Deseret News | Reader comments: LDS missionary from Utah killed in crash

Reader comments
LDS missionary from Utah killed in crash

Anonymous | 12:50 a.m. May 14, 2008

Our family lives in Kirtland and love the DeChamps. She will be missed.

IL visitor | 6:55 a.m. May 14, 2008

Our family was just there a few weeks ago on our way home from Spring Break back east. Best wishes to her family.

Anonymous | 8:22 a.m. May 14, 2008

My deepest sympathies for the DeChamps family, but I wonder why the media in Utah always feels compelled to report any unfortunate circumstance that affects an LDS missionary. The media certainly doesn't care to report if anyone outside of Utah is hurt or killed or assaulted. Is the media telling the rest of Utah that unless you are LDS you don't count. Very troublesome.

Comments continue below

Carmen | 9:20 a.m. May 14, 2008

What about the girl from Park City who was a student in Kentucky and was killed by a hit and run driver? I don't know her religious affiliation, but she definitely had a Utah connection, as did this couple from St. George. My sincere condolences to her family.

Troublesome? | 9:33 a.m. May 14, 2008

What's "troublesome" about reporting the deaths of LDS missionaries? Studies have shown that a mission is statistically one of the safest things you can do with your time, so when a missionary is killed it is certainly news.

LDS people out-of-state dying while doing non-mission things is not getting coverage, so what makes you think there's LDS bias here? I haven't seen any articles about Brother So-and-so being killed in a car accident while on vacation in New York.......sounds like you're looking for bias - looking for a way to be offended - where there isn't any.

Jeff | 10:04 a.m. May 14, 2008

I don't care what religion you are, this person died serving other people. What an example to members of all faiths. God bless her and those close to this couple at this difficult time. I pray her husband recovers quickly.

Why not LDS news? | 10:11 a.m. May 14, 2008

Why shouldn't the Des News report news of interest to the LDS community--after all the DN is owned by the LDS Church and read by many LDS people all over the world.
If you object to the slant of the Des News, you might read the Salt Lake Tribune. You do have a choice of newspapers.

Susan in South Dakota | 12:39 p.m. May 14, 2008

I appreciate it when the Deseret News reports on things regading missionaries, the LDS church, and other noteworthy happenings in Utah, or to people from Utah. I have children and other family that live there and I belong to the LDS church. I agree with "Why not LDS news?" in that if you are offended by such articles, perhaps you might choose a different paper to read. This paper (and articles like this one) help me feel connected to the people and the faith I love!

My deepest sympathies to the DeChamps family.

The Trib | 12:37 p.m. May 14, 2008

Also ran the story. So did The Spectrum (and on its front page). So apparently many news outlets decided it was newsworthy.

A- (Way outside of Utah) | 2:04 p.m. May 14, 2008

To those responding to the comments of "anonymous at 8:22am, who is "troubled". It seems to me they are just trying to elicite negative comments back and forth. This article info was not only reported in Utah, but also in several papers (outside of Utah) and on the national news as well. Maybe Anonymous should read more than just Utah papers before trying to stir up trouble....

Nebraska | 2:10 p.m. May 14, 2008

Susan in SD is right on!

If it wasn't for articles in the Deseret News, we wouldn't hear of many of the day-to-day happenings of LDS people and the LDS church.

Our lvery biased paper out here never reported on Pres. Hinkley's death nor on Pres. Monson assuming the responsibilities of leadership and choosing his councelors.

Having a son recently return from a mission and one leaving next week, I am very interested in news of missionaries.

Thanks Deseret News!

C.H. | 2:15 p.m. May 14, 2008

I receive the D. N. online, and there is always a list articles from which to choose. I read the list, and chose to read this article first, mostly because it involved LDS Missionaries.

My heart goes out to the DeChamps family. I hope her husband recovers from his injuries, and I send my condolences to everyone involved.

To Anonymous | 2:16 p.m. May 14, 2008

The Deseret News is a Utah newspaper, affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and reports news of interest to Utah residents, and to those belonging to the above Church. When a member is serving the Church as a missionary anywhere in the world, this is something of interest to all members of the Church, and to their neighbors.

If you don't want to read anything about "Mormons" or Mormon news, then the Deseret News is not for you. The Salt Lake Tribune is an alternative for you, but beware, it also reports on news and articles about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

sizuk | 3:18 p.m. May 14, 2008

To Anonymous and Troublesome? Why must you be so negative and cruel about something as special and important as this article about missionaries. I agree with the others, if you don't like the Deseret News, move on..and don't make the effort to put in your negative comments. I live in Arizona and this is the only way I receive this news so it is very appreciate and I love to hear news about the LDS faith. Our prayers go to the family and extended family of the DeChamps. What a tremendous service they were performing for the Lord.

JDCarter | 7:56 p.m. May 14, 2008

Karen is my cousin, and Karen will be missed not just by my family but by all of the communities her life touched. We sometimes forget the influence of a life until its gone. I for one would like to thank the media for covering this terrible time in our lives with dignity and respect, and allowing those that new Karen and Randy to learn of the tragic event and offer thier condolences. So please keep Randy in your thoughts and prayers as we are. Thank You

Andrea Pederson | 1:03 a.m. May 15, 2008

Karen and Randy were in my parents ward in Orem Utah several years ago, and I remember them as a wonderful and kind couple who reached out to others and gave service to their neighbors, including my parents Owen and Coleen Stout. Karen was a beautiful and classy lady, who was always full of fun and good humor to all who knew her. Her greatest love was for her dear family, and my heart aches for their terrible loss, and for the heartbreaking injuries of Brother DesChamps. We have also long admired Karen's dear sister Connie, who taught my brother Paul in 5th grade. My deepest condolences go out to all of this great family. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Cheryl Clyde | 2:19 p.m. May 15, 2008

Our family is heartbroken over this accident. We were in Kirtland just last Saturday and the Deschamps were "our missionaries". As we spent those 2 hours with them, there was a very special bond created. As I read these comments, I feel that many were blessed by this same bond. We had our 18 month old grandson with us who was "very busy" to put it gently. The Deschamps were wonderful with him and our daughter/son-in-law, and enabled all of us to have a very spiritual experience. We laughed and shared stories about our grandkids and were looking so forward to seeing them soon in a June visit. Karen was very excited to see a new grandbaby for the first time! They radiated a spirit of love and friendship; we are so grateful for the time we spent with them. To the family, I would just like to express our deepest sorrow and are praying for Randy's speedy recovery. If they would read the words to the song "Each Life that Touches Ours For Good" then this would express our deepest feelings for this wonderful couple. We live in Highland, Utah if anyone could keep us updated on Randy.

Lynette Keele | 10:33 p.m. May 17, 2008

My family and I were so saddened by the news of the Deschamps accident. We were in Kirtland on April 14-15th and they were our missionaries. They were so excited about everything they showed us. After we saw some of the sites the first night, we told them we would be back the next day. As we walked into the Visitor's Center, Elder Deschamps handed us a stack of papers that he had researched for us that morning on our ancestors that had lived in Kirtland in the 1830's. We were so excited about it. Of all the missionaries we met on that trip, the Deschamps were the ones we felt an immediate love for. Just after two visits with them, we felt like we had known them for a long time. Our thoughts and prayers go to their children and grandchildren. Sis. Deschamps must have been truly needed elsewhere and,we pray for Elder Deschamps continued recovery.

CT | 7:01 a.m. May 18, 2008

I love that family. It's good that it was reported since their children live in the SLC area, they lived in the SLC are for 40 years, and they were serving for an SLC based organization.

Rich Neal | 1:51 a.m. June 12, 2008

That's horrible! I served around Kirtland for most of my mission. I'm very sorry to hear about such a horrible thing happening to servants of the Lord. I'll keep the family in my prayers!

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