Editor’s note: This article discusses infertility and infant loss.
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Elder Ulisses Soares spoke with missionaries in Paris, France. He shared a tender memory from his experiences as a young father, counseling the missionaries to build trust in Jesus Christ now to prepare to find joy throughout their lives.
In a video clip from his remarks, Elder Soares spoke about how he and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, wanted to have children when they were newly married.
“After five years of medical treatments and all kinds of things that we went through, we finally got pregnant, and we almost lost our first son,” he shared. “He was born a little premature, but we were able to be blessed with good medical support, and he survived.”
He explained that their second and third children were also born prematurely, but they didn’t survive. These losses were heart-wrenching for the young parents, and Elder Soares remembers feeling distraught burying his second son alone while his wife recovered in the hospital.
But that day, he received a clear, personal impression from the Lord that has continued to comfort him throughout his life. He reflected:
“I remember walking on the grounds of the cemetery with our little boy to be buried and asking the Lord, ‘How can I handle this? Help me!’
“And I heard a voice from the heaven say, ‘Everything will work out well.’ That day, I heard the voice of the Lord telling to me pretty clear, ‘Just keep your joy, my son. Everything will work out well in your life. Endure.’”
This impression gave Elder Soares the strength to keep moving forward, and he returned to the hospital to take care of his wife. Years later, they were blessed with two more children.
“We felt the promises of the Savior, Jesus Christ, to us,” Elder Soares says. “I felt so much joy in my heart, a joy that I cannot describe. Like Ammon said, how grateful we are for this gospel. How blessed we are for Jesus Christ!”
He encouraged the missionaries to seek Christ’s joy, which will help them endure any trial well.
“Develop spiritual resilience required for life through your joy because when you have joy, you have the Savior,” he shared. “And when you have the Savior, you are able to handle anything, even the most difficult challenges of life.”
This message not only resonated with the missionaries but also with people throughout the world. On Facebook, one woman commented:
“‘Hold onto your joy’ ... wow. I needed that. [W]hat a beautiful and powerful statement from the Savior! I’ve gone through some significant, hard and frankly awful trials throughout this year, and I’ve only recently learned how to look for Christ as my source of joy amidst the chaos. What a blessing it is to have a source of constant peace and joy in our lives!”
Another commenter shared the following on Instagram:
“This message hit me to the core with so many emotions. There are so many out there that we associate with or see in passing that are enduring some pretty difficult burdens. Thank you for this message of the peace and hope that eventually comes in what feels like crushing circumstances, if we just keep relying on our Savior.”
Watch the clip of Elder Soares’s message below.
For more insights on enduring challenges well, check out the articles below.
▶ If you feel like asking ‘why?’ during trials, find comfort in this truth
▶ 5 times the Savior faced grief—and how His example can help us heal
▶ 2 scriptural cases for optimism when your day feels dark
