Trust in God

My dear brothers and sisters, my dear young friends, I see you with my heart in places all across the world. You look wonderful. You are beautiful. I wish I could give each of you a big hug.

It is so good to be with you today. I also like that I am here with my favorite Apostle. I know we shouldn’t have favorites, but in my case, it seems OK. I am married to him.

Recently, we celebrated our 62nd wedding anniversary. And we are still in love with each other!

Talk about the fruits of the gospel! When we receive messages of congratulations and love from our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren, we feel how precious the blessings of Church membership and the gospel of Jesus Christ are.

For those of you who are single, divorced, or live in challenging family circumstances, I testify to you that God knows and loves you, and when you stay true to your covenants, the joy of family life will not be shortened or kept from you. I do not know exactly how this will be, but I know that the Lord’s grace, mercy, and love are sufficient for all of us. He will make it happen according to His way and His time.

When I look at you and feel your wonderful radiance of goodness and strength, I am reminded of a special time when Dieter and I grew up in the same branch in Frankfurt, Germany.

I knew he had a crush on me, but I was not really interested. He was nice but just one of my Church friends. We learned to dance together at our Church activities. That was the time of foxtrot, boogie-woogie, and rock and roll.

After he joined the Air Force to become a fighter pilot, I didn’t see him for almost two years. To be honest, when he returned to Frankfurt, my first impression was not too positive. He looked like the overconfident guys in the movie Top Gun.

But when he spoke with me, I was impressed; he had matured over those two years. He knew what he wanted to do with his life, and he was strong in the gospel. He was pretty determined and creative in his courting efforts. A few months later, we were married.

My dear young friends, I have never regretted taking a good second look at him, even after an uncertain first impression.

Dieter is the love of my life and the wonderful father and grandfather of our children and children’s children.

But I am getting a little ahead of what I wanted to share with you.

When I was 12 years old, my father passed away from cancer. After his death, our home became a place of sadness, suffering, and hopelessness.

It appeared there was nothing, or no one, who could comfort my mother or us children. Well, not quite! Our Heavenly Father, in His great love, had not forgotten us.

Eight months after the passing of my father, two American missionaries knocked at our door in Frankfurt, Germany. Those two missionaries, guided by the Spirit, left the precious Book of Mormon with my mother. How I love the Book of Mormon.

These young missionaries brought us God’s answers. The message of the plan of salvation, the plan of happiness, was so beautiful and powerful. It brought hope and light back into our home. As we embraced the restored gospel, our heartache, despair, and sadness were healed.

With the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, there was no more darkness in our family, since light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time.

These two missionaries were two nice young adults. For us, they were two angels of glory sent by God.

My dear young friends, you are made of the same divine material! You are the chosen ones of our days, who by word and deed teach and live the gospel message wherever you are. For this purpose, you are placed in your city, your school or workplace, your family. Don’t forget you have the potential to be angels of glory to those next to you.

You represent the Church of Jesus Christ, and you are powerful leaders in proclaiming the gospel message through your good life and courageous testimony.

A leader is one who helps others to see, feel, and find the right way. My dear young friends, help each other to find the right way and to stay deeply grounded in the Church and in the gospel.

Every simple and plain word or deed of goodness, integrity, charity, kindness, service, love, and compassion can become your act of leadership in the kingdom of God. Don’t underestimate your influence and power for good.

Let me add here a few words to our precious sisters. In these difficult times, you are called upon to use your talents and courage in the fight between good and evil.

In 1979, President Spencer W. Kimball prophesied: “Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world … will be drawn to the Church. … This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness … in their lives and … are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.”

President Russell M. Nelson added in 2015, “[Sisters, we] need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices. The kingdom of God is not and cannot be complete without women who make sacred covenants and then keep them.”

My dear brothers and sisters, the Church and the Lord offer you powerful resources to accomplish your purpose in life.

Read the scriptures, embrace Come, Follow Me and the institute program, speak intentionally with Heavenly Father in your prayers, attend church, and apply gospel truth and teachings in your daily life. Make and keep covenants. Apply repentance to receive forgiveness. Trust Heavenly Father. Trust Jesus Christ. They will guide you. They love you. And they are there.

My dear young friends, please know of my love and gratitude for each one of you. My prayers and blessings are with you. You are a significant part of God’s wonderful and sacred work at this very time in the history of the world. Of this I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.