SALT LAKE CITY — The striking eruption of a volcano near the Philippine capital of Manila is causing a spectacle of lightning and lava flows and has members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hunkering down in meetinghouses for safety.

Volcanologists are warning of the possibility of a larger, more explosive eruption even as the Taal volcano spews ash miles into the air and after it has caused dozens of earthquakes.

Meanwhile, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who is traveling with his wife, Mary, in the Philippines on a ministry and outreach visit, expressed concern about the threat to the people in the region according to a news release issued by Church Communications. He was scheduled to participate in a donation from the church’s Light the World humanitarian aid campaign, but the event was postponed.

However, he met Monday with interfaith leaders in the Manila area, he said in a tweet.

“I expressed our concern as a church over the Taal volcano,” he said. “We hope that we can contribute to anything that’s necessary to bless all faiths. They have our prayers and our faith.”

During a meeting with Manila, Philippines area interfaith leaders yesterday, I expressed our concern as a Church over the Taal volcano. We hope that we can contribute to anything that’s necessary to bless all faiths. They have our prayers and our faith.https://t.co/dcyheMkAQS pic.twitter.com/X7TMyymQPJ — Quentin L. Cook (@CookQuentinL) January 13, 2020

The interfaith meeting had an interesting element because while The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Restoration this year, Filipinos will celebrate 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines next year.

The news release said all church missionaries in the area are safe. The church relocated them to safe areas or instructed them to remain in their homes.

The church is using meetinghouses in Lipa, Tanauan, Balayan and Agoncillo to gather members and friends as a precautionary measure.

Elder Cook spoke Sunday at a devotional before the threat presented by the volcano escalated.

“I know that there are a lot of trials and hardships,” he said. “The Filipinos have always faced those in such a glorious way. I was here not too long after Mount Pinatubo had blown up (in 1991) and almost a million people had to leave their homes. But there is something about Filipinos that even when bad things happen, they rally, and they lift their spirits and they smile and they go forward.”

The volcano, located about 35 miles south of Manila, Philippines, is spewing a large plume of ash, steam and rocks up to nine miles in the sky posing serious threats to residents. It is the first time in 43 years the volcano has erupted.

Filipino authorities have evacuated thousands of people as massive ash clouds created near-zero visibility in some areas and threatened lives.

Government volcanologists have set the alert level at 4 out of a possible 5, according to The Wall Street Journal, which published a video showing the lightning strikes in the volcano’s ash cloud. A level 4 threat indicates the possibility of an imminent hazardous eruption. Such an event could include large lava eruptions and something called base surge.

Base surge can create high-speed clouds spewing ash, rocks and gas. Such clouds “can burn you, asphyxiate you, crush you, mangle you,” an expert told the Journal. “This is the worst-case scenario.”

The volcanic event has interrupted flight operations for at least one airport, according to The Star.

Photos of the eruption are available here.