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By Kent Larsen
'Evil Rampant': Church Reacts to Terrorist Attacks
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- Speaking at a Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert
turned into an impromptu memorial earlier this evening, President
Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
told those attending that evil is still rampant in the world, "Its
insidious and dastardly hand has struck again in a most reprehensible
manner." The comments were just some of the outpouring of feeling and
relief efforts by the Church and local leaders nationwide.
Hinckley made his comments at the concert, had been planned for the
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, which he
said was being changed into a sacred memorial service commemorating
the day's events. "Today has been a day that will be remembered
always in the annals of our beloved nation. It has been a day when
the ugly face of hatred has shown itself with terror, death and
destruction," he said. "It has been a day when uncounted numbers of
the innocent have perished and their loved ones have been left to
sorrow. Many have been wounded and this our nation has been severely
injured and insulted. But dark as is this hour, there is shining
through the heavy overcast of fear and anger the solemn and wonderful
image of the Son of God. It is to him that we look in these
circumstances."
Earlier in the day, just 4 hours after the attacks began, BYU
President Merrill J. Bateman changed the University's planned
devotional assembly into a prayer meeting, calling today's attack,
"the greatest tragedy that has ever happened on American mainland."
In the short meeting, Bateman offered information, counsel and
prayer, and reporting that "to our knowledge, no BYU students are in
danger." He said all BYU students studying abroad have been contacted
and are safe. He also encouraged students to donate blood, and said
that Church members have solace in the gospel, "There is no reason to
fear for our lives. Even in times of turmoil, it is possible to feel
peace," President Bateman said. "The greatest thing we can do as a
university is to gather together once a week to celebrate the message
of the gospel. ... Today we've seen how fleeting life may be. ... We
need to gather and talk of sacred things."
Elsewhere, BYU-Idaho President David A. Bednar released a statement
expressing his campus' condolences, but intention to continue
operating, "All of us at BYU-Idaho are deeply concerned about the
apparent terrorist actions in our nation's capitol and New York City.
We feel it best, however, to proceed with business and classes "as
usual" on our campus. All classes are in session. All offices remain
open."
Meanwhile, in New York City, the New York, New York Stake offered its
stake center as housing for anyone needing a place to stay and
indicated that many stake members had offered their homes as quarters
for the displaced. The stake, like all of those in the area, is
struggling to assess which members might have been involved in the
disaster.
Sources:
Mormon president says evil is still rampant
(Phoenix) AZ Republic (AP) 11Sep01 N1
Associated Press
President Bateman holds prayer meeting
BYU NewsNet 11Sep01 D3
By Alice-Anne Lewis: NewsNet Staff Writer
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