Members in the stakes of Brasilia, Fortaleza and Manaus gathered in stake centers Sept. 17 to listen to President Gordon B. Hinckley address them in a satellite broadcast that originated in a Conference Center studio in Salt Lake City.

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President Hinckley speaks during satellite broadcast from Conference Center to members in Brasilia, Fortaleza and Manaus, Brazil.

President Hinckley expressed gratitude for the technology that made it possible for him to address the members assembled in central, northeastern and northern Brazil "as if you were in a stake center around the corner and we were a few blocks away."

Also addressing the conference were Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve; Elder Robert S. Wood of the Seventy; Sister Julie B. Beck, first counselor in the General Young Women Presidency; and Brother Dean R. Burgess, first counselor in the General Young Men Presidency. Elder Wood, Sister Beck and Brother Burgess delivered their addresses in Portuguese.

President Hinckley spoke of his long-time association with members in Brazil.

"I first visited Manaus in September of 1970, 36 years ago. We did not have at that time a single member of the Church in this large city," he said.

"This was once the rubber capital of the world. The British controlled it. They built, among other things, a beautiful opera house. Theater and opera stars were brought from England, and then were taken 1,000 kilometers up the river to Manaus. This was a prosperous and busy city until the rubber market collapsed. Then it fell into decay and the population dwindled. We are grateful for the revitalization of this great city where now some 1.5 million people live.

"Later I visited Fortaleza, Recife, Joao Pessoa and Brasilia. They were once very familiar places to me. At that time our work was very weak in all of these areas.

"Now all of that has changed. We have many strong wards and stakes, with strong and capable leaders."

Among the counsel that President Hinckley gave was encouragement for members to "not stoop to doing anything that would be out of harmony with our status as children of our Father in Heaven."

Encouraging members to "do good," he spoke of the outpouring of service and humanitarian assistance given to victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He read excerpts of quotes by people who are not members of the Church who "benefited from the capacity of our people to reach out and do good."

Such action, he said, is "in harmony with the great example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave His life that all men might live, that all might rise from the grave as the fruits of the Resurrection, and that all might be extended the opportunity of eternal life by keeping the covenants and commandments of the Lord."

Elder Nelson commended members for their love of the Lord, missionary work, love of and care for the youth of the Church, and their faithfulness in paying tithing. He noted that by the end of the year, the Brazil North Area will have sent 1,000 missionaries into the mission field.

He spoke of temple work increasing in the area, and commended especially members in the vicinity of Manaus for whom travel to a temple has been long and extremely difficult; a trip to the Sao Paulo temple required as much as two weeks. "Since you have been invited to attend the Caracas Venezuela Temple, you can get there in four days, at a third of the cost," Elder Nelson said, observing that those members have increased the number of ordinances from 400 per year to a projected 1,200 by the end of this year.

He counseled members to have in their homes photos of family members as a constant reminder of the importance of families and a picture of the temple, copies of the scriptures and issues of the Liahona magazine to help build spiritual strength. He encouraged them to have family prayer and family home evening, adhere to the Word of Wisdom and listen to and remember the inspired counsel of President Hinckley.

Elder Wood, who was called in 1999 to serve as a counselor in the Brazil North Area presidency, said "The roots of the gospel have sunk deep into the soil of this country."

He focused his remarks on enduring to the end. Of the trials and sufferings faced in mortality, he said, "As we submit to the will of the Father and accept Christ, we shall not confront these challenges alone, but within the protecting shield of the Atonement of the Lord....

"We are not alone," he added. "Despite all our weaknesses, sickness and sin, there is a hope and a Redeemer. We are not able to escape the difficulties of the world, but we may triumph over the challenges of life."

Sister Beck, who lived five years in Brazil as a child, recounted the development of the early Church in Brazil and spoke of "the Brazilian heritage of faith."

Her father, Wm. Grant Bangerter, who in 1937 was one of the early missionaries to Brazil, was called in 1958 to preside over the Brazilian Mission. In 1977, then a member of the Seventy, Elder Bangerter was given permission by President Spencer W. Kimball to start finding young men from Brazil to serve missions. Thousands have served, as have many young women, and have increased in faith and gained leadership skills, she said.

"The Church in Brazil is now full of faithful families. They have taught their children faith and have prepared more missionaries. The Lord builds people first, and then the people help build the Church."

Brother Burgess, who served a mission to Brazil and, in 1997, was called to preside over the Brazil Belo Horizonte Mission, spoke about service.

"If we have (the) desire to serve God we will be called to the work, whatever that calling or responsibility might be — home teacher, Primary leader, missionary or bishop," he said. "The opportunity for service or work in the Church is for each and every one of us who has made personal covenants of baptism."

He said that young men have a responsibility to prepare to serve full-time missions. "Having a desire to serve a mission represents an attitude to prepare now, both spiritually and temporally."

— Gerry Avant