m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 1 By Kari Huus, msnbc.com senior reporter
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/18/6292170-in-japa
The only thing that rivals the Mormon church’s ability to spread the word
is its ability to cope with emergencies.
Within 36 hours of the earthquake striking off the coast of Sendai on March
11, the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced
that all 638 of its missionaries in the country -- 342 Americans, 216
Japanese and 80 from other nations – were safe.
Within a few days, the church also had accounted for all but about 1,000 of
its 125,000 members in Japan.
“Whether it is Haiti or Japan,” said David Evans, a senior leader in the
church who serves in the missionary department. “This is how it works
everywhere.”
Chalk it up to a culture of discipline and emergency preparedness. The
church has a detailed hierarchy and network that works in ordinary times to
maintain cohesion among followers, and in disaster to locate them.
Worldwide, some 14 million members of the church are divided into thousands
of units, most of them made up of 300 to 400 people. A bishop presides over
each member unit, which keeps detailed records—address, phone, work address
and other information on each member.
“When you break it down to that small a group, it’s not as if anyone has
to contact thousands of people,” said Richard Hinckley, executive director
of the church’s missionary operations. “With four or five calls from a
bishop — using phone trees — we can locate any one of 14 million church
members in the world in a matter of minutes.” | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 2 In emergencies, if communication systems are out of order -- as they were in
large swathes of Japan after the quake and tsunami — an intricate church
network kicks in.
Under what they call the “home teaching program” each church assigns a
member four to 10 people to visit at least once each month, checking in on
their physical and spiritual well being. So essentially everyone checks in
on others and is checked in on them-self. That means when a disaster hits,
church members know exactly where to look for the folks that are normally
part of their rounds.
The missionaries — young men and women who work in pairs – all have cell
phones, but with cell networks down in most cases, they instead followed
disaster plans that directed them to predetermined locations. Most of the
young evangelists were accounted for within 18 hours. The last four, who had
to walk out of one of the most devastated areas of Sendai to reach their
assigned site, were contacted within 36 hours of the quake, church officials
said.
As the threat of radiation emerged, the church network swung into motion
again, quickly shifting 72 young evangelists out of harm’s way to missions
in Hokkaido in the north and Nagoya in the south of Japan.
“We’re very confident that we have moved everybody far, far away,” from the radiation leaking from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, said Steve Allen, a public affairs officer with the church. Not only did they do so for safety reasons, he said, but for practical reasons — to get them out of the way of relief efforts. | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 3 Now the church has shifted into the next phase: relief operations.
Under a separate organizational system, the Mormons have dispatched a team
to Tokyo to determine how they can actually deliver aid — not only to
followers but the devastated region at large.
They quickly inspected 50 LDS church buildings in the disaster-stricken
coastal areas — all but the one in Sendai, because the earthquake damage
made it impossible to reach — to determine whether they could be used for
relief efforts.
On the relief side of the operation, the church is not just focused on its
own flock.
The church has made substantial contributions to the Japanese Red Cross and
is coordinating with other aid organizations to assess the need for food,
housing and fuel in the disaster zone.
“We strive to help people whenever there is a disaster,” said Allen. “Our
desire to help is not based on religious affiliation or any other
affiliation.”
The elders say that none of the missionaries has asked to leave Japan, and
if anything the evangelists—most between 19 and 21 – are itching to return
to the areas where they have been working to help. But the relief effort
doesn’t really require evangelists, whose job it to share the Gospel.
“We would love to have missionaries be involved in any way they can be
helpful,” said Allen. “But they are not equipped to be particularly
helpful. They are better deployed elsewhere until they can come back in and
not be a burden on the relief effort.” | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 4 在这篇文章下面看到很多人的评论，针对某些评论，一位从前的教友这样说道：
Let's not be all so disingenuous here. I will attest, I'm a former LDS from
about 30 years ago when I left (got involved in my youth) ---and never have
been hounded or ex-communicated or even threatened about it. My daughter and
her kids are all active members today and they don't try to brow beat me,
nor does any of those they're involved with at the church come and try to re
-indoctrinate me.
I simply do not believe as they do-- but I will attest, Mormons are some of
the kindest people in the world and they all help whereever they're at. One
day a few years back we had a locker full of stuff we were moving out of. We
had just got to the unit when a few truckloads of Mormon's showed up to
help one of their elderly members move her stuff that was located next to
ours. They had to wait a bit b/c the people were late in getting there. So
instead of waiting around --they offered to help us. We said, SURE! I will
tell you, 15 minutes later our locker was empty, big moving truck loaded up
and we were ready to go. On our own it would have been an hour's work or
better. I offered to pay, they said "no way." I ended up making a nice
donation and a thank you letter to their branch anyway the next day. I got a
nice thank you letter back. Never once from that time forward have I had a
knock on my door or any solicitation whatsoever from them. I know I'm still
in their registrarsand I'm sure someone probably cross-referenced my name
and I'll be honest, I kind of half expected it might put them in "alert,
missing Mormon" mode--but nope, never ever have been contacted by anyone on
their behalf.
So truly, when it comes to cherrypicking falsities and chastizing the
Mormons, look in the mirror. You can tear any religion down or how they came
to such conclusions to be in existence, just as you can the bible or what
ever ancient text was used to create any religious sect.'s theocracy. They
have sound systems in place that work. For many this is too big brotherish
but at the same time, look how effective it was.
No need to be a jerk here. These people are doing great help in this
disaster and you should be applauding them and thanking them instead. Can't
some of you just take a higher road once in awhile? | l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | 5 还没睡啊，
from
have
and
re
of
One
We
【在 m****a 的大作中提到】
: 在这篇文章下面看到很多人的评论，针对某些评论，一位从前的教友这样说道：
: Let's not be all so disingenuous here. I will attest, I'm a former LDS from
: about 30 years ago when I left (got involved in my youth) ---and never have
: been hounded or ex-communicated or even threatened about it. My daughter and
: her kids are all active members today and they don't try to brow beat me,
: nor does any of those they're involved with at the church come and try to re
: -indoctrinate me.
: I simply do not believe as they do-- but I will attest, Mormons are some of
: the kindest people in the world and they all help whereever they're at. One
: day a few years back we had a locker full of stuff we were moving out of. We
| m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 6
明天可以晚点起，妹妹还在玩呢？
我要下了，晚安。
【在 l*****a 的大作中提到】
: 还没睡啊，
:
: from
: have
: and
: re
: of
: One
: We
| l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | 7 没，在看书顺便看看辐射报告，接近100就得准备飞纽约了
【在 m****a 的大作中提到】
:
: 明天可以晚点起，妹妹还在玩呢？
: 我要下了，晚安。
| m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 8
加州真有辐射了？不会吧？
【在 l*****a 的大作中提到】
: 没，在看书顺便看看辐射报告，接近100就得准备飞纽约了
| l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | 9 嗯，晚安，
【在 m****a 的大作中提到】
:
: 加州真有辐射了？不会吧？
| l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | 10 已经到了，最高晚上8点多到了85了
【在 m****a 的大作中提到】
:
: 加州真有辐射了？不会吧？
| | | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 11
在哪里可以看到辐射报告？
【在 l*****a 的大作中提到】
: 已经到了，最高晚上8点多到了85了
| l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | | w****r
发帖数: 17566 | 13 sounds more like an army group instead of a religious group
seriously doubting that..
March
of
【在 m****a 的大作中提到】
: By Kari Huus, msnbc.com senior reporter
: http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/18/6292170-in-japa
: The only thing that rivals the Mormon church’s ability to spread the word
: is its ability to cope with emergencies.
: Within 36 hours of the earthquake striking off the coast of Sendai on March
: 11, the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced
: that all 638 of its missionaries in the country -- 342 Americans, 216
: Japanese and 80 from other nations – were safe.
: Within a few days, the church also had accounted for all but about 1,000 of
: its 125,000 members in Japan.
| m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 14
记者不是宗教人士，这是以他的视角写的。
【在 w****r 的大作中提到】
: sounds more like an army group instead of a religious group
: seriously doubting that..
:
: March
: of
| m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 15 Church Humanitarian Aid, Japanese Church Members Helping People Suffering
From Disaster
http://newsroom.lds.org/article/church-humanitarian-aid-japanes
Humanitarian aid from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
getting to the Japanese people suffering from the effects of the 9.0
magnitude earthquake, powerful tsunami and lingering threats of radiation.
The Church has provided more than 135,000 pounds of food and water, 8,000
liters of fuel and 15,000 blankets and is working with the local prefectural
governments to coordinate their distribution.
These items are being purchased in Japan and shipped to Sendai and
surrounding areas where they are most needed. The blankets have been
purchased in China and are now being distributed in Japan.
Local Church leaders have created an emergency response committee, which is
meeting daily to identify and respond to member and community needs and to
organize volunteer efforts.
Thousands of Church members from hundreds of congregations in Japan have
established plans to assemble hygiene and cleaning kits, with this effort
likely to continue over the next few weeks. The Church has also made a
substantial financial donation to the Japan Red Cross.
Many people have asked the Church how they might assist or make donations to
the Church’s relief efforts. Church members or others who wish to donate
may do so through the Humanitarian Aid Fund.
Church officials will continue to monitor events and identify how to best
help the people of Japan in the coming weeks.
The Church appreciates those who have expressed a desire to help, but the
high volume of calls and emails to the area offices in Japan and to
headquarters emergency response personnel to offer additional assistance is
hindering their ability to respond to the crisis. |
|
