Elder Todd Christofferson - LDS Mormon 178th General Conference

[Heather]

Here are the links to Elder Todd Christofferson's LDS 178th General Conference talk. Please feel free to add your thoughts and discussion on the talk here.

YouTube - Mormon 178th General Conference Todd Christofferson (1 of 2)
YouTube - Mormon 178th General Conference Todd Christofferson (2 of 2)

[rameumptom]

More about his being called to the apostleship. I've known Elder Christofferson for over a decade. He was the area president in the Southeast US for a few years, when I was in the Montgomery stake. He was over the family history program at the time, and encouraged us to use family history to share the Church with others. As a counselor in the stake mission presidency, we set up a family history booth at the state fair, two years in a row. We had a list people could fill out to have a family history consultant visit them in their home and help them with their family history work. We only turned it into a missionary experience if the person asked questions about the Church itself. We had several hundred people sign up and have a great experience in learning to do their family history research. Of it, we did have several investigate the Church and some baptisms.

We're looking at doing this in our community this year in our ward in Indy. Our goal is to become more involved in our community, and offer a service they can enjoy. Only those who ask us more about the Church will be proselyted. I believe it was Elder Oaks last Conference that said that when people ask a question, sometimes they only want the question answered. We want to build some good will and promote the spirit of Elijah, and not seem like we're just out to baptize.

Anyway, Elder Christofferson told us some wonderful experiences he had working with the Jewish community on the then issue of baptizing holocaust victims. He worked with some of the Jewish leaders that did not want baptisms even for those who had LDS descendants. He found out where these gentlemen were originally from in Europe, and was able to have the Family History Dept in SLC dig up records from those locations. For the first time in decades, they were able to view names and even signatures of friends and relatives that died in the German ovens. It was a very touching experience, because they relented on allowing LDS descendants to baptize their ancestors.

I had a strong feeling that he would be a great candidate for the apostleship. Elder Christofferson truly is a man of God.

[Heather]

Thank you so much for sharing that. I'm really looking forward to getting to know him better. I loved his testimony at the end of his talk, especially the following quotes:

"I rejoice that for the balance of my life I shall be able continually to offer Christ, to offer the good news of Christ, throughout all the world."

"Jesus has had no greater witness nor devoted friend than Joseph Smith."

It was such a wonderful, powerful testimony: YouTube - I Testify Testimonies Quorum of 12 Apostles 178 mormon lds

[checkerboy]

I actually met him once on my mission in Texas. I remember he was a very outgoing and nice guy. He had such an easy way about him. Very approachable. I guess these are all good qualities in an apostle.
I am excited to get to know him better.

[Hemidakota]

I do admire and appreciate the Lord in making His choices among those to serve in this capacity.

[MorningStar]

Born Again

[tomk]

How many Quorums of Seventy are there right now?