Pres. Uchtdorf salutes U.S. military personnel

DRAPER — Calling men and women in military uniform "the pick and flower of the United States," President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on Sunday addressed U.S. military personnel and their families gathered in a local Mormon chapel and — via the Internet — in Iraq.

President Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was the featured speaker at a special military fireside held in the church's Draper Utah Stake Center. The event drew members of four branches of the military. In addition to the chapel congregation of more than 1,000, some two dozen personnel deployed in Iraq — where it was 3:30 a.m. — viewed the fireside proceedings live via the Skype service over the Internet. A live scene of those gathered in Iraq was displayed on a screen in the chapel throughout the meeting.

"Please know that we love and appreciate you and that we pray for you, and that we send our blessings for your safe return," President Uchtdorf told them. "This connection by Internet shows in some ways once more how much good the Internet can do."

U.S. military men and women "help people and nations find their way into the democratic society of the global family of nations," President Uchtdorf said.

"Perhaps the most important lessons you will be able to teach as you are among foreign people, in dangerous locations, are support courage to do what is right, advance independent thinking and create a desire to stand up for moral values and freedom of religion that will transcend local traditions and nations' history."

Noting that members of the armed forces reach out to many countries and encounter those that are friendly or hostile, the church leader admonished: "Remember, wherever you go, you always go as brothers and sisters to those whom you are going to meet. All human beings on this beautiful planet Earth are spirit children of the same Father in Heaven."

A west German military and commercial jet pilot by profession, President Uchtdorf told of being on a flight of a Utah National Guard tanker some time ago for a refueling mission and spoke of the delicacy of the procedure.

"The aircraft approach each other with the right speed; they have to focus completely on the other plane; they have to have courage and trust, and then they are connected," he said. "Tanker and fighter unite in a combined effort for a higher common goal."