Latter-day Saints in Côte d’Ivoire Strive to Emulate the Savior

In a practical demonstration of their faith and desire to follow the scriptural admonition to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:5), members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the Aboisso District in Côte d’Ivoire gathered for a “Helpful Hands” day of service at the Assouba dispensary on Saturday, August 30, 2025.

The activity, which brought together 52 volunteers, including full-time missionaries, young single adults, and local Church leaders, embodied the Savior’s teaching to love one’s neighbor. Their goal was to improve the sanitation and appearance of the healthcare facility, which is a vital resource for the local community.

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During preparations for the project, local Church leaders contacted city leaders to explain what church members were hoping to accomplish. The mayor's secretary immediately referred them to the technical services group, assuming that the request was also for securing equipment or logistical support. When the church and civic leaders finally met, the civic leaders were astonished to learn that the request was only for authorization to carry out the activity without asking for anything in return. 

The activity began with a meeting between a Church delegation and the dispensary’s Head Nurse. He expressed profound gratitude for the initiative and shared the clinic’s pressing challenges, including frequent water outages that complicate hygiene, a critical need for reliable medical equipment, and a lack of computers for managing patient records. This exchange brought to mind the scriptural  admonition to let actions manifest faith: “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” (James 2:15-16).

Following this discussion, volunteers divided into teams and set to work. Their efforts focused on a complete weeding of the facility’s large courtyard, picking up trash around the building, and a general beautification of the outdoor grounds. A planned interior cleaning was unfortunately prevented due to a water outage that day, underscoring the very issue the Head Nurse had raised.

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As church members, dressed in yellow vests, worked to clean up the environs, passers-by paused to ask questions about the project. Every question became an opportunity for participants to bear testimony and explain that they were volunteering their time and effort to benefit the community in an effort to emulate the life of the Savior, who led a life of service to others.

The activity concluded around 1:00 PM. The Head Nurse, speaking on behalf of the entire staff, reiterated his heartfelt thanks, noting the immediate and visible impact of the work. His gratitude echoed the promise in Mosiah 2:17: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has repeatedly emphasized the importance of such outreach, stating, “The Lord’s hand is outstretched to His people. Ours should be too. Our hands can and should be an extension of His hands in lifting, loving, and serving one another.” This project served as a direct application of that principle.

President M. Russell Ballard taught the value of collaborative service: “There is no greater Christian service than to help others become followers of Jesus Christ. Much of that happens through simple acts of kindness and service, like helping a neighbor in need or volunteering in our communities.”