“God Is Not Silent”
Over the years, I have come to love every place where God’s sons and daughters are gathered. Here on this campus, we have you gathered from all over the world—from Europe to Asia, from Africa to Australia, and from the islands of the sea. We each have a story to tell. Our stories may be different from place to place and person to person, but in many ways, they are also very similar. I was born and raised in a small village in a beautiful country called Botswana, on the African continent. It is a place where people still speak of visions and dreams—where heaven has often felt close.
One of the greatest blessings of my life is the fact that I was raised by my grandmother. Although we were not members of the restored Church, she was deeply devoted to the Lord. Every morning and every night she would gather us together to read from the Bible and pray. Way before the inspired term “home centered, Church supported” was coined, my dear grandmother ensured that we lived by those words. On Sundays, we went to church—it was not negotiable. I remember seeing her on her knees, pleading with God for her children, her family, her friends, and her neighbors. She trusted Him. She loved Him, and I knew from a young age that if anyone knew God, my grandmother did. She has long since passed away, but that is the sacred legacy I will always remember about her. She taught me at a young age to become familiar with the voice of God. I knew then—and I know now—that God is real and that He speaks. …
The Work of God Moves Forward
May I share these words spoken by that “man who communed with Jehovah,” even Joseph Smith, who declared:
“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; … the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, … till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”
When those words were spoken, there were only a handful of leaders and a small group of believers in the restored Church. And yet today, here I stand—a simple man from the African continent—bearing witness of eternal truths, and watching that inspired prophecy unfold. We are seeing the Lord gather Israel. We are seeing more young men and young women choose to serve missions. We are seeing the Church established across continents and islands of the sea. And the reason is not because the members know everything. It is because of simple, resolute faith in Jesus Christ—your faith, and the faith of disciples across the earth.
…I know that you have what is required to stand firm in a world that is trembling all around you. I testify that as you anchor your faith and testimony in Jesus Christ through sacred covenants, He will always be the answer to your honest questions of the soul. With you and like you, I testify that:
“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, … no, never, no never forsake!”
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
