May 10th, 2025, 2pm MDT
While speaking to two stake members affected by the deadly and destructive wildfires in Southern California, President Jeffrey R. Holland, quorum representative of the 12 apostles, conveyed a message to people all over the world from the Prophet, the First President and other members of his quorum.
“We pray for you every day,” he said in February. “We pray for you privately, for you in our own apostle circles, for you in public meetings like this.”
Whether it is due to fires, other disasters, public upheavals, or private challenges, “these prayers are sent to heaven for you.”
One of the times of prayer was when President Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prayed for the world on November 20, 2020. In an age of uncertainty for many, the Lord’s prophet on earth prayed publicly, taught God the power of gratitude, and looked forward to hope.
President Nelson wrote: “Whoever you are, you can pray to your heavenly Father for guidance and direction in your life. If you learn to listen to the Lord through his promptings, you may receive God’s guidance on matters of great and small.”
Prophets and apostles know about the challenges in the world and in their lives. The Dutch president spent several weeks in the hospital and talked about his near-death time. He misses his late wife, Sister Patricia Holland, mentions her frequent and knowledge that he is together again.
People in the congregation at the San Fernando California Stake Center saw him full of strength and vitality, as he spoke to them.
The Dutch president said he wanted to provide encouragement to those affected, those suffering and those still suffering.
He invited people who were listening to pray for each other. If they have no issues with themselves, “There are some neighbors, so turn left or right of you and you can help them.”
I saw this working while I was with Palisades and Pasadena Ward in the Pacific. Again and again, members will tell you about their concerns about others. Many people were more concerned about their friends and neighbors than theirs.
One woman told me about her prayers for fellow members of the ward who had struggled. The husband and wife said whenever someone gave them clothes or supplies to replace what was burning, they thought of someone else to give it instead. Another couple shared how they found relief in serving others who lost their home.
While appointed in Ethiopia in February, Sister Christine M. Yi, the second counselor for the Relief Society presidency, met a woman whose child had passed away and was also diagnosed with a rare disease.
“She said, ‘Did I do something wrong?'” Sister Yee recalled.
Sister Yi spoke to a woman about how difficult things can be for a really good person. Throughout the Bible, many prophets had difficult times in their families and lives.
“You have to trust even if you don’t understand,” she said. “It’s not because he doesn’t love us.”
After the conversation, the Yee sisters saw the woman change from a place of deep sorrow to having more peace.
Later in Tanzania, the Yee sisters met a young single woman who lost all their families and faced many difficulties on their own.
“But she testified with great satisfaction about God’s relationship with her and how much she trusts him in the most difficult things,” Sister Yee said.
Part of the Heavenly Father’s plan is to have repetitive experiences, President Holland explains, and they usually involve something broken.
“Broken clouds create rain, we need rain on earth that has broken to grow grain, we need broken bread to make bread and feed us,” he taught in California.
“And the greatest offering that can offer God to God is a broken heart and a caring spirit.
“Broken dreams, broken hearts, broken houses, broken children – he says he put it on the altar,” President Holland said. The gift is then completed.
“It’s natural that God has designed a destiny that is too bright and not too difficult for us,” he mentions CS Lewis this time. “But if we want that, we want it, we want less love.
– Mary Richards is a church news reporter.
