Herald of the Second Invitation, Vol 14, May 2022

Article 1: THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (Alexsandro Assancheyds)

Article 2: BREAK THE CYCLE (Rafaela Brandollini)

Article 3: HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT THERE IS ONLY LOVE? (Ronaldo Piffero Medeiros)

EnglishHeralBanner

Volume 14, Article 1-May 2022: by the President of Brazil Affirmation Mormons LGBTQ Families and Friends - Alexsandro Assancheyds

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

I want to show my gratitude for the invitation made to me to be present at this conference and to be able to speak to you here present and those who follow us on the internet.

I want to thank the opportunity today to share with you the awareness that, in the eyes of God, we are all equal without a shadow of a doubt, but now for this to really be complete, as the society in which we live, we need to be ONE, as we were taught by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 1:10 But I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no dissensions among you; but be of one mind and of one thinking.

Thus, salvation is individual, but we know that alone we can not go very far, so Christ taught us as written in Matthew 22:39 "Love your neighbor as yourself.

In this way the Second Invitation made to us today is that, each person, each believer in Christ, should strive and seek to evolve more and more.

Our daily prayers should always have as a request, that the Lord our God help us to eliminate from our thoughts and actions, pride, foolishness, arrogance, hatred, hurt, prejudice in every sense of gender, race or creed and lack of faith and everything else that goes against the principles and gifts of the spirit, described by the prophet Joseph Smith in rules of faith 13 " We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous in doing good to all men..."

I was raised within the LDS church, at the age of 13 I realized that there was something different about me, I did not feel I fit into any standard set by society and advocated and funded by the church. From this moment on an internal struggle started inside me, knowing that I was different from the people I lived with. I knew that my attraction was for people of the same sex, but I could not accept such feelings and that I should repress them, because I did not want my leaders and my parents to know, so as not to disappoint them.

Under the testimony of my parents, I fulfilled all the requirements for a young man my age within the church, and went on a full time mission, where I believed it would be my surrender and that I would have the CURE for such feelings. I dedicated myself with all my heart, mind, and strength, as I was taught and required to do. I did and finished with a sense of accomplishment and that with honor I fulfilled my mission. But to my sadness, the feelings I had before the mission were still inside me, and were not eliminated as promised when one fulfills God's design.

Tired of this struggle against myself, I decided to go in search of my happiness, as it is in 2 Nephi 2:25 "Adam fell that men might exist; and men exist that they might have joy."

In making this decision, I knew that I would fight a fight with my family, the church, and society, but I was not prepared for this battle, so I decided to leave home and kept this secret with God and me, and I have lived a double life since then hiding the real me from my family and the church. With this I seemed further and further away from my happiness.

In 2013, I had the great opportunity to have happiness with me, when the Supreme Court approved homosexual marriage, and soon after I decided to marry my partner in the same year and then I had the courage to open up and tell everyone that I found my inner peace and my happiness. With that I got support from some and rejection from others.

So, after you find happiness, which was what I was looking for at that moment, which was to be happy.

This decision made me strong, it no longer bothered me what others would think and say about me, I felt different and prepared for the battles that would follow, my self acceptance had happened, I had sought happiness for a long time, and it was with me, because I felt accepted by God and understood that he loved me, as it is in John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

How often do we read in scripture that God is no respecter of persons. D&C 38:16 "...and all flesh is mine, and I have no respect of persons." And yet many of the times we make mistakes when we deny the blessings of salvation, just because we are different from the standards, pre-established by men and religious institutions.

My search for happiness has been accompanied by much struggle, adversity, and perseverance. And maintaining happiness will require from me a continuity of my efforts, it will not be easy. To persevere in what we believe in is literally to kill a lion a day.

If we google or for many do a search, Mormonism x homosexuality, we will find the following information: Homosexuality is a set of thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and not an unalterable condition, so it must be checked and controlled.

Happiness is verified, but not controlled; there is no cure for what is not sick. What needs to be cured is prejudice.

Happiness should not be seen only as an external factor, but mainly as an internal one, in my case, self-acceptance and the maintenance of it comes from equality within a society.

As a society we live in, whether it is a family, social, religious, or work society, we should work together to exclude prejudice, as I have already said in this speech, in all social ambits, because prejudice hurts, oppresses, demonizes, and hurts a child of God.

As I started my speech, I remind you again that salvation is individual, but no one will be saved alone.

I want to emphasize that this fight is not only for homosexuals, but for everyone who feels excluded from society. May our world be more joyful, free from the chains of prejudice, and may we live in a better world.

I pray to the Father to help us in this fight.

This is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

EnglishHeralBanner

Volume 14, Article 2-May 2022: by Youth Ministry Coordinator, Fountain of Living Waters - Rafaela Brandollini

BREAK THE CYCLE

There is no way to describe the gratitude of this moment, that of coordinating the Youth Ministry in this work which is the Lord's Second Invitation to Latter-day Saints. Being with youth is undoubtedly a great privilege.

While I was part of one of the branches of the restoration, my callings have always been with the youth, which brought me the experience and perception of for whom my first message at the head of the Ministry of Youth should be directed, so first I go to the parents, because my work begins with you, because you are undoubtedly the determining factor in the trajectory of your children's happiness.

They say that when a tsunami hits the mainland, there are always people who were there, on the beach, watching and admiring the sea before everything happened. These people don't realize what's coming. They contemplate the view that proves beautiful and apparently normal. If in the wind there is a different hiss, if the waves are in an unusual movement; none of this is perceived, or if at a time lapse these people realize, they immediately ignore and only convince themselves that it is common to nature, such behaviors. But when they truly realize that everything was nothing but signs of something bad that was about to happen, it's too late. Nothing else can be done, and the wave hits them.

I know that you parents are under great pressure on how to raise good children, and this is undoubtedly a big task. I know you want your kids to get the best grades, choose the most amazing of the professions to succeed, because being successful after all is essential. That's what they say. You parents want your children to be studious, educated, do extra activities to develop some other skills, learn another language, behave in school, and be the best in your class. Let them not bring them trouble, never ever.

These are important rules, I agree, because you parents are fulfilling your role in wanting the best for your children.

But what I have to say today to you, Dad, and Mom is:

BREAK THE CYCLE.......... and look beyond the rules.

Think about the answer to these questions:

What's your son's personality?

Personality is much more than clothes, accessories, music and slang. Personality is character, attitude, thoughts; how your children see the world; what their relationship is with life.

Do your children have a good relationship with their own image? For we have seen many young people with image distortion problems, causing them to be ashamed of their own body, weight, appearance or condition.

When was the last time your children told you what their anguish, fears, and anxieties were?

Can you tell if your child is bullied?

Or if your child has practiced bullying a colleague?

Are your children experiencing some emotional, psychological, or spiritual difficulty right now?

Can you tell what battles your children have in your heart?

Amid so many rules that your children have to follow, are they getting the most important, respect and support to be themselves?

More important than taking care of the children's school bulletins is to take care of the human being they are. With its flaws and successes, defects and qualities. They are young spirits who need to be cared for to be strong adults.

If your children have been very quiet, always seeking to isolate themselves from the world it is necessary to give due attention. And I want to emphasize here, that not every behavior like this is a teen thing.

Parents, do you know if there are tough battles taking place in the hearts of your children?

To the parents who have been able to answer these questions with sincerity, my congratulations, for I know that this teenager receives the love from his family in his home, and receives most importantly, the emotional support that will determine his ability to face the pressure of the world.

I know that the biggest challenge for teenage parents is to be able to create a link with them. But there is a way of this happening and that makes it possible according to Colossians 3:14 which says:

"And on all this, dress yourselves with love, which is the bond of perfection."

BREAK THE CYCLE.  Do not allow the enemy to cool the hearts of parents and children. Your children face unique challenges in this generation.  Understand that the best thing for them, is above all to feel that they are truly loved by you. Of course then as parents you love your children, but I'm talking about the love that Christ taught us that we should practice, the unconditional love.

Do you have this unconditional love for your children?

The true love of a father and mother does not impose conditions on their children so that they may be loved and welcomed, unconditional love will love this child in any way.

Therefore............. BREAK THE CYCLE.

BREAK THE CYCLE and do not imprison the personality of your children, allow them to be themselves, because although created by you, they possess their own essence, their own dreams, goals, longings and characteristics. Your children are writing their own stories, and the family's most important role is to provide the support needed to make this story about their great ability to face the world.

BREAK THE CYCLE and allow your children to choose their professions with their hearts. Maybe they don't pursue traditional careers like doctors, engineers or lawyers. Perhaps your children wish to be musicians, decorators, painters or even astronomers. It may be that they choose a profession with little social prestige or financial return and it's okay, having money is not the most important thing to achieve in this life according to the scriptures. The important thing is that they find their own gift, that given by God for a wise purpose.

It is the world that makes us think that accumulating wealth will make us important people, and by believing in it many waste their lives, gifts, and talents, straying from God's purposes in search of material goods, and becoming slaves to the son of perdition. When the truth is that, for God money doesn't matter, but what we are and what we do is what really matters.

Parents, the world will discourage their children from fighting for their dreams and the purposes God has for them through insecurity, fear, and doubt. Be the help of your children in times of tribulation. When they make mistakes, use the same mercy and love that God gives you when you also make mistakes. We're not foolproof, so few teenagers would be.

BREAK THE CYCLE of lack of attention to the psychological health of your children. Not only do we get physically sick, the mind has its pains and conflicts. And these issues can be fatal. Perhaps in that room that your child spends a lot of time in isolation, and that many parents do not understand why, or imagine that it is a common behavior of adolescence, I say that, perhaps this adolescent is going through problems that need professional help, and if nothing is done, this situation can make him give up living.

There are many pressures that a teenager can suffer, especially at this stage of discovering who one is, and the "standard of beauty" is one of them. This aesthetic pattern has mainly required the girls, that they possess an ideal weight, an ideal body, a specific appearance that fits this aesthetic standard stipulated by society. And this has made girls feel increasingly pressured to be within these standards and question their self-love. This is an important point to note, as such pressure has led many young women to become ill both physically and mentally. So don't make any nasty comments about the appearance of your children. And girls, if you love yourself as you are, because you're beautiful like that, there's no greater beauty than being who you are. Being authentic is a gift. Respect your bodies, love what you are and how you are, accept your imperfections, there is nothing wrong with you.

For the family of adolescents, BREAK THE CYCLE for your young people, by stopping destructive behaviors. We are fruits of the environment to which we are created, and unconsciously absorb harmful behaviors and consequently replicate, creating a cycle of pain and suffering. Take care of the excess of offensive criticism, comments that diminish your child's self-esteem. Do not discourage them when they propose to do something new, such as playing some musical instrument, public speaking or a new language. Cease endless criticism as if they did nothing right. It hurts, damages, and opens a wound for life.

Be the greatest supporters of your children's dreams.

BREAK the CYCLE of prejudice when your children identify their own sexual orientation or gender identity.

Just remember:

Love has no gender and does not impose a condition for us to love our neighbor.

If this happens, they will need you more than ever, because the world, with its prejudices, will be hostile to them, perhaps even take their lives because of homophobia. And if these young people do not get support in their homes, the love of their families, the necessary welcome and understanding, perhaps they themselves decide to do so, in not living anymore.

Love your neighbor in the same way that Christ loved us all, to the point where you gave your life in the name of this love. He sacrificed himself not for some, but for all people, without distinction.

We have seen the alarming number of young people taking their own lives for not being accepted as they are for those who should love and protect them. Prejudice kills, but family prejudice, this one, kills much more.

BREAK THE CYCLE that has made parents cool their love for their children. Love your children however they may be, and be alert about their mental and emotional health. For if something is wrong, you are the key for them to overcome and overcome the evil of depression that has been dragging our young people, making them give up living.

Just as the tsunami is approaching and no one on the beach notices, so are the sufferings of dozens of young people that we have lost in the battle against depression. Often the origin of this evil that has been affecting young people from all over the world, occurs in the family environment, by prejudice, rejection, by the lack of dialogue and endless demands of an ideal of a child that you may be projecting that they should be, and verbalize it painfully, making you feel constantly frustrated, which often results in anxiety attacks, panic syndrome, bulimia, anorexia, deep depression among other pathologies. This is a hard burden for a teenager to carry, that of not being accepted for what one is.

There are battles being fought in the rooms of thousands of young people around the world, where daily they struggle to continue living, often giving signs, similar to the tsunami, but which no one notices, or can not imagine.

Don't ignore the signs.

There is no way to say that we love Christ, we follow Christ, if we do not practice the love that Christ taught, unconditional love.  The love that  rejects, doesn't make sense to anyone, let alone a child.

BREAK THE CYCLE OF ALL Babylonian precepts that may be nesting in your hearts, for perhaps your children will be on that beach as the tsunami approaches, but you can save them before it's too late.

Young people, Now I address you.

If in your homes you do not have the necessary support, do not be sad, parents are also imperfect beings who make mistakes and need to learn, like any of us here.  Keep fighting, believe in your own ability, if you accept, there's nothing wrong with you. And when you feel tired, no longer strong enough to continue, look up, there is a force that you have not yet explored and that is so strong and powerful, that it can transform and heal your pain.

God believes in each of you!

God knows that you are able to break this cycle of exclusion, pain, and affliction that exists in this world. That is why God has placed within each of his children a power capable of changing reality.

This power that each of you possess is called faith, and if you have faith, and join God in all things and moments, there is nothing you are not able to overcome.

Young people, imagine life as a game, a metaverse, a matrix. This game consists of opening and closing doors. There are the doors of difficulties, obstacles, achievements, and many others. Good and bad doors. You can close or open these doors whenever you want, depending on the situation, but to open or close them, you will need the keys.

And where do you get them? The scriptures explain.

The scriptures are God's guidelines for his children on earth, such as a map, a manual. Anything you want to know about what you should do is there in the scriptures. All the answers to overcome the challenges of life are found in the scriptures. And I can prove it.

In the Sealed Book of Moses 4:24 contains the knowledge necessary to overcome the world:

“...And if you have only hope that your feelings are not shaken, then you will have faith and if you have that faith, then you have in you the keys (of this game I just mentioned) to open or close all situations."

In this game, the best player will be the one who seeks in the scriptures the answers to all situations, having faith that God will always lead to the necessary answers.

You are a powerful generation, beyond any other that ever existed. The mysteries that God is now revealing through the Sealed Book, that was extracted from the plates of Mormon, are easily decipherable by you, this is the promise, which the next generation would understand about the power of good feelings, and more than understand, that you will be able to apply this knowledge.

Young people, you can BREAK the CYCLE of all that is bad in the world. Start with yourself the change the world needs. Show the world that a person's exterior is not the most important, just as it is not for God. And what really matters is our good essence, what we carry within us.

Young people, BREAK the CYCLE of pain and judgment.

BREAK THE CYCLE of prejudices, exclusion, non-acceptance for what one is.

BREAK the CYCLE of homophobia.

BREAK THE CYCLE OF gender identity prejudice.

BREAK THE CYCLE OF machoism.

BREAK THE CYCLE OF silence and talk more about depressions, anxieties and any other situation that could put any of you or your friends at risk. Call for help!

BREAK the harmful CYCLE of behaviors and words that can hurt someone's feelings or self-esteem, change the way you treat others.

BREAK THE CYCLE of bullying, of the mocking that hurts.

Be better than all past generations have been.

Each of us is able to transform this world into a place where there are no more judgments, but love and respect.

And that's only possible if you dare BREAK THE CYCLE.

EnglishHeralBanner

Volume 14, Article 3-May 2022: by 1st President Counselor of the Church of Christ - Ronaldo Piffero Medeiros

HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT THERE IS ONLY LOVE?

Good morning, everyone.

It is with great joy that I am here today to speak a little with you. It's always great to be together, whether in person or through the internet, a tool that the Creator gave us so that we could communicate, even from a distance.

Good morning, brothers and sisters who are online. We are together today and always. Feel as hugged and embraced as who is present in body here with us. Let's learn together at this Conference.

So today I want to share with you a reflection that is based on one of the letters left by the apostle Paul to the Corinthians.

It is one of the most beautiful references to love that anyone has ever written. Follow with me, in the first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13, first verses 1-3

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Have you noticed that there is only love? It's all that's left, that's all that matters, the rest is nothing without it. Speaking in tongues, even if it were the tongue of angels, would have no value without love. The greatest charity, if not accompanied by love, is worth nothing... There is nothing but love that makes a difference... nothing... nothing...

And then... and how do we face this?

We are here, and if we are here today, it is because we are seeking to know God, to know his ways, seeking a path that leads us to His grace, to the love of the Father... and how are we on this journey? What are our tools? Do we have the map? Do we know what we need to do?

If it's no use speaking the language of angels, giving everything, we have to the poor or surrender our body to the flames, what does He want us to do?

He wants us to love. Only that. The rest all comes together when we have love for others and for the Father.

And now we must ask ourselves: How is our love? Have we loved our brothers? And I'm not referring to our brothers in the faith, but all humanity... all beings... humans, animals, plants, rivers, forests, the planet that was given to us as home... the universe from which we are part and know almost nothing. How are we on this issue?

Remember that Jesus, when he taught us about the Father and what we should do, didn't ask us for much, didn't demand that we do something that was beyond our means or that we make a big sacrifice.

No, He only asked us to love one another. He also said, love your enemies, for if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have?

It is clear that it is not enough to love our family, our brothers and sisters in the faith, people who live like us. We also have to love those who are different from us. Who think differently, who live differently, who make different choices, who believe in something different. The Father loves everyone. All are your children and worthy of love. Who are we to judge the thoughts of others? The other's life? We too are full of defects in the eyes of others.

We must, as Jesus said, take the beam out of our eye before we want to take the speck out of our brother's eye. Let's take care of each one of our lives, which is no longer an easy task.

And respecting our brothers and sisters, their choices, their lives, is a way of loving them. Have empathy, be kind, even if you don't agree with some things, which in the end, don't really concern us.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Brothers, in the end, only love remains. At the end of the day, at the end of time. There is nothing beyond and there will not be.

Because God is love. It is with this overflowing feeling that we connect with him, and that elevates us more and more.

Because in the end, it doesn't matter how many times you've been charitable, how many times you've been to church because only what's truly inside your heart is what will count. The love you genuinely shared.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Thank you.