This article was first published by Church News. It is published here with their permission.
Exactly one week following Easter Sunday, Elder Ulisses Soares, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stood to share his feelings for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.
“I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, the great Healer of our souls. I know that He lives and that His love is eternal and real. With His arms ever outstretched, He calls to each of us, saying, ‘Come unto me,’” Elder Soares testified during a devotional on the BYU–Idaho campus, in Rexburg, Idaho, on Sunday, April 27.
Thousands of students, faculty and others within the campus community filled the auditorium of the BYU–I Center for the late-afternoon devotional, which also included remarks by Sister Rosana Soares.
During his address, Elder Soares spoke of the profound blessings that come from experiencing the Savior’s love and invited listeners to accept Christ’s invitation to “come unto Him” (Matthew 11:28).
“With a humble heart, and as one called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ on the earth, I pray that you may cast off all that hinders you from feeling the love of our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son,” Elder Soares said.
Feeling the Savior’s love
Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice was the ultimate expression of love for all of God’s children, Elder Soares taught. “He suffered these things for all, taking upon Himself the sins of the world, thus becoming our ultimate spiritual caregiver.”
Through this extraordinary act of love, Christ fulfilled the will of the Father and overcame both physical and spiritual death, offering all of God’s children the possibility of eternal salvation.
But beyond the matchless gift of salvation, the Savior also extends His healing grace in moments of sorrow, trial and weakness, Elder Soares continued.
Christ is aware of the adversities individuals experience, including physical, spiritual and emotional pain. “The Savior’s bowels are filled with mercy, and He is always ready to succor us. In the quiet struggles of life, He offers not only redemption but rest for the weary heart, strength for the tempted soul and comfort for the broken spirit,” Elder Soares said.
All have felt, or will feel at some point, overwhelmed by the challenges life brings, he noted. “We may have grown weary from the journey, struggled to find joy in our day, lost hope and enthusiasm for living the gospel, experienced disappointments and sorrows of many kinds, or simply run out of energy to meet life’s demands and felt alone.”
However, he and his wife have walked through trials where the Savior’s love became their strength, Elder Soares said, “lifting us, steadying our steps and anchoring our hearts as disciples of Christ.”
Come unto Him
During His mortal ministry the Savior taught, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).
To truly come unto Christ, individuals must learn more about His life and the healing power He offers, Elder Soares said.
Sister Soares shared the account of the resurrected Jesus walking with two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus.
“Oh, how I wish I could be on that same road to Emmaus and walk with Jesus and worship Him. I would be so excited and ask so many questions,” said Sister Soares.
In a very real way, individuals can be with Jesus as they listen to what prophets teach of Him, read His words in the scriptures and invite Him to be part of their daily lives, she said.
His arms are outstretched
In Elder Soares’ home country of Brazil stands the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue at the top of Corcovado mountain.
With arms outstretched, the depiction of the Savior overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro. On clear days the statue can be seen towering over the city. To view the statue on a cloudy day, however, requires an uphill climb.
“Oh, my friends, how true this is with our Savior, Jesus Christ,” Elder Soares said. “To come unto Him, to discover His love, and to truly know who He is requires each of us to rise above and take that uphill climb. The path to understanding the Savior and His love is individual, with its own ups and downs, but this journey will ultimately lead us to purity, peace, perspective and purpose in our lives.”
He declared: “Remember, my friends, that the sacred space between the Savior’s arms is exactly the size and shape of our broken hearts, battered lives, wounded souls and weary minds. Jesus ever widens His embrace to encircle us in His eternal love.”
