Mormonnewsroom.org pulls stories from the international Newsroom websites to show what leaders and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world are doing to better the communities in which they live.
Apostles Meet With Latter-day Saints Around the World
Elders Dallin H. Oaks, David A. Bednar and Quentin L. Cook, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were recently in three areas of the world visiting with and speaking to Church members.
Elder Oaks was in Mexico City in early February, where he dedicated the newly remodeled Mexico City Temple Visitors’ Center.
He told the audience the visitors’ center is dedicated for sacred religious purposes. Go to the Mexico Mormon Newsroom website for more information (Spanish).
Elder Bednar was in Uganda. He reminded Latter-day Saints they are the pioneers of the Church in Uganda.
“We are not here to teach you Western culture,” Elder Bednar said. “We are here to teach you about the gospel culture.”
Read more about what he said on the Uganda Mormon Newsroom website.
In Guatemala Elder Cook met with members and local leaders of the Church, 700 missionaries and government officials. He also joined in some fun cultural entertainment.
While in Guatemala Elder Cook taught and encouraged Latter-day Saints in their service to God. Go to the Guatemala Mormon Newsroom website (Spanish).
Brazil: Mormons Respond to Serve
Brazilian Latter-day Saints and missionaries, trying to follow the Savior Jesus Christ and serve their fellow men, are helping their neighbors and communities.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil have taken to heart President Thomas S. Monson’s counsel to be charitable, kind, loving and good citizens.
Recently, local Church leadership discovered an opportunity to serve in Piracicaba in the state of São Paulo. The Parish Community Hall of St. Paul the Apostle happily received volunteers in the yellow Mormon Helping Hands vests who were carrying paint, paint brushes and rollers and spent many hours painting the inside and outside of the church building.
Read more about the welcomed project on the Brazil Mormon Newsroom website (Portuguese).
Zimbabwe: Youth Donate a Little of Themselves
More than 60 Mormon youth volunteered to donate blood recently in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city.
The project was organized by Latter-day Saint and former rugby player Reginald Nield.
Go to Zimbabwe Mormon Newsroom website to read about what the youth did.
Costa Rica: Latter-day Saints Organize a Recycling Campaign
Mormon Helping Hands in Costa Rica collected recyclable materials to help the environment.
Latter-day Saints coordinated the project with the local community and the Ricardo Lawrence Environmental Unit to collect and encourage the public to recycle, with the message that recycling is a simple process that can help to solve many of the problems created by a modern lifestyle.
Go to the Costa Rica Mormon Newsroom website (Spanish) for more information.
Guatemala: Mormon Seminary, a Gospel Education
Latter-day Saint students around the world are given the opportunity to improve their religious education by taking a daily class The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints calls seminary.
In Guatemala, more than 7,000 young men and women between the ages of 14 and 17 have begun reading and studying the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ as part of a four-year curriculum that also includes studying the Holy Bible. The classes are taught by approximately 600 teachers throughout the country who volunteer their time.
Read more on the Guatemala Mormon Newsroom website (Spanish) about how the young people feel about taking a course of religious instruction during their school day.
South Africa: Queenstown Mother of Six Is Also Mayor of 200,000
The new mayor of Queenstown is Nozibele Makanda, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the mother of six children.
Mayor Makanda says the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ help her understand that she is a servant of the people and she must be humble and honest and have integrity.
Read more about Mayor Makanda and her commitment to her family and to the gospel of Jesus Christ on the South Africa Mormon Newsroom website.
United Kingdom: Muslim Leader Honored by the Church
Bashir Maan and his granddaughter (left) and niece (right)
An 87-year-old modest and unassuming man has been honored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the UK for service to his fellow men.
Elder Clifford T. Herbertson of the Seventy presented Bashir Maan with the Scottish Family Values Award. The award is presented by the Church to influential members of the community who stand for important values that support society.
Read more about the man with Pakistani roots who received the award on the United Kingdom Mormon Newsroom website.