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ROME — During last General Conference, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urged members to help refugees.
Now the faith has made a large donation to the United Nations. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the faith’s First Presidency, traveled to Europe to deliver that donation.
On July 17, President Uchtdorf presented a check of $3 million to the executive director of the World Food Programme. This money will be used specifically to provide food to refugees in Cameroon, Chad and Syria.
"I can only say 'Thank you, thank you, thank you' to our members who are so dedicated and willing to give of their means and not just their material means but also of their time, their efforts in helping, especially here in Europe where the need is great, to help refugees," President Uchtdorf said.
President and Sister Uchtdorf traveled to Rome to make the donation because feeding refugees is very close to their hearts.
"I've been a refugee twice in my life. I know how it feels to be looked down onto and being perceived as someone with a questionable background perhaps," he said.
While in Europe, President Uchtdorf visited a refugee camp in Greece. He saw Latter-day Saints joining with people of other faiths or volunteers with nongovernment organizations providing relief.
"As individual families going out, inviting people in their home, visiting with them, helping them to learn the language, across administrative boundaries and borders, which exist if you come as a refugee coming into a country,” he said. “So, I tip my hat to these wonderful individuals. For us, of course, as we were here and meet with the Saints, the missionaries, with all those who work on the temple here in Rome. It has also a special measure of humility and gratitude when I think about what the members do."
“We have many families, multi-generational families... I know quite a number... (who contribute,)" Sister Harriet Uchtdorf added.
On 14 acres, there are four buildings at the Italy temple site: The temple, the visitors center, a stake center or Church meetinghouse and housing for temple patrons who will travel long distances and need overnight lodging.
President Uchtdorf remembers the beginning of temple building in Europe.
"When you think about it, in 1955, just 60 years ago, the first temple in Switzerland was built. Now we're here in front of the Rome Temple in the center of the European and traditional Christianity here,” he said.
While the temple stands as a beacon of light and hope, it and the donations are not seeking recognition but simply making a statement of what this Church stands for he said.
"I think it's so good that we represent the Gospel and its teachings by being open and friendly and kind and helping the needy and the poor. And that's what the Church does and that's what it did again by now donating to this hunger relief and beyond that,” President Uchtdorf said. “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly the Church of Jesus Christ and we want to follow Him and we want to represent Him in our acts and our members are doing this in such a wonderful way, so I'm very proud of them and very happy to be able to identify ourselves with them."
President Uchtdorf believes that whether from a temple site or a refugee camp, Church leaders and members will express their faith that includes reaching out to those in need.
Church leaders have not given an official completion date on the Rome Temple. The latest information is an estimated date of in the first half of 2018.
