On February 21, Elder Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, accompanied by Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the Seventy and their wives met with members of the Port of Spain Stake in Trinidad and Tobago.
Sister Gonzalez was the first speaker. She told members that we are Israel today, that we are a treasured people and, though we may forget God at times, He never will forget us. Sister Gonzales reminded members that God has us engrave on the palms of His hands; he knows each of us and cares for each of us. We must honor His love as His chosen people and aid in the gathering of Israel today. We must have faith, repent, and be baptized. Ordinances must be completed for entry into His kingdom.
Elder Gonzalez spoke of the conversion process that changes our thoughts to think as the Savior thinks and that changes our feelings to feel as He feels. He expressed the importance of building stronger families by applying the following principles:
- Show and express love,
- Praise each other more often--find the good things,
- Create memories through wholesome family activities,
- Limit time on cell phones and social media, create prime time to talk to one another, and
- Make the newly implemented “Come Follow Me” instrumental in building strong families.
Sister Soares talked about the importance of the scriptures and of sharing our testimony of them with our children and families. Scriptures must be read daily for revelation in order to learn about the Savior. Time must be made for the Lord so that He will open a window into heaven for you. Our families should be raised strongly-rooted in gospel principles and the scriptures are our book of answers.
Elder Soares reminded us that it’s essential to listen to our prophets for guidance as we prepare for the kingdom of heaven. God gave us the plan of salvation and Jesus Christ shows us the way. Glory will be added to the Father as His children return to His presence and we, as Latter-day Saints, can help in that process by sharing the gospel. It is important, as we live in a very confusing world, to follow our prophet as blessings come from following the prophet.
The importance of worshipping in the temple was another theme of his talk. He stressed the need for everyone to prepare for and be worthy of a temple recommend. Temples are fundamental.
He encouraged us to follow the steps of Joseph Smith by seeking instruction from God as the heavens are open to us if we pray with real intent. However, we must be prepared to follow through with the direction God will provide us.
Faith will help us in all that we do. It is what leads us to believe in the Lord and, as we obey the commandments, we can grow in our faith.
