Remember when… speaking to a crowd of 12,000 in Worcester, Massachusetts, in October 2019, President M. Russell Ballard encouraged all citizens to pray for the United States, its leaders and families. The invitation from the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has new relevance one day after the U.S. Capitol was locked down as protesters clashed with police. Protesters breached the Capitol in the riot that left one dead, shook lawmakers and damaged government property.
Elder Ballard warned us by saying: “My dear brothers and sisters, our nation was founded on prayer, it was preserved by prayer, and we need prayer again,” President Ballard said in 2019, before anything of this sort of situation was happening. “I plead with you this evening to pray for this country, for our leaders, for our people, and for the families that live in this great nation.
“This country was established and preserved by our founding fathers and mothers who repeatedly acknowledged the hand of God through prayer,” he continued, “this area was the seedbed of so very much that led to the founding of this nation.”
President Ballard asked Latter-day Saints to stand for righteousness. “We must stand boldly for righteousness and truth, and must defend the cause of honor, decency, and personal freedom espoused by Washington, Madison, Adam, Lincoln, and other leaders who acknowledged and loved God. As a country, let us remember our prayers and express our love to God, our Heavenly Father and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, let it begin today.”
“When the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening — or not happening — in our lives,” said President Nelson.
Even in times of trial and hardship, the work of the Lord “is moving forward at an accelerated pace,” President Nelson said in an interview in Brasilia, Brazil, one week before his 95th birthday. “I really don’t spend any time looking back,” said President Nelson. “I did the best I could in each one of those phases, and I’m just looking forward to the many challenges that lie ahead.”
For me, this is an invitation for all of us to speak with purpose, not impulse. To pause and think before reacting. To listen to someone without interrupting, (I am so impatient and have a hard time doing that one.) To choose our words and actions with care. We need to become kinder and more conscious of the way we act. As a nation, we need to learn to agree to disagree. We need to encourage healing and have real intent to understand the views of those we disagree. Even when we have differences of opinion, we can still be united in a bigger, greater cause. The cause to love one another, the way Jesus taught. That will Do!
Con amor,
Vero
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