Elder and Sister Renlund Minister to Sisters in Central London

Crowds of people filled central London on one of the sunniest days of the year so far, but nowhere was busier than the Hyde Park Chapel as hundreds of sisters from the England London Mission gathered to hear inspiring messages from an Apostle of Jesus Christ at a Relief Society devotional on Sunday May 19th, 2024.

Elder Dale G. Renlund and his wife Sister Ruth L. Renlund, were accompanied by Elder Hans T. Boom of the Quorum of the Seventy and his wife Sister Marjan Boom. Area Seventy Elder Robert F. Schwartz and Area Organisation Adviser, Sister Linda Sheppard, were also present with their spouses.

Elder Renlund opened the meeting by powerfully testifying of the Saviour. Quoting the popular hymn, I Know That My Redeemer Lives, he shared, “Jesus Christ is the reason we are here. I absolutely know that He lives! He is your and my kind, wise, heavenly friend.… The real miracle happens in your life when you know it yourself. That’s when your life is changed. That’s what changes everyone’s life.”

Elder Renlund shared a story of visiting the British Museum with his family to see the Magna Carta on display. When they arrived, the room was busy and most people solely focused on another exhibit – the original, handwritten lyrics to a popular Beatles song. Elder Renlund used this story to remind the congregation to focus on things that matter most: Jesus Christ and His living prophet.

What touched the sisters in attendance the most, however, was the Renlunds’ personal ministering during the devotional. Elder Renlund reassured the sisters: “Jesus Christ, will sanctify to you your deepest distress. He is the only one who can. He is the One we rely on. As I have come to know him, I have come to know that He loves to restore what you cannot restore. He loves to heal wounds [that] you cannot heal. He loves to fix what has been irreparably broken. He loves to compensate you for any unfairness you have experienced in life. And He will sanctify to you that deepest distress, He will compensate for this, and your afflictions will be for your gain.”

Elder Renlund’s powerful message was followed by a number of speakers on similar themes of the blessings of coming to know Jesus Christ through making and keeping sacred covenants in the temple and by following the living prophet. Sister Sheppard remarked that sisters would be “completely blown away” by the blessings of coming unto Jesus Christ and Sister Renlund reaffirmed that “the temple helps us with our eternal vision.”

Sisters were invited to submit questions for the Renlunds to address in a 45-minute question and answer session. Elder and Sister Renlund lovingly answered questions on many topics. Some of these included: concern for loved ones leaving the Church, advice for those with LGBT family members, how to avoid cliques and divisions in multicultural units, helping young women transition into Relief Society, the Church’s women’s organisation, the role of women in the priesthood, and more. Many felt inspired when Elder Renlund prophesied and testified that, “through Jesus Christ all unfairness will be made right.”

In closing, he shared his testimony of the living prophet by saying that he knows that “Russell M. Nelson is God’s prophet on the earth today.” He added that everyone can have the same knowledge and testimony: “If you ask, it will be made known to you and when you know you are led by a prophet today, it changes your life. When you know that Jesus is the Christ, it changes your life, and it puts questions into the proper perspective.” The Relief Society sisters of the England London Mission were truly uplifted and strengthened by the testimony of Jesus Christ and personal ministry of a visiting Apostle.