From Deseret News archives:
Missionary slayings very rare in LDS Church
Statistics suggest that the tragedy was atypical for LDS missionaries, who seldom fall victim to violence. Most of those who have been killed in recent years have died in accidents, not slayings. The opposite appears to be true for missionaries of most other Christian faiths, where almost all of their reported deaths have been murders.
The Deseret Morning News identified 177 Christian missionaries killed in the past seven years, based on Internet searches of newspapers and church Web sites. Of them, 158 were murdered — 89 percent.
Among those 177 total deaths were 17 missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fourteen of them died from accidents, and only three from murders.
The LDS missionaries who died often were killed in supposedly safe places and not by attacks. For example, 10 of them died in automobile accidents, and eight of them died in the United States.
Of note, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former head of the Salt Lake City Olympics and presumed presidential candidate, was nearly killed in a car accident when he was an LDS missionary in France in 1968. (One missionary in the car was killed.) In fact, a policeman who found Romney lying on the road wrote "Il est mort" (he is dead) on his passport. Obviously, he survived instead.
Accidents besides car wrecks also kill LDS missionaries. Last month, Elder Benjamin Ellsworth of Mesa, Ariz., died in Argentina when he fell beneath a train he was attempting to board. In 2003 in Argentina, Elder Nathan Scott Godfrey was electrocuted when he jumped into water trying to save a 13-year-old boy. Both died when a power line made contact with the water.
The world may have more modern martyrs than most people may realize. The 177 missionary deaths identified by the Morning News among Christian churches is likely just the tip of the iceberg. (A list of all 177 and how they died is available online by clicking on the graphic link at left.)
2 comments
Recent commentsi am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and... laverne | Oct. 22, 2007 at 7:12 p.m. the missionaries are serving for there god. but why are they... latoya au paese | Oct. 22, 2007 at 6:59 p.m. Related content
David Rankin, one of Utah's youngest and ablest astrophotographers has... 
There was a time when free shipping was rare. This holiday season, you... 
Love him or hate him, Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch knows how to get attention.   Latest comments I too agree that Booz and the team are NOT just going through the motions.... The springs have a long history of being clothing optional, and they provide... He "needs more outside shooting to beat LA". He needs to design a real... NCFAA Contribution to College Football Award: LaVell Edwards, Brigham Young,... Why did the Jazz play so bad against LA and really well for a 1/2 against... We Coug fans will be forever grateful for your three or four years of bearing... When was the last time Utah even got to the dance three times in a row; let... His speech was quite good, I agree with what Gingrich said. However, for... I believe that a large part of the deterioration of the rivalry is a result... Good win Jazz!!! Now give Fesenko some Red Bulls and lets see how well the... Advertisements
Advertisement
|
