Amid Texas Flooding’s Death, Destruction, Latter-day Saints Leaders Talk of Ministering, Mercies and Miracles

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By Scott Taylor, Church News

While much of the media reports on the recent catastrophic flooding in central Texas have focused on death, destruction and devastation, local priesthood leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are overseeing the care and concerns of members, facilities and relief efforts speak using other words and phrases.

Comfort and healing. Patience and perspective. Ministering, tender mercies and miracles.

Not because Latter-day Saints have been immune from the misfortunes. Sally Graves, a 91-year-old member of the Kerrville Ward in the San Antonio Texas La Cantera Stake, died in the July 4 weekend flood, and a half-dozen member homes there and in and other surrounding stakes have been destroyed, with many more suffering extensive damage from water, mud and debris.

Since first learning of the flooding and the impact to those residing within the boundaries of his San Antonio Texas La Cantera Stake — including much of the devastated areas northwest of San Antonio — President J. Michael Villarreal has found a common theme consuming his prayers.

‘Prayers for Comfort’

“Obviously from the beginning but even now, it has been prayers for comfort — that the Lord would comfort all, even those members who were not directly affected but who are close to what has been happening and have strong feelings for their communities,” he said. “That He would provide comfort to these individuals and healing to the communities.”

Both President Villarreal and Elder Jorge A. Contreras — an Area Seventy in the North America Southwest Area who is communicating and coordinating with presidents of affected stakes in and around San Antonio and Austin and with the Area Presidency and Welfare and Self-Reliance managers at Church headquarters — admit to being inundated by calls from neighboring stakes as well as from members all over the country with offers to come and assist.

“This speaks of the spirit of our members, who are just wanting to help, wanting to give a hand,” said Elder Contreras, explaining that access to impacted sites is restricted to law enforcement, first responders, residents collecting or checking on belongings and hired contractors. He said he hoped those from outside with such offers will join local Latter-day Saints in having patience and perspective of that which is possible to do at this time.

“There will be opportunities to help, but we have to allow the authorities — especially the emergency response teams — to do their job right away, and we don’t want to get in the way. Sometimes the best help that we can give is to not have people getting in the way.”

‘We Mourn and Pray’

At last report, at least 119 people have died and some 170 more remain missing following the intense rainfall and deadly and devastating floodwaters throughout the Texas Hill Country.

Severely impacted areas include Kerrville — about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, near where the north and south forks of the Guadalupe River converge — and Camp Mystic, the summer youth camp located further upstream the south fork and decimated by death and destruction. Other areas are along the Colorado River, particularly around Marble Falls, located north of San Antonio and west of Austin.

Monday evening, July 7, the Church’s North America Southwest Area Presidency — Elder Jose L. Alonso and his counselors, Elder Michael A. Dunn and Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt — issued a statement of hope and comfort for those impacted by the flooding.

“We mourn and pray for those who lost loved ones and friends in the wake of the devastating floods in Central Texas,” reads the statement. “At a time of such unimaginable loss, we believe the Lord is extending His hand to uplift and comfort those whose hearts need refuge at this time of great sorrow. It is in Him that we discover the strength to overcome, the courage to persevere and the peace that surpasses all understanding. There is hope amid the darkness as those of all faiths prepare to rebuild communities and continually encircle those who grieve with arms of love.”

Newsroom The Church Issues Statement of Comfort and Hope Following Texas Floods

Multiple Tender Mercies

Elder Contreras and President Villarreal have witnessed that hope, comfort and healing as they have interacted with local leaders and members and learned of multiple tender mercies.

President Villarreal attended Sunday, July 6, worship services with members of the Kerrville Ward. “In the sacrament meeting, as tragic as it was to hear about Sister Graves and the other devastations in the community, there was such a feeling of unity as I attended two hours of church with those members,” he said. “We sang hymns that had to do with feeling comfort and looking for comfort from the Savior as we turn to Him and how He provides that comfort to us as we choose to go to Him and share His love with others. It was a wonderful, wonderful meeting.”

The Kerrville Ward bishop spoke of the “importance of people needing time to grieve, and then we will also have the opportunity to work together in a coordinated fashion to get things done in the community,” said President Villarreal.

With his own message centered on Doctrine and Covenants 4, President Villarreal applied it to the current situation — those with desires to serve are called to the work, serving Heavenly Father by serving others and doing so with the outlined Christlike attributes.

“If we follow every single one of those attributes and then do as it says in verse 7 — “ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto to you” — the Lord will guide us on all things we should do, to help each other as a ward, as a stake, and then help our neighbors around us in the community. … If we will do this the way the Lord would like for it to be done, we will be ministering the way that He would like for it to be done.”

Identifying Needs and Opportunities

The meetings’ second hour was given to discuss immediate needs and opportunities, with President Villarreal saying many needs had already been identified and were being taken care of, such as members having worked at the severely damaged Graves home Saturday afternoon and Sunday to begin recovery and do some work at the family’s request. It was a second home by the Guadalupe River owned and lived in by Sally Graves and her late husband, Ghent Graves, who served as Kerrville bishop a quarter-century earlier.

“Both were converts to the Church and were entrepreneurs, and they did and gave so much to the community of Kerrville,” President Villarreal said, adding that a son lived in a small home also on the property and was able to get to his mother — but not before she had died. He added that the first ward members arriving to assist included one of Sally Graves’ ministering brothers.

In speaking with the Church News, President Villarreal highlighted other member experiences of providing post-flooding assistance. “We had members from the Boerne Ward — Boerne is a close town to Kerrville — who went out to serve a close friend of another member whose daughter and friends were swept away and lost,” he said. “They went down and were able to find this man’s daughter and her friends as part of an organized search party with local authorities.”

Another member pulling a trailer loaded with heavy equipment was flagged down by utility workers to use the equipment to move debris in order to access power poles.

“There has been such a spirit of ministering to anyone and everyone,” President Villarreal said, adding that “the call to just wait for local authorities and be ready” is understandable.

Facing Loss of Life

Elder Contreras recounted hearing of a family of four in the Cedar Park Texas Stake, located northwest of Austin, who not only lost their mobile home in the flooding in the Marble Falls area of the Colorado River but also faced the peril of losing their lives.

“The experience was a miracle — the family was saved by a miracle,” said the Area Seventy, learning of the family through their expressions at a different July 6 sacrament meeting. “They testified about how the Lord helped them — they had two little boys and they were swept with the current of the river for about 20 minutes until they hit a forested area and were able to get out.”

He added that when hearing the testimony of how the children were praying at the time of the flood while their home was being inundated, “tender feelings came into my heart, because of the understanding that the Lord knows exactly who we are and what we need at the time we need it. … You see all types of experiences — yes, it’s a tragedy, but also for us it’s a testimony of many things — of the Lord and how He, despite the many things that occur, is with us. He is still with us.”

Communications and Coordination

No local meetinghouses or Church facilities were damaged by the flooding, and none have been needed as of now by the American Red Cross to be used for temporary shelters and housing, Elder Contreras said.

He underscored the post-flooding organization of communication of local Latter-day Saint leaders and members. “The first thing we do is we go through the priesthood lines — to understand what the impact is not only for our members but for the communities,” he said, adding, “That’s the first line of defense in these events — to account for ‘the one’ and account for everyone who is on record.”

That communication extends from stake presidencies to other stake and ward leaders, including Relief Society presidencies, emergency response specialists and JustServe specialists.

Elder Contreras added that he and other local leaders “are deeply involved with the community and with the emergency response authorities,” citing a daily 11:15 a.m. call where they detail specific needs for facilities, equipment and such. “And right now, they’re asking us not to go in.”

In waiting to help fill work needs and service opportunities, local leaders and members will be monitoring online sites such as JustServe.org and CrisisCleanup.org. Outside donations are not being sought because of the overwhelming response for food clothing, diapers, toiletries, cleaning supplies and toilet paper from local and surrounding communities.

‘The Lord Knows Us Individually’

Elder Contreras said it hurts to learn of the pain and suffering that come with such catastrophic events. “But then the comfort comes, because we know the Lord knows us individually. He knows exactly what is happening in our lives. … I ponder and reflect on how the Lord works and inspires us and gives us the types of experiences He gives for a reason, to go and assist and help and comfort those who will need comforting.”

President Villarreal added his appreciation for the thoughts, prayers and fasting that has been done for the members of the local stakes and the people in the affected communities from across the country and around the world.

“That has been so humbling for me personally, to be able to see and be a part of that, to see how this gospel knows no boundaries, no continents, no states, no languages. It has also been tremendous to see and feel that wherever we are — as when I was there this past Sunday with the members in Kerrville, and it has been evident as we’ve gone forth.”

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