President Uchtdorf Unites Latter-day Saints in Central Europe

From the Europe Newsroom

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, met with government leaders and dedicated new buildings of worship for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while ministering with his wife, Harriet, in Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic in May 2026.

1 / 2

Download Photos

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, on the Christian holiday of Pentecost, President Uchtdorf dedicated a new stake center in Salzburg, Austria.

“Pentecost was a very special day for the disciples,” he said. “After Jesus Christ was crucified, and following His Resurrection, He no longer remained with them as He had before. They felt uncertain and alone. Then, 50 days after Easter on the day Christians commemorate as Pentecost, the Holy Ghost was poured out upon them, blessing and guiding them for the work ahead.”

2026_05_21_Ministry_EUCA_President_DieterUchtdorf_05.jpg
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, waves to the congregation at the dedication of the Salzburg Stake Center in Austria on Sunday, May 24, 2026.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

David Roth, president of the Salzburg Austria Stake, said of the experience, “What touched me the most was the human touch that [President Uchtdorf] represents, being eye-to-eye with members and friends of the Church.”

In Dresden, Germany, President and Sister Uchtdorf met with longtime Church members who shared memories of discovering the gospel, remaining faithful through hardship and helping build the Church in Central Europe.

2026_05_21_Ministry_EUCA_President_DieterUchtdorf_Dresden_10.jpg
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Harriet, embrace Helga and Frank Herbert Apel at a dinner in Dresden, Germany, with pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

The couple also met with missionaries serving in the area.

“At the beginning of the mission process, you raised your hand. You said, ‘Lord, send me,’” said President Uchtdorf. “And when you think about it, that makes you very much like what we find in the Plan of Salvation when One said before this earthly life, ‘Send me.’ And that connects you in a special way with the One whom we serve — Jesus Christ.”

2026_05_21_Ministry_EUCA_President_DieterUchtdorf_Dresden_28.jpg
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Harriet, shake hands with missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Dresden, Germany, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sister Uchtdorf encouraged the missionaries to trust the Lord’s direction as she spoke about her own life and conversion.

“I came from Germany. I was born in Germany. Now I live in America, and one day, I became the wife of an Apostle,” she said. “All of that proves that absolutely anything can happen in life — things you would never have imagined. When we make plans, I sometimes feel that the Lord simply smiles and says, ‘Just wait; I have something entirely different in mind.’”

On Thursday, May 28, President Uchtdorf met with German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin.

1 / 2

Download Photos

During the meeting, President Uchtdorf shared how service is a central belief of the Church of Jesus Christ, quoting Mosiah 2:17 from the Book of Mormon: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

“I’m so grateful to receive the insight, the input of a man who, just a few days ago, established a new action plan for the citizens of Germany to honor volunteer service,” President Uchtdorf said of the meeting. “He expressed his gratitude for the Church’s dedication to volunteer service.”

Newsroom Federal President of Germany Welcomes President Uchtdorf to Bellevue Palace

The ministry visit concluded in the Czech Republic, where President Uchtdorf dedicated a new stake center — a moment that held special meaning as President Uchtdorf organized the first stake in the country just 10 years earlier.

20260530_Ministry_EUCA_President_DieterUchtdorf_Prague_59.jpg
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Harriet, celebrate the dedication of a new stake center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Prague, Czech Republic, on Saturday, May 30, 2026.© 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

“Now, when you open the map, you can see that there is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said Miroslav Novotny, who traveled approximately 61 miles for the occasion. “In our country, people don’t really know the Church. I think it is important to be seen and to be known.”