Spokane-Area Latter-day Saints build community through language and service

By Julia Ditto | FāVS News Columnist

At a time when it could be easy to find more and more ways to be divided, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area are finding joy in serving, learning and worshipping together, regardless of language or cultural differences.

In doing so, they are discovering what it means to “[have] their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another” (The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:21).

Here are some of their stories.

Spokane and CDA stories

Natasha and Brian Woodward of Spokane Valley were walking out of the Spokane temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when they noticed two African women dressed in traditional clothing standing in the foyer. The Woodwards’ son, Baden, was at that time serving as a missionary in the Republic of the Congo. So they struck up a conversation with the women and were thrilled to discover that they were from the Congo as well.

“They just latched onto me, these women—just like this warm embrace, just because of that connection,” Natasha Woodward said.

The Woodwards learned that the women were visiting the temple that day as part of the Regal Branch, a congregation of primarily Swahili-speaking African members of the Church who live in Spokane and surrounding areas. 

The branch is one of seven foreign language-speaking congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene area. 

“Wards and branches in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are determined by geography or language, not by race or culture,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in an address given in October 2020. “Race is not identified on membership records.”

Diverse cultures and languages

In addition to Swahili, there are Spanish-, Chuukese-, Marshallese- and Russian-language-speaking congregations in the area. They differ in size—the Marshallese-speaking congregation is a full ward with around 180 members, while the Russian-speaking group consists of just three families that meet concurrently with an English-speaking congregation.

Regardless of how many members attend each meeting, being able to meet together and worship with those who speak their same language is a blessing members of the special-language congregations don’t take for granted.

“The people, they need to know each other,” said Jally Aini, who was baptized in 1986 in the Marshall Islands and has lived in Spokane since 2017. Now serving as bishop of the Marshallese-speaking Friendship Park Ward, Aini said that his congregation feels like “one big family.”

Sasha Moroz joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with his mother in 1997 as an 11-year-old living in Ukraine. He and his family moved to Spokane in 2022, just three weeks before the war with Russia started. 

Once they were able to start meeting with other Russian-speaking members of the Church in Spokane, their understanding of and participation in Sunday services increased. He now serves as the leader of the Russian-speaking group.

“In our group right now, everybody is being active in the lessons,” he said. “Our culture is different, but church is the same here and there.”

“With our all-inclusive doctrine, we can be an oasis of unity and celebrate diversity,” said Elder Cook in his October 2020 address. “Unity and diversity are not opposites. We can achieve greater unity as we foster an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for diversity.”

Welcome and respectful atmosphere

It was this atmosphere of respect that helped Zera Martinez feel at home after she was baptized into the Church in June of this year. Originally from Tanzania, Martinez has lived in the United States for the past 10 years. Her husband met missionaries for the Church while he was living in Portland, Oregon, and he encouraged Zera to meet with them in Spokane while they were separated for work. She now attends the Regal Branch.

“For this congregation, I found they are really Christian. They are following Jesus,” she said. “You know them by their fruits … How they received me, how they talked to me. I read their hearts.”

Often, English-speaking members of the Church who are more established in the area are asked to serve for a time with the various foreign language-speaking congregations, offering them support in many ways. While the language barrier can be challenging at times, loving their neighbors in this way comes with its own sweet rewards.

Such was the case for the Woodwards, who, shortly after their serendipitous meeting with the Regal Branch members at the temple, were asked to serve as support members in the branch. It’s a family affair; they bring their three youngest children with them to the Swahili-speaking meetings each Sunday, and they actively participate with members of the branch during weekly activities. And while their role is to love and support the African members, the Woodwards feel that they are often receiving more than they are giving.

“We’ve learned to just get out and serve,” said Natasha Ward. “You can live anywhere and just be happy if you can give and serve.”

Rob Lichfield, bishop of the Manito Ward, which meets with the Russian-speaking group each Sunday, appreciates everything he and his congregation are learning from their Russian-speaking friends.

“I sensed immediately their deep conversion and stunning consecration,” he said. “They are examples of true faith that I hope to live up to.”

At a time when it could be easy to find more and more ways to be divided, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area are finding joy in serving, learning and worshipping together, regardless of language or cultural differences. In doing so, they are discovering what it means to “[have] their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another” (The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 18:21).

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.