“What Makes a Ward or Branch United?,” Liahona, June 2025.
What Makes a Ward or Branch United?
Three stories show ways to make your ward or branch more united in Jesus Christ.
In the early days of the restored Church, the Lord gave this important commandment to the Saints: “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:27).
Each branch and ward around the world seeks to follow this direction and become one, with “hearts knit together in unity and in love” (Mosiah 18:21). Although the circumstances vary for different people and places, we all rely on Jesus Christ to achieve unity. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has reminded us that “only in Jesus Christ can we truly become one.”
The following stories from a branch in Mozambique, a ward in the United States, and a ward in Northern Ireland demonstrate successful ways to become “one in Christ” (Galatians 3:28).
“We think about the brothers and sisters who haven’t been to church. … Then we ask the person if we can have a branch family evening at their house.” — Ernesto Gabriel Manhique, Homoine Branch president
Illustrations by Dilleen Marsh
Unity through Activities
Less than a year after joining the Church, Ernesto Gabriel Manhique was called as the president of the newly created Homoine Branch in Inhambane, Mozambique. At the time, the branch was two years old and had about 20 members attending.
President Manhique wanted love to be the foundation of the branch. “Because of my experiences,” he said, “I decided to be a leader who cultivates friendship with the members and demonstrates my love for them.”
President Manhique said their branch council meetings focused on reaching those who had stopped attending church because they struggled to feel loved and valued. These discussions led to an activity they called “Friday night branch family evenings.”
“We plan it like this: We think about the brothers and sisters who haven’t been to church the previous Sunday or who haven’t been for a few Sundays,” said President Manhique. “Then we ask the person if we can have a branch family evening at their house that week.”
The branch gathers at the member’s home and invites the entire neighborhood. President Manhique explained that this helps the person or family to feel loved, valued, and wanted.
“Often, the member [who hosted] returns accompanied by neighbors, who enjoy the branch family evening and decide to attend church,” said President Manhique. The Homoine Branch now has over 250 members. Most attend church regularly.
As wards and branches plan and execute consistent, uplifting activities, their members will grow in unity and love. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “In many places in the Church, a few more ward activities, of course planned and implemented with gospel purpose, could knit us together with even greater belonging and unity.”
As they worked and served together, the feeling in the Eagle Valley Ward changed. Sadness faded as they found joy in service.
Unity through Ministering
A few years ago, the Eagle Valley Ward in Colorado, USA, experienced many trials of faith. Multiple members of the ward were dying, and their families needed strength and support. The ward could have been overshadowed by feelings of sadness but instead found joy in ministering.
“We were carried through by serving others,” said Karie Grayson, the Relief Society president at the time. One day, while visiting the home of an ill sister, Sister Grayson received a revelation on how to uplift this sister with the love of her ward.
“As my presidency and I sat there in the room visiting with her, we were each thinking, ‘What more can we do?’” said Sister Grayson. “An idea came to me. I knew right then and there what we should do.”
This sister loved flowers, so the ward brought life to her overgrown flower garden. Every Tuesday morning, members of the ward showed up to care for the garden.
Excitement to serve grew not only in the Eagle Valley Ward but also in the community. Individuals and companies throughout the area helped provide dirt, flowers, and a watering system.
“I feel like what we did was directed by Heavenly Father,” said Sister Grayson “There was a lot of work to be done, but there was a lot of laughter with everybody together. It was so fun.”
As they worked and served together, the feeling in the Eagle Valley Ward changed. Sadness faded as they found joy in service.
Bishop Greg Adair said, “As we all participated together, the ward started to feel like a family. This period of time was a trial for our ward, but we came together and helped one another.”
Sister Grayson said the ward bonded through service not because they had to but because they wanted to. And as they did, they found healing in their own struggles. “There was a powerful feeling in the ward,” she said. “When you change the hearts of individuals in the ward, you change the heart of the ward.”
Members of the Eagle Valley Ward were “willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort” (Mosiah 18:8–9).
“Serving together brings you closer,” said Bishop Adair. “It was easy to minister because we all knew each other well. Christ teaches us to love God and our neighbor, and as we try to do whatever calling we are asked to do, we knit ourselves together in love.”
Unity through Temple Worship
When Bishop Ernest White of the Holywood Road Ward in Belfast, Northern Ireland, watched his two sons run a marathon, he expected his son David, who had been training for months, to finish the race much faster than his less-prepared son Peter. Bishop White was surprised when David stayed by Peter’s side all the way to the finish line.
“I’m holding you back. Go on without me,” Peter told his brother.
“I’m not going to leave you,” replied David.
This experience led Bishop White to think about the members of his ward. Many of them are elderly sisters, and it is difficult for them to travel to the nearest temple in Preston, England. Bishop White imagined each of these sisters saying, “Go on to the temple without me. I’m going to hold you back. Don’t wait for me.”
Despite the difficulties, Bishop White and other ward leaders didn’t want to leave these sisters behind. They decided to organize an annual ward trip to the temple, helping each ward member who desired to attend to enjoy the blessings of the temple.
Bishop White recognizes that while the trip is expensive and difficult to plan, “it brings a great togetherness.”
The annual trip involves everyone in the ward in different ways. Adults help schedule appointments and make travel arrangements. Youth help older members use technology to do family history research and prepare family name cards. The generous donations of some members help cover accommodation costs for all the traveling temple patrons.
“The message we have successfully given to our members—every single one—is if they have committed to follow the covenant path and move forward, none of them will be left behind,” Bishop White said. “They are needed, and they’re loved, and they’re not holding us back.”
For the first two annual trips, ward members flew to England. However, in 2024 some members couldn’t climb the stairs to the airplanes anymore, so the ward decided to drive instead. This required taking a ferry across the Irish Sea.
Over 30 members made the journey to attend the temple last August. For a week, they participated together in temple ordinances. These experiences reminded the members that they are each part of a loving ward family.
“When we walk through the doors of the temple together, it means so much to us,” Bishop White said. “When we see each other—all of us in the celestial room together—that’s like a little bit of heaven on earth.”
Although bringing the entire Holywood Road Ward across the Irish Sea to visit the temple isn’t easy, it is worth it for the members and their loved ones. “That’s what the Savior would have us do,” Bishop White said. “He wouldn’t have anybody be left behind. He wants all of us to move forward together, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Bringing the entire Holywood Road Ward across the Irish Sea to visit the temple isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.
Unity through Jesus Christ
While each of these stories shows a different principle for developing unity, they all show how Jesus Christ helps us to become one with our wards and branches. He will lead Church members as they plan activities, minister to those in need, worship in temples, and make other efforts to be united. The Savior’s love and teachings make it possible for each congregation to “be made perfect in one” (see John 17:23).