new hymns was launched and a member of the Luz Divina Choir.
• Vitor Batista, actor, singer and Friend To Friend Brazil host.
• Elton Luz, songwriter and producer of hundreds of songs, including productions for Lindsey Stirling, DevinSuperTramp and multiple high-profile events throughout his career with over 200 million views on streaming platforms.

Last year’s devotional

In February 2023, about 3,500 people attended the Portuguese-speaking devotional at the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah.

Elder Soares was joined by Sister Soares, Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Monica Godoy. Two members of the Utah Area presidency were also in attendance: Elder Kevin W. Pearson and his wife, Sister June Pearson, and Elder Hugo E. Martinez and his wife, Sister Nuria Martinez.

Elder Soares bore his testimony that strength or shelter can be found amid life’s complexities by focusing on Jesus Christ.

Citing President Russell M. Nelson’s optimism and vision for the future, Elder Soares told those in the audience: “In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns ‘with power and great glory,’ He will bestow countless privileges, blessings and miracles upon the faithful.”

Find shelter in Christ from life’s tornadoes, Elder Soares tells Portuguese-speaking members in Utah

Look unto the Savior and receive His healing power, Elder Ulisses Soares teaches young adults in worldwide devotional

Brazilian YouTuber interviews Elder Soares, who talks about his apostolic calling

Podcast host David Godoy gathered questions from several listeners, with Elder Soares talking about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its origins, its worldwide presence and his calling as a member of the Church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Below are some of the highlights.

The Church of Jesus Christ and ‘Mormons?’

In addition to sharing about the conversion of his own family in Brazil, Elder Soares also related the beginning of the Church in that South American nation, when the first members, German immigrants, arrived in the country in 1928. The the first branch was created in 1935, in the city of Ipomeia, Santa Catarina.

The Apostle clarified that the faith’s official name is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then explains the context of each word.

Godoy then asked, “But why ‘Mormon?’”

Elder Soares explained the nickname ‘Mormon’ was given by those not of the faith because of Church members’ belief in the Book of Mormon, a record written by ancient prophets, the first of whom left Jerusalem 600 years before Christ and who came and established themselves in the Americas.

“It is a prophetic record, a record of scripture, and, for us, it accompanies the Bible, it does not replace the Bible... It is named after the prophet who made the last records, Mormon,” explained Elder Soares. “[It] is a second witness to the divine mission of Jesus Christ. ... That’s why it’s called the Book of Mormon. Our belief [in it] dubbed us as ‘Mormons.’”

Differences from other religions

After clarifying that the Church of Jesus Christ is a Christian faith but not a branch of Protestantism and having cited the Book of Mormon, Elder Soares mentioned its organization, which replicates the model left by Jesus Christ. It is led by a prophet and 12 apostles, who hold the keys of the priesthood and are responsible for governing the Church throughout the world. The Prophet — President Russell M. Nelson — also has two counselors, with the three comprising the First Presidency.

Elder Soares is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called almost six years ago as the first Brazilian to serve as a latter-day Apostle.

“The twelve Apostles are regular men who had a normal life, established their life, their career and family activities, but at a certain point, they were called by Jesus Christ, through the Prophet, to serve fully as the disciples of Jesus Christ did,” he said.

There is not a defining course or career, but it’s required of them to live a virtuous life consistent with the principles of the Church, he added, explaining that Apostles serve worldwide, preaching the gospel and testifying of Jesus Christ and His divine mission on Earth.

Why does the Church have missionaries?

Elder Soares explained missionary work is a voluntary service for two years for young men and 18 months for young women, who leave their families, studies and employment to go to all parts of the world. They take with them the fundamental principles and ordinances of the gospel, such as faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“Is there a better training for life than engaging with people, knowing [their] challenges, offering something that can help them progress and be better, ... offering something special from your heart to them?” he asked. “Actually, missionaries will do this service with the desire and intention of sharing the truth with others, but they are the ones who gain the most from it.”

At the end of the program, Elder Soares said: “We respect everyone and honor the work that each entity does. … I feel that religiosity brings spirituality; spirituality brings connection with God … And we start to act with more kindness, with more empathy, with more patience with people.”

Listen to the full interview (in Portuguese) at Plano Piloto.

The donations, made in partnership with several non-profit organizations, as well as city, state, and federal governments, have assisted thousands of people in education and health, as well as those affected by natural disasters. 

Read below a summary of some of the projects carried out by the Church throughout the country.

Donation to the Neonatal ICU

In São Luís, state of Maranhão, the Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão (HU-UFMA) received a donation to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in June. More than 382 items were donated over the past year, including incubators, phototherapy equipment and ventilators. 

It’s estimated that about 40,000 babies and family members will benefit from this donation over the next 10 years.

Neonatal Resuscitation Course 

The partnership between the Church of Jesus Christ and the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics aims to improve neonatal medical care in different regions of Brazil through the training of health professionals and the donation of essential materials. 

The “Helping Babies Breathe” course aims to prepare professionals in case of breathing difficulties and emergencies. The activity usually takes place in the Church chapels. Two of those events happened in June and September. 

• In June, the Neonatal Resuscitation course happened in Goiânia, state of Goiás. Health professionals, midwives, nurses, nursing technicians, and doctors participated in the event.

• Members of the Church of Jesus Christ, wearing their distinctive Helping Hands vests, participated in September in delivering hospital materials and supplies for neonatal resuscitation to the Zacarias Junior Hospital, located in Lagarto, state of Sergipe.

Education in an inspiring environment

The Church of Jesus Christ donated in June 2023, to the Marista Escolas Sociais, located in Ponta Grossa, state of Paraná, a series of essential resources, such as advanced microscopes, equipped benches, updated periodic tables and a complete system of the human body (a manikin).

The institution, which aims to strengthen the education and scientific initiation of its students, will also receive notebook computers and tablet computers to assist in research. The library will have furniture, books, and musical instruments, promoting an inspiring and inviting environment.

Reliable transportation and support for young people with cancer

CAJEC (Casa José Eduardo Cavichio) is a non-profit philanthropic institution in Taboão da Serra, state of São Paulo. It provides support to families in need whose children and teenagers have cancer or need transplants, so they can receive treatment in hospitals in the city of São Paulo. The beneficiaries come from all over Brazil and some Latin American countries.

In May 2023, the Church of Jesus Christ donated a Sprinter van, which aims to provide reliable transportation to patients and families, as well as caregivers, to medical appointments held in the São Paulo metropolitan area. It is expected that in the first year, about 1,300 patients and families will benefit from that resource.

Education Support

Last June, the Church of Jesus Christ made a donation to the Social Development Secretariat of Santos, São Paulo. The gift included renovating the multipurpose room that serves all projects sponsored by the Department, expansion of the barbershop, equipment for implementing IT courses, a bakery workshop, and kits for the beauty salon. The improvements will increase the number of residents with access to training and personal development opportunities, resulting in better jobs and self-reliance.

Community actions

The Florescer Institute, located in Paraisópolis, São Paulo, seeks to unite people through community actions, partially addressing the lack of social interaction, especially among children and young people. The organization provides ballet, tutoring, and music and arts courses for children ages 4 to 14. The Institute also offers a jeans recycling project, which serves mothers of children enrolled at the institution. 

In July, the Institute received a donation from the Church of Jesus Christ to help renovate its facilities and build a parking lot, including labor and necessary materials.

Extratropical cyclones in Rio Grande do Sul

From June to September, the state of Rio Grande do Sul was hit by several extratropical cyclones, resulting in destruction, floods, and thousands of homeless people.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent emergency aid and gathered volunteers in several cities across the state to alleviate the suffering of their residents. Below are some affected towns and the help they received from the Church. Other donations were sent to different regions of the state.

• In June, shortly after the passage of a cyclone, The Church of Jesus Christ sent emergency aid to the cities of Osório and Gravataí, which included essential items for the basic needs of thousands of homeless families, basic food baskets, mattresses, hygiene kits, and cleaning kits. 
• On July 12, an extratropical cyclone hit the city of Vera Cruz with winds of more than 50 miles per hour, heavy rain and hail. The damage affected around 4,000 families, damaging the roofs of more than 500 homes, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

The Church donated roof tiles to help the families whose homes were damaged by the strong winds. The Department of Social Development received the material, which was distributed free of charge by the municipality’s Social Action Center.

• In August, the city of São Leopoldo and others in the region faced a critical situation due to flooding caused by an extratropical cyclone. The community was isolated, and many families lost everything they had. With the support of volunteers, the Church donated food baskets, blankets, mattresses, gallons of water, school kits, hygiene kits and cleaning kits to help families affected by the tragedy.

• In September, the stakes of Porto Alegre South, Porto Alegre Brazil, Moinhos de Vento and Viamão, and the São Jerônimo District, along with other partner organizations such as BYU Management Society of Porto Alegre, IESA Fiat, Lions Club of Charqueadas, came together in the “Helping Hands the Jacuí Valley” project in São Jerônimo, Rio Grande do Sul. Through this initiative, items collected helped more than 2,000 families.

Essential items for the elderly

The São Vicente de Paulo nursing home, located in Santa Bárbara d’Oeste, São Paulo, provides various services to the elderly population in the region, including social assistance, health care, nutrition, and social programs that cover culture, leisure, entertainment and coexistence.

However, over time, several essential items needed to be replaced and updated. Seeking to meet some of the most immediate needs, in August, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the donation of several items, including sheets, pillowcases, towels, laundry and supply carts, wheelchairs, shower chairs, mattresses, furniture, utensils and kitchenware.

Donations to more than 1,200 students

The Mandaver Institute, seeking to turn the Vergel do Lago neighborhood in Maceió, Alagoas, into an innovative and entrepreneurial space in the state, has achieved notable results in changing the lives of children and young people in the region. The Institute also aims to make a continuous social impact, fighting illiteracy and inequalities in a place where crime and violence are frequent. 

The Church of Jesus Christ, in partnership with other institutions, donated to the Institute’s library tables, chairs and shelves, books, air conditioning equipment, notebooks, and the construction of a soccer field. In the first year, the donation could benefit more than 1,200 students.

Helping 1,600 children and teenagers

The Bairro da Juventude (Youth neighborhood) in Criciúma, Santa Catarina, has offered opportunities in education, culture, sport, social assistance, professionalization, and integration into the job market. To meet the growing demand, the CLIC Project (Playful Center for Innovation and Creativity) was launched, which benefits 1,600 children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.

Last September, following an announcement made on July 28, a ceremony was held to deliver items donated by the Church of Jesus Christ to the Bairro da Juventude. Among the donations were tables, chairs, cabinets, niches, and boards, thus improving educational activities and services for the youth.

Partnerships to fight hunger

On September 14th, the official ceremony of the humanitarian project to fight hunger by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held in partnership with the Federal Government, the Ministry of Social Development, and SESC (Social Service of Commerce). The project involved donating 30,000 basic food baskets to needy people in several Brazilian states, including victims of the extratropical cyclone in Rio Grande do Sul.

Rosângela “Janja” Lula da Silva, first lady of the country, Wellington Dias, Minister of Social Development, and other government authorities were present at the ceremony. Representing The Church of Jesus Christ were Elder Joni L. Koch, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Brazil Area, and Paulo de Araújo, manager of the Department of Welfare and Self-Reliance in Brazil.

National Day of the Deaf

On the last weekend of September, the Helping Hands project of the Ipatinga Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Minas Gerais, in partnership with ASIPA (Association of the Deaf of Ipatinga), celebrated the National Day of the Deaf, seeking to promote awareness and inclusion of people with hearing impairment.

The activity included inspiring talks, and participants shared stories of overcoming obstacles despite their hearing impairment. In an interview with MGTV (Globo Network), stake president Bruno Lima said this year, the Helping Hands program in Brazil focuses on all types of physical disabilities. Activities like these are being organized across the country.

Like many members around the world today, my family doesn’t have a traditional Latter-day Saint pioneer story. I’m a convert, joining the Church when I was 16 in Santo André, Brazil. I was born and raised by wonderful parents who loved the Lord and supported my decision.

Since joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I’ve crossed different kinds of plains, rivers, oceans and mountains, pulling some heavy burdens that many modern pioneers face nowadays. While not always easy, the journey has been filled with many special blessings.

One special blessing occurred on Dec. 27, 2019. I had done all the temple work for many family members but had not been sealed to my parents and grandparents. We decided to do it as a family.

Entering the sealing room that night, I saw all my four children already there, dressed in white, waiting with their beautiful smiles. I felt the Spirit so strong testifying that because of my baptism, my parents and all past generations would be forever linked to my children and the generations to come. My heart was filled with indescribable joy. 

Another special blessing took place April 15, 2023, when I witnessed the baptism of my oldest granddaughter, Clare. Looking at my daughter with her own beautiful family, I experienced the same overwhelming feeling I had performing my family’s sealings. This time, I was blessed to see my own three living generations who have made sacred covenants with the Lord.

While I was the first in my family to join the Church, the line of firsts didn’t end with me. My daughter was the first to serve a full-time mission. My son was the first to be ordained in the priesthood. Our family will have many more firsts as we remain faithful to the Lord.

We are all pioneers in some way, but the wonderful thing is that we don’t travel alone. We are yoked in love with each other and with our Savior, Jesus Christ, as we experience the most beautiful journey together.

Meetings will be broadcast on Autossuficiência Brasil's platforms such as Linkedin, Twitch, Youtube, Instagram and Facebook (all in Portuguese). Tickets are free and still available through the website semanadaeducacao.org (in Portuguese).

Here’s the schedule for each day.

Tuesday, July 4th

Theme: Studies and Sports: How to discover, plan, reflect and act while taking care of the mind and body.

• Opening: Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, General Authority Seventy and president of the Brazil Area, and his wife, Sister Elaine Finholdt Parrella.

Guests:

• Marta Caetano de Sá, organization adviser, Brazil Area.
• Nadiny Araújo and Nicoly Araújo, karate champions.
• Special participation: Mosiah Brentano Rodrigues, sports manager of the Brazilian Olympic Committee/former gymnast of the Brazilian National Team.

Wednesday, July 5th

Theme: Youth Entrepreneurship and Soft Skills: Developing skills to win

Guests:

• Wandreza Bayona, Instituto Ser+, employability attributes for soft and hard skills.
• Ananda Maia, Sebrae/SP, Protagonism in youth entrepreneurship
• Weverton Alves, one of the first winners of the “Led Award - Luz na Educação” by Rede Globo/ Fundação Roberto Marinho.
• Isaac Santos, Principles on personal finance. As a 14-year-old, he turned 10 hours of video games into 10 hours of study and became a financial investor.
• Wellington Gama, Senac, associate and college degrees.
• Professor Euler Freitas, Enem.
• Beatriz Clemente, Perpetual Education Fund.
• Viccenzo Benatti, BYU–Pathway Worldwide and EnglishConnect.
• João Carlos Cerqueira (Unesp) and Paloma Jucá (USP), Personal experience and success stories in a doctorate degree.
• Special message from Maurício de Sousa [in Portuguese], creator of Turma da Mônica (Monica's Gang).

Thursday, July 6th

Theme: Rising Careers: Technology, Agribusiness, Industry 4.0, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence

Guests:

• Amigos do Bem NGO (developing educational, job and income generation projects).
• Presentation of the Benson Scholarship (focused on the distribution of full scholarships in food and agriculture industries).
• Bruno Emerick, Information Technology (IT).
• Gabrieli Silva, Industry 4.0.
• Rubens Quadros, Agribusiness.

Friday, July 7th

Theme: Emotional and Spiritual Strengthening: Developing strength to face the challenges of the job market.

Guests:

• Brian K. Ashton, President, BYU-Pathway Worldwide.
• Palmênio Castro, Church Educational System (CES) director in Brazil. 

Education Week 2023 is an event hosted by Self-Reliance Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil.

The campaign, known worldwide as Pink October, distributes the ribbons in October each year for awareness and to encourage prevention of breast cancer. Helping Hands is a community service program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In this first activity, on May 20, the Braga Ward, Porto Portugal North Stake, assembled around 10,000 ribbons. The work will continue on other dates to to help with the goal in the Barcelos region to make 200,000 ribbons this year.

Braga Ward Bishop Luiz Soares said it was “gratifying to see everyone’s dedication — adults, youth and children — all working together toward the same goal, happily and cheerfully.” In addition to the project, this was “a great opportunity for ward members to socialize, and they even decided to have a picnic during the activity.”

The Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services in the Brazil Area announced in May 2023 four projects in the states of Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Read a summary of each one of them.

1.   Eye care equipment in Ribeirão Pires

The Center for Medical Specialties in Ribeirão Pires [the linked website is in Portuguese], São Paulo, received a donation from the Church of Jesus Christ that will provide eye care and diagnosis to more than 800 people per month.

The municipal health network received a corneal topographer, ophthalmic ultrasound, autorefractor, and specular microscopy. This equipment will allow the municipal network to offer corneal mapping and complete analysis of the anatomy of patients’ eyes. These tests are fundamental for diagnosing several eye diseases, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and tumors.

2.   Materials and renovation of Community Centers in Salvador

Seeking to strengthen and increase the support provided by the Community Centers in the neighborhoods of Paz and São Cristóvão in Salvador, in the state of Bahia, the Church announced a donation to the Associação Clara Amizade [in Portuguese].

The donation will supply materials and renovations in the spaces available at the Community Centers, which offer global education through workshops and courses designed for children, adolescents and young people in situations of social risk.

The training courses offered cover the areas of Afro-beauty, information technology and programming. The donation includes notebooks, printers, projectors, network infrastructure, air conditioning and fans.

3.   Donations to people in extreme vulnerability

The Church of Jesus Christ announced a donation to the Associação Esculpir [in Portuguese], an NGO that offers art, culture and music classes for children ages 5 to 16 in extreme vulnerability. The institution is located in the central region of Santos, on the coast of the state of São Paulo.

The donation includes wheelchairs, shower chairs, hospital beds and walkers, strengthening the institution’s support for people in extreme vulnerability. Such resources will improve the comfort, mobility and quality of life of those the project serves. 

4.   Solidarity kitchens in Rio de Janeiro

The Associação de Comunidades Vida Mariana (ACVM) [in Portuguese], linked to the Catholic Church in the state of Rio de Janeiro, was also one of the recipients of a donation announced by the Church .

According to the Self-Sufficiency Brazil page [in Portuguese] on Facebook, the association aims to “help homeless and young people recovering from chemical dependencies, offering shelter and training spaces, assistance and food prepared by solidarity kitchens.” 

The donation from the Church of Jesus Christ seeks to enhance the quality of meals, offering refrigerators and freezers for the solidarity kitchens and helping to improve their structure by properly storing meat, cold cuts and perishables. The benefited units are located in São Cristóvão, Xerém and Cachoeiras de Macacu, in Rio de Janeiro.

Also, thousands of Helping Hands volunteers carried out 146 projects in all 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District.

The welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in 1936 to “help care for members in need and strengthen their ability to become self-reliant” (Autossuficiência Brasil).

In 1985, the humanitarian program started, extending relief through voluntary organizations and members to all those experiencing different needs, regardless of race, color, gender, nationality or religious affiliation.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serve others as they work to fulfill the two great commandments given by the Savior Jesus Christ: first, to love God above all things and the second, but equally important, to love their neighbor as themselves.

Humanitarian projects in numbers

In 2022, 80 humanitarian projects were carried out in 20 states and the Federal District, impacting more than 1.5 million people. Below is a summary of the 2022 initiatives in Brazil.

Education

Donation of equipment and school materials, and school renovations:

• 9 humanitarian projects
• 6 states
• more than 400,000 beneficiaries

Community projects

Support and help local organizations to help meet community needs:

• 29 humanitarian projects
• 10 states and Federal District
• more than 250,000 beneficiaries

Neonatal resuscitation training

Health professionals were trained to save newborns with breathing difficulties. The donations of resuscitation kits to hospitals and midwives: 

• 2 humanitarian projects
• 2 states
• more than 500 beneficiaries

Hospitals, clinics and other healthcare institutions

Improvement of hospital conditions through equipment, supplies and small renovations:

• 23 humanitarian projects
• 11 states
• more than 800,000 beneficiaries

Emergencies

Alleviate suffering due to natural disasters, civil unrest or food insecurity:

• 15 humanitarian projects
• 9 states
• more than 70,000 beneficiaries

Wheelchairs

Improve mobility, as well as educational and economic opportunities for people with physical disabilities:

• 2 states
• more than 400 beneficiaries

Volunteering in Brazil and Helping Hands

Through Helping Hands, 146 projects were carried out in 109 cities distributed across the country’s five regions, according to the the report. Thousands of volunteers (in Portuguese) wearing their yellow vests across the country donated around 44,982 hours, the equivalent of 1,874 days or 5.2 years of work.

Among the activities were the collection of food, help in emergencies and natural disasters, assembly of humanitarian kits, services to refugees and other displaced people, and many others.

Many served on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Independence of Brazil, with three specific projects focused on strengthening women, families and communities.

According to Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services in Brazil, every week on Thursdays at the same time, new episodes will be released with “tips and inspiring stories about career, entrepreneurship, education, finance and emotional health.” The programs aim to provide listeners with “valuable insights, practical tips, and an extra dose of motivation” to encourage and guide those looking for jobs or to advance their careers.

This first episode featured John Rodgerson, a Latter-day Saints and CEO of Azul Linhas Aéreas [Azul Airlines], a company created in 2008 with over 12,000 employees today. He talked about “how to achieve professional success, the lessons and challenges of being at the forefront” of the company in Brazil.

How to access the podcast [in Portuguese]

All episodes of PodAgir+ will be available as a video on the YouTube channel of Autosufficiência Brasil and the audio on the following podcast platforms:

• Spotify
• Amazon Music
• Google Podcasts

This summer, several stakes around the country participated in five-day For the Strength of Youth conferences. Other stakes that didn’t have FSY this year organized a four-day conference for their youth. All conferences had the 2023 Youth theme, “I Can Do All Things Through Christ” (Philippians 4:13).

Throughout the years, these meetings have become something unforgettable as they create friendships and bring together youth and leaders, strengthening testimonies in a unique way and preparing the new generation for future experiences, challenges, and blessings.

Here are a few comments from leaders and youth about this year's experiences.

Porto Alegre Brazil Stake

Since they didn’t have an FSY scheduled for this year, the Porto Alegre Brazil Stake, in Rio Grande do Sul, organized a stake conference that brought together more than 100 young women, young men—including non-members—and leaders. This year’s conference took place in Gravataí, about 45 kilometers from the stake center, far from the city and surrounded by nature.

Bishop Leonardo Pujol, from the Nonoai Ward, sees the youth conferences as a type of “modern-day Noah’s Ark, which kept the prophet’s family safe during a flood that lasted 40 days. Similarly, "the youth conference is the ideal refuge from dangerous ... activities in Brazil during Carnival.”

He continued: “The activities were planned since June 2022, both by adult stake leaders and youth from all six wards in the stake.”

Despite the unexpected cold and rain, he said everything worked out, giving credit to the youth on the committee who put a lot of effort into it. He pointed out that, although young people are seen as tomorrow’s leaders, they already are “an indispensable part of today’s leadership.”

Bishop Pujol also saw it as a pattern for teens’ lives at home. “At the conference, they get up early, study the scriptures and ‘Come, Follow Me,’ keep the Sabbath day holy, eat at least three good meals a day, play sports, build new friendships, develop talents and have fun. ... I plan to reinforce this aspect with the youth in my ward, hoping they adopt this lifestyle.”

As a highlight, at the end of the four days, the owner of the location, his family and the staff were invited to the stage to receive a thank you from all the youth and leaders. Then, they sang the theme song, “I Can Do Everything in Christ.”

“Because we sang this song over and over again for four days, some people from the place started singing the song by heart,” shared Bishop Pujol. “It wasn’t just beautiful; it was exciting. It shows that Christ is not just the foundation of Church members. He is everyone’s foundation. Each and every person needs to know this — that they can do all things through Christ.”

Florianópolis Brazil Stake

On the first day of the youth conference, the youth were shy at first and would talk only to friends from their own ward. The leaders told them to choose a “canga” or a buddy so they would not be alone. 

One of the young men, Arthur Ribeiro Alves, said his main objective during the conference was to make new friends.

He described his experience: “We had four meals daily, and that was the best time to meet people and make new friendships. We also had dances on Saturday and Tuesday, which were great, and the meetings on Sunday were amazing.”

One youth from each ward was invited to give a talk, and Arthur was one of them. He described the talks as “incredible.”

Throughout the days he was able to make lots of friends, and he said that the best part was an activity by a bonfire, when the participants had a chance to share some of their feelings about the conference.

By the end, each one wrote a sin or weakness on a piece of paper and threw it on the fire. “Almost everyone started crying, it was the best spiritual experience that I had in my life,” Arthur said.

Palhoça Brazil Stake

Larissa M. Motta Yopán, a leader in Santa Catarina from the Palhoça Brazil Stake, also expressed her feelings about being part of the stake youth conference.

“What incredible days I lived there with these brave young people. My love for this youth tripled. What a powerful group! This generation’s empathy, love, respect for others, and intelligence is extraordinary—no doubt they are all noble spirits who have been prepared for the challenges of our times,” Yopán said.

Ribeirão Preto East Brazil Stake

Luciene Barros and her husband, Elder Bruno V. Barros, an Area Seventy from the Maceió Brazil Stake, were assigned to preside and coordinate the 2023 FSY for the Ribeirão Preto East Brazil Stake.

Maria Eduarda Souza dos Santos, a young woman at the conference, mentioned about having a spiritual experience while singing “I Stand All Amazed.” She said she had a feeling that while they sang, they were not alone but had the presence of the Lord’s angels to help them during the conference. 

She mentioned that a young man in their company has cancer and was very sad because he missed the activities the day before. The company got together and did new activities just for him.

At the testimony meeting, he bore his testimony of how much he loved them for helping him to feel better. “I started crying and felt very strongly the presence of the Holy Ghost next to me,” Luciene said.

Citing President Russell M. Nelson’s optimism and vision for the future, Elder Soares told Portuguese-speaking Latter-day Saints in the Utah Area on Sunday, Feb. 5: “In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns ‘with power and great glory,’ He will bestow countless privileges, blessings and miracles upon the faithful.”

In the first devotional of its kind for Portuguese-speaking members in the Utah Area, Elder Soares was joined by his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, and Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Monica Godoy, each of whom spoke. About 3,500 attended the devotional at the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah.

Two members of the Utah Area presidency were also in attendance: Elder Kevin W. Pearson and his wife, Sister June Pearson; and Elder Hugo E. Martinez and his wife, Sister Nuria Martinez. Elder Martinez offered brief introductory remarks inviting all to open their heart and mind for the messages that followed.

Shelter from life’s tornadoes

Elder Soares started his remarks bringing President Nelson’s greetings and love to that specific audience. He said that in the prayers of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles there is always a concern about how to better serve all members, similar to Jacob’s words in the parable of the olive tree, “But what could I have done more in my vineyard?” (Jacob 5:47)

Using an analogy inspired by tornado shelters he recently saw in the Denver, Colorado, airport, Elder Soares taught that Latter-day Saints can protect themselves from life’s complex tornadoes in the “spiritual shelter of the Savior.” He highlighted three aspects that can help one be under the Savior’s spiritual shelter:

1. Invoke the Savior’s power in one’s life.
2. Fulfill and honor sacred covenants with exactness.
3. Be true to personal and family responsibilities to keep the commandments and teach one’s family the gospel.

Elder Soares cited three specific blessings in the scriptures to those who stay faithful: the influence of the Holy Ghost to guide daily decisions (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77); peace amid the spiritual tornadoes of life (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23, Philippians 4:7); and eternal life in the world to come (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23).

In his final remarks, he expressed his gratitude and love, bearing his testimony of Jesus Christ and that God lives. He also testified “that if we are constant and unmovable in keeping the commandments of God with faith and diligence, surely the comfort of the Savior’s shelter will replace the pain of our experiences, peace will replace the turmoil, [and] hope will replace grief and trials will turn into blessings.”

The purpose of the Lord’s Church and His gospel

In her message, Sister Soares reflected on a conversation she had with her father — a good, faithful man who isn’t a member of any church — about the purpose of the Lord’s Church and His gospel. 

“The purpose of the gospel of Jesus Christ is our improvement, our progress, our happiness here on earth and that we could return to live with Him again,” she said. It requires more than simply being nice or reading the Bible; it requires faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost from priesthood authority found in His Church.

Sister Soares listed several things she has learned from faithfully attending church every Sunday — “things that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else” — including how to raise her children in the Lord’s way, and how to forgive others and herself by participating in the sacrament each week.

Forty years ago, when Elder and Sister Soares got married, they had a motto for their future life: “‘When the Prophet speaks, the debate is over.’ That doesn’t mean we never had questions. Yes, we did, but no doubts,” Sister Soares said.

“I know this gospel is true and perfect,” she added. “We aren’t perfect, but the gospel is. And we are so blessed to have prophets, seers and revelators in these days.”

Make time for the Lord and the temple

Elder Godoy started by asking the audience’s demographics: “How many here were born in Brazil? In the United States? In other Portuguese-speaking countries? How many have served in a Portuguese-speaking mission?” and so on. The audience demonstrated their excitement for being part of the historical event of having the first Portuguese devotional in the area, with messages tailored to their circumstances and needs.

Recognizing that many in the audience may be struggling to find joy amid their present challenges, Elder Godoy taught that “men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). As President Nelson explained, “the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”

Elder Godoy invited all to follow President Nelson’s charge to “make time for the Lord.” Those who prioritize the Lord and His commandments have this promise: “And I, the Lord, would fight their battles, and their children’s battles, and their children’s children’s … to the third and fourth generation” (Doctrine and Covenants 98:37). 

Sister Godoy referenced President Nelson’s teachings on the temple and testified of the peace and comfort the temple brings. “Ordinances of the temple fill our lives with power and strength available in no other way,” she said, quoting President Nelson from April 2021 general conference. 

What attendees said

Eloise Duarte, who moved to Utah from São Paulo, Brazil, three years ago with her family, attended the devotional with her daughters, Rebeca and Sarah. Eloise told the Church News she was grateful for the opportunity to hear from a living Apostle and feel the Spirit.

She was particularly impressed by the story Elder Soares shared of Jennie Taylor — a mother of seven children who lost her husband, Maj. Brent Taylor, in Afghanistan — and how she has found strength in the Savior by staying faithful on the covenant path. “She realized that no one suffered more than the Savior did,” Eloise Duarte said. “This allowed her to keep going.”

The music for the devotional was provided by the Coro Luz Divina (Divine Light Choir), created by Elton Luz and his wife, Mila Luz. The choir had about 250 members, mostly Brazilians from various Portuguese-speaking units throughout the state.

The prelude and closing song titled “The Miracle” resonated with Alessandro Fernandes, who is originally from São Paulo. His family participated in the choir.

“I liked the last song because our little one that is inside, he’s a miracle,” Fernandes said, referring to his 10-year-old son Jordan. “We almost lost him last year. He had to have a brain surgery out of the blue.” Jordan’s recovery is ongoing, and he has another surgery next month. The song brought Fernandes peace.

For Camilla Fridley, a choir member from Rondônia, Brazil, attending rehearsals and preparing for the devotional was a “divine and spiritual” experience. A highlight for her was singing with her friend, who is not active in the Church but chose to participate in the choir.

During rehearsals, she said, choir members were often reminded of their purpose at the devotional: “It wasn’t to show that we could sing; the purpose of this was to seek the Savior and have the Spirit.”

Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Monica Godoy, will also speak at the event. Elder Hugo E. Martinez, General Authority Seventy and second counselor in the Utah Area presidency, will be in attendance.

The event starts at 6 p.m. Mountain Time, and it will be held in the BYU Smith Fieldhouse (1150 N. 150 East) in Provo, with a capacity for 5,000 people. 

The devotional will not be streamed online or recorded, and tickets are not required to attend. This will be the first time that Elder Soares will officially address Portuguese speakers in the Utah Area. 

Presence of the Church in Portuguese-speaking countries

According to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, nine countries have Portuguese as an official language. The Church is recognized and established in five of them: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Portugal.

In an interview with the Church News, Elder Godoy mentioned a Church study that estimates about 5,000 members born in Portuguese-speaking countries currently live in the Utah Area, but not all attend congregations in their native language.

He also commented that in the past two years, the number of Portuguese-speaking units in the state increased from six to 14, with 12 wards and two newly created branches. Here is a list of the cities (in alphabetical order) that have Portuguese-speaking units:

• Lehi (North Pointe Ward)
• Logan (Cache Valley 3rd Branch)
• Mapleton (Mapleton 24th Ward)
• Millcreek (Winder 17th Ward)
• Orem (Geneva Heights 9th Ward)
• Pleasant Grove (Garden 9th Ward)
• Provo (Pioneer 6th Ward)
• Riverton (Harvest Field Ward)
• Sandy (Crescent Park 6th Ward)
• Sandy (Midvale 17th Ward)
• Saratoga Springs (Saratoga Hills 8th Ward)
• South Ogden (Orchard Branch)
• Taylorsville (11th Ward)
• West Jordan (Mountain Shadows 1st Ward)

Other states in the U.S. that have meetings in Portuguese-speaking units are Idaho, Nevada, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. There are also Portuguese meetings in England, Luxembourg and Uruguay.                   

The music for the devotional will be provided by the Coro Luz Divina (Divine Light Choir), created by Elton Luz and his wife, Mila Luz. The choir has about 250 members, mostly Brazilians from various Portuguese-speaking units throughout the state.

Elton Luz shared with Church News: “We intend to provide opportunities for immigrants and people connected in some way to the Portuguese language to be blessed by good music.”

“You have a perfect message,” Elder Renlund said, listing key elements such as the Restoration of the gospel, modern-day revelation, a living God, Jesus as the Christ, priesthood keys, and covenants and ordinances. “Your message is perfect — everyone needs it.”

And then he cited several scriptures — Doctrine and Covenants 1:23, 2 Nephi 27:19-20, Ether 12:23-26 and Mormon 8:12 — that describe the traits of the messengers of the gospel: weak, simple, unlearned, awkward and imperfect.

“That is you — that is who God has called to preach his perfect message, and it is sufficient for the meek,” said Elder Renlund, adding that all that is asked is that “we do our part and work over time to get better.”

The Apostle reminded the 108 full-time elders and sisters of the Belém mission that “you don’t convert, the Holy Ghost converts.”

Elder Renlund was accompanied by his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund; Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Monica Godoy; and Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, president of the Brazil Area, and his wife, Sister Elaine Parrella.

Sister Renlund and the Godoys shared messages and the Parrellas their testimonies.

Elder Renlund began his instruction saying he wanted to emphasize three points:

• “On behalf of the Lord and His Church, thank you,” he told the missionaries — for accepting their mission calls, having the faith to come and serve and for helping Heavenly Father’s children return to His presence. “Don’t forget that on this day, two Seventies and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles expressed thanks for your sacrifice and your willingness to serve.”
• The attending missionaries were called by prophecy to serve in the Brazil Belém Mission. “You have a right and obligation to get that revelation for yourselves,” he told them several times.
• President Paulo R. Ribolla and Sister Patricia R. Ribolla, leaders of the Belém mission, were also called by prophecy, Elder Renlund said, briefly explaining the process used by the Quorum of the Twelve to review and confirm the calls of proposed new mission presidents and companions. “We have to know them, love them and trust them, and the question is, ‘Does the Lord know them, love them and trust them?’” before a member of the quorum is assigned to speak with candidates, followed by a member of the First Presidency issuing the call, he said. As missionaries realize such prophecy is involved, when they receive transfers, new companions and assignments from the mission leaders, they can ask, “What does the Lord want me to accomplish now?”

Said President Ribolla after the meeting: “I still can’t find the words for the feelings that I’m having right now, because Elder Renlund said everything that every missionary in this mission needs. He is a true Apostle of Jesus Christ, and I love him and love my Savior.”

And President Ribolla was feeling doubly blessed with the meeting. As a young full-time missionary, he served in the Brazil Belém Mission during the same time that the Godoys led the mission, from 1997 to 2000, and the current mission president got to have his missionaries listen to and learn from his former mission president.

“I still think it’s a dream — it was awesome, and it’s a feeling I cannot describe,” said President Ribolla of being in a mission meeting again with Elder Godoy. “The Spirit was so strong, and I felt like I was Elder Ribolla again and not President Ribolla any more.”

The Ribollas are not much older than the Godoys were 25 years ago when Elder Godoy was a 36-year-old mission president. Another shared experience between the two mission-leader families is both having brought children with them to serve.

Sister Renlund spoke of chapter 11 of “Preach My Gospel” — titled “How Do I Help People Make and Keep Commitments” — which she said is the integration of all missionary efforts.

Using the five fingers on her hand and inviting the missionaries to follow, she highlighted the process to help others make and keep commitments — teach, testify, invite, promise blessings and follow up.

She then went first to “invite,” saying: “This is how we call people unto repentance — we invite them to change. … If you haven’t extended an invitation when you teach, you haven’t called the person to repent. You made a social call, but you’ve not been a missionary.”

She told the missionaries to associate doctrine to invitations, which is to “teach” the doctrine prior to inviting and to “testify” the doctrine is of God.

She also underscored the need to promise blessings with invitations and to use methods to follow up on invitations, including involving members in the teaching, testifying, inviting and promising blessings.

Elder Godoy showed photos from their Belém service a quarter-century ago, beginning with a photo of the young Godoy family in front of the Provo Missionary Training Center in 1997. He then scrolled through missionary roster pages showing thumbnail photos and names of the 500 missionaries who served in the Belém mission during their time.

He paused to highlight President Ribolla as Elder Ribolla the missionary from 1999 to 2001.

Emphasizing the Belém mission is one of faith, obedience and miracles, he told the elders and sisters their mission service “is preparing you for your own lives” as spouses, parents, providers and leaders. He then showed a rotating collage of dozens of the Godoys’ returned missionaries in recent photos with their spouses and children. “These photos here get me emotional,” he said.

The next day’s dedication of the Belém Brazil Temple is the result of missionaries for decades teaching the importance of families, ordinances and covenants, Elder Godoy said. “We dreamt about temples, we sang about temples, and at conferences, we spoke about temples — and here we are.”

Sister Godoy invited one of the sister missionaries to come up front and put on Elder Godoy’s suit jacket, which was long and oversized on her. She used the moment as a visual object lesson of how we grow into our calls and service and fill out in reaching our own potential.

What missionaries learned

Elder Samuel Hood of Kaysville, Utah, said he learned from Elder Renlund’s message and interactions that coming prepared with questions of things one wants answered is important. “And I learned that through the Holy Ghost, even your questions that you don’t think you’ve asked will be answered by God,” he said.

Elder Seth Ellingson of Windsor, Colorado, said he learned missionaries have to put 100% of their trust in God — something he had known from Primary, Sunday School and Young Men. “But it hasn’t been until I got into the mission that we have to put every ounce of trust that we have in the Lord, and when we do that, He will fill in the space that we can’t fill.”

Sister Ana Monteiro, of Iguape in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, said she felt a confirmation of her testimony that God knows each individually “and He has me on Earth now to share this message as many times as possible and to endure to the end.”

Sister Raab Silva from the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais said, “It was an indescribable spirit that was there in the meeting.”

Elder Pedro H. Amorim of São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, said he had felt that Heavenly Father knows him more than he knows himself. “And as I listened to Elder Renlund’s words, I could be sure that God is at the forefront of missionary work. God called me to be here, and now with a temple in Belém, we are confident that through the work of previous missionaries, our work has been made even more special now.”

Elder Guilherme S. Alves of São Paulo, Brazil, said: “Today my prayers have been answered — prayers that I had in the depths of my soul, prayers that really needed to be answered. And they were answered thanks to an Apostle, a prophet, seer and revelator in these last days.”

Besides formal and informal gatherings, the returned missionaries will find their way to the temple site during the weekend, hoping to perhaps even be able to attend a Sunday session.

One well-known companionship who served in the Belém mission, however, will have up-front seats for all three dedication services, be recognized by many members and former missionaries from past years and also have access to Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who is presiding at the dedication.

That companionship? Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Sister Monica Godoy, who are remembered by longtime members and missionaries throughout northern Brazil for their service as president and companion of the Brazil Belém Mission a quarter century ago.

‘A dream coming true’

“I never imagined that I would be alive to see this happen,” Elder Godoy said of the temple and its dedication, “let alone be there delivering a message. And I have to thank Elder Renlund because he made that happen for me and Monica to be there. We are so grateful.”

The Belém dedication will be special for the Godoys and their missionaries because of the time, effort, energy and love put into their service with the stakes and districts, wards and branches there and throughout northern Brazil.

“It was not an easy mission to serve in, and those missionaries paid the price and deserve to see this happen,” he said. “That’s why it is so meaningful to us — we were teaching about the temple, we were baptizing people, saying ‘You can be sealed. We know it’s far off, but a temple will be here — maybe for you or your children. We will have it.’ And now we are seeing it, so it’s just a dream coming true.”

Sister Godoy agreed about being back in Belém and on the temple grounds with their son David the day before the dedication. “I don’t believe it — it is very, very good.”

Twenty-five years ago in Belém, she was both a mission president’s companion and mother to four young children who were with them on their mission, taking care of them and helping arrange their education.

“I was nervous — I was so young at that time that I didn’t realize how hard it was. We were just living step by step, but it was nice,” she said, adding, “The Lord helps us with each detail in our lives.”

Pre-mission

The Godoys have made their way around Brazil — he was born in Porto Alegre and she is from São Paulo; he served as a young missionary in São Paulo and she in Recife. They married in the São Paulo Brazil Temple in 1984 and lived first in Porto Alegre before being transferred by work to São Paulo. He later earned an MBA at Brigham Young University.

In 1986, they got a call to meet with the Brazil Area president, which instead turned into a surprise meeting with Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and an even more surprising interview about the possibility of serving as mission president and companion.

“A call was completely out of our expectation — we were young and not ‘experienced,’ ” said Elder Godoy of having served only one year as a bishop in Porto Alegre before the work transfer.

But the call came — and so did the dual opportunity to lead not only full-time missionaries but also the five districts that then were part of the Belém mission.

Mission service, 1997-2000

Arriving in early July 1997, the 36-year-old President Godoy found an area that included the state of Pará, where the mission headquarters were located, and the neighboring states of Amapá and Maranhão. A transfer for missionaries from one side of the mission to the other could take as long as two days, including 12 hours by boat, a one-hour flight and 12 hours by bus.

“The Amazon River was our interstate,” he said. “That’s where we were moving around missionaries, sometimes by plane, but most of the time by boat.”

He had to cover great distances to oversee the five districts — four of which have since become stakes. He hadn’t served in a stake presidency, so assisting a district and its branches was something new.

“You rely on prayer and the Spirit,” he said, adding that he brought the district presidents together every three to six months “hoping they would learn from each other and that the Spirit would give revelation because we were working as a council.”

Sacrificing to be temple-attending Saints

Elder Godoy recalls Latter-day Saints throughout the Belém mission area as already committed to regular temple attendance when he and Sister Godoy arrived 25 years ago. Members would attend two times annually or more — making great sacrifices to do so.

Those in and around Belém faced a three-day bus ride each way in the “temple caravans” that crossed the massive country to get to the São Paulo Brazil Temple, dedicated in 1978. It was the nation’s sole temple, with the addition of temples in Porto Alegre and Recife later in 2000.

Latter-day Saints living farther away in the states of Amapá and Maranhão tacked on an additional three-day boat ride to get to Belém, meaning round-trip travel was 12 days, not including any time spent at the São Paulo temple.

“So for them, it was really something of a sacrifice — but they were doing this twice a year,” Elder Godoy said, adding “It was normal, it was part of the districts’ tradition.”

The simple, humble members would not only deplete their savings but sell household items such as televisions, refrigerators and ovens to have money to travel by temple caravan.

“They were selling their possessions to go to the temple,” he added. “That’s why I’m so glad to see some of those members from 25 years ago — they will be there at the dedication. Some are just going to take a bus — maybe some only needing a few hours to get to the temple, rather than six days.”

After completing their mission assignment in 2000, the Godoys returned to returned to São Paulo for work before he was called as a General Authority Seventy in 2008. His assignments included serving in area presidencies in Brazil and northern South America before his 2018 call to the Presidency of the Seventy.

But their hearts have been true to Belém, a feeling shared by local members. Bishop Moises Queiroz of the Belém Ward remembers the Godoys as caring mission leaders and effective speakers in meetings. And he said that whenever the Godoys return, they’ll say they can’t stay away from the açaí, cupuaçu and other food typical of the state of Pará. “For the people from here to hear and receive a compliment and praise like this means a lot,” Bishop Queiroz said. “The members see him as family for sure — a very dear person to all of us.”

Temple announcement

President Thomas S. Monson announced a temple for Belém, Brazil, in the April 2016 general conference; Elder Godoy remembers his three-phased response.

First, he was sitting on the Conference Center’s multi-tiered rostrum with the rest of the general authorities when hearing the announcement for the first time. “We cannot do anything right there — you have to be reverent. But I was weeping with joy inside.”

Outside the Conference Center afterward, he joined in sharing calls, emails and texts with family, friends, members in Brazil — “and especially our missionaries.”

The third phase came as questions to his mind, remembering his involvement as a general authority in helping supervise the Brazil Area. “ ‘Can I be there? Is there any chance of me being assigned?’ ” he said. “We cannot ask — but it was a dream.”

The current pattern of Church leaders assigned to temple dedications includes the member of the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who is presiding, joined by one of the executive directors of the Temple Department and a member of the area presidency.

However, Elder Godoy’s dream became a reality, when Elder Renlund requested to be accompanied by Elder Godoy.

“Elder Renlund added me to the list because he knew where my heart was, and he knew the whole story — or at least part of the story,” said Elder Godoy, adding that when he heard of his assignment to the traveling party for the dedication “I wanted to kiss him. I cried — I was just so happy.”

And he’ll benefit from another sweet gesture from Elder Renlund, who is also mindful of the presence of Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella and Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, General Authority Seventies who are respectively the Brazil Area president and an assistant executive director in the Temple Department.

Usually, Elder Godoy would try to accompany and assist the presiding officer and be at his side as much as possible. “Elder Renlund said, ‘You know, Carlos, I’m going to be there with Elder Parrella and Elder Valenzuela, so you can just be free to walk around before and after the three sessions, because there are so many people that you know there. Don’t worry about me — be with them.”

And the Godoys will do just that — be with the Belém Saints once again.

NOTE: A previous version had an incorrect timing of Elder Godoy receiving his MBA from BYU.

Brazil, ‘the country of the future’

During the 1978 São Paulo Brazil Temple dedication celebrations, a play titled “A porta” [The door], portrayed the gospel restoration in the American continent, with the following chorus:

Go, Columbus, open the curtain

of my eternal workshop 

and get America out in the open.

In 1492 Columbus “opened the curtain” of part of the Americas, and eight years later, in 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral introduced to the world a place compared to “a paradise on earth,” where everything that was planted would grow. This discovery proved to be true, throughout the centuries, both literally and symbolically. 

At the beginning of the 19th century — on Sept. 7, 1822, Brazil declared independence from Portugal. The newly established nation started to receive the influence of other countries, opening up to European immigration.

In 1913, German immigrants Max and Amalie Zapf became the first members of the Church in southern Brazil. The seed of the gospel had been planted and, as predicted, the fruit was delicious and quickly spread throughout the country. Missionary work officially began in 1928, with the gospel being preached primarily in German, including pamphlets and the Book of Mormon, and the first chapel was built in 1932 in Joinville, Santa Catarina.

In February 1935, President Heber G. Grant called Rulon S. Howells to be the president of the first Brazilian mission. But no place had been designated as the headquarters for the newly created mission. On May 25, 1935, after having traveled through much of the country, President Howells chose São Paulo as the mission’s official headquarters. The Book of Mormon was translated into Portuguese and published in 1940, thus beginning the greatest Church growth recorded in South America at that time (see “From Acorn to Oak Tree,” by Frederick S. Williams and Frederick G. Williams).

Despite missionaries being persecuted and a world war, Brazil proved to be the gateway to the gospel for Portuguese-speaking nations. In June 1978, with the revelation giving the priesthood to all worthy men of the Church, followed by the dedication of the São Paulo Temple in October, a new stage in the growth of the Church worldwide began.

The community created by the Portuguese discoveries sharing the same language facilitated missionary work, and Brazilians were able to take the message of the restored gospel to two other continents overseas.

As today the heart of Emperor Dom Pedro I literally returned to Brazil to celebrate 200 years of independence, another heart is worth mentioning. On his 2014 trip to the country, then-Elder Russell M. Nelson declared that “Brazil is what I call a part of the heart of the Church,” which has been shared with other nations across the world, taken by God’s own hand.

From Brazil to the Luso-African community

The arrival of the first Church members in Portugal took place in the mid-1950s, when U.S. troops were stationed at various military bases across the country. But it wasn’t for almost a quarter of a century that the Church received legal recognition on Oct. 27, 1974. Soon after, four missionaries were transferred from Brazil to start preaching the gospel in the country. Many Portuguese members then said that Portugal had discovered the territory of Brazil, but later, Brazil had discovered the gospel for Portugal.

In 1988, missionary work began in Cape Verde, the first Portuguese-speaking country in Africa to receive the gospel. In 2002 the Cape Verde Mission, created from the Portugal Lisbon South Mission, was announced by President Gordon B. Hinckley. The Praia branch was created on April 29, 2012, along with the first stake in the country. About 150 Cape Verdean missionaries have served their missions in various parts of the world, including Brazil. Church growth in the country culminated in the dedication of the Praia Cape Verde Temple on May 21, 2022, by Elder Neil L. Andersen.

The history of the Church in Mozambique began in 1990, when Chico Mapenda, a Mozambican living in Germany, was baptized. Upon returning home, he and his brother “organized congregations and began serving as traveling ministers for these ‘Latter-day Saints’ who had not yet been baptized” (“Lessons of Faith from Church History in Africa”; in Portuguese).

In 1992, as the Mozambican civil war came to an end, Church leaders toured the country and found small groups of people worshiping as “members of the Church,” including in a chapel built by residents in a remote village. Today, Mozambique celebrates the 2021 announcement of the Beira Mozambique Temple, to be the first built in the country. 

The Church was officially recognized in Angola in 1992, and in 1996 the first branch, located in Luanda — the country’s capital, was organized. In 2018, the first stake was organized. This year, on July 9, Church leaders broke ground in Angola for the first Latter-day Saint meetinghouse. For 37 years, members have been meeting in borrowed or rented buildings. The new building, announced in 2016, is expected to be completed in 2023.

Four other Portuguese-speaking countries — Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea — still do not have official Church data.

From Brazil to the world: Leaders that made a difference                    

From the “curtain” that was opened to Brazil, the reversal of the empire-colony relationship took place when Brazilian missionaries began to be sent to Portugal and Africa, starting in the 1970s. Other leaders, already familiar with Brazilian Portuguese, also began to lead in Portuguese-speaking regions. Among them was William Grant Bangerter, who served his mission in Brazil from 1939 to 1941. Subsequently, from 1958 to 1963, he was the president of the Brazilian Mission, and in 1974, he was called as president of the first mission in Portugal.

Another contribution of great impact to the advancement of the gospel in Luso-Afro-Brazilian nations pertains to one of President Frederick G. Williams’ descendants.

The former president of the Brazil São Paulo Interlagos Mission, former president of the Recife Brazil Temple, and former professor of Portuguese at Brigham Young University, Frederick G. Williams contributed in many ways to the establishment of the Church in Mozambique.

He directed seven BYU study abroad programs over a 10-year period, participating with students in splits with the missionaries, as well as with the growth of two very small branches that led to the establishment of the Mozambique mission and stakes.

And the fruits of leaders, members and many others, can be seen with the 11 temples dedicated and another nine announced or under construction in the Luso-Afro-Brazilian world.

Other officials who visited The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ first temple in the country included Cape Verde’s National Assembly President Austelino Tavares Correia. During his visit, he described the celestial room as a place of peace and spiritual reflection.

Former Cape Verde President Jorge Carlos Fonseca and his wife, Lígia Fonseca, also attended the open house. As they reflected on its meaning, they observed that places of worship such as the Praia Cape Verde Temple can contribute to greater harmony and peace, not only in the country, but throughout the world.

The temple public open house started May 21 and will run until Saturday, June 11. Reservations are available at churchofjesuschrist.org/temples/open-houses.

The Praia temple’s dedication is Sunday, June 19, in three sessions, at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m., with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presiding over the dedication weekend events.

Read more: See 8 exterior, interior images of new Praia Cape Verde Temple

I spoke with some missionaries from the missions in the new Rio de Janeiro Brazil Temple district and began to realize the progress of the Church there and across South America.

One elder was from São José dos Campos, São Paulo, where my family moved after I finished high school in 1978. As I tried to find some common ground by naming families I knew there, the missionary told me that city now has two stakes. I thought he was confused and meant two wards. It used to have one small branch as part of a district covering much of the eastern part of the state of São Paulo. But he was right, there are now two stakes in that one city.

My reaction of surprise was promptly replaced by an overwhelming feeling of joy for those members and missionaries who worked so hard to build the Church in that area, and in many others throughout the country.

Later, I met another missionary, whose excitement was contagious. He had a smile on his face while crying and smiling simultaneously. He was from the northern part of Brazil, in Óbidos, Pará, where one of my sons served during his mission.

We used to say that the Church in Brazil was so small that all its members knew each other. As the Church has grown, this situation has changed. The Church in Pará, and in the rest of the country, has grown beyond my poor imagination, and many promises have been fulfilled.

This elder had been a member of the Church for only 18 months and was the only member of his family who joined it. Since he couldn’t go to the temple there (the traveling distance by car between his hometown in Pará to the closest temple in Manaus is 1,457 miles/2,345 km), he received his endowment when he went to the missionary training center in São Paulo.

At that moment, he had been in the mission field for only four days. The overwhelming feelings he was having were undoubtedly evidence of the blessings he had already experienced in this short period as a missionary: “Four days, sister, and I’ve already gone through the temple. I have a temple right here, in my mission. And I shook hands with an Apostle. I could never have imagined all this.” Then he shed more tears.

He said serving a mission has been hard without his parents’ support, but he kept repeating the incredible blessings he’s seen, crying with a mix of joy and sadness. It was the pure and sincere testimony of a young, converted missionary of the greatness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings of temple covenants in His holy house.

In Matthew 5:8, the Lord said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” This young missionary had a brief glimpse of the many blessings the Lord has reserved for him and many others who have a heart that is pure enough to believe in things that cannot be seen but are true. And in my heart, I prayed that he may never forget such feelings because they are genuinely beautiful.

The history of the Church in Brazil started in 1913 when two German immigrants, who were members of the Church, arrived in the Southern part of the country. In 1978, when the São Paulo Brazil Temple was dedicated, 54,410 members lived in Brazil. Ten years later, there were 265,286 members of the Church, representing a growth of 487%.

In 2021, the number of members of the Church in Brazil was 1,456,238. In 43 years, the Church there has grown more than 2,600%, and it went from one temple dedicated to eight, with another eight under construction or announced.

After the São Paulo Brazil Temple dedication, the area covering the Rio de Janeiro Brazil Mission at that time became 17 other missions, and the four missions from 1978 originated today’s 36 missions.

The numbers are impressive. I remember so many pioneers at the São Paulo Brazil Temple dedication that came from all over South America to be sealed as families. They sacrificed everything they had for their testimony of the gospel’s truth. I have no doubt they were the foundation for the growth and strength of the Church on the continent.

And the good news is that the field is still ready there, and everywhere, and many more temples will continue to populate the world and bless families for eternity.

To better prepare myself for my first lecture almost 15 years ago, I desired to see that reality with my own eyes, which I knew only from books and films. After carefully planning for several months, I returned to my native Brazil and arranged a visit to Cidade de Deus.

On my first day there, I was accompanied by some nongovernmental organization officials because the favela’s security code didn’t allow any unaccompanied “foreigners.” I immediately understood I was a “foreigner” in that world, representing an actual threat to the well-being of its residents.

However, from my first step there, I saw and felt something quite different from what I had found in my research. I discovered people of all ages with an unparalleled faith, trying to give a better life to their families

Yes, I found the violence documented in newspapers, books and films. However, examples of faith, hope and perseverance were much more evident and stronger than anything else.

I had the opportunity to return to the community the next day, accompanied by a local bishop. I interviewed some members of the Church, including youth from a ward in the area. As part of my research, I wanted to know and try to understand how the youth saw that world around them, their fears and dreams — and more than anything else, the role of the gospel in a life surrounded by poverty, violence and crime.

I talked to the young men and women during an activity in the chapel. Without exception, each had a beautiful, contagious smile and a concrete hope and faith that one day they would be capable of helping their community and other underprivileged communities.

Returning for a third and final day, I had planned to visit families of the youth from the night before. However, the streets were empty, and I could perceive a feeling of fear surrounding me. I then learned that a terrible crime had happened in the neighborhood the night before, preventing the youth from returning to their homes for security reasons.

I asked the father of one of the young men why he kept his family in that “terrible” place and didn’t take them far from all that violence.

His answer was simple. “The Lord works from the inside out,” he said, paraphrasing President Ezra Taft Benson. “The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums.”

He added: “Sister, this is my home where I was born and raised my family. We are in the favela, but the favela isn’t inside us.”

Feeling a little bit ashamed for my assumptions, I noticed in his eyes and words the type of faith and hope in Christ very seldom found in people.

As I left Rio a few days later, I looked one more time at the “Christ the Redeemer” statue, with its arms open to the city, and I did not doubt that Christ was watching over those faithful members.

That good brother, who had been without a job for more than six months and struggled to put food on the family’s table, shared with me his greatest treasure — his faith in Christ, coming from his pure heart and his testimony of the gospel.

He truly lived the words of the Savior: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).

During His mortal ministry, Jesus Christ did not seek after kings, palaces or wealth. He was among the humble and pure in heart, teaching that all are children of a Heavenly Father who loves us and “is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34).

His spiritual light, peace, guidance and comfort are available to all, independently of our social status, where we live, or what we are or do. For the Lord has promised to those who search for Him and draw toward His light — “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

— Vanessa Fitzgibbon is the translation coordinator for the Church News.

Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles joined a panel of ecclesiastical and Church education leaders to respond to previously-submitted questions from their young audience.

Elder Soares and the panel focused on questions related to seven topics:

• How to get closer to the Savior
• Faith and testimony
• Prayer
• Atonement
• Revelation
• Afflictions and tribulations 
• Dating and marriage

Here are a few highlights:

How get closer to the Savior

Elder Soares recalled the occasion when President Russell M. Nelson, shortly before becoming the Church president, extended an invitation and a challenge during a worldwide devotional for all single adults.

President Nelson invited them to improve their testimonies of the Savior by giving them a simple way to do it:

“If you study everything that Jesus said that had been recorded in the New and Old Testaments, the doctrine related to the Savior found in the Book of Mormon, and the revelations He has given to the prophets, starting with Doctrine and Covenants, your love for the Savior will increase.” 

Elder Soares exhorts vast audience of Portuguese-speaking young adults to exercise faith, draw near to the Savior and follow the prophets

President Nelson also said that their capacity to become more like the Savior would increase significantly. What he did not mention was that he was doing all that before he extended his invitation. Despite his busy schedule, he completed his study in six weeks and found more than 2,000 references of Christ in the standard works. 

Sister Nelson asked her husband what he took from that experience. President Nelson, who was 93 at that time, answered, “I’m a new man.”

Elder Soares said that President Nelson has a contagious enthusiasm, an energy that motivates everyone around him to walk faster, as well as a loving heart and a tender look. 

“It’s difficult to be close to President Nelson and not feel the presence of the Savior.”

He closed his remarks on this topic by reading Doctrine and Covenants 88:63, “Draw near unto me, and I will draw near unto you.”

Faith and testimony 

“Everything that we do is to strengthen our faith in God and Jesus Christ, in His Atonement and in Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness,” said Elder Soares.

But sometimes, he acknowledged, it is exceedingly difficult to understand how this can apply to our lives.

In a tender moment that summarized all the principles and answers to several topics, Elder Soares shared his family’s experience, after he and Sister Rosana Soares were married, which helped them understand the meaning of faith.

Despite their busy life, working and studying full-time, and after a couple of years of dealing with health challenges, they were blessed with the birth of their first child. Sadly, Sister Soares’ second child was delivered stillborn.

Elder Soares remembered holding the baby and putting him to rest in a small white coffin. Along with his brother-in-law, Elder Claudio R. M. Costa, they went to the cemetery to bury his child. 

While walking on the cemetery streets, he prayed for the Lord to give him the courage to finish what he needed to do to move forward and remain firm.

“I remember, my dear young adults, at that moment feeling something from Heaven that filled my heart. A feeling of profound love. I clearly felt Heavenly Father telling me, ‘Stay calm, everything will be alright. Don’t give up.’ ”

“That feeling gave me the courage to continue and bury our child. … That profound feeling of peace, courage, strength, strengthened my faith to the point that I did not lose my hope or the vision of the blessings that the Lord had for me in the future.”

He continued, “I could never imagine everything that happened in our lives in the future, but it was experiences like that that taught me to trust the Lord and have more faith. … We can trust Heavenly Father and know that He … is aware of our challenges. 

“When we try to do what is right, even if we do not have a full understanding of things, He will prepare the way for things to work out.” 

Prayer

Elder Soares said prayer is a necessary step to progress, to be forgiven, to receive the power of God in one’s life and to receive the influence of the Spirit. 

“It is an attitude of humility before God. When we kneel and pray, we’re acknowledging our smallness before God and recognizing His power over us.” 

Doctrine and Covenants 112:10, he added, teaches: “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give the answer to thy prayers.” 

“Prayers are vital, and we all need, in one way or another, to find a Sacred Grove in our lives … where the Lord may give us the revelations He has prepared for us.”

Atonement

Elder Soares said Christ suffered for our sins and our sufferings. 

Referring to King Benjamin in Mosiah 4, he said we can know when we have been forgiven, when we feel the influence of His spirit in our lives, when we are full of joy, and when we have peace of mind. 

Elder Soares noted that in Doctrine and Covenants 58:42, the Lord said that He does not remember our sins after repenting, but He did not say that we would not remember. Elder Soares thinks that remembering past discretions is not something negative — it serves to warn us so we do not commit the same error again.

Revelation

President Nelson has warned against living without orientation from the Holy Ghost, Elder Soares said. An important step to ensure that orientation is to pray with honest intention to receive answers and follow inspired direction.

Afflictions and tribulations 

Why do good people have to go through trials and difficulties? Difficulties come to all, regardless of race, culture, or nationality, Elder Soares said. 

The Savior faced difficulties despite living a perfect life. The Lord suffered to accomplish His Father’s plan of salvation. 

Dating and marriage

Elder Soares also taught that marriage is part of God’s plan. Maybe not all will marry in this life— but the Lord will give all His promised blessings to those who remain faithful to Him until the end (Mosiah 2:41).

Seek and practice purposeful dating, he added. One should not date without a purpose — or date simply to have fun. Search for someone who will combine “the crucial things” in one’s lives to build a life together.

Some people make lists with their expectations and desired characteristics that they want to find in another person. But Elder Soares said it’s important to also ask, “Do I have such characteristics?”  

“We need to prepare ourselves before looking for such a person.”