Missing Returned Missionary Remembered Fondly
Contributed By Valerie Johnson, Church News staff writer
Courtney Cline and Elizabeth Elena Laguna Salgado pose for a photograph as companions in the Mexico Pachuca Mission. Sister Laguna has been missing since April 16.
“In every possible sense that success might be measured, Sister Laguna was a successful missionary.” —President Andrew Egbert
Elizabeth Elena Laguna Salgado, who had recently returned from serving in the Mexico Pachuca Mission, went missing from Provo, Utah, on April 16. Despite the lack of leads, the Salgado family continues to hold out hope for her safe return. Former companions of Sister Laguna and others shared memories of their time serving alongside her in Mexico.
“In every possible sense that success might be measured, Sister Laguna was a successful missionary,” said President Andrew Egbert and his wife, Sister Salli Kae Egbert, in a statement. “She sincerely and diligently strived to exemplify Christlike attributes in how she daily lived her life and concerned herself for the well-being and happiness of others.”
Elizabeth Elena Laguna Salgado served in the Mexico Pachuca Mission. She has been missing from Provo, Utah, since April 16. Courtesy Salgado family.
From left, front row, Sister Salli Kae Egbert, President Andrew Egbert, Elizabeth Elena Laguna Salgado, and Sister Laguna’s companion, Alysa DeFranco, pose for a zone picture. Sister Laguna, who served in the Mexico Pachuca Mission, has been missing since April 16. Courtesy Salgado family.
Courtney Cline, a former companion of Sister Laguna, remembered her love for God’s creations. “She would stop and smell [the flowers], and then she would pluck them and keep them in her scriptures. As a result of this, I saw the importance of appreciating every blessing that God has given us, even until the tiniest flower.”
“I love her for many reasons, but more than anything, I love her because she helped me to come to know the gospel,” said Lee Sul Kang. Sister Laguna and her companion were the missionaries who taught her before she joined the Church. “I remember that they taught me the first lesson in the Church and she demonstrated such a sincere and pure love. … [She] showed me such love that I felt the desire to know more.”
Anyone with information regarding Sister Laguna’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Provo, Utah, police department at 1-801-852-6210.
