Church members in Venezuela were not blessed with blinders.

They are sadly aware of the visible, sometimes violent, troubles about them. Civil unrest borders on the commonplace. Unemployment remains problematic. Meanwhile, neighbor is often pitted against neighbor amid the nation's polarized political climate.

"There are no jobs and few opportunities for people . . . but we tell our members to keep their faith and show Heavenly Father that they have faith despite the adversity," said Jorge Ruiz, president of the Caracas Venezuela Urdaneta Stake.

President Ruiz's counterpart in the Caracas Venezuela Stake, President Abraham Quero, marvels at the resiliency of the Church and its members. Congregations, he said, have not simply held steady — they're actually growing.

"There are now 22 stakes in Venezuela, but we (hope) to have two or three new stakes soon," President Quero said.

Meanwhile, the Venezuela Caracas Mission is enjoying its best year ever and retention rates are on the rise.

So how can the Church be progressing in a crisis-seized nation? For starters, people have found something sure and strong in the gospel. "The Church represents the stability (many Venezuelans) are looking for," said Venezuela Caracas Mission President Alan J. Webb.

And second, local priesthood leaders have generally succeeded in making Church buildings "political free zones." Members may have opposing views on national issues, but they are not discussed inside meetinghouses or at other Church functions, President Quero said.

Instead, he added, Church meetings are forums of peace and gospel unity.

The Church has not entirely dodged trouble. Some meetinghouses in Venezuela have been targeted by vandals and "desperate people," said President Ruiz. Fortunately, there are no reports of members being harmed and Church operations have not been interrupted.

Many LDS Venezuelans have been asked to participate in "Almacen del Se�or" (the Lord's store) — a program where members set aside a portion of their personal food and provisions to be distributed to needy folks. "Our members know that if they follow gospel principles and do the right thing, the Lord will bless them," President Ruiz said.

Meanwhile, the missionaries have become adroit at avoiding trouble. "We are always aware of what's going on around us," President Webb said.

Elders and sisters in the Venezuela Caracas Mission make contact each day with missionary leadership and are instructed to avoid groups of more than four or five people. When demonstrations form, missionaries return immediately to their homes and inform the mission home.

Most important, the missionaries avoid any hint of political talk. "We tell people we are here to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ," President Webb said.

E-mail to: jswensen@desnews.com