After a series of large earthquakes struck in Venezuela Wednesday, June 24, the Caribbean Area presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement expressing “sincere support, solidarity and prayers for all those affected.”
The statement from Elders Valeri V. Cordón, Hugo Montoya and Ahmad S. Corbitt, the General Authority Seventies comprising the area presidency, reads:
“We are deeply saddened by the recent earthquake that has affected Venezuela, causing moments of uncertainty and concern for many people and families.
“We express our sincere support, solidarity and prayers for all those affected. In these difficult times, we stand with the Venezuelan people, hoping they find strength, peace and solace as they face this situation.
“We pray that hope, unity and the spirit of service will prevail, and that the affected communities will find support and strength in the midst of adversity.”

Two strong quakes
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck the country Wednesday evening. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the quakes were the strongest in the South American country in more than a century.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the first earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2, hit west of Moron on the Caribbean coast, about 105 miles west of Caracas. It had a depth of about 14 miles. Just a minute later, USGS reported a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake, with a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) and an epicenter 10 miles southwest of Moron.
The death toll had risen to 164 as of Thursday morning, with 1,000 people injured and thousands more reported missing. Damage and casualties are heavy in the coastal region of La Guaira, which is north of Caracas, the capital.
The country’s main airport in Caracas was closed after sustaining damage.

Shaking was felt in other surrounding countries, as far away as 1,050 miles.
Videos posted on social media show toppled buildings, cracked streets and Venezuelans searching for loved ones among rubble.
Shocked by the news
Elder Pedro X. Larreal, a General Authority Seventy who is from Venezuela and has family currently living in the country, wrote in an email to the Church News that he was was shocked by the news.
He said the many trials and challenges faced by the people in Venezuela reminds him of Mosiah 24:13-16. In those verses, the Lord gives comfort, promising “I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”
Said Elder Larreal: “I don’t have any doubt that our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, would bless our nation in this difficult time we are living in. The Lord promises us that ‘I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders.’”
The Church in Venezuela
Venezuela is home to 179,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, making up 33 stakes and 235 congregations.
Church President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Caracas Venezuela Temple on Aug. 20, 2000. On April 7, 2024, Church President Russell M. Nelson announced a temple for Maracaibo, Venezuela, during the April 2024 general conference.
And on Feb. 2, 2020, President Nelson and then-Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke directly to Latter-day Saints in Venezuela via a videotaped devotional.












