August 21, 2025, 5:30pm MDT
To gain mutual understanding, military recruits from various services in the US military toured the central storage of bishops of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and met with members of the Church’s military relations and pastoral service department on Wednesday, August 20th.
The event included 22 people from the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Army Reserve, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and the Utah Air Force.
During their visits, they learned how the church teaches the principles of sacrifice, service, and selflessness, and is involved in something greater than themselves.
The men and women in the service were impressed by the order, cleanliness and organization of the 500,000 square feet warehouse. Food and supply rows and columns include large storage areas, rack storage, freezers and cooler spaces.
Sergeant. Ian Taylor, a native of Springville, Utah, said he knew about the facility because he was a member of the church for the rest of his life, but it was his first time touring it as a representative of the Marines.
From his own experience, he said, “It’s amazing to see how much connections and effort there are, both on the military and the church, to shake hands and move something.”
Todd Linton, a retired Air Force colonel and overseer of the Church’s Military Relations and Pastoral Service, spoke to them about how the Church can help others around the world when it is needed.
“It’s amazing what happens when we work together for good,” he said.
After a tour of the warehouse, Stephen J. Lund, who was recently released as General President of Young Men and served in the military, spoke with recruiters to answer questions.
“What we saw here is the church,” he said.
He said that God helped him on his journey by guiding him to join the American army after his full-time mission. He also told the early stories of his military experiences, hoping to help him understand the youth and young people of the Church, that he rose up for his beliefs and promises he gave to God.
The young people in the church “provide from a culture of service,” Brother Lund said. “They believe they have an obligation to contribute. …It’s embedded in their character.”
Recruiters asked about full-time missionary services and timing, requirements and other factors. They also discussed the opportunities and environment where they could talk to young people and young people about their options to serve at the National Guard, Reserve, ROTC or Service Academy. And they learned more about the local church congregations and military relations departments strive to support Latter-day Saints in the military wherever they are in the world.
Sergeant. Taylor served a full-time mission in Hong Kong before joining the Marines, and knows that there are other young people who may not know what to do in their life after the mission.
“They will hold hands so that they can see the changes in the lives of these young people and make decisions to serve their mission and serve their nation,” he said.
Each recruiter received a copy of The Strength of Youth Guide. This took care of those seeking an annual overview and received an invitation to attend the Salt Lake Temple Open House from April to October 2027.
Dan Patterson, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and manager of the Church’s Military Affairs Division, invited him to use the department as a resource and call him with questions.
He said joining the military does not mean abandoning core values or trading identity. President Russell M. Nelson taught that he was a child of the covenant and a child of God, a disciple of Jesus Christ.
“Anything that is important, whether it’s an officer or enlisted, Marines, soldiers, sailors, special forces, whatever it matters. “And we believe it is key to helping members of the military experience these transitions in their lives.”
