Deseret News, Mormons Prepare for Hurricane Sandy

This article posted in The Deseret News on October 29, 2012.  It shows how some members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints prepared for Hurricane Sandy.  Below is just a small portion of the article.  Click on the title below and read the full article.


As Mormons prepare for Hurricane Sandy, they live their faith

"Preparedness is part of what we do as Latter-day Saints," said President Ahmad Corbitt, president of the LDS Church's Cherry Hill New Jersey Stake (a stake is an ecclesiastical unit that is similar to a diocese in other Christian faiths). "As a culture we are prepared because we've been prepared by our leaders. One of the great benefits of having membership in the restored church is we have prophets on the watchtower who see things afar off and sound the warnings. One of those warnings over the decades has been to be prepared."

Mormons are layering additional precautions on top of that typical groundwork with Sandy on its way. Local LDS leaders in the Eastern United States have been working with church members and missionaries and urging preparedness, caution and outreach to others who may need help during a natural calamity.


"We all went out and bought cases of bottled water," said Elizabeth Stuart, a student at Columbia University, who lives in the Washington Heights area with several LDS roommates. "We filled up buckets of water in case we need them, and we bought batteries and flashlights and candles and matches. We feel like we're ready."

The Red Cross is prepared to call on the underlying LDS infrastructure where needed.

"The (LDS) Church has created a strong culture of preparedness among its members that I believe can be a model for others throughout the country," wrote Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, in an summer op-ed for the Deseret News.

"The church counsels members to be prepared for a personal emergency or natural disaster by preparing emergency plans and having basic emergency supplies on hand," she continued. "And, because individual church members are prepared and resilient from disasters, the church can focus on helping other community members following an emergency."