The centenary commemorations marking the start of the First World War lent extra poignancy to Remembrance Sunday this year. So, it was fitting that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in ceremonies across the United Kingdom. Just one example, in York, saw the integral involvement of Church members in the official, civic proceedings.
- Remembrance Day Service held at Kings Lynn
- York Church leader, Reg Turver, lays the Church wreath in York
- the local leader of the Chesterfield congregation lays a wreath on Remembrance Sunday
- Sheffield congregation lays a wreath on Remembrance Day services
- Kettering congregation places wreath at the Remembrance Day service
- members of the Yate congregation, Cheltenham at the Yate and Chipping Sodbury Remembrance Day service
- A remembrance service in the UK
- Church leader Greg Nettleship laying a poppy wreath on Remembrance Day services in 2014
- Birmingham members help raise funds for the Poppy Appeal
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Asked by the Lord Mayor’s office to invite various faith leaders, Church member Mark Cosens (who also serves as the Publicity and Communications Officer for York Interfaith Group), arranged for 92 year old Reginald Turver to lay a wreath on behalf of the Church. This was the first time that the Church had been included to officially perform this honour as part of the civic ceremony in York. The wreath presented the official logo of the Church with the words: “In love, gratitude and respect... we remember them.”
Meeting at the Medieval GuildHall Reginald Turver and Mark Cosens mingled, conversed and represented the Church in the company of the Lord Mayor of York (and former Lord Mayors), the Sherriff of York, MPs, Councillors, Military Officers, Chief Constables and Officers of North Yorkshire Police and Fire Services, leaders of the RBLI and Ex-services Associations, St John Ambulance, British Red Cross, North Yorkshire Ambulance, the Scouts and Guides and the Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of the York Universities and other invited dignitaries.
Mark Cosens stated, “It was deeply moving to stand in silence for those two minutes, to consider the many lives sacrificed for our freedoms. And it was most profoundly fitting that The Saviour Jesus Christ was honoured appropriately and that He was remembered for the eternal and infinite sacrifice that He made for all of us, and for those who died in that terrible First World War.”
Every congregation in the Chester area laid a wreath at their local Cenotaph in Remembrance Day commemoration services including Bishop Donaldson and veteran Wilf Murray from the Rhyl congregation.
Leaders of the ten congregations throughout the Sheffield region participated in wreath laying ceremonies for the first time. For the third year many members and missionaries of the Church have participated as volunteers collecting for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, the wreaths being a poignant reminder and a small token of thanks to those who served and sacrificed their lives so we might all have the freedom to worship as we choose.
President Mark Dundon, area Church leader for the 10 congregations, attended the Remembrance Service with Bishop Paul Swift of the Grenoside congregation at the Stannington Cenataph. Greg Nettleship of the Meadowhall Congregation also laid a wreath at Handsworth which read: "Remembering all the brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedoms we hold dear. We will never forget you."
Other areas including Kettering in Northamptonshire, Yate in Cheltenham, Birmingham and Kings Lynn all sent representatives to their local services on Remembrance Sunday.