I have been touched by reading and watching the preparations for the 10th anniversary 9/11/01. Emma, Uncle Guido and I went to Ground Zero in NY and saw many of the buildings and memorial that are in construction.
I remember first getting a call from Uncle Geoff about what he saw in the news, then a call from Lily at the SLC airport. I could not fully comprehend what was going on, so I think I went through some form of denial. It wasn't till I talked with my mom in NY that I understood what really had happened. I have been trying to find talks from a special fireside the First Presidency gave the week of the terrorists attack but have not been able to locate them. However I did find the apostolic blessing President Gordon B. Hinckley gave on October General Conference 2001.
And now as we close this conference, even though we shall have a benediction, I should like to offer a brief prayer in these circumstances:
O God, our Eternal Father, Thou great Judge of the Nations, Thou who art the governor of the universe, Thou who art our Father and our God, whose children we are, we look to Thee in faith in this dark and solemn time. Please, dear Father, bless us with faith. Bless us with love. Bless us with charity in our hearts. Bless us with a spirit of perseverance to root out the terrible evils that are in this world. Give protection and guidance to those who are engaged actively in carrying forth the things of battle. Bless them; preserve their lives; save them from harm and evil. Hear the prayers of their loved ones for their safety. We pray for the great democracies of the earth which Thou hast overseen in creating their governments, where peace and liberty and democratic processes obtain.
O Father, look with mercy upon this, our own nation, and its friends in this time of need. Spare us and help us to walk with faith ever in Thee and ever in Thy Beloved Son, on whose mercy we count and to whom we look as our Savior and our Lord. Bless the cause of peace and bring it quickly to us again, we humbly plead with Thee, asking that Thou wilt forgive our arrogance, pass by our sins, be kind and gracious to us, and cause our hearts to turn with love toward Thee. We humbly pray in the name of Him who loves us all, even the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Savior, amen.
Last edited by Tuly on Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
getting set apart for my mission. my stake president reminded me not to watch TV. we found out when we returned home from the church and were talking with our neighbor. needless to say, it was pretty tough not to watch TV to find out what was going on - I don't think I saw the videos of the planes/towers until after my mission.
I was woken up by one of my roommates, in Provo, and we watched the planes crash into the towers on the news. She was wigging out more than me because her dad was scheduled to fly into D.C. that morning. As it turned out he had gotten a feeling that he shouldn't fly that day and so postponed his trip without telling his family. Luckily when we was able to get a hold of his family they were all immensely relieved. I remember calling my dad, and arguing with him that he needed to believe me that all this was going on. Then I went to work and everybody listened to the radio for the updates.
When Ian and I were living in New York, I worked literally across the street from Ground Zero and ate lunch everyday at this little pizza joint that had a bunch of pictures of that day taken by one of their employees.
I was a sophomore in high school sitting in geometry class. My teacher was a fan of Oprah and usually had the tv on before class started. After watching what happened she told us we had no homework that day.
This is President Thomas Monson's response to the Washington Post question "What have we learned about religion in the past 10 years? What was the spiritual impact of 9/11? ". This question was asked to some of the world’s most influential religious leaders and thinkers (according to the Washington Post).
9/11 destruction allowed us to spiritually rebuild
By Thomas S. Monson
The calamity of September 11th, 2001 has cast a long shadow. Ten years later, many of us are still haunted by its terrible tragedy of lost lives and broken hearts. It is an episode of anguish that has become a defining moment in the history of the American nation and the world. This week, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, along with Tom Brokaw, will pay its own homage to the unforgettable events of September 11, 2001.
There was, as many have noted, a remarkable surge of faith following the tragedy. People across the United States rediscovered the need for God and turned to Him for solace and understanding. Comfortable times were shattered. We felt the great unsteadiness of life and reached for the great steadiness of our Father in Heaven. And, as ever, we found it. Americans of all faiths came together in a remarkable way.
Sadly, it seems that much of that renewal of faith has waned in the years that have followed. Healing has come with time, but so has indifference. We forget how vulnerable and sorrowful we felt. Our sorrow moved us to remember the deep purposes of our lives. The darkness of our despair brought us a moment of enlightenment. But we are forgetful. When the depth of grief has passed, its lessons often pass from our minds and hearts as well.
Our Father’s commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers. Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us. He has promised us that this will never change.
But we are less faithful than He is. By nature we are vain, frail, and foolish. We sometimes neglect God. Sometimes we fail to keep the commandments that He gives us to make us happy. Sometimes we fail to commune with Him in prayer. Sometimes we forget to succor the poor and the downtrodden who are also His children. And our forgetfulness is very much to our detriment.
If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember Him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving Him our faith and trust. We too should be with Him in every season.
The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near Him every week and each day. We truly “need Him every hour,” not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to Him, listen to Him, and serve Him. If we wish to serve Him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed.
It is constancy that God would have from us. Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were. We can make Him the center of our thoughts and His Son, Jesus Christ, the pattern for our behavior. We may not only find faith in God in our sorrow. We may also become faithful to Him in times of calm.
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
"Today, the world remembers the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
We are still shocked and dismayed at the infamy of those cowardly attacks.
"During the past year, we have come to know the heroic acts
of men and women whose courage and selflessness
were manifest on that terrible day.
So many lost their lives.
So many friends and families have been deprived of dear ones.
Today we pause to remember and join in tribute to those whose
lives were taken and to those who have carried on so bravely in their absence.
"We know that much good has come of these dreadful circumstances.
From the smoke and ashes of New York, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania,
and other areas of the world has arisen a greater sense of unity and
purpose in ridding the earth of evil and providing for the freedom
and security of all people.
We endorse the righteous efforts of God-fearing people
everywhere in this important endeavor.
"May our Father in Heaven smile upon us all, comfort those who
continue to mourn, and guide the leaders of nations in the quest for
justice and liberty, is our sincere prayer."
-Gordon B. Hinckley
"Condemn me not because of mine imperfection,... but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Mormon 9:31
