“Please help us to unite as one nation under God,” said Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary general president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during a prayer at the White House in Washington, D.C., Thursday May 2, 2019.
The worldwide leader of the Church’s children’s organization joined faith leaders from across the country to offer prayers on the National Day of Prayer.
“We express our gratitude for Thy goodness and mercy,” said Sister Jones, who was accompanied by her husband, Robert, in the Rose Garden for the morning ceremony. “We thank Thee for the freedoms we enjoy. We acknowledge our accountability to Thee, and to each other, for how we exercise those freedoms.”
This is the second year in a row that a general leader of the Church has been invited to participate in the annual interfaith event. Sister Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, offered a prayer on behalf of the Church in 2018.
Sister Jones continued, “We give thanks for the infinite grace of Thy Son Jesus Christ. May we draw on His example and strength as we seek to lift Thy children, to care for the widows and the wounded, and to serve the poor of both purse and spirit.”
You can read the full transcript of the prayer here.
President Donald J. Trump issued a proclamation earlier this week designating May 2 as a National Day of Prayer.
“We condemn all hate and violence, particularly in our places of worship,” said President Trump.
“I invite the citizens of our nation to pray, in accordance with their own faiths and consciences, in thanksgiving for the freedoms and blessings we have received, and for God’s guidance and continued protection as we meet the challenges before us,” he said.
Watch the entire broadcast below. Sister Jones begins to pray at approximately the 56:00 mark.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
