Elder Soares Ministers to Thousands of Missionaries, Members in Mexico

During a February 2024 ministry visit to Mexico, Elder Ulisses Soares taught about discipleship, temple worship, the importance of centering lives on Jesus Christ and the joy of missionary service.

More than 3,600 Latter-day Saints from the region of Puebla and Tlaxcala gathered at the GNP Auditorium in Puebla to participate in a special devotional with Elder Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Thursday, February 22.

“The true disciples of Jesus Christ are fearless, strong. They have courage because they know the Savior and they have spiritual resilience, that is, they are stronger to face the challenges of life,” Elder Soares taught thousands of young people, children and adults.

Elder Soares spoke about the temple, a relevant and current topic for the Saints of Puebla because in May 2024, the first House of the Lord will be dedicated in this city.

“The temple is a special place to receive ordinances and make covenants, but we are also closer to God there,” stressed Elder Soares, who was accompanied by his wife, Rosana, as well as Elder Carl B. Cook, Senior Presidency of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Adrián Ochoa, First Counselor in the Mexico Area Presidency, and Elder Sean Douglas, Second Counselor in the Mexico Area Presidency, and their wives.

“Here in Puebla they will have a temple dedicated in less than three months,” said Elder Soares. “I invite you to prepare to receive the blessings of the temple, regularly make an appointment with the Lord to go to His house, and then honor the covenants you make in the temple. The Lord will do everything on His part to help.” The following day, Elder Soares meet with missionaries and visited the site of the Puebla temple.

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Center Our Lives on Christ

Elder Soares spoke about the importance of “centering our lives on Jesus Christ” with more than 5,000 Latter-day Saints and friends from Guadalajara who gathered on Sunday, February 25, at the Telmex Auditorium.

“Centering our lives on Jesus Christ is the best way to feel His love,” Elder Soares explained, and “the love of the Savior gives us the courage to move forward in life.”

Elder Soares shared several examples in which the love of Jesus Christ provides comfort, strength and hope in the face of the challenges and difficulties of everyday life.

“The Savior invites us to come to him and follow him wholeheartedly,” for this we need to “align our minds and hearts with the Savior'’s desires,” he said.

Recognizing the complexity of current times, Elder Soares exhorted the Saints to follow Jesus Christ and “center our lives on his teachings,” which, he promised, “will bring peace and blessings to us and those around us.”

The Power to Change Lives

Elder Soares also met with more than 1,400 missionaries from 12 missions during his visit to Mexico, teaching them about the power they have to change lives, the importance of understanding their callings as messengers of the restored gospel and experiencing joy.

“If you understand well the nature of your calling, you will be able to better focus on your objective as missionaries,” he told hundreds of missionaries in separate meetings from the eight Mexico City missions, two Puebla missions, and two Guadalajara missions.

Sister Soares told the missionaries that it is a privilege to be bearers of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She shared the example of a missionary who, despite being on a mission in a very hot climate, decided that she would be happy and grateful for the sun because “when you open your mouth to murmur, you close your heart to the Spirit and stop seeing the hand of God in your life.”

Elder Soares spoke of the sacred calling of mission leaders, who he said had been chosen in a similar way to the young missionaries. He invited the missionaries to love their leaders, respect them, see them as role models and never say anything bad about them. “You were called to a mission, but also to be under the leadership of special leaders,” he said.

Elder Soares also spoke about joy and the importance of focusing on others.

“Joy is a gift of the Spirit,” he said. “As you incorporate joy into your missionary life, you will be greatly blessed.”

“Forgetting oneself is an attribute of the Savior,” he taught, which helps us become better disciples and provides spiritual resilience and a greater ability to overcome evil.

He invited the missionaries to feel joy in Jesus Christ, in their calling as missionaries, in their studies, in their service and in their life. He told them that the Lord sent them to earth at this time because they have abilities, talents and gifts that God gave them to preach the gospel.

Elder Soares’ 10-day ministry in Mexico also included training meetings for local leaders as well as a Worldwide Young Adult devotional that was broadcast around the world.