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Missionaries smile while volunteering at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Provided by Katee Bailey, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Carly Ludlow, Church News
Through JustServe, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints nationwide participated in various service activities, such as writing inspirational cards, organizing blood drives and cleaning up cemeteries, embodying the spirit of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day across the United States.
With a big red truck, lively music and high spirits, members of the Carrollton Texas Stake gathered for Carrollton’s 32nd MLK Day parade on January 17, 2026.
The parade was sponsored by Christ Community Church and collaborated with JustServe. Latter-day Saints contributed to the JustServe float with posters and a red truck.
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Volunteers walk in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade on Saturday, January 17, 2025, in Carrollton, Texas. Photos provided by Kandyce McCracken, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.On the JustServe North Texas Facebook post, the parade was a celebration of both Dr. King’s legacy and the power of community action.
Steve Babik, mayor of Carrollton, was in attendance at the parade. In the social post, he said, “It is events like this that bring us all together … representative of all that [Dr. King] stood for, in terms of equality for all, and no one person is better than the next.”
JustServe volunteers have contributed to the parade and the float for three years.
Elsewhere, more than 60 Latter-day Saints from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, helped in the nation’s third-largest MLK Parade.
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Missionaries smile while volunteering at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade on Saturday, January 19, 2025, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Photo provided by Katee Bailey, courtesy of Church News.All rights reserved.The United States Southwest Area Presidency has asked area Church members to participate in three “impactful days of service” annually. In 2026, the area’s designated days of service are MLK Day on January 19, Global Youth Service Days on April 24-26, and the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.
On January 19, Latter-day Saints participated in and collaborated with the OKC MLK Alliance to host a parade through Oklahoma City. The goal of the MLK Alliance is to unify and educate the community as well as bringing people together to love our neighbors.
The parade was founded on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
Volunteers from local congregations assisted in the staging of parade floats, supporting the progress through the route and building relationships.