This past April, in what was known as a "Solemn Assembly" we of the LDS Church had the opportunity to sustain a new First Presidency, and two new members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. At the time, President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, encouraged us all to record in our journals how we felt about the experience, and any impressions we received. I should have done this sooner, but in an effort to follow his counsel, here goes.
First off, it was a deeply spiritual and profoundly moving experience. It happens quite infrequently, so it's difficult to remember from one solemn assembly to the next what will occur and how the sustaining will go. But I felt a thrill to lend my sustaining vote to President Russell M. Nelson as our new Church President and Prophet, and he was obviously deeply moved at that moment as well, as you could tell by the tears in his eyes, and the tears in mine.
My tears became even more intense as they announced Elders Gerrit W. Gong (who is Chinese-American) and Ulisses Soares (who is Brazilian) as the new members of the Quorum of the Twelve. I know that the Lord calls us based on our availability, our spiritual qualities and our willingness to do his will. But the church has a global membership, and the Quorum of the Twelve is now more reflective of that. I admit at that point I balled like a baby. Apparently I was in good company, as my family all sent photos of all their reactions, and multiple friends texted about what an amazing moment it was.
Later in the Conference, major announcements were made - restructuring priesthood quorums, and discontinuing the current formats for home and visiting teaching. There were also several new temples announced - one of which was in India, and one in Russia. Again showcasing the global growth of the church, and the need to more effectively minister to each other the way the Lord would.
All in all it was an amazing conference, and a blessing to be part of it.
First off, it was a deeply spiritual and profoundly moving experience. It happens quite infrequently, so it's difficult to remember from one solemn assembly to the next what will occur and how the sustaining will go. But I felt a thrill to lend my sustaining vote to President Russell M. Nelson as our new Church President and Prophet, and he was obviously deeply moved at that moment as well, as you could tell by the tears in his eyes, and the tears in mine.
My tears became even more intense as they announced Elders Gerrit W. Gong (who is Chinese-American) and Ulisses Soares (who is Brazilian) as the new members of the Quorum of the Twelve. I know that the Lord calls us based on our availability, our spiritual qualities and our willingness to do his will. But the church has a global membership, and the Quorum of the Twelve is now more reflective of that. I admit at that point I balled like a baby. Apparently I was in good company, as my family all sent photos of all their reactions, and multiple friends texted about what an amazing moment it was.
Later in the Conference, major announcements were made - restructuring priesthood quorums, and discontinuing the current formats for home and visiting teaching. There were also several new temples announced - one of which was in India, and one in Russia. Again showcasing the global growth of the church, and the need to more effectively minister to each other the way the Lord would.
All in all it was an amazing conference, and a blessing to be part of it.
Comments