Ben Tullis

It was truly a blessing for me and my wife to travel with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square to Brazil. I am grateful for this assignment as it is something I never dreamed of doing. Accompanying the @TheTabChoir in my home country, in the very city where I grew up, was an incredible experience. These concerts were invitations to come unto Christ, the true source of hope. I am thankful for the Choir and Orchestra for sharing their talents with thousands this week in Brazil and around the world.

There may be times when you may think of other, more capable people who could more successfully accomplish what you have been called to do. The counsel I shared with students at @byuhawaii this weekend applies to all of us. Remember that the Lord put you here, now. And He did it for a reason. This is your season. You may not see the reason clearly now, but faith requires that we proceed without seeing—trusting the Lord. Let us not get discouraged or frustrated when things don’t go perfectly. We are all a work in progress. Through Jesus Christ, we will be able to become our best selves and accomplish the work God wants us to do.

If you feel discouraged in your efforts to hold family prayer or study the scriptures together, remember this: Power comes through consistency—not perfection.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Today I’m sharing a sacred moment where I observed President Holland studying the names of the Savior. Every one of us has been invited to come unto Jesus Christ. Each of us has the opportunity to develop a relationship with Him. Turn to Him in your struggles and He will make more out of you than you could ever do on your own.

No effort is wasted in trying to do good to others.

I will cherish many memories from this visit to France. This moment with the missionaries is something I will never forget.

The counsel to stand in holy places becomes especially meaningful when the world around us feels unsettled—when confusion presses upon our minds and concern weighs on our hearts. My time this weekend at the Laie Hawaii Temple, BYU–Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center has reminded me again how vital this counsel truly is. Here, I see students choosing to stand in holy places—not only by where they are, but by how they live. As we place our trust in Jesus Christ, He does not remove every challenge, but He does give us strength to face them. In Him, we find steadiness, peace, and hope—even in difficult times.

Our origin story is divine and so is our destiny. I was reminded of this today as I visited with students at @byuhawaii. Each of us left heaven to come here—but heaven has never left us! These young people—and all of you—are blessed beings of light, the spirit children of an infinite God! And you bear within you a potential beyond your own capacity to imagine.

Easter is an invitation to begin again. Through Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, hope returns, hearts can heal, and burdens can be lifted. Make time this season to feel and share His love.

Nearly 30 years ago, President Henry B. Eyring, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, said something in general conference that I have not forgotten. I shared his insight this past Sunday as I spoke to the students of BYU–Idaho. “One of the ways we may know that the warning is from the Lord is that the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses, has been invoked. When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time” (“Finding Safety in Counsel,” Apr. 1997). Two weeks ago, President Dallin H. Oaks repeated the warning issued by President Russell M. Nelson from general conference in April 2018: “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” So, what do you do to rivet your attention, to assure that you survive spiritually by having the constant influence of the Holy Ghost? You look carefully at your daily activities. Am I praying? Am I thoughtfully partaking of the sacrament? What am I putting into my mind? Am I associating with others who seek the constant influence of the Holy Ghost? What could be my distractions, my obstacles, or my deceptions? You pray for inspiration and courage to make any changes you need to make. Let us be true disciples of Jesus Christ. The Redeemer of Israel knows you, loves you, and will strengthen you as you seek to draw closer to Him.

On Monday, I had the great privilege of accepting on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the highest award the Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo can give. This honor recognizes the 100-year anniversary of the preaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in South America and the humanitarian work carried out by the Church in this state. I want to thank the members of the @Ch_JesusChrist in Brazil who give of their time to bless the lives of people in Brazil. Because of their faith in Jesus Christ, they love God and love their neighbor. That is what this recognition represents.

What a pleasure it was to meet with His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana. We discussed our shared Christian beliefs and desire to serve all of God’s children. Ghana is a beautiful land rich in devotion to God and service to one another. I was impressed by President Mahama’s vision for a hopeful future in Ghana. In our commitment to follow the Savior’s example, the @Ch_JesusChrist hopes to contribute to his vision by blessing lives through various humanitarian efforts. I am grateful for this relationship rooted in love of God and His children and look forward to future collaboration.

When we minister, our role is to bring the Savior’s love. It is not by chance that my first official visit as an Apostle to a country outside of the United States is my home country of France. I am so happy that part of the visit was a reunion with my dear friend Sylvain and his family.

My heart was deeply touched today by a wonderful conversion story and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Over the past week, I’ve been grateful for opportunities to share my testimony of Jesus Christ and reflect on my new responsibilities following my call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. youtube.com/watch?v=ORUY06…

At times in this life, you may be tempted to give up—but you haven’t lost. There is always a path to victory thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Servants of the Lord throughout time have accomplished remarkable things because of their faith in Jesus Christ—not because they were powerful, but because they trusted God and His power. The same is true of our missionaries today. Faith produces miracles. This doesn’t mean that we think very hard about how much we believe, and then something magical happens. No, it means that we trust God enough to take action. Having faith in Jesus Christ means relying completely on Him—trusting in His infinite power, intelligence, and love. These faithful missionaries here and throughout the world demonstrate this type of faith in the Savior daily.

We are grateful to know that there are two methods of gaining needed knowledge. There is no ultimate conflict between knowledge gained by these different methods because God, our omnipotent Eternal Father, knows all truth and beckons us to learn by them both.

We learn an important lesson from Joseph Smith’s experience in Liberty Jail: “Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8).