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28/01/2024

CHURCH & FRIENDS SPONSOR FAMILY HISTORY FAIR AT RICHMOND STAKE

The Richmond Stake hosted a Family History event for the community. Classes on a variety of topics were offered through the day.

The event leader, Brother Vince Murphy noted, "This fair is a means for us to learn and share our experiences with both members and friends of the Church. Family History is an opportunity for everyone to come together and rejoice in their ancestry no matter their background. "

Participating organizations included the President of the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society, Sheron Bruno, Genealogy and Local History Specialist from The George Memorial Library, Daniel Sample, A Research Specialist from FamilySearch, Susan Gardiner and Instructor of the Temple and Family History Course for BYU Education Week, Cristian Casellas.

Booths were from the Afro American Historical Genealogical Society, Clayton Library Friends, Richmond Stake FamilySearch Center, West Houston Area Genealogy Society (WHAGS) and Houston 4th Ward (Spanish).

22/01/2024

CHURCH BEAT - by Tad Walch - WHY THESE CONGREGATIONS WON'T BE WORSHIPPING IN AN LDS MEETINGHOUSE FOR 3 YEAR

What do Latter-day Saint congregations do when they uniquely share the same building with a temple, but then the entire space closes down for renovation?
Well, they sign a lease to share space with the oldest continually worshipping church in America, one that traces its origins to Dutch settlers in the early 1600s.
Here’s what’s happening.

The Manhattan Temple occupies the top three floors at 125 Columbus Avenue in New York City with a baptistry on the first floor. The second floor has a public affairs office and distribution center. The meetinghouse and chapel are the third floor, home to the Manhattan 1st Ward, Riverside Park Ward and Lincoln Square Young Single Adult Ward.

The temple and the meetinghouse will close on March 2 for a three-year renovation.
New York New York Stake President Colin Cropper confirmed the Manhattan 1st and Riverside Park wards will move to the beautiful West End Collegiate Church building, which is the home of one of the four congregations of the Collegiate Church of the City of New York.

The Church of Jesus Christ signed a three-year lease for 40,000 square feet of shared and dedicated space at the West End Collegiate Church facility at 245 West 77th St. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, according to a news release.

The two churches will occupy the building in tandem, each having their own dedicated spaces while sharing the building’s Sanctuary, gym, multipurpose room, kitchen and chapel.

The West End building was completed in 1892, made of brick and terra cotta in a Dutch Colonial style that evokes the New York City’s and the church’s Dutch past.
The building also features three windows designed by Tiffany Studios.
West End Collegiate Church is in talks with a third religious group to join what the news release called a pioneering multifaith campus.

West End has been dealing with ongoing vacancy issues related to COVID-19, the release said. The lease with the Latter-day Saints serves both churches’ needs, said the president of the Collegiate Church of the City of New York, William Critzman.
“So often we hear of churches forced to make difficult decisions about their buildings or their ministry because of our ever-changing socio/cultural/economic landscape,” said Critzman, who also is the senior minister of West End Collegiate Church. “That’s not the story of our faith. At West End, we are telling the story of God’s abundant blessings by welcoming new partners in faith to our building. We are writing a new chapter where there is room enough for all, where everyone may belong, and where grace and love abounds.”

While the temple is being renovated, Latter-day Saints are being encourage to do their temple worship at the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple or the Hartford Connecticut Temple.

31/12/2023

TEMPLE SQUARE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - JANUARY 2024

Mild weather, green grass and almost no snow allowed construction to move forward smoothly.

24/12/2023

HALLELUJAH CHORUS SING ALONG WITH THE TABERNACLE CHOIR - THIS CHRISTMAS - SING AT HOME - OUT LOUD - NO ONE NEED HEAR YOU!!

Watch more than 300 members of the world-famous Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square join with more than 2,000 voices worldwide to create an incredible musical ...

10/12/2023

THE CHRISTMAS NATIVITY VIDEO

This unique depiction of the Nativity story recounts in beautiful detail the sacred events found in the Bible, which describes Jesus’s birth over 2,000 years...

10/12/2023

Elder Patrick Kearon Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Elder Patrick Kearon is the newest member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called on Thursday, December 7, 2023, and ordained later that day by President Russell M. Nelson and the other members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Kearon, who has served as the senior president of the Presidency of the Seventy since August 2020, fills the vacancy created by the death of President M. Russell Ballard, who passed away on Sunday, November 12, 2023. The British and Irish national has been a General Authority Seventy since April 3, 2010.

03/12/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INse1lhgZGA

Visitors to Times Square were in for a surprise on Nov. 27 as its famous billboards became a larger-than-life tribute to the true reason for Christmas: Jesus...

26/11/2023

Temple Construction Update

19/11/2023

THE DOWNTOWN HOUSTON GIVING MACHINE

Located at The Conservatory Food Hall, 606 Dennis Street, Houston 77006. Opens Tuesday thru Sunday from 11am - 9pm starting November 21. Closed Mondays

https://www.facebook.com/reel/450177580642294

13/11/2023

Congressman Troy Nehls representing District 22 in Texas thanks the Church for its tribute on Veterans Day

12/11/2023

VETERANS DAY 2023

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Katy and Richmond areas organized and invited the community to a Veterans Day celebration at their Heritage Bluff chapel. United States Congressman for the 22 District in Houston, Troy Nehls, attended and was the keynote speaker. Congressman Nehls was recognized for his 21 years of service in the Army, retiring as a major with two bronze stars. He has served as the Fort Bend County Sheriff and in 2020 he was elected to the US House of Representatives in Washington DC.

Also in attendance were Aaron Groff, the mayor of the city of Fulshear and Valerie James, the founder of the veteran’s assistance organization VAST. Mayor Goff was elected mayor of Fulshear in 2018 and spoke of patriotism in the community. Valerie James, the founder of VAST (Veterans Advocates, Services and Training) is also a veteran working to help veterans break out of the cycle of homelessness and overcome PTSD.

Recognition was given to veterans in the audience. Church members and people from the community joined in recognizing the efforts of many.

05/11/2023

LATTER-DAY SAINT MISSONARIES SUPPORT “MISSION BELLS FOOD PANTRY”

Christ the King Episcopal Church in southwest Houston has been distributing food to those in need for over 40 years. They provide an important benefit to families of all sizes by providing valuable meal supplementation through their Mission Bells Food Pantry distribution program.

Twice a week Christ the King Episcopal Church and volunteers distribute food to 400 to 500 area families. Cars line up for blocks to receive these vital donations.
Latter-day Saint Missionaries from the Richmond Zone in the Houston Texas South Mission enjoy supporting this vital community service. They regularly help prepare and distribute food to those in need. The first missionaries arrive about 7:15 AM to help with setup and others arrive later to help with food distribution.
One of the missionaries said, "We enjoy serving in the community on this project. We help those in need which is what God asks all of us to do."

The missionaries have become a fixture in the program. They enjoy the opportunity to be of service and their hard work and reliable efforts are greatly appreciated by those at the Mission Bells Food Pantry.

22/10/2023

DESERET INDUSTRIES (DI) DONATION POD - Richmond Stake

Members of the Richmond Texas Stake in the Grand Mission and Pecan Grove congregations arranged a “Sister Swap” event at their church’s Stake Center. It was an opportunity to recirculate surplus home and personal items with others. Unclaimed items were then bagged and placed in the DI Donation Pod that was delivered to the church’s parking lot earlier the same day.

Sister Cheryl Brimhall noted, “This service project was planned to provide an opportunity for our community to get to know each other while finding new homes for gently used clothing, books, school supplies, toys, and household items.”

Sister Lolly Brown said, “I thought it was such a thoughtful idea and it was really good. I think it helped several families.”

Deseret Industries is a charitable organization that routinely delivers Donation Pods to Latter-day Saint churches, facilitating local donations in the Houston Metro area.

22/10/2023

TEMPLE SQUARE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE – FALL 2023
- Most concrete walls are poured on the north addition
- Center tower spire placed

Construction on the Salt Lake Temple and surrounding Temple Square of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to move forward.

A piece of brilliant engineering took place on the fourth and fifth floors of the temple. Around 200,000 pounds of steel beams were temporarily installed to shore up the walls and floor on the fourth level of the structure.

Fifty-thousand-ton hydraulic jacks, along with a hydraulic manifold system, were installed on the beams. The weight bearing on the pioneer temple walls was transferred to this steel system while retrofitting of the seismic upgrade that took place on the floors below.

Watch the video, “Builders of the Temple: Steel Workers,” to learn how this amazing feat was pulled off.

On the north side of the temple, most concrete walls on the north addition have been poured. This area will accommodate three underground floors for two baptismal fonts, additional sealing rooms, dressing rooms and other administrative needs.

Inside the north addition, the walls are being framed, and mechanical, electrical, fire suppression and plumbing systems are being installed. Finish work is expected to begin in 2024.

The stem walls for the above-ground temple entrance on the northwest side are also complete. The east stem walls are expected to be completed in the next month.

Construction has also begun on the plaza, or ground, level of the South Pavilions, with crews working on the above-ground structures.

Approximately 54,000 yards of concrete have been poured, which is more than 50% of the total concrete required for the project.
On the east side of the temple, 94 of the 98 base isolators are in place inside and outside of the temple.

Transfer girders, which are 15 feet tall by 15 feet wide and made of reinforced concrete, will rest on top of the base isolators. The weight of the Salt Lake Temple will be transferred through the transfer girders to the base isolators, which are resting on the new lower footings.

In May, the first of six steel spire structures was installed on the northwest side of the temple. Only one more placement remains.
Crews are beginning to reinstall the stone on the towers — a process which included carefully removing, cataloging, cleaning, and repairing stones before reinstallation.

On the northwest side of Temple Square, crews have started landscaping as well as placing stones for some of the wall sections. The work is in preparation for the reopening of that area, which is planned for January 2024.

16/10/2023

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS HELPING ALLEVIATE MALNUTRITION

- US$44 Million - The Church’s ongoing efforts include a combined donation to help mothers and children in 30 countries

As the world continues to face an unprecedented hunger crisis, more than 3 million children will die this year from malnutrition. And half of all children globally suffer from essential vitamin and mineral deficiencies. These deficits stunt the growth and potential of the next generation.

“No humanitarian effort is more foundational to Christ’s Church than feeding the hungry,” said Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson. “We are grateful to have the means to collaborate with wonderful organizations and provide relief to children and young mothers in dire need. As we serve together, we extend the reach of Christ’s loving arms.”

Belaynesh and her small family in southern Ethiopia are the recipients of such love. Poverty, hunger and malnutrition were their reality until they became part of a program led by CARE International that feeds people in rural Ethiopia and improves economic status through basic business education.

Funding that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides to CARE helps women like Belaynesh raise chickens, goats and bees, maintain gardens and improve their children’s diets.
“I’ve noticed [our children are] strong and have a better academic performance,” Belaynesh said. “My neighbors could probably testify that my kids are doing well.”

“No humanitarian effort is more foundational to Christ’s Church than feeding the hungry. ... As we serve together, we extend the reach of Christ’s loving arms.” — President Camille N. Johnson
That wellness will help her children become thriving members of their community.