Latter Day-Saints Calls For Effective Volunteer Network

Philip Xaxabge, Ghana National Public Affairs Director Of Latter Day-Saints

The Leadership of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Ghana has advised believers especially Christians to see Christianity as a call and sacred, and therefore must give freely of their resources to assist the poor and needy regardless of race.

According to the church, Christianity must be an imitation of the doings and teachings of Jesus Christ, this he noted must be exhibited by reaching out to those in need on voluntary service without respect to race, nationality, gender or religion. Effective member volunteer service must be the hallmark of every christian in promoting the gospel ministration.

"We too can experience miracles when lift and love our neighbour to a newness of life, the saviour expects us to lose ourselves in service to others as Christians, there is little purpose to our own lives when we sit and watch the less privileged in agony and despair".

Philip Xaxagbe, Ghana national Public Affairs Director said this during an interaction with the Media Fraternity at the Liberation road Temple in Accra, the move also forms part of a familiarisation encounter to brief the media on some major humanitarian projects the church has embarked on and also to officially unveil its new website called mormonnewsroom.com.gh where the public can access information about Latter-Day Saints church in Ghana.

He mentioned that the Church's core principle towards a formidable evangelism was to establish strong families, this they believe was a surest way for marriages and families to endure beyond death. He argued that with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit

The national Public Affairs Dirctor indicated that as stewards of the household of the Lord, there is the need to know all the members in the household, thus the church makes very strict and traceable family records globally for all members.

He said as members of the household of the Lord, the leadership of the Church thought it necessary to know who the members are, interact with them and see how each member of the household can contribute his or her quota to the progress of the work of the household of God.

Touching on developmental and humanitarian services by the Church in Ghana, the Latter Day-Saints church has distributed wheelchairs to the Catholic Orthopaedic training centre in Nsawam, offered free audiology training in Korle Teaching Hospital, clean water development and hygiene training in Accra for the South and West Municipal Assemblies.

In the area of education, the church provides religious instruction to college students through its institutes of religion and to high school students through its seminary program, The church also operates Brigham Young University, with campuses in Utah, Idaho and Hawaii, he added.

Currently the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing rapidly with a worldwide population of 14 million in 167 countries, unlike other churches, the church has no paid clergy, the evangelism drive is powered by local volunteer members who teach and serve in the church, more than 53,000 young men and women cureently serve as full-time missionaries for the church globally.

The church adhere to a strict code of health called "Word of Wisdom" which prohibits the use of tobacco, coffee, tea and all other harmful drugs but encourages healthy eating, he said.

He stressed that the Ghana membership has shot up to 57,748 spread among 168 congregations, with 129 meeting housee, the church can boast of a temple in Ghana, the value of church sponsored humanitarian aid projects in Ghana is US$19,832,996.