The Lord's Earthquake Warning in Chile

The Lord's Earthquake Warning in Chile
Weather--Clear and colder alternating with overcast and snowing
Temperature--minus 26C Wind--10-12 mph from the north-west


I would like to share something that I believe demonstrates another reason why missionary parents can sleep well with their sons or daughters in the mission field. This is taken from the Meridian Magazine dated March 3, 2010. I have selected a few sentences that are the heart of her message. The article text is in blue and my comments are in black.

"Editor’s Note: President Larry Laycock and his wife, Sister Lisa Laycock head the Santiago Chile East Mission and had spent the two weeks prior to the 8.8 earthquake visiting each missionary apartment and preparing them for an earthquake."

Sister Laycock writes this open letter to tell us how the Lord prepared them for the earthquake. They have ". . .  171 full-time proselyting missionaries in this mission."

"When we were set apart for this calling, Elder Scott of the Council of the Twelve Apostles taught us many important lessons." "One message that he shared with us is this: 'At times, during your mission, you will be awakened in the middle of the night or the early morning hours with thoughts of specific things you should do for certain missionaries. Do not ignore these thoughts.' "

"Nearly two-and-one-half weeks ago, I (Sister Laycock) was awakened at around 4:00 AM by just such a prompting. I did not hear a voice, but the thought was as clear as if it had been in the form of spoken words: 'There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries.' I sat up in bed and immediately remembered Elder Scott's counsel. That morning I told Larry what had happened. He immediately set to work organizing our missionaries to prepare for an earthquake."

"We set a goal and arranged our schedule so that we could visit every apartment in the mission to check for safety and to review with our missionaries what to do in case of an earth quake. What a wonderful experience we have had as we have met with them and shared scriptures with them about being spiritually and physically prepared '...if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear' (D&C 38:30)."

"When the earthquake came, we were prepared. We did not experience the panic that many felt. We knew we were prepared. Because of the words of the Lord's chosen Apostle, Elder Scott, we had listened and heeded the quiet, but clear promptings of the Holy Ghost. We were blessed with peace in the midst of chaos."

 I think that this clearly demonstrates the other part of why missionary mothers and fathers can sleep well at night. Besides all of the organization and people to watch out for the missionaries, the Lord is actively involved with the missionary effort and His angels are there to protect his missionaries, sometimes in spite of all of us. Frankly, I was more anxious about my son and daughters going away to camp or to college than I was for them going on their missions. I believe that there is no safer place for 19-20 year old people in the world. Here is a look at the Santiago Chile missionaries, almost three times the number of missionaries as in Novosibirsk.

Even without an earthquake or some other threatening situation, mission presidents, and especially their wives, are getting instructions from the Lord regularly, and I know that as I watch President Trejo work with matters needing his thoughtful and inspired decision, he is getting messages all of the time and his leadership shows the footprint of the Lord. It is a great comfort to know that our mission president is actively seeking and getting the messages from the true head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


What a Church. What a country.
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