HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 3, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was in Houston on Sunday morning with other LDS Church leaders to tour the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey and visit a center where Church relief efforts are being coordinated.
A news release from the Church said that Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, Bishop Gerald Caussé of the Presiding Bishopric, and Elder J. Devn Cornish of the Seventy attended a Church service with members of four LDS congregations that were affected by the flooding or that have been helping with cleanup efforts.
“The Church is really not so much the organization,” Uchtdorf told them. “The Church is you, every individual member. That makes the difference. And your work, your service, your love, your kindness is a reflection of what the Church is all about.”
Caussé told the congregation: “We look forward to the future with confidence although the circumstances are difficult, and we know that we’ll be blessed as we worship, as we pray … and as we go forward and help our neighbor who is in need.”
After the meeting, the senior Church leaders visited the nearby command center.
The Church has sent 16 truckloads of water and supplies to Houston and other Texas communities and will provide more help as needed.
Uchtdorf and the other leaders went to the Houston Texas Temple to assess damage caused by flooding from a nearby creek. And they talked with volunteers helping with cleanup in other neighborhoods.
“Many Church meetinghouses have also been flooded or damaged by the hurricane. Six buildings have been flooded, and 20 others received minor damage. There are more than 56,000 members in more than 200 congregations in the region,” the news release states.
The homes of nearly 800 Latter-day Saints in Texas were damaged in the floods, and more than 2,800 members have been displaced.
