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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has seen some recognition this week, both from Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and religious freedom expert Daniel Mark.

Prince Andrews' recognition

Jan. 7, Prince Andrew met with Mormon Helping Hands volunteers in York after major flooding hit the city and complimented their efforts and the efforts of additional local groups, according to the LDS Church.

LDS Church member and York resident Caroline Kimberling played an integral role in the Helping Hands service and made arrangements for church facilities to be used for supply donations.

Full-time LDS missionaries Elder Paul Culbert and Sister Ethel Culbert assisted in coordinating relief efforts.

"Members of the church group explained to the duke the scope of the work they had undertaken, including how they had identified needs through a variety of methods, including social media, being out on the street talking to people, word of mouth, and referrals from York City Council," Elder Culbert said in a statement. "They then explained how they had gone about meeting these needs. The duke expressed his gratitude to the group for the work they had carried out."

More than 10,000 food items, toiletries, clothing and cleaning products were stored and distributed to flood victims in the local LDS church building. Hundreds of locals had been evacuated from their homes due to the flood.

"It has been an incredible two weeks," Kent Mayall, a stake president in York, said in a statement. "The Mormon Helping Hands effort has been driven by volunteers who are members of the church and also those not of our faith. We have had hundreds of volunteers assisting with so many projects. From a crisis and disaster the Lord has helped sustain the community through good, kind-hearted people. We have been truly blessed."

Many people assisted in the Mormon Helping Hands effort by delivering care packages, cleaning homes, removing damaged belongings and more.

HRH Prince Andrew chats with Mormon Helping Hands volunteers in York. (Photo: © 2016 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved)

Daniel Mark's BYU lecture

Religious freedom expert Dr. Daniel Mark told a Brigham Young University audience Thursday, "Our political life can be improved through emulating family life."

The political science assistant professor at Villanova University is an orthodox Jew and a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

He gave a lecture titled "What Politics Can Learn from the Family: Jews, Latter-day Saints and the Case for Religious Freedom" to students and faculty members in the Wilkinson Student Center, where he complimented the LDS Church's family home evening program, according to the LDS Church.

"I think America needs a family home evening," Mark said. "American families need family home evening, but I mean a family night for society.

I think America needs a family home evening. –Dr. Daniel Mark

"The key, I think, like with family home evening, is for people to spend quality time together," Mark said. "This is why a vibrant civic culture, complete with neighborhood picnics and rec leagues and volunteer associations, is so important. There is much truth to the clich that if only people got to know each other, they would respect each other much more."

Mark met with LDS Church leaders in Salt Lake City and Provo while he was visiting Utah. He also toured the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center and Welfare Square facilities and stopped by the Provo City Center Temple.

"So let us take example from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and from the Jews," he concluded in his speech. "Your task is, first, to build strong families that sustain our republic by producing responsible citizens and by serving as models for the rest of society — and, second, to carry the family ethic out into the world. Family home evening: coming to a neighborhood near you. This certainly will require religious freedom, but, done well, it will also foster a society that honors religious freedom."

LDS face-to-face

January 20 at 7 p.m., LDS youths will have the opportunity to ask questions of LDS Church leaders, including Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Young Women General President Bonnie L. Oscarson and Young Men General President Stephen W. Owen.

The discussion will take place in a live social media forum, where church leaders will discuss this year's youth theme, "Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ."

You can chat with Church leaders on Wednesday, January 20th, at the next #LDSface2face. https://t.co/zZGVyS7D9Hpic.twitter.com/iCDHGXD7W0 — Mormon Channel (@mormonchannel) January 18, 2016

Youths are invited to submit questions before and during the forum. To do so, they can comment on the church's youth activities Web page or submit questions through the LDS youth Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages.

Youths are also invited to use the hashtag #LDSface2face as part of the social media conversation.

To join the face-to-face, visit the church's youth activities website, the LDS youth YouTube channel or the LDS youth Facebook page.

It will be broadcast on LDS.org, the Mormon Channel and face2face.lds.org.

Following the discussion, those interested in viewing it can do so at the church's youth activities website and the LDS youth YouTube channel.

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