“Fantastic!” “Inspiring!” “Thought-provoking.” These words peppered the comments of the hundreds of members of three Salem-area stakes of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who poured out of the Rose Auditorium on Saturday after the performances of The Man Who Saw Heaven. “Well-executed.” “A real joy.” “So grateful!” Attendees of all ages watched, engaged, applauded, and wept as the musical story of Joseph Smith and his mission unfolded before them.

It was a beautiful day; the warm sun and spring-like weather reminding some of us of the April day long ago when Joseph Smith first turned to the Lord in prayer. Friends, families, and youth, who had gathered early to be seated and prepared for the event, were treated to a nearly two-and-a half-hour long testimony in singing and acting that dramatized many episodes from the life of Joseph Smith and celebrated the events and people of the restoration.

The Man Who Saw Heaven, an original musical play with an all-original score, was brought to Salem and authorized by the stake presidencies of the Salem Stake, the Keizer Stake, and the Monmouth Stake. Admission was free and the auditorium was full for both performances. Dozens of Salem area church members worked tirelessly to bring the musical to our area and to make the performances a success—devoting many hours to advertising, ticketing, and ushering at the events.

Missionaries serving in the three Salem-area stakes also contributed with zeal and dedication; through their efforts, more than thirty non-member friends were able to be inspired and instructed by the production.The production itself created a natural opportunity for inviting friends; according to one missionary, “[Our friends] were filled with so much joy and excitement to know the history of where our church comes from and the importance of Joseph Smith in a way that can’t be stressed in our normal missionary lessons!”

The production originated in Vancouver, Washington, where it debuted in November of 2025. The all-volunteer cast and crew—including writers, directors, choreographers, and stage hands as well as singers and actors—travelled to Salem to share their vision and talents with members of the Church in this area. The strength of their testimonies was evident in the writing, the music, and particularly in the passion and intensity that came through their performances and filled the whole room.

The script and music were written by Blaine Garner, from Vancouver, along with his two nephews Scott Garner and Bryant Smith. Garner says he wrote the play to inspire and educate people about the work and world of Joseph Smith the prophet and his role in bringing forth God’s work on the earth. Garner says: “Despite the challenges in our lives, the tragedies, the sacrifices, the doubts, and the fears, God’s light will always dispel the darkness.”

Audience response to the play was enthusiastic and heart-felt. One person commented, “It reminded me of the sacrifices made by the early Saints and it strengthened my testimony of Joseph Smith.”Another said, “I left feeling more committed to live the Gospel and do my small part to help with the kingdom on the earth.”

The story brought families together and inspired communication. One parent commented, “I was there with my nine-year-old daughter, and it generated great conversation about church history, prophets, and living righteously even when the world doesn’t understand.” A nine-year-old said, “I loved how there were a bunch of people: little kids, teenagers, and adults. . .It was a really neat play!”

It is clear that The Man Who Saw Heaven with its inspired music, script, and production, brought some of God’s light and love to Salem on Saturday. Audience member Stephanie’s message to the cast and crew summed it up well: “Your testimony of Joseph Smith and the restored church of Jesus Christ shines through your performance. I was touched.”

From Giving Machines to Prayer Buckets, Acts of Service Spread Holiday Cheer

Christmas was a little brighter around our Salem Oregon Stake meetinghouses this year with the addition of beautiful Light the World banners celebrating the birth of our Savior and inviting our neighbors to join us in worship.

To Light the World in our communities, families, seminary classes, youth groups, and wards turned to the JustServe 2025 Christmas Catalog for ideas. Projects included wards collecting food for food pantries or distributing food boxes to local folks, young men and women caroling in their neighborhoods, and students in seminary classes carrying out a variety of creative activities (prayer buckets, candy cane messages, Christmas cards) to bring comfort and cheer to others. To further spread the light, participants recorded themselves and shared their posts on stake sponsored Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Also on social media, missionaries from our stake who are serving around the world—places like Texas, Brazil, and Sierra Leone—shared a few words of their testimonies of the Savior and the joy of the season. Salem stake members Light the World wherever they are!

Stake members participate in a variety of projects for Day of Service 2025

To commemorate National Day of Service and Remembrance this year, members of the Salem Oregon Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints partnered with Salem for Refugees, the City of Salem, and the City of Stayton to spread out around our communities to serve in many ways.

More than seventy stake members—of all ages—helped to beautify and renovate The Taylor House, a residence owned by Salem For Refugees, where newly arrived refugees from around the world can stay while they look for more permanent housing. Participants built a new fence, cleaned up around the exterior of the house, and installed bark dust. In addition, volunteers painted the entire interior of the home—including the ceilings. These activities took place on Tuesday, September 9, Friday September 12, and Saturday, September 13.

Also on Saturday, twenty-one member-volunteers participated in a project marking storm drains around Salem with the message, “Dump No Waste; Drains To Creek.” Participants chose where in town they wanted to work, including areas in South Salem and Downtown. Another Saturday project took place at the Stayton Community Center Park, where thirty-one people—including children—weeded flowerbeds, trimmed trees and spread bark dust to renew the area around the community center and library.

Stake members who were unable to join in one of these events were encouraged to create their own service opportunities or to access JustServe as a resource, and to serve in whatever way they could. Families and individuals can turn to JustServe and select from one of the 130 different local service opportunities found on that platform. On this 2025 Day of Service—and every day—we can find ways to contribute to our communities as we partner with other organizations and with our neighbors.

A JustServe informational display joined corn dogs, baby pigs, and carnival rides at this summer’s Oregon State Fair in Salem. Over 1700 fair-goers dropped in at the JustServe booth in the Columbia Building to learn more about JustServe, the free online resource sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for connecting individuals, families, and groups with local volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers from all over northwestern Oregon shared information about what JustServe does, what sort of volunteering opportunities can be accessed there, and how to sign up. Representing the Salem Oregon Stake were Hillary Warner and Ricki and Bryan Decker—accompanied by an anonymous bear.

People were excited to learn about JustServe and responses were very positive. “We have wanted to serve in the community, but just haven’t known where to look for opportunities,” was a frequent comment. “Using JustServe will make finding and engaging in volunteer work so much simpler!”

The church recently announced that the JustServe platform has surpassed one million users. Here in our stake, around 130 different projects are listed, describing a variety of ways we can serve our neighbors.

Every eight weeks or so, The Salem Oregon Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints hosts a Red Cross Blood Drive. The next blood donation opportunity is coming up on April 24, 2025.

When people need blood, they really need it, and donors are an important part of maintaining the blood supply.

If you’ve never given blood—or haven’t done so for a while—the experience may not be what you imagine. For one thing, technology has streamlined the registration process; appointments can be scheduled on the website or on the Blood app as well as through our stake blood drive coordinator Sister Marge’ Cook. 

In addition, background and medication questions can be covered earlier on the day of the donation through a process (on the Red Cross Blood Donation website) called RapidPass.

When you arrive to give blood, check-in is quick (you need your Red Cross card or picture ID), and you should only have to wait a few minutes before the preliminary checks of blood pressure, temperature, and hemoglobin levels begin (they don’t even have to prick your finger anymore!)  After that, it’s just lie back and relax while your life-giving donation flows gently out of your arm.

Donating blood at the stake center includes the additional pleasure of meeting old friends and making new ones. According to Sister Cook: “At our last Blood Drive 26 donors were members from our Stake and 20 donors were from our community.”

If you are eligible, giving blood regularly is an easy and rewarding opportunity to serve and Sister Cook urges you to sign up early. As she says, “We are striving to grow our Stake Blood Drive and can only do that with your support and donations.”

On March 6, 2025, a donation of 2100 gallons of surplus milk, sent by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was delivered to Marion Polk Food Share in Salem, Oregon.

Surplus food becomes available after Church farms and food processing facilities supply Bishop’s Storehouses, international needs, and disaster relief. When these obligations have been met, any extra (surplus) product remaining can be distributed to other areas of need.

In addition to the donation to Marion Polk Food Share, this milk truck delivered surplus from the Church Dairy to food banks in Eugene (2200 gallons) and Sweet Home (100 gallons).

Marion Polk Food Share is a member of the Oregon Food Bank Network, and since it distributes food to 71 local food banks and food pantries, these gallon jugs of milk from Salt Lake City will be appreciated by many households around the community.

This milk delivery is only the latest in a series of occasional large donations from Church food production facilities to local food banks. Every few months, depending on needs around the world, trucks bring dry goods, dairy products, meat, and other surplus food to Oregon.

The Church is committed to helping people in need everywhere, and the distribution of surplus food is one of many systems in place for feeding the hungry among Heavenly Father’s children near and far.

Each day in December—through Christmas—youth from the Salem Oregon Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints documented their daily acts of service on social media through stories, photos, and short videos they produced and shared on stake instagram pages. These posts highlighted the responses of individual young people, family and friend groups, and ward youth organizations to the Light the World challenge: “Be Someone’a Angel.”

Inspired by Light the World’s “50 Ways to Let Your Light Shine” list and JustServe’s holiday catalog, young people recorded themselves performing quiet acts of love and care. From hugs and homework help in their families to collecting Christmas ornaments or purchasing toys for neighbors in need. From serving the local community through music, yard work, and food donations to spreading service to far away places through the Giving Machines or projects for victims of natural disasters. In their homes, schools, and neighborhoods, as well as at food banks and retirement centers, youth donated time, talents, and love this holiday season.

These young people set an inspiriting example to everyone of Christmas spirit and Christlike service. In their words: “Do something to uplift others.” (Olivia) “Even when they don’t suspect it.” (Addie) “Just a tiny, simple act can make an impact.” (Jackson)

Check out the Stake Youth Instgram Page!

Refugee families around Salem and Corvallis will experience an easier transition to their new homes because of restart kits prepared by Salem Stake youth at a January 20, 2025, service project honoring Martin Luther King Day.

At the event, organized and led by the Salem Stake Youth Committee, more than 150 young people gathered to assemble 300 restart kits—home cleaning kits, hygiene kits, and infant/toddler kits—to assist refugees with daily needs. Of the completed kits, 225 will be distributed by Salem for Refugees and 75 by Corvallis for Refugees.

Youth committee leaders (about 20 strong) arrived early, unloaded the truck, and set up stations of supplies. Along with personnel from Salem for Refugees, they manned the stations while attendees rotated through assembling kits—a system that allowed individual youth each to put together complete kits.

Most of the items for the kits were provided by the Church’s bishop’s storehouse; members of the stake donated pacifiers, baby dolls, and coloring books. In addition to the assembly stations, a “Welcome to Salem” card-making station was available.

After completing the kits, participants loaded all 300 of them into the truck to be taken back to the Salem for Refugees warehouse.

Expressing their gratitude, Laurel from Salem for Refugees said,”Just this week alone, our team is moving four different families into their new apartments. [They will} utilize all the items and [be] directly affected by your generosity. We’re incredibly grateful for this partnership.”

Madi, one of the youth participants, said about the activity, “Serving others doesn’t have to be difficult or over the top. All you need to do is find a need and work to solve it or provide help. It was fun working with others in our community and I know this will benefit families while also helping me draw closer to my Savior because He would do the same.”

Just in time for the holidays, Salem For Refugees has received a generous grant from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Earmarked for beds and bedding, the donation was facilitated by a cooperative effort of the Monmouth, Keizer, and Salem Stakes, and funds were supplied by the Church’s Humanitarian Fund.

Salem For Refugees had reported a growing need for mattresses, bed frames, and other bedding items for refugee families settling in the Salem area. The grant will enable the local support organization to devote its own funds to other refugee services rather than having to purchase these items.

In addition to the bedding grant, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, through humanitarian funding, also provided access to Salem For Refugees families for “Restart Kit” items. “Restart Kits” include the basic supplies people need to get started living in their homes, such as shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, diapers and baby wipes, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, and toilet paper. Moving into a home or apartment already stocked with these essentials makes the transition for refugees much easier since it means not having to go to the store immediately upon arrival.

If you are interested in becoming involved in service to our refugee neighbors, go to JustServe Salem for Refugees page at https://www.justserve.org/salemforrefugees1 where there are a variety of opportunities to choose from.

Matthew 25:35 “For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.”

On a sunny October afternoon, families from the Salem refugee community gathered at the stake center for “Refugee Friendsgiving,” welcomed by volunteers from the Salem Stake, from Salem For Refugees, and from the community, for an afternoon of food, fun, and culture-bridging conversation.

The Salem Oregon Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in partnership with Salem For Refugees, hosted a “Refugee Friendsgiving” event on Saturday, October 12, 2024. Lunch was served, followed by games and activities.

Lunch was headlined by a delicious array of soups, contributed by members of the stake and community and organized by the Stake Relief Society. Stake volunteers also prepared appetizers and provided set-up and clean-up.

Youth volunteers from the stake organized and directed a variety of harvest-themed children’s games, which were eagerly enjoyed by the children in attendance after they finished their lunch—and while parents and grandparents had time to greet acquaintances and make new friends.

Guests of all ages also enjoyed a few rounds of Picture Bingo, an activity that introduced many to this popular traditional American game. Projected pictures of autumn images eliminated any language barrier as participants filled their cards and filled the room with excitement and cries of “Bingo!”

Families in attendance represented several cultures and languages and included folks of all ages—even a three-month-old baby! Participants decorated a “Gratitude Tree” with descriptions of things they’re thankful for written on orange and yellow leaves. The autumn theme was continued through bright, festive-colored tablecloths and fall centerpieces.

Everyone—refugees, volunteers, faith leaders, and community members—who participated in various ways in this “Friendsgiving” afternoon were all enriched by the experience of joining together to share a meal and conversation. As the afternoon drew to a close, we understood just a bit better “who is my neighbor” and how much we have in common with one another.

This year, The Salem Oregon Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints commemorated the 9/11 National Day of Service by participating in a number of service activities across the area. These projects included arranging and providing haircuts for unhoused members of our community, collecting and delivering meals to teachers and other school staff, and sprucing up a local park.

Back-to-School Haircuts

On August 29, 2024, a back-to-school haircut event, organized by the Salem Stake communications committee, took place at the Church @ the Park family facility. For the second year, hairdressers from Salem, Monmouth, and Keizer Stakes contributed their time, equipment, and skills to provide hair cutting and styling for residents—both children and adults—at the shelter. Participants were also given hairbrushes and other hair care products purchased by Salem Stake members—who responded to the email request for donations very promptly, filling the needed quota in just a few hours!

SKSD Community Cares Meals

For another 2024 Salem Stake Day of Service opportunity, we joined with more than forty other faith groups and community members as part of the United Way/Salem Leadership Foundation SKSD Community Cares Project to show support for area school teachers and staff by providing meals to show appreciation at the beginning of another school year.

About twenty-five stake members contributed breakfast items, such as bagels, yogurt, muffins, and fruit to breakfasts for the staff at local schools. Members of the stake also delivered these breakfasts—along with a card of appreciation to each school.

Recipients of the breakfasts expressed their gratitude for the meal and for the support; one staff member described the project and our contribution as “so generous!” And others mentioned how grateful they were for the way the community came together to help them.

Stayton Community Center Park

About fifty Salem Stake members, supported by City of Stayton staff, gathered at the Stayton Community Center Park on Saturday, September 7, to complete several projects. Crews of participants, who ranged in age from toddler on up, trimmed rhododendron bushes, repainted the entrance sign, pulled weeds around the roses, removed some shrubs, and spread bark mulch. The atmosphere was charged with cooperation and camaraderie as everybody pitched in and watched their efforts transform and beautify the park.

Turner Elementary School Staff Meal

On September 11, Salem Stake members provided and delivered breakfast items to Turner Elementary School staff. Nine members participated and the staff expressed warm appreciation for the care and concern.

Salem Stake Members Continue to Serve

These organized service projects gave families and individuals in the Salem Oregon Stake a variety of opportunities to serve in our community and to coordinate with other community groups. For Salem Stake members, service and cooperation are not limited to a few weeks in September. Through JustServe.org, members can make a difference in the community—as individuals or with family, youth, ward, or stake groups—-while building relationships with members of other service- and faith-based organizations. “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

On June 18, around eighty Salem Oregon Stake children, youth, and adults welcomed the beginning of summer vacation with a JustServe Summer Kick-off event at Woodmansee Park in south Salem.

Bringing their rakes, shovels, and wheelbarrows, participants worked together to spread bark mulch on dirt trails near the playground. Along with helping on the trail restoration project, children colored Thank-You cards for the use of Liberty House and Welcome cards for refugees.

The weather was perfect for a morning in the park and willing workers accomplished a great deal during the two-hour project. Parents and grandparents shoveled mulch alongside their children and grandchildren, youth and older children drove wheelbarrows, and even the smallest worker could help spread the bark mulch on the trails. One of the children, Hayden, declared,”I like the shovel better than the rake.” Kennedy enjoyed finding centipedes in the mulch, and Halle described “making the trails smooth and flat.”

As part of this day of service, more than a dozen used bicycles were contributed and summer toys were collected. The bicycles were given to Northwest Bike Hub which repairs and donates bikes to those in need in the community, and the toys went to the Church @ the Park facility for families experiencing homelessness.

To help families, children, and individuals find more ways to serve, handouts with QR codes linking to JustServe service opportunities were distributed (along with popsicles) at the conclusion of the activity.

For opportunities to serve with your family this summer, go to JustServe.org and find a project that works for you.

Here are a few possibilities from those shared at the event: