Staying Strong Together

By Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita

Emeritus General Authority Seventy

From an interview with Diana Evelyn Nielson and Olivia Kitterman.

I lived in Japan growing up. My family belonged to the Buddhist religion, like many families there. One day, I met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had a special feeling about them. I wanted to be like them.

When I joined the Church, only one other student at my school was a Church member. Being one of the only ones was hard. Some of my friends from school made bad choices, and they wanted me to do the same things. I struggled to choose the right.

I stopped going to church for four months. But every Sunday, my friends from church called me and asked, “How are you doing?” It helped me. One morning I had a strong feeling. I knew I needed to go to church that day. So I did. Since that day, I’ve never stopped going to church. I decided to stay on the covenant path.

When you live somewhere without many Church members, it can feel lonely. Making good friends can be hard. Loneliness can make it difficult to live the gospel. But you can gain your own testimony to help you stay strong. I’ve also learned that having friends at church to support you really helps.

If you feel lonely, focus on following Jesus Christ. Keep studying the scriptures, saying prayers, and going to church. You will feel less lonely because God is with you.