Church Expresses Sympathy over Three Missionary Deaths

  • 3 September 2014

Three Latter-day Saint missionaries died in August in two separate incidents.

Elder Connor Benjamin Thredgold of Springville, Utah, and Elder Yu Peng Xiong of Kaohsiung, Taiwan—companions serving in the Taiwan Taipei Mission—died the weekend of August 23 from what is believed to be a carbon monoxide leak in their apartment.

Elder Xiong, 24, had been serving as a missionary since March 2013, and Elder Thredgold, 19, had been serving since March of this year.

In addition, Nancy Vea, 19, of West Jordan, Utah—serving in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission—was critically injured in a car accident in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on August 22.

She later died at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa of her injuries.

Two Church members and three other missionaries were also in the vehicle when Sister Vea was injured. They were treated at a local hospital and are expected to fully recover.

“We pray for their families and for all those who knew them, and express our love and deepest sympathies at this tragic time,” said Jessica Moody, Church spokeswoman.

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