Elder-Andersen-Devotional-with-Youth-in-Brazil
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles greets youth following a devotional in Brasília, Brazil, Saturday, September 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Ryan Jensen, Church News
The newly constructed chapel sitting across the sidewalk from the new Brasília Brazil Temple features a unique set of windows. With the blinds open, the floor-to-ceiling windows give a perfect view of the temple from the chapel’s pews. Elder Neil L. Andersen stood at the pulpit, speaking to thousands of youth in the temple district with the temple in plain sight over his shoulder as the sun began setting behind it.
Elder-Andersen-Devotional-with-Youth-in-Brazil
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks to youth of the Brasília Brazil Temple district on Saturday, September 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.“When we dedicate this temple tomorrow, you will be part of a new generation here in Brasília,” the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught Saturday, September 16. “The future of the kingdom of God will fall on your shoulders.”
On the eve of the temple’s dedication, Elder Andersen shared a message with youth watching from across the temple district centered on three phrases he asked the youth to remember.
“First, we love you. Second, we need you. And third, we promise you,” Elder Andersen said.
‘We Love You’
Accompanied by his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen, the two spoke of this momentous day for the city of Brasília and the country of Brazil.
“This is a magnificent moment in the history of this country,” Sister Andersen said of the dedication of Brazil’s 10th temple. Specifically speaking to the youth in the new temple district, she said the temple is about more than the moment of its dedication. It’s about their decision to become more dedicated, as well.
“You now have a chance to choose to go to the temple more frequently,” she said. Distance from a temple could no longer be an excuse for not serving there.
Elder Andersen thanked the youth for their willingness to follow the commandments of God and to live righteous lives.
“We are proud of who you are and who you are becoming,” he said.
Elder-Andersen-Devotional-with-Youth-in-Brazil
Youth stand in front of the Brasília Brazil Temple following a devotional with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, September 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.He read from the New Testament with the youth in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
With that knowledge, there is only one thing God needs His children to do, Elder Andersen said.
“Trust Him.”
Trusting Heavenly Father means following His commandments and making covenants with Him, Elder Andersen said.
Elder Andersen invited Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, a General Authority Seventy, to share his testimony of God’s love for His children.
“I see that you are much better than I was at your age,” said Elder Parrella. “I want to share a small part of my testimony that … whatever challenge you face in your life, for as difficult as it may be, God will transform that challenge into something that benefits your life.”
‘We Need You’
As Elder Andersen shared reasons the Lord needs the youth today, he began by telling them they are needed in the temple and they will be blessed by going.
“It is a safe place to go when you need peace,” he said.
He told the youth the world needs them, and that means they must be worthy of the Holy Ghost’s constant company and be courageous enough to share the gospel with those around them.
“Remember the words of the Savior, ‘You are the light of the world,’” he said.
Elder-Andersen-Devotional-with-Youth-in-Brazil
Young women talk with each other outside of the Brasília Brazil Temple following a devotional with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, September 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.He invited Elder Parrella’s wife, Sister Elaine Parrella, to tell about her experience of someone sharing the gospel with her and inviting her to a Church activity.
“If that young woman had not knocked on my door, I don’t know what would have happened,” she said. That invitation created an opportunity for Sister Parrella to make covenants, including those in the temple.
“And the temple made me happy,” she said.
‘We Promise You’
Finally, Elder Andersen shared two prophetic declarations with the youth, beginning with one found in the First Presidency’s letter to youth in the “For the Strength of Youth” standards booklet.
“We know God lives,” the letter reads. “It is our prayer that you will stay firmly on the covenant path that leads back to your Father in Heaven. As you do, you will be an influence for good, sharing the gospel joyfully and preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior.”
Elder-Andersen-Devotional-with-Youth-in-Brazil
Young women pose outside of the Brasília Brazil Temple following a devotional with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, September 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Elder Andersen then quoted President Russell M. Nelson’s promises to young adults from May 2022.
“He will deliver you from your most excruciating circumstances in His own way and time. As you come unto Him in faith, He will guide, preserve and protect you. He will heal your broken heart and comfort you in your distress. He will give you access to His power. And He will make the impossible in your life become possible. …
“My dear young friends, I love you. … I believe in you. As the Lord’s Prophet, I bless you to know the truth about who you are and to treasure the truth about what your glorious potential really is. I bless you to take charge of your own testimony. And I bless you to have the desire and strength to keep your covenants.
“As you do, I promise that you will experience spiritual growth, freedom from fear and a confidence that you can scarcely imagine now. You will have the strength to have a positive influence far beyond your natural capacity. And I promise that your future will be more exhilarating than anything you can presently believe.”
Excitement and Hope Through Temple Covenants
Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department, also spoke to the youth during the devotional. His message, like Elder and Sister Andersen’s messages, was delivered in Portuguese.
Elder Duncan began by telling the youth that Heavenly Father wants them to feel happiness by going to the temple.
“All who enter His house feel His Spirit,” Elder Duncan said.
Elder-Andersen-Devotional-with-Youth-in-Brazil
A young man looks the Brasília Brazil Temple following a devotional with Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, September 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.He shared the story of a couple in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, who visited a temple during its open house a decade ago. After seeing all the rooms of the temple and learning about the covenants and blessings offered through the plan of salvation and the Savior’s Atonement, the wife asked if they could be sealed that moment. She was that excited to learn that her family could be together forever.
“That expression is not uncommon,” Elder Duncan said of those who learn about the ability to be sealed to their families for eternity.
“After all, heaven would not be heaven without those we love,” he said.
A young man was invited to share his testimony during the devotional, and he also shared an experience about learning what happens in the temple and being excited to go there, too.
Pedro Miguel de Souza Oliveira, from the Anápolis Brazil Stake, shared part of how his own excitement to go to the temple grew when he was only 9 years old. Souza said his parents and siblings went to the temple as part of a journey that took three days round trip.
When they returned he was happy to have them back home and he remembers “they would talk about practically nothing else” except the temple once they got home.
“That is the first time I remember having a desire to go to the temple. It was a new feeling. It was indescribable.”
But his excitement was tempered when he learned he couldn’t go to the temple for a few more years.
When he was finally able to attend the temple for the first time, he took the names of family members to be baptized and confirmed for. He said the feelings he had when he was 9 came rushing back to him, and “I knew in that moment it was all worth it to do what I had to to be in the temple.”
Youth Share Feelings Following Devotional
Following the devotional, the heat of the day was quenched by cloud cover and a light rain as youth toured the temple grounds and talked with each other about what they had heard and felt.
“The gospel is a gospel of repetition,” said Alex Mendes, 17, from the Formosa Ward of the Planaltina Brazil District. “The things I heard today were things I had heard before. But when I heard them this time, the words of an Apostle and other leaders, that God loves me, it was emotional for me.”
Elder-Andersen-Devotional-with-Youth-in-Brazil
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen, greet youth following a devotional in Brasília, Brazil, Saturday, September 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Maria Sofia Santos, 16, from the Ceilândia 1st Ward in the Brasília Brazil Ceilândia Stake, said she felt a peace she had not felt before when listening to Elder Andersen.
“It was so special to have an Apostle here speaking to us … and it is amazing to have a temple here so close to us where we can do work for those who we love so much.”