Two Apostles Minister to Fire Survivors in Spokane, Washington

Three weeks after several wildfires in Eastern Washington destroyed hundreds of homes, two Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ministered to Latter-day Saints in the region. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles traveled to Spokane, Washington, for a special meeting and to meet with those affected by recent fires on Sunday, August 23, 2026.

“You are heroes for us, how you went through this, helping each other in very difficult moments,” President Uchtdorf told the congregation. “We had to come to you and mourn with you and grieve with you about feelings of loss.”

President Uchtdorf was joined by his wife, Harriet. Elder Andersen traveled to Spokane with his wife, Kathy. Other leaders included Elder Takashi Wada of the United States West Area Presidency and his wife, Naomi, and Elder Jared M. Spataro, an Area Seventy.

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Hundreds of people gathered at a Church meetinghouse Sunday morning in Spokane to hear from Church leaders and others who participated in the meeting, which was broadcast to buildings in eight stakes in the area.

“We grieve for those who have lost their homes, who have lost their possessions, or are living in uncertainty. But we rejoice that lives were saved. That is a miracle,” said Elder Andersen.

Church Newsroom Church Members Serve Neighbors as Spokane Wildfires Force Widespread Evacuations

“We rejoice in what we’ve seen of people taking care of people, independent of whether you’re a member of the Church or not,” he added. “It helps us realize that we are all brothers and sisters. We are all sons and daughters of God, and we are all linked together.”

After the meeting, the Apostles visited some of the families who lost their homes in the Spokane Complex Fires.

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“I feel sometimes we see angels only through pain, through moments of suffering,” said President Uchtdorf while visiting neighborhoods still covered in ash and fire retardant. “Sometimes we can recognize that these moments of suffering can lift us up to totally new heights.”

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“For me, it was very humbling to see those people today and to see how they interact with each other, how they helped each other out,” said Sister Uchtdorf. “One sister told me that I have a new purpose right now to help my neighbors because I’m the one whose house is still standing. I am the one who now can help.”

Cody and Haylee Woodbury’s home was destroyed when fire swept through their Shadle Park neighborhood.

“The community that we have here is strong and has become stronger because of the events that have happened,” Cody Woodbury said.

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“We’d love to be back in this neighborhood, but we also would love our neighbors to be back too, and we’ll just kind of take it a little bit at a time,” added Haylee Woodbury. “I feel like Heavenly Father has been here every step of the way.”

The Woodburys, including their three children, are now living with family while they decide what to do next.

Other survivors shared similar feelings of gratitude and resilience. Ann Abeyta was taking care of her deceased father’s home when she was evacuated. She grabbed some Native American beadwork her father made and some of the family’s buckskin saddles before fleeing the fire that raced down a nearby mountain.

“To be sitting in the same room with those two men, and the love that they have for us to come and speak to the people of Spokane to remind us that one of the greatest commandments is to love one another and serve one another, and to endure and come together as a community,” said Abeyta. “It was a very sacred ceremony.”

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“Our Heavenly Father has not promised us no pain, no fire, no accident, no illness. But what He is promising is that He is there. He will walk with us through illness, through loss, through pain, through suffering,” President Uchtdorf taught.

“God will not forget you. We will not forget you, and He will bless you. As the green growing grass shows in your backyard, perhaps you will see this in your hearts, that you come out of this difficult and challenging experience with new growth, with new strength,” he concluded.