{"id":44097,"date":"2017-08-30T19:26:25","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T01:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=44097"},"modified":"2017-08-30T19:26:25","modified_gmt":"2017-08-31T01:26:25","slug":"helping-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2017\/08\/helping-texas.html","title":{"rendered":"Helping Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Houston Texas Temple is sacred, yes. But even more sacred are the great truths and realities and covenants that it represents. \u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The stories and pictures coming out of Texas are horrific. \u00a0Appalling.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But we can help.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen claims, from a few implacable critics of the Church, that, as usual, the \u201cMor(m)ons\u201d are concerned about their silly temple but, otherwise, are leaving the work of helping the victims of Hurricane Harvey to other churches and organizations, and even to mosques.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We do nothing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some critics are absolutely rejoicing in the damage to the temple.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But it seems that, as is typical for such malignant\u00a0folks\u00a0\u2014 don\u2019t they ever become tired of it? \u2014 they\u2019re both pointlessly insulting and completely wrong.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUPDATE: Floodwater Breaches Houston Temple\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUPDATE:\u00a0Latter-day Saints Send Flood Relief to Texas\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTexas LDS meetinghouse becomes shelter, boat command center\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how you can donate:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

https:\/\/ldsp-pay.ldschurch.org\/donations\/lds-church\/humanitarian-services\/humanitarian-aid-fund.html?cde2=796<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you can, please give\u00a0something. \u00a0Even if it\u2019s just a tiny bit. \u00a0I can promise you that contributing something, even if it\u2019s only a small\u00a0amount, will give you a good feeling, a happy feeling. \u00a0You can even set things up so that you make a regular monthly donation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to know that 100% of all donations to LDS Humanitarian Services are used to help people in need, and that donated funds are used wherever the need is greatest. \u00a0They don\u2019t go to overhead. \u00a0They don\u2019t go to $500,000-per-year executives.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s an item connected with Utah but not directly tied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Great amount of responsibility\u2019: Utah medical disaster response team mobilizes to Texas\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And a related story:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTexas devastation brings together hearts and helping hands\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And, finally, just a good, human story from the disaster:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA young Mormon mom\u2019s Harvey evacuation story of fear, sadness and neighborly love\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like a holy day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I love that comment from her.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve cited these quotations before, but I\u2019ll do it again:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can\u2019t feed a hundred people, feed just one.\u201d \u00a0(St. Teresa of Calcutta, or \u201cMother Teresa\u201d)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.\u201d \u00a0(Mahatma Gandhi)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yes, we Latter-day Saints are distressed by the damage done to the Houston Texas Temple, and we\u2019re saddened by it. \u00a0But we know that temples constructed in a fallen world\u00a0aren\u2019t immune to damage: \u00a0The temple in Samoa was destroyed by fire while it was being repaired; the original Nauvoo Temple was destroyed by an anti-Mormon arsonist and then finished off by a tornado. \u00a0The original spire of the St. George Utah Temple was destroyed by lightning shortly after the death of Brigham Young, who had never liked its short, stubby appearance. \u00a0(It was rebuilt. \u00a0Taller this time.)<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And, by the way, the catastrophe in and around Houston isn\u2019t the only one in the world. \u00a0But, not surprisingly, the Church is helping elsewhere, too:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLatter-day Saint Congregations in Freetown Clean Connaught Hospital\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMormons Minister to Mudslide Victims in Sierra Leone\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some worthwhile background information:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHow LDS Charities responds to an emergency\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Again, I encourage you to give something. \u00a0Even if it\u2019s only five dollars.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 The stories and pictures coming out of Texas are horrific. \u00a0Appalling. \u00a0 But we can help. \u00a0 I\u2019ve seen claims, from a few implacable critics of the Church, that, as usual, the \u201cMor(m)ons\u201d are concerned about their silly temple but, otherwise, are leaving the work of helping the victims of Hurricane Harvey to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nHelping Texas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    The stories and pictures coming out of Texas are horrific. \u00a0Appalling.   But we can help.   I've seen claims, from a few\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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