Church Donates Aid for Victims of Quake in China

On behalf of Latter-day Saints everywhere, the Church has donated $25,000 to help victims of an earthquake in China.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve presented the check to Han Xu, ambassador for the People’s Republic of China, on February 21 in Washington, D.C. The money was to assist reconstruction following a 6 November 1988 earthquake in the Lancang area of Yunnan Province.

Representing the First Presidency, Elder Nelson told the ambassador that the gift “comes from Church members around the world. We request your help in seeing that this donation provides direct relief to earthquake victims in the stricken area.”

The earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, devastated portions of five prefectures. Between 900 and 1,000 people were killed, and nearly 2,000 were injured. In some places, up to 80 percent of the buildings collapsed, and communications and transportation were severely hampered.

According to Beverly Campbell, the Church’s Washington, D.C., public communications director, who attended the presentation, the ambassador warmly thanked the Church on behalf of all the people of China.

Elder Nelson also presented the ambassador with a miniature of a Florence Hansen sculpture showing a father and son. Han Xu noted that the title of the statue, “Building Bridges,” was very appropriate. This was not his first experience with the Church, the ambassador reflected. Some years ago, he visited the Polynesian Cultural Center and later, at home, participated on a committee that recommended sending the first Chinese students to the BYU—Hawaii campus.