Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has completed his ministering tour of the Africa West Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from February 13-22, where he shared instruction, love and his witness of the Savior with members and leaders.
He was accompanied by his wife, Mary, and Elder Michael T. Ringwood of the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife, Rosalie.
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Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Mary, pictured along with Sister Rosalie Ringwood, are greeted upon their arrival at the Lagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake Center before the area instruction meeting on February 14, 2026.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.In Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, Elder Cook provided spiritual guidance and training to local leaders and members; held devotional meetings with missionaries, youth and young single adults across several nations; and bore witness of the divinity of the Savior and His work.
In Nigeria on Saturday, February 14, Elder Cook, accompanied by Elder Ringwood, presided over an area instruction meeting for stake, district and mission presidencies, as well as Area Seventies and temple presidency members.
Sister Cook and Sister Ringwood had the opportunity to tour the Lagos Nigeria Global Education Center, which is one of only four such facilities in the world. On Sunday, February 15, the visiting leaders attended sacrament meetings in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. Elder and Sister Cook attended the Jamestown Ward, while Elder and Sister Ringwood attended a sacrament meeting in the combined Mamponse 1st and 2nd Wards.
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Sister Cook and Sister Ringwood were welcomed by Dr. Mohammed Marzuq Abubakari, personal assistant to the national chief imam of Ghana and executive director of the Islamic Peace and Security Council, who conducted them on a personal tour of the Ghana National Mosque, fostering interfaith understanding and goodwill.
In Accra, the visiting General Authorities participated in several devotionals. On Tuesday, February 17, they addressed employees of the Church at the Christiansborg Stake Center.
Elder Cook related personal experiences about his family during a time when missionary work was restricted because of world conflicts. He spoke about his older brother, who received the opportunity and chose to serve a mission despite his father’s concerns for his son’s medical career. Elder Cook told how his brother’s decision played a part in his gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. He counseled the congregation to take the Savior’s admonition as recorded in 3 Nephi 27:27, “Therefore, what manner of men [and women] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”
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Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles greets a young member of the Jamestown Ward in Ghana, Nigeria, prior to the start of sacrament meeting on February 15, 2026.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Elder Cook, accompanied by Elder Ringwood and members of the Africa West Area Presidency, met with His Excellency President John Mahama, president of the Republic of Ghana, at the Jubilee House (presidential palace) in Ghana. The meeting focused on faith, freedom of religion and the Church’s humanitarian efforts in Ghana.
Following the meeting, Elder and Sister Cook, along with Elder and Sister Ringwood, met with young missionaries at the Ghana Accra Missionary Training Center.
During that devotional, Elder Ringwood counseled the missionaries to give a “first-class effort” to their “first-class cause,” promising them that if they do, their mission will change their life forever for the better.
Elder Cook then explained the process of calling a missionary and indicated that in the week just previous to his visit in West Africa, the largest number of missionaries ever assigned in a single day in the history of the Church were called.
Elder Cook spoke of “four loves” all missionaries should have: Love for their companion, the people they serve, their mission leaders and the Savior. The Savior establishes His church by their hands, he said, and emphasized their need to serve with all their heart, might, mind and strength.
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Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addresses the audience at an employee devotional held on February 17, 2026, during a ministering assignment to Africa.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Elder Cook also met with missionaries in the Benin Cotonou Mission and spoke at a devotional for youth in the area.
On Thursday, February 19, Elder Cook met with the combined missionaries serving in the Ghana Accra East, Ghana Accra North and Ghana Accra West missions. Over 540 young and senior missionaries listened as Elder Ringwood used personal stories and scripture to illustrate that God is deeply involved in the details of missionary work, guiding them to find His prepared children.
Elder Cook recognized the number of baptisms from the previous month and year in the three Ghana Accra missions. The harvest is the Lord’s, he said, and the emissaries of the Savior Jesus Christ should strive to bring people to Him.
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In Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Elder Cook spoke at a devotional for young single adults at the Cocody Stake Center on Friday, February 20.
Returning to Ghana, Elder Cook and Elder Ringwood convened a final area instruction meeting on Sunday, February 22, at the Christiansborg Stake Center in Accra. There, Church leaders from Ghana gathered to meet with the Apostle to receive his instruction before he concluded his assignment.
Elder Cook’s visit to the Africa West Area provided an opportunity for leaders and members of the Church to receive direct instruction from the Lord as well as an outpouring of His Spirit through him. They received a witness of divine authority, a unifying and strengthening influence from his words and a witness of the importance of the work of the Lord.