Chile Earthquake Revelation by MP's Wife

[_zzyzx]

From the post 911 faith promoting lies: "Of course, I informed my sister that the story wasn't true and she replied that she didn't care if it was true or not, it was a cute story and she would use it in her class."

Way too much of this crap going on. If you have The Truth you don't have to tell lies to support or build it up.

As for the Mission Presidents Wife... what is she doing getting 'revelation' for this stuff. That falls under the responsibilities of the Mission President. Or is she ushering in the long lost calling of Prophetess?

Hindsight or foresight, the story is now as valid as the Miracle of the Seagulls. Not a Miracle at the time, just later as leadership had time to massage a natural event into a faith promoting tale.

Where is Paul Dunn when you really need him? Imagine the great faith promoting stories he could tell about the Earthquake?!

[Guest]

This whole story might actually have been impressive if it had appeared in Meridian two weeks BEFORE the earthquake. She has a revelation and believes in it enough that she warns the missionaries but nobody else. After the quake, the Mission President cynically suggests that the people of Chile are now humbled enough to listen and accept the gospel message (nothing like a little old-fashioned hellfire and brimstone to incite enough fear in people to exercise their free agency, eh?) and he expects lots of baptisms this month (hey, what's a few hundred lives lost and thousands of homeless people and billions of dollars in property damage if it gets the church a few more converts, right?). But imagine the "harvest of souls" they could have achieved if Meridian had run the story of the revelation about the quake BEFORE it happened. Lest any mopologist suggest that such a warning would take away anyone's agency (the usual apologetic response to queries about why God doesn't pick up the celestial batphone and let his prophet know about, say, tsunamis that are going to hit), isn't that exactly what Lehi did in the Book of Mormon? How impressed would we be with Lehi's prophetic ability had the story been told that after Jerusalem's destruction, Lehi went to his family and said "hey, God told me in a dream that that was going to happen way before it actually did!" Uh-huh. Yeah. Ok. We'd be about as impressed as if the Book of Mormon contained a series of specific prophecies that were fulfilled right up to the time of Joseph Smith and then switched over to really vague generalizations after that time.

Moreover, she can't even keep her story straight. From the article:
"Some of them became frightened and asked us if we knew something they didn't know. We smiled and repeated '...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.'"

A few lines down she writes this:
"When we reached the back yard, we watched in terror. . . . When the calm came, we had to sit down because our legs were weak and unstable. My legs stayed wobbly all day and night yesterday." I thought they were prepared, and that if they were prepared, they would not fear. "We watched in terror" sure sounds like fear to me. Not that I am criticizing her for experiencing fear in the midst of a monstrous earthquake; I am merely pointing out the sanctimony of suggesting that the missionaries should NOT feel fear if they had their "go-bags" ready.

Edited once to add the point about fear and a second time to fix a typo.

[_bcspace]

It's impossible for men to have babies. It is possible for women to be ordained.

Reality fail. It is not possible for a woman to be ordained to an office in the Priesthood in the LDS Church and you cannot truthfully find a woman who wants to be Elder's Quorum president or Bishop (and few men as well).

[_Gadianton Plumber]

It's impossible for men to have babies. It is possible for women to be ordained.

Reality fail. It is not possible for a woman to be ordained to an office in the Priesthood in the LDS Church and you cannot truthfully find a woman who wants to be Elder's Quorum president or Bishop (and few men as well).

I hereby offer to ordain any and all women to any office in the Aaronic or Melky Priesthood. I can prove it is possible.

[_cinepro]

Haiti was a big wake-up call to all of us. I too have thought at least a little more than usual about what sorts of things we would have to be prepared for if some kind of disaster hit my area.

That was my thought when reading the article.

Back in 2005, shortly after the catastrophic tsunami, every coastal community around the Pacific Rim was preparing for tsunamis, organizing emergency plans, thinking of tsunami scanarios etc. It's a natural reaction.

If the media in Chile is anything like the media in the US, then they were probably hearing a lot about the earthquake in Haiti. Living in an earthquake-prone area myself, I've taken some time to reiterate our earthquake plan at work and at home.

And ultimately, the other questions raised in this thread (and their implications) become more interesting. At the very least, where was the warning to the Stakes and Wards? Did the other missions in Chile miss out on similar warnings?

If I devised an emergency alert system that worked with similar dismal success, it would be considered a massive failure. If God does it, it's a miracle?

[_Dr. Shades]

From the article:

By the light of the moon we could see the swimming pool water form giant waves and crash out onto the rocks.

What the Hell is a mission home doing with a swimming pool??

At any rate, I think this whole thing is B.S. I don't believe a word of it.

If she had typed up and submitted this thing before the quake hit, then we'd have something. As it is, it's pretty damned easy to talk about a prophecy after the event has happened.

For example, let's say I receive a revelation that the Japanese are going to drop bombs on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, but don't bother telling anyone about it until December 08, 1941 or later. Would you be impressed? Similarly, if I came up to you on September 12, 2001 and told you a revelation I had had that the World Trade Towers would be hit by hijacked airliners, would that astound you?

[_zeezrom]

If she had typed up and submitted this thing before the quake hit, then we'd have something. As it is, it's pretty damned easy to talk about a prophecy after the event has happened.

12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.
13 And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth out of captivity, upon the many waters.
14 And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise; and I beheld the wrath of God, that it was upon the seed of my brethren; and they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten.
15 And I beheld the Spirit of the Lord, that it was upon the Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance; and I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.

1 Nephi 13

[_cinepro]

For example, let's say I receive a revelation that the Japanese are going to drop bombs on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, but don't bother telling anyone about it until December 08, 1941 or later. Would you be impressed?

No. I'd just assume you worked in Naval Intelligence.

All other concerns aside, Sister Laycock's story is buttressed by the actions they took towards preparation in the weeks before the earthquake.

Now we just need to wait for the inevitable disgruntled RM to tell us years from now the whole story is bunk.

[_Dr. Shades]

All other concerns aside, Sister Laycock's story is buttressed by the actions they took towards preparation in the weeks before the earthquake.

Who/what is the source that informs us that said actions were taken? Yep, you guessed it: Sister Laycock herself, again.

I highly doubt that any such preparations took place. I think she's merely jumping on the Paul H. Dunn bandwagon. If there were any preparations that might bear some tangental relation to what she's talking about, then I strongly believe that they were routine inspections that take place every so often anyway.

[_moksha]

Why didn't God give someone the revelation who would actually do something about it?

Excellent point Truth Dancer. When the big one is coming to the Wasatch Fault, I want to know!!!