Speakers stress spiritual preparation

Regarding the hurricanes, he emphasized, "Now I do not say, and I repeat emphatically that I do not say, or infer, that what has happened is the punishment of the Lord. Many good people, including some of our faithful Latter-day Saints, are among those who have suffered." The church has been generous in its response to the stricken areas, he said, donating significant amounts of both physical aid and financial help to church members and many not of the LDS faith.

President Hinckley said if Latter-day Saints are prepared, "ye shall not fear," adding the faithful "can call upon the Lord for his protection and guidance. This is a first priority. We cannot expect his help if we are unwilling to keep his commandments."

Church leaders understand the potential for a massive earthquake in the Salt Lake area, which prompted them to begin an extensive renovation of the Tabernacle on Temple Square to make it less vulnerable. That work is in progress.

President Hinckley said he did not intend his message to precipitate "a run on the grocery store or anything of that kind. I am saying nothing that has not been said for a very long time." The church has counseled its members for 75 years to store a year's supply of food and other necessities to prepare for the unexpected. Church storehouses are filled as preparation for calamities, but "the best storehouse is the family store room."

Earlier, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve also touched on the theme. He said the lives of many people in Indonesia and Thailand were spared the fury of the 2004 tsunami because they heeded the advice of wise villagers who recognized the signs of the coming disaster. They escaped to higher ground.

"The villagers were fortunate because they listened. Had they not, they may have perished," said Elder Wirthlin. Throughout history, prophets have warned the people of coming disasters, he said, "As people heed the words of the prophets, the Lord blesses them. When they disregard his word, however, distress and suffering often follow," not only in physical disasters but in spiritual ruin. He urged today's Latter-day Saints to "journey to higher ground."

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve, who visited the ravaged Gulf Coast areas, said it was apparent that what mattered most to victims of the horror was family. He called on church members to heed the teachings set forth in the Proclamation on the Family, issued by the First Presidency in 1995. The document stresses the value of strong families grounded in the gospel and living true to correct principles.