July 8, 2025, 3:35pm MDT
Serving on 450 missions around the world, 80,000 missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints play a key role in community service efforts, disaster cleansing, and other projects related to faith welfare and independence operations.
In a July 7 article on churchofjesuschrist.org, the church highlighted some of these conversions, service and efforts by senior missionaries.
In May, the church worked with other organizations to host a six-day event at a meeting hall in Pasadena, California, providing resources and support for 2,500 households affected by the southern California wildfires. The missionaries helped me.
Kevin Cox, CEO and founder of the Hope Crisis Response Network, one of the event’s organizers, said he had never met a missionary who used the word “no.”
“The church needs to be extremely proud of its missionaries,” he said. “When they send out these young people, they learn a lot of life lessons, but they also sow those wonderful seeds, which is what we need in our country.”
After the destruction of Hurricanes Helen and Milton in the southeastern United States in September and October 2024, Latter-day Saint Missionaries were among the thousands of church volunteers who mobilized to serve their neighbors in North and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.
“The dedication of time by our thousands of members and full-time missionaries helped our friends and neighbors in the South, along with food, water and many other goods provided by the Church. It was all part of living the two great commandments of the Savior (to love God and love others), the Church’s Southeastern President of North America.
In 2022, the missionaries joined other volunteers on a service project with the Association for the Improvement of Colored People in San Francisco, California. Together they installed an irrigation system at the Florence Fan Community Farm. It provides fresh food to the diverse and underserved communities that live in the food desert.
On that occasion, Elder Patrick Caeron, who was then a member of the 70 presidency, said the project promoted community solidarity.
“We are here from all kinds of backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures. Everything is working together to make this extraordinary garden a better place,” said Elder Caeron, who is now a member of the quorum of the 12 Apostles. “The real advantage today is to work together. When society generally shows so many fractures, this draws all kinds of people together and we are happy to be part of it.”
In the Philippines in April, missionaries joined a congregation-led medical mission in Barangay Mintal, Davao city, providing free physical and mental health services to the community.
In the same month, Costa Rican missionaries and church members cleaned the children’s playground and Catholic parish in San Jose.
Missionaries were essential for flooding on Papua New Guinea’s Papua New Guinea in October 2024. It was not possible to arrive at the village by boat for shallow seas, villagers and missionaries.
In July 2024, missionaries assisted in cleaning operations at Saas-Grund, Switzerland, after smashing the storm.
“It was very moving to see how our work improves the lives of the people here,” said Elder Tobias Close, a missionary on the Alpine German-speaking mission. “Instead of our everyday work, we were able to achieve something truly meaningful by working together.”
In Rome, Italy, missionaries and local Latter-day Saints prepare and serve hot meals to the homeless in the Palocchia del Santici More Den Tore Charity Kitchen one day a week. Also, for Christmas, you will prepare a gift bag containing sweets and other items.
All the ministry offers is rooted in the desire to obey the two great commandments of Jesus Christ. As the 12 Apostles quorum diet elder F. Uchtdorf taught in 2017, I love your neighbor and love your neighbor.
“The Savior loves every child of God, regardless of socioeconomic circumstances, race, religion, language, political orientation, nationality, or other group.
“God’s greatest reward goes to those who serve without expecting a reward. It goes to those who serve without fanfare. Those who quietly seek ways to help others, those who serve others simply because they love God and God’s children.”
