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SAN ANTONIO, Texas — President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited Texas on Sunday night.
His stop in San Antonio is the latest on his ongoing global ministry tour. He spoke to a large gathering of church members in the famed Alamodome, and an estimated 23,500 were in attendance.
Greeting several Latter-day Saint teens before the devotional, President and Sister Nelson, along with Elder David A. Bednar and his wife, discussed solutions to the challenges they face growing up.
The church leaders also met with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, who leads the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio. They spoke briefly about the common interest they share in partnering together in charitable causes.
During the nearly 2-hour devotional, which filled half of the Alamodome, Sister Wendy W. Nelson thanked those in attendance for their warm Texas welcome.
“President Nelson and I wish we could have a conversation with each of you, perhaps as we would stroll together down your famous River Walk,” she said.
Referencing the challenges faced by the early settlers at the Alamo, President Nelson gave encouragement to those facing difficult challenges.
“For each of us, there may be a really serious storm sometime in our lives. Or there may be a tragedy. But with faith in a loving God and trust in His divine plan, the pain of such a tragedy can be endured. And if we truly understand who we are and why we are here, we can face the future with faith in God and His eternal plan of happiness,” the church president said.
Sister Susan Bednar spoke of the experiences she learned while living in Texas for a couple of years in the mid 1980‘s with her young family.
“When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening — or not happening — in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him,” she said.
Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, encouraged church members to be fully involved in living their beliefs.
“We should not feel we need to be perfect to be 'all in' Latter-day Saints," he said. "Rather, we simply need to continue pressing forward with faith in Christ and strive to the best of our ability to be devoted consistently to a sacred purpose.”
President Nelson personally greeted several church members at the end of the meeting; and even in such a large venue, Latter-day Saints say they felt a close connection to their leaders.
“I saw that a lot of people came from all over — Houston, Mexico — so it is good to feel that the church is strong,” said Liz Albrethsen, a Latter-day Saint living in San Antonio. “I am just grateful he took the time out of his busy schedule to come and see us.”
