LDS Church Officially Opposes Gay Marriage Bill In New Zealand

On October 26th, 2012, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement opposing New Zealand's march towards gay marriage and calling upon the public to defend and protect the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman.

The effort to redefine marriage began on August 29th, 2012 when New Zealand's Parliament passed a bill officially entitled the "Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill" by an 80-40 margin which would ultimately legalize gay marriage. However, this vote was merely the first of three affirmative votes which must take place before it can become law; after a grace period allowing written input from the public until October 26th, a second reading in Parliament is expected to take place in March 2013. If the second vote is also affirmative, the third and final reading could take place as early as April. Passage of the law would also allow gay couples to adopt children. Although polls at the time indicate that two-thirds of New Zealanders support gay marriage, opponents to the bill, organized by the conservative lobby group Family First, promptly presented a 50,000 signature petition to the parliament.

Immediately after the first vote, 70 different religious leaders issued a joint statement opposing the bill. On October 5th, as the deadline for written submissions in oppostion to the bill approached, the New Zealand Christian Network asked its members to write to the government in opposition to the redefinition of marriage, and urged pastors to speak out against it in their Sabbath sermons. As a result, on October 26th, Elder Michael Roberts, who is the Area Seventy for the Pacific Area, issued the following official statement:

The protection of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is a matter of the common good and serves the wellbeing of the couple, of children, of civil society and humankind. We join with others to affirm that marriage in its true definition must be protected for its own sake and for society’s good.

We also assert the existing rights of religious groups to solemnize marriage exclusively between one man and one woman according to religious tradition and individual conscience. The meaning and value of marriage precedes and transcends any particular society, government or religious community. It is a universal good and the foundational institution of all societies. It is bound up with the nature of the human person as male and female and with the essential task of bearing and nurturing children.

We also recognize the serious consequences of altering this time-honoured definition. One of these consequences – interference with the religious freedom of those who continue to affirm the true definition of “marriage” – warrants special attention within our faith communities and throughout society as a whole. We believe that changing the definition of marriage would have far-reaching negative implications for the nation, both legal and social.

Therefore, we encourage all people of goodwill to protect marriage as the union between one man and one woman, and to consider carefully the far-ranging impact for religious freedom if marriage is redefined. We especially urge those entrusted with the public good to support laws that uphold the time-honored definition of marriage.

Because our society includes many groups with differing views, we reiterate our desire for protection of marriage to be pursued in a respectful way, acknowledging society’s diversity.

LDS Missionary Alec Morgan Ragan Temporarily Went Missing In Palmerston North, New Zealand, But Has Since Been Found

Both Yahoo News and Stuff.co.nz are reporting that a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had initially gone missing while in the field in New Zealand. Twenty-year-old Elder Alec Morgan Ragan, who hails from Utah and who has served 12 months on his mission so far, was last seen at his Terrace End Palmerston North address on Monday November 19th, 2012. Elder Ragan has been described as of a thin build and stands at about 173 cm (68 inches) in height, and has short tidy blond/mousey brown hair.

But since the initial report, there is better news. On Wednesday November 21st, area LDS spokesman Richard Hunter, identified as being from Sydney, Australia, said they had been told that Elder Ragan had been seen at an internet cafe in Palmerston North looking well on Wednesday night and he believed Ragan was taking some time out from the church. Elder Teaupa, who is Ragan's companion, said something had offended Ragan and he had a bad day the morning he went missing. Elder Ragan had been studying that morning where he wrote a letter, which he then left folded on the table, and then took a shower. It wasn't until about half an hour later, after he failed to respond to attempts to talk to him, that someone managed to get into the shower and found he was gone. But Elder Ragan was still considered officially "missing" because police had not located him nor talked to the person who believed they had seen him.

A newer report from the Manawatu Standard gives even better news. Elder Ragan has now been found by a farmer, who told him that his mission comrades were concerned about him and were looking for him. Elder Ragan had no idea that people were looking for him, and was reportedly unhappy to be found, but went with the farmer to the police station without any fuss. He is in good condition. So it looks like the issue is settled -- favorably.

While it is unusual for a missionary to behave this way, it is not unheard of. The missionary lifestyle is quite intense, focusing exclusively on bringing people to a knowledge of Jesus Christ for two years. A missionary is within sight and sound of someone else, usually his companion, 24/7. Missionaries do not read books or magazines, or watch television, or go on romantic dates during their service. They can send e-mails to family and friends, but can only call home on Mother's Day and Christmas. In addition, a few mission presidents can be martinets, focusing too much on baptism numbers and not enough on qualitative effectiveness. It's an intense, focused lifestyle, and a missionary can get burned out. There's a good chance that once he returns, he'll be allowed to finish his mission without prejudice, although if there are any more serious issues, he could be sent home for medical reasons, which is also unprejudicial.

The anti-Mormon website Recovery From Mormonism also expressed interest in Elder Ragan's welfare HERE and HERE, but for different reasons. They saw it as an opportunity to "rescue" Elder Ragan from Mormonism. I'm not sure Elder Ragan either needs or wants the help RFM had in mind, though.

Update November 27th: A report from the RFM website -- Elder Ragan will be returning home from his mission on a medical release. There's an unofficial report that Elder Ragan may have been bullied by some of his peers during his mission.

YouTube Video: Four LDS Sister Missionaries Share Their Experiences Of The February 22nd Christchurch New Zealand 6.3 Earthquake

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' regional website for New Zealand and the Pacific Islands discloses the existence of a video showing four LDS sister missionaries discussing their experiences of the 6.3 "aftershock" in Christchurch, New Zealand which took place on February 22nd, 2011. While classified as an "aftershock", the effects have been more severe and widespread than the original 7.0 September 2010 earthquake.

The missionaries are identified as Sister Geraline Fafai and Sister Evelyn Tepa, both from Brisbane, Australia; Sister Taake Moantau from Tarawa, Kiribati; and Sister Emily Wu from Taipei, Taiwan. All four young women had been serving in Christchurch, but since the quake have been re-assigned to other parts of the Wellington New Zealand Mission. One of the missionaries noted that she missed a local bus she normally took; that bus turned out to be the bus upon which a building partially fell. All other LDS missionaries in New Zealand were found to be safe and accounted for shortly after the quake struck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR8-r5G-kq0



The LDS Church's New Zealand website also discloses that there have been no deaths or life threatening injuries reported for any Church members. Approximately 30 Latter-day Saint families have been displaced from their homes. Families are living with friends or extended family members. Some have left Christchurch due to trauma or home damage. LDS Church Physical Facilities Department personnel report that all four LDS chapels in the local area have suffered major structural damage in addition to some degree of liquefaction occurring in and around some of the buildings. None of the four chapels in Christchurch will be used until further notice and further engineering evaluation. The Church College of New Zealand campus is being made available to members and those not of our faith for respite accommodation

The New Zealand Herald continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative local source for media stories on the earthquake. As of 6:13 A.M. on March 1st, New Zealand time, the death toll is now fixed at 154. A new forecast by GNS Science geological hazard modeller Matt Gerstenberger shows that in the next week Christchurch should expect between one and 10 aftershocks greater than magnitude four and within three weeks the number should drop to one magnitude four every three to four days. At least one magnitude-four quake per month is possible for the next 12 months. Buildings significantly weakened by previous quakes could fall. The Treasury's early estimate of the damage of the February 22nd earthquake is $10 billion to $15 billion; that's in addition to the $5 billion cost of the September 2010 quake, according to Prime Minister John Key.

A gallery of 88 photos is available HERE.

Information on how to donate to earthquake relief through the Red Cross available HERE.

LDS Church Reports All Missionaries In New Zealand Safe And Accounted For After Devastating 6.3 Aftershock In Christchurch

Update February 28th: Death toll now 145; video of LDS missionaries describing their earthquake experiences available in this updated post.

The relatively modern Pyne-Gould building, which has unfortunately become the symbol of the latest Christchurch earthquake

The Mormon Times reports that Scott Trotter, a spokesman for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has confirmed that all missionaries serving in New Zealand are safe and accounted for after the devastating 6.3 aftershock which rocked Christchurch on February 22nd, 2010. Although the Mormon Times reports the magnitude as 7.0, all other sources still report it as 6.3. Details about the status of LDS Church members, their homes and church facilities as well as the providing of humanitarian aid will be updated as more information becomes available later Tuesday.

In the original September 2010 earthquake, only two LDS chapels, Fendalton and Avonside, sustained structural damage; all other local LDS facilities sustained only cosmetic damage at the worst. The LDS temple in New Zealand is located in Hamilton on North Island and is unlikely to be affected.

The New Zealand Herald contains the most comprehensive on-site coverage of the quake and its effects. The quake struck on February 20th at 12:51 P.M. New Zealand time, right at the height of the lunch hour. Although the U.S. Geological Survey officially classifies it as an "aftershock" of the original 7.0 temblor on September 4th, 2010, the damage and the human cost appears much greater after this quake. Aftershocks continue, one as high as 5.7. Although the official death toll is 38 as of this post, it is feared it could reach as high as 300. Most of the city is currently without essential services such as gas, power, water, and phone. A number of sewer and water lines broke, flooding some streets and neighborhoods. Christchurch International Airport's new domestic terminal building, scheduled for completion in May 2012, has also suffered damage.

The effects weren't limited to Christchurch, either. The quake even shook off a massive chunk of ice from the country's biggest glacier some 120 miles (190 kilometers) east of Christchurch. Tour guides at the Tasman Glacier in the Southern Alps say the quake shook some 30 million tons of ice to off the glacier, forming icebergs in the lake. The falling ice created waves up to 11-feet (3.5-meters) high, which swept up and down the lake for 30 minutes.

There are several reasons why this aftershock was more destructive. First, it it was centered only three miles (5 km) from the city, closer to where people live and work. Second, it was much shallower. Third, it took place at lunch time, when many more people were in the downtown area. And finally, many of the buildings which were damaged most likely would not have been damaged had there not been the first quake in September 2010; what this means is that many buildings which appeared to have withstood the first quake were seriously weakened at the time, but the deficiencies weren't obvious to the untrained eye.

-- New Zealand Herald providing continuous Twitter-style updates HERE.

-- New Zealand Herald portal to numerous photos and videos available HERE.

-- Jarrod Booker provides a good first-person account HERE.

-- For those who don't want to wait for LDS Humanitarian Services to set up their donation portal, a number of donation options are spelled out HERE.