An Oasis in a Desert of Turbulence

On April 6 and 7, 2024, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its General Conference for members worldwide. Outside of Utah, the Conference was transmitted over local radio and television stations where communication is limited, including the country of Haiti. For Church members in that country, it provided a much-needed respite from its current civil turmoil.

Haiti, a former French colony covers 37% of the island of Hispaniola which it shares with the Dominican Republic.  French landowners imported 800,000 Africans to the colony in the 1800’s to work the coffee plantations. The slave system in Haiti was regarded as one of the harshest in the Americas which led to a long history of political and civil upheaval.

Today, twenty-one percent (3 million) of the Haitian population reside in Port-au-Prince — armed gangs control large areas of the city.   The stability of the internet service has been inconsistent for months. There are a little over 25,000 members of the Church in Haiti, the majority of which reside in Port-au-Prince.  Current life in the city makes normal reception of General Conference over the Internet uncertain and the gangs make transportation to the Church meetinghouse very dangerous.

To help places like Haiti, the Church broadcasts the Conference to its members by television or radio, especially in areas where communication and transportation are limited. Due to the unrest in Haiti, many Church members lack the at-home infrastructure to access the Conference without radio or TV. These broadcasts are vital to ensure that people in Haiti can still participate in the Conference. Despite the challenges, members gathered in nearby homes or church meetinghouses to watch Conference sessions as groups bringing feelings of spiritual uplift and comradery.

Speaking on the effect the Conference had on the people of Haiti, Elder Eduardo Gavarret, General Authority Seventy and Area President in the Caribbean Area noted, “We are confident that the messages shared will serve as a balm of healing during these trying times”. Elder Jean Baptiste, Area Seventy from Haiti described life in his country as very challenging. He said, “The broadcast of the General Conference to the people in Haiti brought a bit of light to a very troubled place.”

Mariecarmelle Charpentier, Church Communication Director for Haiti shared the following sentiment from the Saints in her country:

“What a wonderful weekend! We were blessed with divine and strengthening messages, especially for the Saints in Haiti. Despite the troubling and stressful conditions, we currently face, we eagerly awaited the messages from our Heavenly Father to recharge our batteries. Through the Lord’s servants in this General Conference, God has comforted us once again with his infinite love and encouraged us to continue to walk the path of the gospel of Jesus Christ, his Son.”