“[Jesus Christ] paid the compensatory price and provided the power for you to use Him to move every mountain you will ever face,” said Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ first Face to Face event for single adults.
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With the pioneer-era Logan Utah Temple as the backdrop for the worldwide broadcast, Elder Andersen and President Jean B. Bingham and Sister Sharon Eubank of the Relief Society General Presidency sat down with a small group of adults, ages 31 years and older, to discuss how an “intentional effort” of continually increasing faith in Jesus Christ can help them overcome life’s challenges.
Leading up to the event, the global faith leaders invited the program’s viewers to read and study President Russell M. Nelson‘s April 2021 general conference address, entitled “Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains.”
In his message, President Nelson challenged Latter-day Saints around the world to find ways to increase their faith in Jesus Christ and overcome “mountains” of “loneliness, doubt, illness or other personal problems” by applying the following five principles to their lives:
· Studying the scriptures
· Choosing to believe
· Acting in faith
· Asking God for help
· Participating in sacred acts that Latter-day Saints call “ordinances”
“Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest,” said President Nelson.
“[President Nelson] said that faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available to us in this life,” said Elder Andersen during the event.
Latter-day Saint Leaders Meet One-on-One with Single Adults
As a follow-up to President Nelson’s invitation, Church leaders met one-on-one with a small group of single adults in Utah, Arizona and Washington, D.C. before the broadcast to learn more about the experience they had while studying his message.
Their interactions were recorded and included in the Face to Face program. Leaders watched the videos during the broadcast and expounded upon the conversations in a panel discussion.
Download Photo“With the whole pandemic thing ... there’s not much that I could do except for taking the time to go over to my grandmother’s house to see if they need anything,” said Natasha Redhair.
Redhair invited Sister Sharon Eubank to her home in Navajo Nation, a Native American territory that occupies parts of Arizona. Sister Eubank spent the day helping Redhair with daily chores, like chopping wood for her 94-year-old grandmother and her mother since it is her family’s primary source of heat.
While there, Sister Eubank asked Redhair about what she had learned about faith’s role in helping her get through difficult moments.
“I put a lot of faith in our Heavenly Father and our Savior, and [I] turn to them, because I know that through them, and with them, I’m able to push through any obstacles or anything that is put before me,” shared Redhair.
“As we serve Him, serve like He does, we gain more hope in Christ,” said Elder Andersen, after watching the video that summarized Sister Eubank’s visit with Redhair.
Download PhotoSister Jean B. Bingham, president of the Church’s Relief Society, met with Michelle Brignone on the Washington D.C. Temple’s grounds. Brignone shared how, in the late 2000s, the United States’ Great Recession had a devastating impact on her business. To keep her business afloat, she fasted, prayed and served as a Temple worker as often as possible.
“My service in the temple did not save my business, but it did save me,” she said. “You may not move the mountain, but He will absolutely help you scale it, or maneuver around it ... He won’t allow the mountain to block the path.”
“That’s real faith and you recognize that the Lord will always help you if you ask and if you’re willing to put forth the effort yourself,” said Sister Bingham as she reflected on Brignone’s words.
Just south of Salt Lake City, Elder Andersen also met individually with Latter-day Saints in Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point, where life-sized bronze sculptures depict scenes from Jesus Christ’s life and ministry.
Conversations between leaders and Latter-day Saints focused on the common question, “As you took on the challenge of President Nelson, what did you learn in these last few weeks trying to increase your faith?”
Robert McArthur, a 64-year-old Latter-day Saint from Bountiful, Utah, met with Elder Andersen and explained that President Nelson’s invitation to increase faith in Jesus Christ recently helped him fight feelings of loneliness.
“The whole act of faith in relationship to having a [Heavenly] Father and Jesus Christ is so paramount,” said McArthur. “I’ve learned to just get down on my knees, pray to Heavenly Father, and ask for His being nearby.”
Camey Andersen from Bountiful, Utah, shared how faith in Jesus Christ strengthened her during her divorce.
“I found that with my children and with me, as we tried to increase our faith in the Savior, that we’ve been able to move forward in our lives,” she said.
Church Leaders Remind Latter-day Saints: “Faith Can Move Mountains”
At the event’s conclusion, leaders shared their own takeaways from President Nelson’s talk and what they have learned after accepting his invitation to apply Christ-centered principles to their own lives.
Download Photo“I realized that I am not as patient as I want, I want my miracles now. I want my challenge to be solved,” said Sister Bingham.
She explained that, despite the imperfections that people find in themselves, it is important to remember that strength to do difficult things comes from faith in Jesus Christ.
“So often, we think, ‘I do not have enough faith to move a mountain,’ but the Lord knows how much you have,” she said. “And the Lord can help you to develop the faith that you need to move that mountain in your life.”
“If you are just hanging on with one finger, if you just have a desire to believe, that’s enough,” said Sister Eubank. “The Lord will help you move your mountain.”
“There is no greater quest, no greater satisfaction, no greater approval we can receive from the Lord than for Him to know that we trust Him and we follow Him,” said Elder Andersen. “He loves you and will help you as you sincerely seek to increase your faith.”