As thousands of people in the Marshall Islands were exchanging gifts this Christmas season, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Ahmadiyya Muslim community came together to give the lifesaving gift of blood to help victims of injuries and other hospital patients.
“It’s a good feeling because I get to share something that will help someone in need,” said Isaac Marty, National Director of Public Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The blood drive was held at the Latter-day Saints’ meetinghouse on Long Island.
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Imam Joyia Matiullah and Latter-day Saint missionaries, Elder and Sister Johnson, organized the event.
“Meetings are underway to find out when the next blood drive will be,” said Iman Matiullah. “We are looking at January or February and the drives are always open to the public.”
In 2013 Pacific Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder James J. Hamula, explained why Mormons engage in humanitarian service throughout the Pacific region, and globally.
“When you attend church in Australia or New Zealand you see tremendous ethnic diversity in Church membership,” he says. “Yet amidst this diversity there is great unity, remarkable unity, among our church members.”
He continues: “Such unity comes, I think, from a real and substantial faith among our people in the Fatherhood of God. You cannot believe in the Fatherhood of God without also believing in the brotherhood of man.”
“This faith in our Heavenly Father, which comes so readily and easily to the peoples of the Pacific, is what drives us to accept each other with love and understanding, and to undertake the humanitarian work that we do on behalf of our fellow man.”
Watch a video titled, ‘What drives Mormon Humanitarian work?’
Read more about Latter-day Saints and interfaith relations.