Africa West Area Local Pages Pages Local Area West Africa
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AFRICA WEST AREA LOCAL PAGES AFRICA WEST AREA LOCAL PAGES AREA PRESIDENCY MESSAGE Ministering Elder Marcus B. Nash President, Africa West Area Presidency Marcus B. Nash hroughout His life, the Savior that were afflicted in any manner.” He will heal and strengthen each Tministered to others one- on- one, The scripture records that the Savior in every way that matters in time one- by- one. At the end of His first day “did heal them every one as they were and eternity. with the Nephites after His resurrec- brought forth unto him.”3 Note that Bringing another person to the tion, the people wept when they He they were healed only after they were Savior is called ministering. We bring told them that he had to leave. brought to the Savior, that is, only after another person to the Savior by lov- Seeing their sadness, He called out one took another to the Lord. There ing that person, praying for him or to those who had gathered, saying: were many in those days who needed her, and helping that person to learn “Behold, my bowels are filled with the Savior’s healing touch—and there the word of God from the scriptures. compassion towards you.” Moved are many now. We bring another person to the by his deep compassion, he invited If we bring our fellow members Lord by mourning with one that is them to think of someone in need of the Church to Him one by one, mourning, serving a person in need, and to minister to him or her: “Have and taking that individual with us to ye any that are sick among you? sacrament meeting. We minister by Bring them hither.”1 bringing one to participate in all of His clear and sweet command the ordinances of the gospel (espe- was for one person to bring one cially those of the temple) and help- other person to him. It was not just ing him or her to keep the covenants an invitation to visit, but to actually associated with the ordinances. By “Bring them hither.” Jesus continued: doing these things, we bring the one “Have ye any that are lame, or blind, who we are helping to the Savior so or halt or maimed, or leprous, or that that He can bless that person. are withered, or that are deaf or that We promised the Lord we would are afflicted in any manner? Bring minister one to another when we them hither and I will heal them.”2 His joined the Church and were baptized: repeated invitation was for one to take “As ye are desirous to come into one to the Savior. the fold of God, and to be called The Nephites did exactly as He his people, and are willing to bear invited them to do: “it came to pass one another’s burdens, that they may The scripture records that the that . all the multitude . did go Savior “did heal them every one as be light; forth with their sick and their afflicted, they were brought forth unto him.” “Yea, and are willing to mourn with and their lame, and with their blind, They were healed only after they those that mourn; yea, and comfort and with their dumb, and with all them were brought to the Savior. those that stand in need of comfort”4 March 2019 A1 “A hallmark of the Lord’s true and living Church will always be an organized, directed effort to minister to individual children and God and their families. Because it is His Church, we as His servants will minister to the one, just as He did. We will minister in His name, with His power and authority, and with His loving- kindness.” —President Russell M. Nelson can receive, for the Holy Ghost Others say, “I will think about help- will guide us to all truth, will bring ing others after God blesses me with Heaven’s comfort, will sanctify us, more things.” To think like this is to When we keep this baptismal covenant, and will give us the strength we need put things in the wrong order. The He always keeps His promise to send in both spiritual and temporal things. key to success now and in eternity is His Spirit to always be with us.5 Too many people say, “I will minister to put the Lord first. We are to show To have always have His Spirit to someone else once I have enough Him by our actions that we truly love with us is the greatest blessing we money and more time to do it.” him more than anything else. So, we A2 Liahona AFRICA WEST AREA LOCAL PAGES keep the covenants we have made couples have received their endow- families.” His first counselor stated: with Him. Inasmuch as we do so, we ment and are sealed together and to “The joy I saw in the faces of Brother enable Him to bless us in His time, in their families. The other four couples and Sister Tsiagbe and Bro and Sis His way. are progressing and soon will enter Sedzro even as I sat in the sealing We are organized in the Church the temple. They also identified room of the Accra Ghana Temple to help each of us as members of the eleven persons to prepare for the was indescribable. The joy of sealing Church to minister one to another—as endowment, and three of them have under the priesthood is indeed a testa- well as to those not of our faith. We are now received the endowment and ment of the restored gospel.” organized so that one who is “strong in the seven others are preparing well. It is important for us as a people the Spirit [will] take with him him that I saw them as they were preparing to minister in the Lord’s way, one tak- is weak, that he may be edified in all to enter the temple and their faces ing one to the Lord. An essential key meekness, that he may become strong shone with joy. to make this happen is to participate also.”6 The elders quorums and Relief They asked themselves, “Who regularly in a ministering interview Societies, the youth Aaronic Priesthood will help whom take a name to the with a member of the elders quo- quorums and Young Women classes temple?” They identified recent con- rum presidency, or the Relief Society should be organized to help members verts and youth and assigned their presidency. The ministering interview minister one to another, so that one ward family history consultants to is a time that we sit in council and takes one to the Lord. work closely with the new converts, receive the revelation we need to The leadership of the Adenta 1 st and they organize a monthly trip to help us minister as the Savior would Ward of the Accra Ghana Adenta the Ghana Accra Temple to do bap- to individuals! Stake is making an organized effort tisms for the dead. Brothers and sisters, are you minis- to help the members minister one to They also asked themselves “Who tering, one to another, one taking one another. Just a few months ago, after will take whom to sacrament meet- to the Savior? Are you participating in viewing the Area Plan broadcast and ing?” They are working with the full- ministering interviews? I promise that hearing President Nelson’s charge, they time missionaries for the members if you do, you will come to know the decided to identify: (1) who will take and missionaries to coordinate so that Savior and receive a greater portion of whom to receive the next saving ordi- members will take a nonmember to His Spirit. nance; (2) who will help whom to take sacrament meeting. They could also The Nephites who accepted the a name to the temple; and (3) who will have an active member family bring Savior’s invitation to bring someone take whom to sacrament meeting. another member family to sacrament in need to Him learned that it is In their ward council, they asked meeting. those who minister to another per- each other: “Who will take whom to Their bishop testifies: “I know from son that draw closest to the Savior: receive the next saving ordinance?” the bottom of my heart that the gos- “And they did all, both they who The Relief Society and elders quorum pel is restored and that leaders of the had been healed and they who were presidencies identified six couples to Lords’ Church are called of God. And whole, bow down at his feet, and did be sealed and assigned ministering if we sustain them by obeying their worship him.”7 You will notice that brothers and sisters to take them with counsel we will find joy, peace and both the whole and the once- infirm them to the temple. As a result, two happiness in our individual lives and together ended up at the Savior’s feet! March 2019 A3 This is what the Lord and our living power and authority, and with His priesthood leaders in the town, they prophet want us to do: to come to loving- kindness.”8 quickly gathered at the local branch know the Savior. They know that as May we minister to one another, building to counsel together and ask we bring another person to Christ, one taking one on the covenant path the Lord to help them. we will both draw closer to Him and to the temple is my prayer and desire.