Church of Jesus Christ Hosts Dinner for Local Mayors

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arlington, Texas, recently held a dinner for the mayors of Arlington, Dalworthington Gardens, Everman, Mansfield, Pantego, and Forest Hill, and local Church leaders on October 16, 2021, to express gratitude for their service to their communities and to highlight how the Church and civic leaders can work together to benefit for the betterment of all.

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“It was great to host some of our local mayors for this event. We are thankful for their service to our communities, and it was nice to be able to thank them and get to know them better,” said President Mark Davies, the Arlington area ecclesiastical leader of The Church of Jesus Christ.

The dinner was organized to strengthen ties between the Church and the cities it serves by highlighting the Church’s contributions to the community and the ways that it can be of assistance in times of need.

During the dinner, light musical entertainment was offered by Mary Oden and Elder Alexander, one of the full-time service missionaries in the Arlington area. Once the meal was concluded, a presentation further described the organization of the Church, as well as its contributions to the community. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a strong emphasis on service and giving back to the community, and among the efforts described were projects for hurricane and tornado cleanup; donations of food, water, and time to local charities; the construction and donation of masks; and the free self-reliance and English courses offered by full-time volunteers.

After the dinner, the group was led on a tour through the church by President Allen Hilton, the second counselor in the Arlington area Church of Jesus Christ. The group was led past displays describing the organization of the Church on the local level, including descriptions of the children’s and youth organizations, the Relief Society, which is one of the oldest organizations for women in the world, and the restoration of the Priesthood. By describing the Church’s structure and how its members work together to serve the Lord and each other, the mayors saw the level of dedication that the Church members have, and how the committed community of the Church can give back to the cities they serve. 

“We discussed the different resources the Church has available for members of the community, including the Family History Center, the many languages spoken by members, and the licensed ham radio operators that are available to serve in the community. We showed how the members of the Church of Jesus Christ can be resources to our cities during times of emergency,” said President Allen Hilton, the second counselor in the Arlington area Church of Jesus Christ.

Stake President Mark Davies spoke about the dinner: “I feel we were able to strengthen our ties with these civic leaders through sharing a little bit about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and our desire as a people to serve within our communities . . . I think they were able to realize in an impactful way the priority we have as the Church to help those in need. This was a good step to strengthen relationships and expand opportunities to collaborate with our civic leaders in the future.”

At the conclusion of the event, the guests were gifted with pamphlets created especially for the event with information on all the church resources, along with “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” They were also gifted a handcrafted, wooden, stylized pen, as a token of the Church’s appreciation for the mayors’ service. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Arlington area hopes to continue building bridges with the community in the future.