Sister Dennis Shares God’s Love in Southern Africa

As part of a 10-day ministry in Southern Africa, Sister J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, uplifted, ministered to and learned from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She began her travels in Mauritius on Saturday, August 30, 2025, with Primary General President Susan H. Porter. In Mauritius, they met with Beau Bassin–Rose Hill Mayor Gabriella Batour and engaged in a conversation focused on the family. The next day, Sister Dennis led a women’s devotional attended by women from several congregations.

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On Monday, September 1, Sister Dennis arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, where she met with a group of 11 young single adult men and women. In an intimate focus group setting, they discussed both the blessings and challenges of living the gospel in today’s world.

“You are all sons and daughters of a kind, loving Heavenly Father,” Sister Dennis said. “I hope you’ll remember who you are and whose you are.”

She emphasized the growing influence of the Savior’s love across the world, saying, “There are many good people around the world turning to the Savior. We need to form relationships with others so we can stand strong together.”

The following morning, Sister Dennis participated in a humanitarian service project with Elder Carlos A. Godoy, President of the Africa South Area, and his wife, Mônica, and Elder Carl F. Krauss, Area Seventy, and his wife, Amy.

In collaboration with women from the Cape Town and Bellville stakes, the group assembled over 150 comfort packs for the Ilitha Labantu Women and Children Shelter, which provides support and resources to survivors of violence and abuse in underserved communities.

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“The world is such a crazy place. It’s very easy to feel alone. It’s very easy to feel like everyone is going about their lives and you suffer internally,” said Siyakholwa Majezi, Young Women secretary in the Mandalay Ward. “The Savior emphasized service and love because He wanted each and every one of His children to know that they might be alone physically, but He’s there, and these packs [are one way] He makes provisions for them.”

Later that evening, Sister Dennis met with sisters from Cape Town and Bellville stakes in a devotional focused on ministering and the blessings of making and keeping covenants with God.

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“We are apprentices to the Savior in ministering,” she said. “He went about doing good. His whole life was about ministering. Through ministering, we are learning to become like Him.”

On Wednesday, September 3, Sister Dennis visited with two member families in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her first visit was with Nokubonga Dube’s family, and the second was with Leah Khumalo’s family. 

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The families expressed deep gratitude for the uplifting messages Sister Dennis shared. Her words reminded them that the Savior knows them personally and loves them deeply.

She then joined again with President Porter in Lesotho, where the two visited Maputsoe on Thursday, September 4, to minister to those mourning the tragic accident in late June that took the lives of six young women and four Church leaders.

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“I am so sorry for your loss,” Sister Dennis said. “I cried with you when I heard [about the accident]. You are my sisters. We are sisters in Zion.”

On September 5, she participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Warren Park Primary School in Harare, Zimbabwe, with Elder Denelson Silva, First Counselor in the Africa South Area Presidency, and Marc and Karen Davis, mission leaders in the Harare Zimbabwe Mission. The event marked the official handover of newly constructed and upgraded school facilities donated by the Church of Jesus Christ.

“Our president says that a country is built by its people, and we are seeing the Church helping us to build our country,” said Dr. Torerayi Moyo, minister of primary and secondary education for Zimbabwe. “Education is an enabler; it is a driver of economic growth and economic development. What you are doing as the Church, you are contributing in a big way to sustainable development, to economic development of Zimbabwe, and I’d express my appreciation to the Church for the invaluable role you are playing.”

In her message, Sister Dennis highlighted the Church’s active role in global humanitarian efforts and the motivation behind them.

“In a world that often feels overshadowed by darkness, we are called to be a light and a beacon of hope, goodness and love to those around us,” she said. “Every act of kindness, every moment of service and every expression of love shines as a beacon of hope. Through these actions, we help others feel God’s love and invite His joy into their lives.”

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On Saturday, September 6, Sister Dennis participated in a child nutrition screening event organized by local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ in Harare, Zimbabwe. Families were able to bring their children in to be screened and to receive nutritional education as part of the Relief Society’s global initiative to improve the well-being of women and children through member child nutrition, maternal and newborn care, immunizations and education.

Later that day, she spoke at a women's devotional and a Young Single Adult devotional. Her remarks focused on President Nelson's teachings about the blessings of a covenant relationship with God. 

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On Sunday, September 7, Sister Dennis spoke at a women's devotional and then ministered with President Porter to two young women — Thato Lephakha and Mamathobi Mothebe — who are recovering in a Johannesburg hospital following the deadly car crash in Lesotho in June.

They brought them a card featuring an image of the Savior holding a light. The card also contained personal messages of love and encouragement from President Russell M. Nelson and all nine female General Officers of the Church.

The leaders also brought handwritten cards from children in the Latter-day Saint congregation that Chris Porter, son of President Porter, attends in Washington State.

In that quiet hospital room, President Porter and Sister Dennis offered words of peace and reassurance, sharing the Savior’s promise from John 8:12: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

On Tuesday, September 9, Sister Dennis and her husband, Jorge, visited two hospitals in Maputo, Mozambique — an area that faces high maternal and newborn mortality rates. In recent years, the Church of Jesus Christ has collaborated on projects with UNICEF aimed at strengthening the delivery of quality newborn and maternal care in Mozambique’s major hospitals. 

Hospital personnel were deeply grateful to the Church for their support of these important projects that are making a difference in the lives of at-risk newborns and their mothers.