by Keith L. Brown | Jul 9, 2015 | Mormons in the News
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are a compassionate and service oriented people. Whenever a need arises, they are always ready and willing to render any assistance necessary. One way in which members are able to provide community service and disaster relief for those in need is through a Church priesthood-directed program known as Mormon Helping Hands. According to the official website for Mormon Helping Hands:
The program provides priesthood leaders with an optional service opportunity for Church members and helps establish the name and reputation of the Church. It is a proven means of helping dispel stereotypes often held about the Church, showing that Latter-day Saints are Christians who contribute to the good of their communities.
Successful projects have been conducted throughout Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, and the United States. The objectives of the program are five-fold: (1) help the needy and improve communities, (2) strengthen Church members, (3) share the gospel indirectly, (4) build relationships with opinion leaders, and (5) enhance the reputation of the Church.
Appreciation and Recognition of Service
The service that the Mormon Helping Hands render does not go unnoticed. They do not receive any monetary compensation. However, their lives are richly blessed from knowing that they touch the lives of those for whom the service is given in both small and oftentimes grandiose ways.
Recently, Mayor Annise Parker called upon local Mormon missionaries and the Mormon Helping Hands to assist in disaster relief following major flooding that occurred on Memorial Day. In appreciation for that service, on 24 June 2015, at a Houston City Council Meeting, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was recognized as the leading contributor of volunteers and time. Mayor Parker commented, “The response from the Latter-day Saints was so overwhelming and so immediate that it really set the standard.”
On that day a proclamation was enacted declaring 24 June 2015 as Mormon Helping Hands Day. The proclamation read in part:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ dedicated disaster response team Mormon Helping Hands organized over 560 volunteers who have served more than 14,000 hours to help Houstonians clean up and recover from the Memorial Day flood.
The City of Houston commends and appreciates Mormon Helping Hands for its volunteer efforts as part of the S.A.V.E. Houston initiative. Their selfless dedication toward ensuring Houston’s resilience in the face of natural disaster truly encompasses the compassionate spirit of Houston.
The proclamation was accepted by Elder Daniel W. Jones, an Area Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ, representing the 180-plus LDS congregations throughout the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast Region. In his remarks to the members of the city council, he stated, “We are grateful for the privilege of showing our faith by the works that we do.” He then presented Mayor Parker with the June 7th edition of the Church News, which featured a photo of her and a story about the city/missionary combined efforts.
One of the council members, Dwight Boykins of District D, exclaimed, “To the youngsters in the yellow shirts — just know for certain your work doesn’t go in vain. We see you guys on weekends, we see you doing work all around the city. Just prepare yourselves for the future because God has big plans for you.”
Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having been born and raised Baptist. He was studying to be a Baptist minister at the time of his conversion to the LDS faith. He was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik, Iceland while serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavic, Iceland. He currently serves as the First Assistant to the High Priest Group for the Annapolis, Maryland Ward. He is a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy Veteran.
by liviw | Aug 19, 2013 | Mormons in the News
Two boys stare up, beaming out of a small photo in a gold locket. A picture of a newborn – the baby’s tag reads “born March 2011”. An old black and white photo of a couple that seems to be set in the 50’s. Photos of people she doesn’t know surround Brooke Porter, of Oklahoma, at home, and she is determined to find them.
Latter-day Saints Always Willing to Lend a Helping Hand
Brooke Porter volunteered in the Oklahoma tornado clean up with Mormn Helping Hands, the official community service program with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently called the Mormon Church).
In her characteristic yellow Helping Hands vest, Brooke joined fellow Church members in the clean up after the E-5 tornado in Oklahoma. Digging through the debris, Brooke began to notice some personal items left behind, mostly pictures. She volunteered herself to take home the hundreds of photographs she salvaged. She has started a Facebook page and is manually scanning and photographing the personal items and pictures and uploading them to be claimed online. (more…)
Livi Whitaker is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – a “Mormon” woman in Idaho. She has worked in various professional Communications based positions in New York, Italy and Idaho since her first day at the United Nations on Jan 2nd, 2007. Livi now devotes her full attention to free lance writing. An avid writer since childhood, Livi has kept a journal as long as she can remember – yet some of the most fulfilling writing she has done is for the More Good Foundation, sharing her beliefs online.
by paulah | Jul 30, 2013 | About Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently called the Mormon Church) supports and promotes genealogy or family history work. This expansive work is often done by small groups of Mormon volunteers.
Family History Work in the Church
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ are interested in family history as part of their belief in God’s plan of salvation. They believe that “It is the plan of God that all persons shall have the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive the saving ordinances, regardless of when they lived on earth.” [1] Mormons believe that if a person did not hear the gospel preached through the Lord’s authorized servants while they lived on the earth, they will have the opportunity to hear it in the spirit world after they die. (more…)
Paula Hicken was an editor with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship from 2000 to 2013. She earned her BA degree in English from Brigham Young University. She edited Insights, the Maxwell Institute newsletter, and was the production editor for Faith, Philosophy, Scripture, Hebrew Law in Biblical Times (2nd ed.), Third Nephi: An Incomparable Scripture, and was one of the copy editors for Analysis of the Textual Variants of the Book of Mormon. She also helped manage the Maxwell Institute intellectual property and oversaw rights and permissions. She has published in the Ensign, the Liahona, the LDS Church News, and the FARMS Review.
by Delisa Hargrove | Jun 7, 2013 | Mormons in the News
Recent flooding caused a state of emergency to be declared in Radisson, Maidstone, and Borden, Saskatchewan. City officials concerned about the remaining snow levels still to melt, felt even more flooding was inevitable. [1]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often inadvertently called the “Mormon Church,” provided volunteer support from its local congregations.
Don Tanner, Radisson’s mayor and a member of the Church, said that the missionaries have made a significant contribution to the flood-control effort. “The missionaries worked in wet running shoes or boots in snow, rain and high winds for 12 hours. What is more, the missionaries’ cheerful attitude and willingness [to help] lifted the mood and helped everyone work just a little bit better.” (more…)
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have moved 64 times and have not tired of experiencing this beautiful earth! I love the people, languages, histories/anthropologies, & especially religious cultures of the world. My life long passion is the study & searching out of religious symbolism, specifically related to ancient & modern temples. My husband Anthony and I love our bulldog Stig, adventures, traveling, movies, motorcycling, and time with friends and family.
by Charlotte Wilson | May 23, 2013 | About Mormons
On Monday, May 20, a cluster of tornadoes hit several states, the most severe storms hitting Oklahoma. Reports say that at least twenty-four people have died, including several children. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church) sends its deepest condolences to the victims and has already 
started assisting in the relief effort.[1] These efforts are not unique to the Church of Jesus Christ and are characteristic of the faith’s emphasis on administering to those in need and serving those within the community.
The Church of Jesus Christ Is Already Involved in Helping the Tornado Victims
Within hours of the disaster, local leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ were in the process of coordinating with other local relief agencies to organize and execute relief efforts for the victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes. These volunteer efforts also include establishing a relief center that will help coordinate supplies, volunteers, and volunteer assignments. The relief force from The Church of Jesus Christ will consist primarily of local church members and full-time missionaries. (All of the Mormon missionaries—approximately 200—have been accounted for.) (more…)
Charlotte graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in English, with an emphasis in editing. During her education she interned with the Neal A.Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, BYU Publications, and the New Era magazine. Charlotte currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and son. She’s a stay-at-home-mom and has been able to keep up her writing through maintaining a personal blog (smallandtrivial.blogspot.com).
The service that the Mormon Helping Hands render does not go unnoticed. They do not receive any monetary compensation. However, their lives are richly blessed from knowing that they touch the lives of those for whom the service is given in both small and oftentimes grandiose ways.
The proclamation was accepted by Elder Daniel W. Jones, an Area Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ, representing the 180-plus LDS congregations throughout the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast Region. In his remarks to the members of the city council, he stated, “We are grateful for the privilege of showing our faith by the works that we do.” He then presented Mayor Parker with the June 7th edition of the Church News, which featured a photo of her and a story about the city/missionary combined efforts.
