Standing before a crowd of city officials, religious leaders, and citizens, Elder Carlos Villarreal of the Quorum of the Seventy highlighted several fundamental beliefs of the LDS Church while participating in San Antonio’s “Day of Reflection,” an interfaith event commemorating the city’s founding by Spanish missionaries 300 years earlier. “We proclaim to the world that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children,” declared Elder Villarreal, and emphasized the Church’s belief in the divine mission of Jesus Christ. “His way is the only path that leads to real and lasting happiness in this life . . . and to eternal life in the world to come.” His short address concluded with a “blessing upon all of you, that we may continue in faith to go forth and bless all of our Father in Heaven’s children.”
Bishop Bruce Baillio of the San Pedro Ward attended the ceremony and was impressed with the strength of Elder Villarreal’s address. “He bore his testimony,” said Baillio, adding that it was “very powerful.”
The “Day of Reflection,” the first of five different theme days in the city’s Commemorative Week (May 1–5), was sponsored by the San Antonio Tricentennial Commission. The presentations, open to all belief groups, focused on the city’s rich legacy of faith and were limited to two minutes each.
Watch it here: Elder Villarreal 300