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Elder Ulisses Soares presents a gift from the Church of a statue of a family to Tonga's Honorable Prime Minister Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni following a meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday, March 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Elder Ulisses Soares and Sister Rosana Soares met with the Honorable Prime Minister of Tonga Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni in his office during the Apostle’s March 2023 assignment to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji. Elder Soares hosted the prime minister at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City last year.
Elder Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented the prime minister with a statuette featuring a family on March 16. Elder Soares explained that the family is fundamental in the gospel and that it is important for parents to strengthen children’s faith in Jesus Christ and in His gospel, so they will know where to find peace and strength, to cope with the challenges of our day.
The Prime Minister presented Elder Soares with a carved scene depicting the birth of Jesus Christ.
“This is a beautiful gift,” Elder Soares said, “and a special reminder for us as Easter approaches and people are preparing to celebrate Jesus Christ’s life that we can always remember Him and have Him present in our lives.”
The prime minister later shared in a tweet that he and Elder Soares discussed collaboration during times of crisis and in matters of education and family.
Elder Soares was also accompanied by Elder Patrick Kearon, Senior President of the Quorum of the Seventy; Elder K. Brett Nattress, General Authority Seventy and Pacific Area President, and Elder Sione Tuione, an Area Seventy.
Traveling with Elder and Sister Soares to the Pacific Area were Elder Kearon and Sister Jennifer Kearon; and Elder Nattress and Sister Shawna Nattress.
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The Honorable Prime Minister of Tonga Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni (left) presents Elder Ulisses Soares with a carved scene depicting the birth of Jesus Christ during a visit at his office in Tonga on Thursday, March 16, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
A day earlier, on Wednesday, March 15, youth from across Tonga welcomed Elder and Sister Soares and Elder and Sister Kearon with traditional dancing. A group of young men and women performed the Lakalaka, which includes poetry, dancing and singing. The theme of the performance was the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and featured the hymn “Joseph Smith’s First Vision.”
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
A picture of the Nuku’alofa Tonga Temple was presented to Elder and Sister Soares. Seventeen-year-old Liahona High School student leader Fisi’imoli Vea explained that the picture signified the students’ “acceptance of President Russell M. Nelson’s invitation to go more often to the temple to learn more of the Savior and continue to keep the covenants that we have made with Him.”
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Visiting Church leaders enjoy a presentation of traditional Tongan dance at Liahona High School on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. From left are Sister Jennifer Kearon, Elder Patrick Kearon, Sister Rosana Soares, Elder Ulisses Soares and Elder Sione Tuione.© 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Later that evening, Elder Soares addressed hundreds of young adult members of the Church, promising them peace and joy as they choose to turn their hearts to Jesus Christ, seek Him in every thought and follow Him with all their hearts.
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Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks to young adults at the Nauvoo meetinghouse in Tonga on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
“God loves you and He will be with you and He will bless you in every single circumstance if you give Him space in your hearts,” said Elder Soares.
Quoting Church President Russell M. Nelson, Elder Soares said, “Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures. ... Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery (“Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” April 2021 general conference).
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A young adult man listens intently during a devotional with Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles held at the Nauvoo meetinghouse in Tonga on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Choose to believe in Jesus Christ and His gospel,” the Apostle urged. “Believing and developing faith in Jesus Christ are personal choices. They don’t happen naturally. When we choose to believe in Jesus Christ and in the blessings of His gospel, our faith in Him grows and we can enjoy hope in Him in our life.”
Elder Soares promised the young people that their lives would change when they seek to learn more about the atoning sacrifice of the Saviour. “His perfect love exemplified through His atoning sacrifice can change the direction of our lives forever. Our cultural differences don’t matter. What really matters is our decision to turn our hearts to Him and follow Him,” he said.
Young adult, Sione Fevaleaki Aho, said, “When Elder Soares reminded us that the love of the Lord is for all of us, I remembered that real peace and happiness come from putting my trust in Jesus Christ.”
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Elder Ulisses Soares, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, addresses young single adults at a devotional held in Tonga at the Nauvoo meetinghouse on Wednesday, 16 March 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sister Soares assured the young people that they “can resist temptation… through their faith in Jesus Christ.”
“It is not enough to only have faith, we must also repent and obey. There are places we can never go, there are websites we can never visit, there are thoughts we can never entertain. Those things are not worthy of who we are,” she said.
Elder Nattress shared his personal witness that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. “His way is the only way to peace, happiness and eternal life,” he said.
“I know that my Redeemer lives, and as you follow Him, you will find happiness and eternal joy.”
Elder Tuione and Sister Tuione spoke about overcoming challenges by following Jesus Christ.
Youth ages 11 to 17 years gathered for a devotional with Elder Kearon at Liahona High School.
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Elder Patrick Kearon, Senior President in the Presidency of the Seventy, and Sister Jennifer Kearon pose with students from Liahona High School, Nuku'alofa, Tonga, following a youth devotional held on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Elder Kearon told the youth that they can be joyful even in tough times. He encouraged them to prepare for their life’s missions by being committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, and by faithfully accepting responsibilities.
Elder Kearon read 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18: “For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
“Remember, the plan is to get back to heaven… [and] you need demanding experiences,” he said, “even if you do not want them.”
Sister Kearon invited teens to consider opportunities to lift one another. “Our Father in Heaven would like us to speak kind words, words of patience and support,” she said.
Alo ‘italau Kivalu, a student from Liahona High School, attended the youth devotional. She said, “I learned that I need to face problems. We all have loads to carry and it’s not that easy, but we can face them with faith in the Lord, and conquer.”