Christ ministered gospel 'one by one'
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Throughout his life, said Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Seventy, "I have come to know through my own experiences, that Heavenly Father hears and answers our personal prayers. I know that Jesus is the living Christ and that He knows each of us individually or as the scriptures express it — one by one."
Elder Rasband, called to the Seventy during last April's general conference, illustrated the "one by one" nature of the Savior's ministry by highlighting verses from 3 Nephi 11.
"The multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into His side, and did feel the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one. . .
"All the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, . . . and He did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto Him."
Elder Rasband said, "He took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. Certainly, there is a very profound and tender personal message here. Jesus Christ ministers to, and loves us all, 'one by one.' "
Elder Rasband related a personal experience when he served as president of the New York New York North Mission prior to his current calling. Elder Neal A. Maxwell was in New York City for Church business and asked for a meeting with the missionaries. In preparing for the meeting, Elder Rasband prayerfully considered who should offer the invocation.
"A name boldly stood out to me," Elder Rasband said. "Elder Joseph Appiah of Accra, Ghana."
After asking Elder Appiah to offer a prayer at the meeting, "with amazement and humility in his eyes, he began to weep deeply. . . He told me that this Apostle [was] very special to his family. Elder Maxwell had [extended the call to] his father to be the district president in Accra, and had sealed his [parents] in the Salt Lake Temple.
"Perhaps never in the history of mankind do we need to be serving on a 'one by one' basis more than we do now," Elder Rasband said.
