Water, hygiene and relief supplies are their own way from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in response to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey. As stated by the LDS Church in its official statement to the media, “these supplies will be offered to any who are in need. We will continue to monitor the situation including the needs for additional supplies, resources and volunteers” (mormonnewsroom.org).

President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met with Mayor Sylvester Turner last year. President Nelson and other LDS Church leaders have now reached out to offer support to the people of Texas. “We are praying for the people of Texas and invite others to join us in those prayers,” the LDS Church said. Members of LDS congregations in the greater Chattanooga are praying, too.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages its members, also commonly known as Mormons, to do as Jesus would do – “to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked and visit the sick and those in prison (Matthew 25:35-36). This is why when disasters occur “many Latter-day Saints and others respond generously, donating time and money to help those in need.” (ldsphilanthropies.org). Humanitarian Services of the LDS Church often “sends food, clothing, medical supplies, and other emergency relief assistance” in response to disasters around the world. “When we say that ‘the Church’ is donating billions of dollars to humanitarian aid, we are really saying that donors – members and friends of the church – are donating billions of dollars...to support this great work of blessing people’s lives at home and around the world” (Humanitarian Aid News at ldsphilanthropies.org).

“One hundred percent of every dollar donated is used to help those in need without regard to race, religion, or ethnic origin” (ldsphilanthropies.org). Aid has been provided in response to hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, mudslides, for refugees and victims of war. “Thanks to a robust infrastructure, the Church continues to relieve the hunger, thirst, suffering and poverty of millions of people around the world and to empower individuals and communities to become more self-sustaining” (mormonnewsroom.org). The LDS Church also regularly donates wheelchairs and assists with global immunization efforts and famine relief (mormonnewsroom.org).

Missionaries now serving in the Houston area are on hand to help in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. According to the LDS Church, as of 2017, there are over 348,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Texas. They have been taught “that we are to love and care for each other…without any thought of any particular benefit except to make your community better” (lds.org). The LDS Church has sustained damage to its chapels but, where possible, is opening its chapels for relief efforts. LDS members, like other like-minded people, are doing their best to help those in Houston who have been impacted by the historic and catastrophic floods brought on by Hurricane Harvey.