LDS Yekaterinburg members welcome Pres. Uchtdorf

YEKATERINBURG, Russia — Six-hundred faithful Saints gathered here from throughout the Ural region of Russia on Sunday, May 31, to hear President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency and Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. This historic event marked the first time a member of the First Presidency has visited Yekaterinburg. Members traveled from as far away as Surgut, 1,000 miles by train, in order to attend.Pavel and Tatyana Kulakovy drove with their children eight hours from Ufa. Brother Kulakovy, baptized in 2002, was unable to go to Moscow when President Gordon B. Hinckley visited that year. \"I knew this would be a great opportunity and I was determined I wouldn't miss out again.\"Yekaterinburg, situated at the Ural Mountains on the border of Europe and Asia, has served as the industrial, administrative and cultural center of the Ural region. The third largest city in Russia, the population exceeds 1.5 million.The first Mormon missionaries opened the city for the preaching of the gospel in 1993 when four elders from the Russia Novosibirsk Mission were sent from Moscow. The Russia Yekaterinburg Mission was created in 1995 and, since that time, more than 2,500 Russians have joined the Church.See the full story on ldschurchnews.com.