The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in San Antonio

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

A car load of blankets and warm clothing, donated by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the San Antonio area, along with donations from other faiths is headed to the border. The donation will hopefully help those seeking amnesty stay warm in the freezing temperatures. One load from area faiths arrived Thursday, with the load from the Church of Jesus Christ heading out shortly.

Trey Hermann, a member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg, has been working with the ranger staff and border patrol at Big Bend National Park. The acting Deputy Superintendent of the park, Rick Gupman, said that they are seeing an increase in amnesty seekers and refugees arriving in the park. With the expiration of Title 42, the border agents and park rangers are concerned with the anticipated increase in amnesty seekers arriving at the park’s border crossing from Boquillas. The problem comes with the dramatic shift in the weather hitting Texas this weekend. The freezing temperatures are very dangerous with the people that are crossing the river. They arrive soaking wet and very cold, seeking asylum.

The Church has been actively helping those seeking asylum as they travel through the San Antonio area.  Don Larson, Communications Director in the area said, “The majority of our support is to ease the suffering of our brothers and sisters as they make their way to their final destination.” Larson, who works with the Interfaith Coalition in San Antonio suggested members could help ahead of the freezing temperatures to gather donations.

Melinda Preator, Communications Director from the San Antonio North Stake, drove a car load of donations out to Fredericksburg to deliver them to Trey Hermann, who will get them to the rangers at Big Bend.

San Antonio’s Faith Based Initiative sent out an “Action Alert” ahead of the plummeting temperatures they have suggestions and opportunities to help locally on their Urgent Alert page.

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

The season is shinning brightly in Seguin with this year’s Stable Project. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s Seguin congregation is, once again, holding their light high during the Light the World initiative. 

For the second year in a row, the “Texas Giving Machine” built by the Seguin youth, is being employed for good. This year the emphasis has changed from helping outfit apartments for Afghan refugees to local charities. Last year, this group was responsible for furnishing 55 apartments for the refugees.

Jordan Johnson, age 17, who helped build the Giving Machine last year said: “This year, we’re helping two organizations. We’re helping Seguin Youth Services, the city’s youth center here in Seguin…. We’re also helping TruLight Ministries. Basically, we got a list of things that they need. We’re going to do the same thing we did last year. Whether it’s food items or clothing or gift cards.” 

They will collect the items that people purchase via the QR codes on their Giving Machine. Those items will then be distributed to the two organizations. Johnson said: “We will take it over there, and bond with the kids a little bit and just have fun.”

Wayne Felix, a member of the Seguin congregation, explained more about the two charities. He said the Seguin Youth Services “is an after school care facility, Monday thru Friday. It’s only run by three individuals. The first hour they pick them up from school and they do homework. They feed them dinner and do different activities until about 7 o’clock and then the kids go home….The other charity we’re working with is TrueLight Ministries. They’re a foster care facility, both short-term and long-term for 35 individuals.

Speaking of TruLight ministries, Johnson added “We’ve been up there a couple of times and we’ve played football and surveyed the area to see what we could do to help them. With Seguin Youth Services we did the same thing. We’re actually building a second Giving Machine over there to help both of those causes.” The second Giving Machine, which will be a bit shorter than the first, will function with QR codes too.

The Seguin congregation kicked off this year’s Light the World efforts by participating in Seguin’s Lighted Holiday Parade on December 1st. Their float featured the Texas Giving Machine, fog, music and a whole lot of participants clad in red Light the World t-shirts following behind and waving at the city’s spectators. The parade featured 93 entries all lit up to ring in the holiday season.

On Friday, the 2nd, they had a large presence at Seguin’s “Sip ‘n Stroll” event in their downtown square. The beautifully decorated square would make most Hallmark producers green with envy. There are booths of all kinds handing out hot chocolate as participants walk around. The Church in Seguin had a large outdoor nativity, a giant screen showing The Nativity video and of course, the Texas Giving Machine.

Those strolling around were encouraged to take one of the cards off of the Giving Machine, scan the QR code and purchase something for one of the local charities.

The Church’s Seguin congregation continued to usher in the season by hosting a “Night in Bethlehem” on the 3rd at their meetinghouse. The Giving Machine had a prominent place in the lobby. They began the evening with a concert by members of the Church and the community.

The community event featured dozens of nativity scenes. They had a large creche allowing children to dress up in costumes and participate in a live nativity and get pictures. There was a children’s area where they could play and touch several nativities and do Christmas crafts. Outside they had a life size nativity with benches.

People could go outside grab cocoa and sit and listen to music. They could also scan one of the QR codes and watch several different Christmas videos produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Giving Machine will travel tomorrow to the First United Bank in Seguin where it will be available to anyone who would like to donate to either of the charities. Can’t make it to Seguin? You can still support their efforts by scanning the QR code above.

Sister Doane, a missionary for the Church serving in the Texas San Antonio Mission had so much fun participating in this weekend’s Light the World activities. She said: “The focus of missionaries is to bring people closer to Jesus Christ. With the holiday season, it’s the perfect time to talk about Christ and to spread the light He brings and feel the spirit of Christmas, because the Spirit of Christmas is the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of God. So it’s all about sharing messages and bringing people closer to Jesus Christ.” 

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Things look a bit different this year. My first reaction was, “Wait! Where’s my Light the World calendar?” I’m a planner, and promoting the Church’s Light the World initiative is part of my responsibility in my Church assignment. In the past, I’ve done a fairly decent job keeping up with the daily calendar prompts and have been blessed by my participation.

The approach this year with Light the World mirrors the “higher, holier approach” that Church President Russell M. Nelson has been encouraging. It is along the same lines as the new For Strength of Youth announced in this past General Conference. We are given many wonderful suggestions of what we can do throughout the month, accompanied by the question of the season: “Who needs your light today?”

What a wonderful invitation to consider — who does need my light and what will that “light” look like today? The list of suggestions range from simple and doable, like invite someone to go ahead of you in line, pray for someone by name, or send a text of gratitude to someone. Some might take a bit more planning — take a walk with someone or make a meal with a family member.

Download the PDF of the full list of daily ideas here

My thoughts also turned to JustServe to see what suggestions they might have as I do my part to Light the World. Last year I loved working with the many refugees from Afghanistan. This year on JustServe they have a wonderful toy drive benefiting children of refugees, that I’m excited to participate in — I mean, what’s more fun than shopping for toys? They need toys for 1,800 kids ranging in age from 0 to 18, you can find the details here: JustServe

If you want more inspiration and ideas, you can sign up for one of the Church’s official Light the World notification services below:

• Text “LIGHT” to 71234 to receive daily encouragement and inspiration to serve one person every day starting December 1.
• Sign up for daily email prompts on the Church’s Light the World website.
• Join the official Light The World Facebook group to share experiences and see more uplifting content from people serving all over the world.

There is also this year’s new video which reminds us that “Everyone needs your light!”:

by Giles Lambertson, Area Media Specialist

As a coda to a remarkable weekend of visits to congregations in the south Texas region, two General Officers, an Area Seventy, and the Texas San Antonio mission president gathered with Saints Sunday in Uvalde. From the podium and in a discussion period immediately following, they counseled members on being forward-looking, covenant-keeping followers of Jesus Christ.

Primary General President Susan H. Porter shared with the congregation that, following the unexpected death of her husband, she received a clear message in her mind and heart: Do not dwell on where you are. The impression inspired her to move beyond her moment of sudden loss. 

President Porter counseled her listeners to do the same, citing scripture—Moroni 10:3—in which all are invited to ponder the Lord’s mercy and what it means for each person. “The Lord loves to heal wounds that we want healed,” she said. “We only need to look up to Him, ask for miracles, and open our hearts to receive them.”

Area Seventy Elder Jorge Contreras remarked upon the unusual occurrence of having two General Officers in a meeting outside Utah, let alone in an ordinary Sunday sacrament meeting. It is more evidence, he said, that “the work moves forward,” a perspective he repeated later in his remarks. 

Elder Contreras encouraged listeners to continue to love God and our neighbors and otherwise to keep the commandments we have pledged to keep. “Making and keeping covenants, that’s where the power lies.”  

Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson also spoke in the meeting, and then led a group discussion the following hour. President Johnson told of a time when, after her parents had moved the family from Idaho to Texas, she and her mother together would explore the new area. Her mother drove and she gave directions from a map. She said she also established certain guideposts, like a grocery store or a billboard, to help orient herself as she directed her mother. It was a successful team effort that always got them home again, she recalled. She then directed a question to the audience: “What guideposts do we have as we make our way through life?” 

Audience responses were many and varied. They ranged from scriptures to temples, General Conference to seminary, from the Holy Ghost to Church meetings like the one occurring at that moment. President Johnson said all the guideposts mentioned are the equivalent of GPS (the global positioning system) “to help us get home to Jesus Christ.”

The president suggested two more navigation helps: One was For the Strength of Youth, a manual of expectations originally developed for the Church’s youth programs that increasingly is viewed as a source of guidance for all members. After two youth shared their thoughts on the manual, the president said, “I am so optimistic about the future when I hear responses like that from young people.”

Her other guidepost suggestion was… the prophet. At her request, audience members shared their favorite exhortations of President Russell M. Nelson, including his admonition to repent daily and to always make time for the Lord. If we will look to the prophet for guidance, President Johnson said, we can stay on course today and into tomorrow. “Following the prophet, we can face the challenges in front of us right now—and also see around the corner.”

Also on the stand during the sacrament meeting were Texas San Antonio Mission President Steven Fitzgerald and Eagle Pass District President Ross Davidson and their spouses. In the audience were other members of the District presidency along with area and region Church communication officials. 

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

“You are known, you are loved and you are needed by the Lord,” was the message that permeated the teachings during a special women’s conference held in Eagle Pass, Texas. General Relief Society President, Camille Johnson and General Primary President, Susan Porter, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had the opportunity to visit, teach and share their love with the sisters in the Eagle Pass District. 

Sister Edie Collier, Relief Society President over the Eagle Pass District, which also includes branches in Uvalde and Del Rio and groups from Carrizo Springs, Cotulla and Pearsall, wanted to do something special for her sisters during their Women’s Conference this fall. She had been bold enough to ask if perhaps one of the sisters from the General Relief Society presidency could participate in a Zoom meeting with her sisters. She was told no, they would rather attend in person. 

Sister Johnson spoke about the scripture story of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well. As she reviewed the well known passage, she illustrated how the Savior knew this woman, “He knew her past and He knew her present…. She had a believing soul. …and because of what she testified to those people, there were many people in the city of Samaria that believed in the Savior.” Sister Johnson said she loves to look at the beautiful picture that depicts the encounter hanging in her Church office and reflect upon the lessons of this story. She said, “For the purposes of this afternoon, I think this story is really illustrative of three points: the Savior knows us, He loves us, and He needs us. He talked to her at the well in a way she could understand. He used an analogy of water, this is a woman whose every day routine revolved around collecting water…. That’s the analogy He used to describe to her what He could offer — the living water or eternal life.”

“The Savior let that woman know that she was known to Him. He knew who she was, about her life, about her past and about her challenges — and she didn’t have to be perfect to receive His attention. The Savior needed her. When the Savior told her who she was and who He was, she ran to the city and the scriptures report that ‘many believed on him for the saying of the woman…’” Sister Johnson continued, “Do you see? The Savior needed her. I testify that the Savior is interested in you. He knows about your challenges, He knows what’s in your heart, He knows about your past, He knows what your goals are … just like He knew the woman at the well. We do not have to be perfect for Him to love us, to know us, and to need us — because we’re perfected in Him.” She said, “I want you to know that He will meet you at your well. He will meet you in the washroom, at the grocery store, on the soccer field, at school, or wherever you are. He will testify to you through the Holy Ghost that you are both known, loved and needed. Will it come in a grand manifestation? Well perhaps, but it’s never come that way for me. The way I have felt the love of God is in small and simple ways.” 

Sister Johnson then opened up the discussion to the sisters in attendance, to testify of ways that they knew the Lord loved them, and knew them. One sister mentioned that she had been healed physically, and that it was only through God’s power that she was made whole. Another sister said that just as she was driving to work and looking at how beautiful God’s creations were, she felt His love for her in an overwhelming way. Sister Johnson invited the sisters to be more intentional in seeing evidence of God’s love for them.

Sister Porter, picking up on the theme of how the Lord needs His covenant daughters, continued the discussion of the women at the well. Speaking of that woman, she said: “She’d made a lot of mistakes in her life, she still was, but she could be a witness of Him. She had that desire. As I was thinking about her, and each of us, the Lord and His prophets have invited us to be this light. We all think of ourselves and we say ‘eeeeeh’ I really can’t do that, because I’m not perfect.” 

Sister Porter then pulled out a plate that she and her husband had been given years ago in Israel. The plate depicts the miracle of Christ feeding the 5,000 with two fish and five small loaves. When she got out the plate to bring it to Texas, she noticed it had a chip on it. She immediately thought, “I can’t bring a broken plate to Texas” and then she thought, “That’s the whole point. We are the broken plate, it’s not broken, just a little chipped. But each of us have little chips, we’ve had tough stuff happen in our lives. We’ve made decisions that maybe weren’t the best. But what was the whole point of the story of the 5,000? We bring ourselves, what we are, what we can offer, and we say ‘Heavenly Father, can You use me?’ Could He use the little fish and the loaves of bread? He could, and He made it into something great. That is how the Lord can use us. If we bring our chipped selves, ask for His forgiveness, we express that we are trying to live our covenants the best we can. Then we ask, can He use me? I testify that He can.”

Sister Porter related that she grew up in rural upstate New York. Her father was not a member and her mother faithfully took her family to Church. “What a light she was in my life…through her efforts, she was a light.” Sister Porter then asked the congregation, what women in their lives were a light bringing them closer to the Savior. Anika, a primary child, stood up and said, “My mom, she reads the scriptures to help me learn about Jesus.” Sister Porter followed up and asked, “Is that helping you be a light to others, how about in your neighborhood? Anika answered, “Yes, I can be a light to other people, but I still make mistakes.” Sister Porter said, “I am so happy that you shared that with us. I still make mistakes. Anyone here still making mistakes?” All hands in the congregation shot up. Sister Porter, said, “We’re all still trying, and I am so grateful for the gift of daily repentance — like morning and night, right?”

Sister Jennifer Fitzgerald, who is serving with her husband as leaders of the Texas, San Antonio Mission also addressed the sisters. She spoke about being a community of sisters, despite distance. She said, “I love that we can go anywhere in the world and find this same community, and we can feel comfortable because we share this community.” She gave an example from Alma, when he was first organizing the church, and he counseled them to have “…their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.” She held up a small piece of knitted yarn. She said, “Because of the way this is knit, it can be stretched and pulled in any direction… you can see all of those loops connected together. This is the kind of flexibility that we need when we are creating this community of belonging.” She invited all to think about what they can bring to this community of sisters. She listed two Christlike qualities that she felt were important, humility and charity and shared examples of both.

Presidents Johnson and Porter had an early start to their day. Before the conference in Eagle pass, they went across the border and spoke at a Women’s conference in Piedras Negras, Mexico. They shared their love for the sisters and their testimonies that the Lord loved His daughters in Piedras Negras. Sister Johnson said, “Those faithful sisters filled the chapel, all the way to the back of the cultural hall.” She said, “I felt so bad we couldn’t stay longer and take a picture with the sisters, but we had to hurry back because of the border crossing.”

Although, Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras sit very close to each other on either side of the border, it takes, on average, one hour and 40 minutes to cross the bridge. Elder Jorge Contreras, an Area Authority, who presided at the conference in Eagle Pass, testified to the sisters, that they had received a miracle. The group traveling from Piedras Negras were not expected to arrive at the conference until after it had started, and hopefully before the first two speakers were finished. Many prayers for the Lord’s intervention had been made. Elder Contreras said, “We have been planning this conference for quite a while…we wanted everything to go well. About three weeks ago, we made a dry run to cross the border. We went and saw the sisters in Piedras Negras and all indications said, to cross the border, it was going to take no less than 1 hour and 40 minutes. So we had a problem. As we were preparing, President Davidson and I said, ‘we’ve done everything that we can do.’ And then we allowed the Lord to take over and He did. We almost arrived on time.” The border crossing took just a few minutes and Sister Johnson and Sister Porter arrived in time to enjoy the meal provided before the conference and were able to visit with sisters during the luncheon. Elder Contreras continued, “It is one of those tender mercies, against all odds, I guess He parted the Rio Grande. Miracles do exist and I wanted you to know. Those are the small tender mercies in our lives that we cannot miss. And if we have the Spirit we will be able to identify those.”

It was a long day for the General Sister Leaders. After the conference in Eagle Pass, they traveled about an hour to Uvalde. In Uvalde they attended a dinner with the Mayor of Uvalde, Don McLaughlin, and many civic leaders.

The dinner, organized by district president, Ross Davidson, allowed the Sisters and Elder Contreras to ask what the Church could do for the town of Uvalde. President Davidson, said, “This was a very productive dinner. Wonderful discussions were had.” Many of the civic leaders included those who sit on the advisory committee to disperse funds that were taken in after the school shooting to help those affected in the community.

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Mission: Border Hope received a great deal of attention from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday. Located in Eagle Pass, Mission: Border Hope aids asylum seekers in their journey to reach family members in the United States. It was another typical day for Mission: Border Hope on Friday, as they welcomed over 700 asylum seekers. They were offered shower facilities, hot meals, clean clothes and many, many travel plans were made. 

Early Friday morning a truck arrived from the Church’s Humanitarian Services with 24 pallets of food for Mission: Border Hope’s kitchen. The boxes of beans, cake mixes, pasta, peanut butter, stew and many other items will help them in their goal of feeding and welcoming the asylum seekers. Missionaries and others helped unload the truck, fully filling the facility’s storage area. 

On Friday evening, President Camille Johnson, Relief Society General President and President Susan Porter, Primary General President for the Church, arrived to tour Mission: Border Hope’s facility and meet many of the asylum seekers. They were accompanied by Area Authorities, Elder Jorge Contreras and Elder Art Rascon. 

Elder Rascon and President Johnson were visiting with one man who had traveled from Quito, Ecuador with his wife who is a few months pregnant. They are awaiting transport on one of the free busses, sponsored by the state, heading to New York. Their ultimate destination is with family in Queens, New York. 

The Church visitors heard many stories of their journeys that brought them to Eagle Pass, most on foot, some with a few bus segments sprinkled in between. They heard of their hopes for freedom and better opportunities for their families. The spirit of Mission: Border Hope is one that is palpably felt as care and service are extended to “the least of these”.

Sisters Johnson and Porter were also touched as they saw the large amount of food that had been delivered earlier in the day. Asking what more the Church could do to help, Diana Rodriguez, of Mission: Border Hope mentioned clothing, “warm clothing is needed now.” 

Sisters Johnson and Porter also met with Sigrid Gonzales, who works with Homeland Security and is a senior advisor for Customs and Border Patrol. Gonzales spoke of the journey of many of the immigrants, their processing and their background checks. She said there are two types of immigrants, the “getaways and the give-ups.”

Gonzales continued, “The give-ups are the people who turn themselves in and from there, they have different pathways. We receive them, we process them, and get their fingerprints. If something pops up during the check, we send them to I.C.E. for removal proceedings. If they are unaccompanied children, without anyone, we send them to HHS (Health and Human Services) for them to be reunited with their families in a separate process.”

Gonzales explained, “If they are amenable to Title 42 policy, which is a health policy, we have directives with countries, like Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, that we can send them back.” There are some people who are released under Title 8. Title 8 allows them to be released within the United States, with documentation. Those people must notify I.C.E. upon reaching their final destination. Gonzales said, “We release them with the understanding that they are going to be checking in while they are awaiting their asylum proceeding.” The Title 8 people are those that come into the migrant centers, like Mission: Border Hope. They have been processed through legal channels and permitted to enter the country.

by Leisa Parsons, Area Communications Media Specialist

This morning’s Second Annual Welcome Walk, sponsored by Culturingua and other organizations and volunteers, is a wonderful example of what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Communication personnel do, day in and day out, in the San Antonio area. Unique among callings in the Church, the Communication council on the area and stake level look outward to the community. Communication Councils help bring people unto Jesus Christ by building relationships with people and organizations to achieve the mission of the Church, increase understanding of the Church, and minister to the needs of God’s children.

Sharon Christensen, Communications Director from the La Cantera Stake, and Melinda Preator, Communications Director for the San Antonio North Stake, were on hand this morning along with many volunteers from various Church congregations around the city to help with the Welcome Walk. Christensen has been working with Culturingua and was asked to help with children’s activities and in securing volunteers for this morning’s walk.

San Antonio Mayor, Ron Nuremberg, participated in the walk. He said: “This event, with San Antonio residents walking alongside newcomers in our community, physically and metaphorically represents San Antonio’s support in welcoming new immigrants and refugees. I’m so honored to stand here to continue this annual tradition.”

Communication councils support JustServe in mobilizing member and community volunteer service, like this morning’s Welcome Walk. The perceptions that community leaders, government officials, news media, and others hold about the Church can directly affect its success. By developing trusting relationships on behalf of Church leaders in the area, the work of ministering to all of God’s children is facilitated.

Through the years, relationships with other faiths and charities, such as Catholic Charities, Haven for Hope, the San Antonio Food Bank, various food pantries and organizations such as Culturingua and the Center for Refugee Services have helped the Church and its members serve in the community. Don Larson, Area Communications Director said he used stay awake at night when he served as a Stake President as he thought about his stewardship. “As a Stake President, we don’t just serve our members, we have a greater stewardship for all of the people who live within our stake boundaries. I could never figure out how to minister or fulfill that responsibility, now as a Communications Director, I get it. I can see how we can make a difference in lifting and serving those in our community.”

Another aspect of the work of Communications councils, at all levels, is to leverage social media to uplift, inspire, educate, and connect members and the community with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

by Giles Lambertson and Leisa Parsons, Media Specialists

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints age 40 and over are encouraged to watch a special broadcast about Senior Missons. The devotional, held last Sunday, October 30th, is still available until November 13th. The hour-long event can be viewed here: Senior Missions

The devotional was broadcast from the Tempe, Arizona Institute of Religion to the five-states that comprise the North America Southwest Area of the Church. In a video vignette, Elder and Sister Peterson, senior missionaries from the area, shared their feelings about service. Sister Peterson said: “During our missions in Africa, we feel so needed and so wanted. It is a desperate need.” Elder Peterson said, “The reason we went back the second time there was, we knew that we were needed, we knew that we were appreciated, and we knew that we are going to contribute.”

The devotional featured a panel discussion of people who served senior missions, including a widow who was called on a mission with her sister. The panel was moderated by Elder Michael A. Dunn, second counselor in the North America Southwest Area presidency, who presided at the meeting. He also spoke, as did Elder Steven D. Shumway, an Area Seventy.

Elder Dunn used a variety of illustrations to dispel misperceptions about senior missions. Some of the examples were:

• The perception sometimes is that older members aren’t sure if they really are needed in the mission field. The reality is there are 12,000 senior missionary openings each year and only half are filled.  

• The perception of many seniors is that they aren’t sure they can work the long hours and endure the restrictions of the mission field. The reality is that senior missionaries have much more flexibility in their mission field standards.

• The perception of some is that “I never had one of those ‘big callings’ in the Church, so I am not really prepared.” The reality is that whom the Lord calls, he qualifies.

Elder Dunn quoted the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, who said: “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Elder Dunn said serving a senior mission is that kind of work.

Elder Shumway told the gathering that while serving a mission as adults indeed is a sacrifice, those who serve come to understand better “what it means to give up something to get something better.” The “better” is transformative blessings in their lives. Elder Shumway said: “We should quit asking what the Lord will permit—yes, He permits us not to go on a mission—and ask instead what He would prefer that we do. If you do, you can experience transformative blessings.”

Elder Dunn concluded the meeting by addressing those who might say, “But the bishop or stake president has never said anything to me about a mission.” His counsel: Take the initiative. Ask the bishop or stake president about serving a mission.

For anyone with questions about senior missions, there is a website that can answer the questions. According to Elder Dunn the website is,  “…very real and very unvarnished.”: Senior Missionary

By Ken Jarvis, Area Media Specialist

A few weeks ago I was having lunch with some members of another faith. I mentioned that some of our congregations were being divided. One person looked alarmed and said that in her faith group when a congregation is divided that’s a bad thing. I quickly assured her we remained united in the faith, but that we were dividing some large congregations into several smaller ones.  

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have you ever lived in the same home, but over time, lived in several different wards (congregations)? Have you ever wondered how large is too large for a ward? When your ward was divided have you ever wondered how they decided who went where? 

Last September some of the units^[1] in the Texas Hill Country Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints went through a realignment. Some unit boundary lines were changed and a new unit was created. Stake President Gary Long shared with us just what prompted the realignment and how it was accomplished.  

He began by explaining how growth is managed. “When we get larger we grow by division.”  But what is the right size for a unit? “The Church has guidelines for this.  If we look in Section 36 of the General Handbook it tells us that the minimum number of members for a ward in the US and Canada is 300. In other parts of the world the number is 150.” Wards in the Hill Country Stake have a membership of somewhere between 320 and 420 with an average of 370.  

So what made this Stake Presidency decide the time was right to make changes? “Really it was just the growth in the area,” President Long replied. “We saw Smithson Valley ward growing. That ward was created five years ago. So in those five years it grew from just over 300 members when it was created to just over 625 in just five years with attendance at well over 300.  

“We were seeing similar trends in Canyon Lake. 20 years ago Canyon Lake was a just a branch and a small struggling one at that. But the growth out there has just exploded. They were close to 550 in membership and over 250 attending Sacrament meeting.”

President Long added that their building is not very big and with COVID they were trying to spread out and they simply ran out of room. “When a building starts getting that much use, people don’t want to come if they can’t find a seat or they feel like they can’t see or hear.”

“So those units were the two main drivers,” said President Long. At that point he assigned his Second Counselor, President Frank Freeman, to begin the preliminary work on the realignment nearly a year before it took place. After six months the full presidency got involved.  

Their thinking up until that point had been fairly global; total member numbers currently in units. But when they began the task of dividing, the challenge was how do you decide on the exact boundary lines? It comes down to which streets should go in which ward.  

“So we started out by simply drawing boundaries,” President Long said. “We had some different looking boundaries at first. Then we got thinking about the youth and the different high school districts. We knew these changes would have a profound impact on the youth.  It happened to me when I was a youth. They took our ward and divided us. It was hard! So, yes, that was key.”  

They then tried to align unit boundaries with high school boundaries in order for the youth to go to school and church with the same friends. The creation of the new Piper High School came at the same time. “We have Bulverde Ward and Indian Springs Ward that’s going to be all Piper High School,” President Long said. “The Spring Branch Ward will all be Smithson Valley or Blanco school districts. Smithson Valley Ward is all Smithson Valley High School.” 

The Stake Presidency also tried to keep subdivisions together and find logical boundaries that make sense. “Of course we also looked at the buildings that we have. Who’s going to attend what building? How far is the drive to the new building?”  

President Long reflected that, “Anytime you draw a line somebody’s not going to be happy.  That weighed heavily on us as we considered doing this. So we spent a lot of time doing what Doctrine and Covenants section 9 says and that’s studying it out in our mind and going through different scenarios.”

As they came close to the end of the decision making process the Stake Presidency realized they needed some additional input. “We recognized that we aren’t as close to the members as the bishops are so we counseled with them.” As an example President Long said there was a group of families that just a couple of years ago were moved from one ward to another. “And now we would be asking them to move again.” Consulting with the bishops helped the Stake Presidency make a more informed decision.  

The Church has a tool that helps stake leaders plan by letting them move boundaries electronically to show which families would be impacted and the potential leaders who would be available. “We had to submit names for bishops at the same time as we presented the boundaries,” President Long added. “It’s all one proposal. And the tool is smart enough to recognize that.  

He explained that another thing they take into consideration is the number of full tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holders living in a unit. “They want to have a certain ratio of that.  And the bare minimum ratio is 20 members to every full tithe paying Melchizedek Priesthood holder. So for a ward of 300 that would be 60.”

The Stake Presidency put it all together and pondered and prayed about the boundaries. “Once we felt good about the boundaries we pondered and prayed about the bishops. All of that work involved frequent trips to the Temple. Then as a presidency when we all felt good about it, we submitted it to Church Headquarters.”

The Handbook explains that it takes about four weeks to get approval from the Church. First it goes to an analyst at Church Headquarters who looks at boundaries and checks to see if all the minimum criteria were met. It finally ends up at the First Presidency’s office and they have to approve both the boundary changes and any bishops that are called.  

When the Hill Country Stake Presidency heard back they got three different letters from the First Presidency. One, approving the boundary changes and authorizing them to present it to the members for their sustaining vote. Then they received two letters, one for each of the two new bishops.  

So now we know how member growth is managed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But there’s one question that still needs to be asked. Why do we go through all this work just so we can have so many relatively small units when one or two huge congregations in one very large building would be more cost-effective?  

President Long answered this by reminding us that, “When the Savior ministered to people He did it one on one. Yes, there were a few large crowds where He fed the 5,000 with the loaves and fishes. But much of His ministry was done one on one.”  

He then related it to our day, “What I’ve observed over the years is that when units get too large there’s not an opportunity to know everybody and to be able to serve side by side. We always want people to have opportunities to serve others. When units get too large people don’t feel they’re part of the unit and that they’re needed.” He made it clear that “…certainly we need everybody.”

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^[1] In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “unit” refers to either a large congregation (ward) or a very small congregation (branch).

by Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Trust is a fundamental component of our most valued relationships. Human relationships are stymied without some level of trust. The principle of trust is one that Cassie Sandou is well acquainted with from years of soaring 20-25 feet in the air over a Russian bar. She works without a safety net, in fact one time on TV, she was blindfolded and had a bed of very large nails sticking up awaiting any mistake. Obviously, she has learned to trust her team. 

Her teammates who hold the bar that she lands on are called “porters.” She’s known as the flyer in the act, and fly she does! She trusts her porters, likening them to the iron rod, saying they are “steadfast, unchanging and constant.” She continued, “I knew they were always going to give 100% effort at keeping me safe so I could do my job.” 

Sandou said their show, with the porters providing a foundation that was so steadfast, can be likened to the foundation of building upon Christ and Heavenly Father. She said, “the trials in our life are going to refine us and help us become more like Christ.” Just as she would focus on holding her position while in the air, she knows she needs to hold her position steadfast with the Lord. This principle of trust took on added meaning last month as she held her infant son during his very brief stay in mortality. 

Continue reading “Flying High — Trust Takes on New Meaning”