President Nelson concludes global ministry tour

HONG KONG — In a chapel in Hong Kong, Latter-day Saints met for Sunday services, a day following a devotional, where they personally heard from President Russell M. Nelson.

“When I looked at President Nelson in his eyes last night, I feel the countenance of the Savior upon him, his face, I know he is a prophet of God,” said Joslyn Alquino, a Filipino Latter-day Saint who lives and works in Hong Kong.

The global ministry tour is coming to an end on Sunday night, for President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He’ll return home on Monday from Hawaii, the last of his eight stops.

Beginning with a stop in London on April 12, while en route to Jerusalem, President Nelson explained his purpose in literally circling the globe, for nearly the past two weeks.

“To start in Jerusalem and get the love of Christ in our minds and then take that love of Christ around the world, and that is what we have tried to do in these eleven days together,” President Nelson said.

Sister Wendy Nelson says the strength of Latter-day Saint women she encountered on the tour has created a lasting impression.

“Those women who have made sacrifices in their lives, they are rock solid and they are making a difference in the church and in the world,” she said.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Sister Patricia Holland were also part of the tour—which included ministering to church members all along the way.

“It is amazing that we were able to gather them together at every stop in so many countries so quickly to hear this wonderful new prophet,” said Sister Holland.

Their trip also included stops in Kenya, Zimbabwe, India and Thailand.

“It has been a good pace, and we have covered an amazing amount of geography and met a lot of people. The symbolism of this visit is in a way as important so the whole world and the whole church knows their prophet cares about them,” added Elder Holland.

“We are really sorry we didn’t go to 199 other countries that we could have visited,” President Nelson told church members, during his remarks in Hong Kong.

But he said he hopes to continue to minister to Latter-day Saints in other countries, as often as he can.

“So if we are accurate in projecting the word of the Lord to the people of the world, they will recognize the Lord’s voice and they will pay attention and they will be moved by it,” President Nelson added.

A historic tour for Latter-day Saints, and for those what were part of it, a moment in their lives they will never forget.