Mormon Life - 9/11 tag

Interview with Tom Brokaw for 9/11 Tribute

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:37:00 -0600

source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: An interview by Church Public Affairs with the former "Nightly News" anchor - his thoughts on the performance and what it was like to work with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. There's some music, too!

Photos: A look at New York's Sept. 11 memorial

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:58:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: If you haven't seen it yet, this article provides some great photos of the new memorial site at Ground Zero. (Click link to see gallery at Salt Lake Tribune.)

A surge in virtue: Religious participation, giving briefly increased after Sept. 11 tragedy

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:52:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

In 2001, Pastor Sean Quinlan was shepherding his blue-collar congregation in Queens when two planes struck the World Trade Center towers. Like many Americans, he can remember almost everything that happened that day.

"It was a national, if not global, catastrophe which had a deep emotional impact on people," said Quinlan. "After a tragedy like that people tend to look upward. Our congregation in Queens saw a significant jump in attendance. We went from our average of about 175 people to around 225. That lasted for about four ... weeks after 9/11."

Quinlan wasn't the only pastor to see a spike in attendance.

Immediately after the attacks, attendance at religious services across the country increased 25 percent, according to a Barna Group report.

Tom Brokaw, Mormon Tabernacle Choir create special show

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:01:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: A description of the show itself (part of which is now available on DesretBook.com and iTunes). As the nation looked back on a decade since the 9/11 destruction, it was fitting, perhaps, that the 10-year anniversary fell on a Sunday, when much of the citizenry is typically in an attitude of reverence and prayer.

The timing was impeccable for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, as the presentation of its nationwide weekly TV and radio program "Music and the Spoken Word" could be devoted to a remembrance of that horrific event and, more particularly, a celebration of how Americans have overcome it.

9/11 tribute by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to be digital download

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:10:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: Great news - the songs will be available on Monday, Sept. 12, for download. On Sunday, September 11, millions of households around the country will see a 9/11 tribute by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square on their Music and the Spoken Word broadcast.

Narrated by Tom Brokaw, the special, titled “9/11: Rising Above,” is a salute to the American spirit in rising above the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

On Monday, September 12, the music from that special Music and the Spoken Word broadcast will be available as a digital download.

Finding Hope: 10th Anniversary of 9/11

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:29:00 -0600

source: youtube.com/MormonMessages

Mormon Life says: We posted a video of Victor Guzman earlier, but this is different: this describes Guzman's actual experiences on September 11, 2001, as he went to work, experienced the tragedy of the World Trade Center attacks, and the aftermath. Wow.

For LDS family, Sept. 11 is day of loss and of life

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:42:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: This is a remarkable story about how one family found peace and hope in the example of their lost matriarch, Mary Alice Wahlstrom. When American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, on board was Mary Alice Wahlstrom, the Kaysville mother and grandmother who had a contagious laugh, who would run from her porch to greet her family and whose house always smelled like chocolate chip cookies. Mallory Wahlstrom was 12 when her grandmother died. One of Mary Alice’s 15 grandchildren left behind, Mallory remembers watching the fiery crash that morning, not knowing her grandmother and aunt Carolyn Beug were aboard. She recalls the fears that swelled during the day while she was at school, and the sad nod from her mother when she returned home, confirming the worst. But for this granddaughter, now 22, the terrorist attacks have come to represent much more than loss. Major events in her life — terrible and terrific — seem to have conspired to happen around this anniversary. All revolve around life and near-death, turning the once-cursed day into a time to celebrate life.

Mormon artist battles post-9/11 Muslim stereotypes

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:18:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: Talk about monumental: he has a goal to create 100 sculptures to represent the 99 names of Allah and one to represent his reaction to the process. Andrew Kosorok was disturbed when some Americans began to view Islam as a religion of violence after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“The overwhelming majority of Muslims view the terrorists as the overwhelming majority of Christians view Charles Manson or David Koresh,” said Kosorok, an artist and Brigham Young University adjunct professor. “We don’t recognize what they practiced as being Christian.”

But Kosorok, a soft-spoken man with a self-deprecating sense of humor, didn’t want to fight about it. He didn’t want to lecture. Instead, he sought to create understanding the best way he knew how — through art.

Mormon youth honor 9/11 victims with annual flag display

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:51:00 -0600

source: ahwatukee.com

Mormon Life says: Seems like this would be a cool thing to see. For nine years, teenagers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Ahwatukee Foothills have worked together to remind the community of those who were lost during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, by posting more than 100 American flags along the Warner-Elliot Loop for a 24-hour period.

"It was just an idea from the bishop that preceded me on the first anniversary of 9/11," said Kerry Griggs, bishop of Ahwatukee First Ward. "It was something we could do to provide a little service to the community and serve as a reminder."

Remember Sept. 10, not just Sept. 11

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:14:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: An interesting thought. Much of the nation this week is focused on remembering Sept. 11, 2001 — where people were, what they were doing and how the day changed things.

I'd like to focus on Sept. 10, instead.

The way a nation acts before a crisis can teach us as much as the way it acts after.

Sept. 10 was a sunny day in the mid-80s at Salt Lake International Airport, where passengers and non-traveling friends alike made quick trips through metal detectors and down to the gates. But my intent here isn't just to conjure nostalgic images.

If you turned on a cable news station that day, you were bound to hear endless chatter about one of two things — Gary Condit or shark attacks.

President Monson writes on 9/11 for Washington Post

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:06:00 -0600

source: washingtonpost.com

Mormon Life says: President Monson writes an op-ed piece for The Washington Post on 9/11's legacy in America. It's a great piece on the need for faithful steadiness on our part. 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.

{LDSL Blog} 9/11: What's Your Story?

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:06:00 -0600

by Jamie Lawson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: I recently got to listen to the stories of multiple LDS people who were directly impacted by 9/11. But all of us were affected by the events of that day.

“Where were you on 9/11?”

Not since John F. Kennedy was shot has the question “Where were you?” resonated with so many Americans. Most remember exactly where they were on September 11, 2001, when they learned of the terrorist attacks. And those who witnessed the events firsthand or lost loved ones that day have an indelible experience carved into their souls that few can comprehend.

While writing Remembering 9/11: An LDS Perspective, I was faced with the difficult and delicate task of asking family members of 9/11 victims, and others who were directly impacted by the events of that day, to share their stories with me so I could, in turn, share them with you. Their hearts were tender, and tears were close to the surface for many, but their spirits were strong as they recounted their experiences while expressing faith in the gospel. I am forever grateful to all of them for opening their lives to me for a small moment so that we could have the privilege of reflecting on 9/11 in a new, deeply personal light.

We could have easily devoted the entire September/October issue to 9/11. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, I was forced to leave out many powerful, insightful experiences and perspectives, like then–stake president Brent Belnap’s account of walking through the dust cloud in Manhattan after both towers had collapsed and coming upon the haunting image of a hospital with teams of doctors and nurses waiting to help the injured that, with a few exceptions, never arrived. Or Norm and Margaret Wahlstrom’s experience of having their home swarmed by newspaper and television reporters just moments after they learned that Norm’s mother and sister perished aboard American Airlines Flight 11—the first plane to strike the World Trade Center.

As for my 9/11 experience, I was living just an hour outside of New York City at the time. I was playing blocks with my 18-month-old son while watching the Today Show when I saw the events unfold on live television. I remember the feeling of panic, wondering how much more was going to happen, and how I would protect my child and myself with my husband away at work. Was this the start of a war? Were there more attacks on the way? How close would they get to our home? Would we need to evacuate? Would the terrorists’ next target be the nearby nuclear power plant? The uncertainty was overwhelming, and for the first time in my life, I felt unsafe on U.S. soil.

Forty-six people from our community in Connecticut were killed that day. In the weeks that followed, there was a deep sense of shock and grief. Perhaps the most poignant memory for me was seeing the streets lined with thousands of mourners as a fire truck carried the casket of a fallen firefighter from our beautiful downtown cathedral to a nearby cemetery.

September 11, 2001, is a day that changed the world forever, and I know that I, like millions of others, will never be the same.

So, where were you on 9/11? Share your story with us by commenting below.

Jamie Lawson is managing editor of LDS Living magazine. She loves traveling internationally, meeting fascinating people, and listening to 80s music. She enjoys tasting new foods but does not like to cook. She has two adorable boys who help her stay up to date on the latest technology, fashion trends, and catch phrases.

9/11 messages from LDS leaders offered comfort and peace

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:05:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

On Sept. 11, 2001, countless lives were forever changed when terrorists hijacked and crashed planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. Thousands of lives were snuffed out in an instant — passengers and crews on four planes, people in buildings that three of those planes crashed into, rescue workers and others who rushed to their aid and bystanders at the scenes. Within hours of these tragic events, Mormon church leaders responded with a statement that read:

“In this hour of sorrow, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expresses profound sympathy to those whose loved ones, friends and associates were lost or injured in today’s senseless acts of violence. We offer our prayers in behalf of the innocent victims of these vicious attacks. We ask Heavenly Father to guide President Bush and his advisors as they respond to these devastating incidents. We join with others in prayers that the Savior’s peace and love will comfort and guide us all through this difficult time. The resources of the Church will be made available to any relief agencies requesting assistance.”

That statement became the first of many reassuring messages offered by LDS Church leaders. One decade later, their messages still deliver peace and comfort to the hearts of many people today.

Victor Guzman - 9/11 Survivor, Father, Mormon

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:05:00 -0600

source: youtube.com

Mormon Life says: Thoughts on how life changed for one LDS survivor of 9/11.

Remembering 9/11

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:05:00 -0600

by Jamie Lawson
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: As we approach the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, LDS Living takes a look back at that day and the events that followed through the eyes of LDS Church members who lost loved ones, narrowly escaped death, and helped with relief efforts.

_Thinkstock.

By all accounts, Tuesday, September 11, 2001, was a beautiful, clear day.

In Boston, Mary Alice Wahlstrom and her daughter, Carolyn Bueg, boarded American Airlines Flight 11 at Logan International Airport. They were on their way to their respective homes in Utah and California, having dropped off Bueg’s 18-year-old twin daughters at the Rhode Island School of Design. But the unthinkable happened when five terrorists hijacked the Boeing 767 and intentionally crashed it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Wahlstrom and Bueg perished instantly in a fiery explosion, along with 79 fellow passengers, 11 crew members, and hundreds who were on or near the 93rd floor.

Victor Guzman, an attorney who was working on the 85th floor, caught himself as the plane’s impact rocked the building forward. “There was a lot of smoke, and there was debris falling from the ceiling,” he recalls. “We didn’t know what was happening.”

Guzman and another attorney jumped into action, evacuating everyone from their floor and down the stairwells in a single-file line. “I remember saying a silent prayer,” Guzman recalls. “The first few levels were pretty dark. There was smoke and a strange smell, which I later realized was fuel.” Seventeen minutes after the North Tower was struck, United Airlines Flight 175 collided with the South Tower.

According to Guzman, it took nearly an hour to descend the stairs and evacuate the building. “When we reached the mezzanine, emergency workers told us not to look outside, which automatically made us want to look. It was a horrible sight—plane parts, body parts, flames, debris everywhere, papers on fire falling from the sky,” he recalls. “In between the Twin Towers there were a lot of broken pipes with cold water gushing out, but it was the only way to exit. Soaking wet, I turned around and saw the gaping hole where I was just working. Emergency workers were rushing into the building while others yelled at us to get away.”

Guzman and other evacuees began walking toward the Brooklyn Bridge. Minutes later, at 9:59 a.m., he heard the sickening sound of crunching glass and twisting steel. The South Tower was collapsing.

Photo by Matt H. Wade/Wikipedia.

“I looked back and saw this thick plume of dust. As we were running, the plume got closer and closer—it felt like we were running in place,” he recalls. “Three or four blocks later, it overcame us.”

Already drenched from the leaking pipes, Guzman was now caked with a thick layer of dust. He made his way to nearby Pace University, where he was able to find refuge and wash his face and hands. “While I was sitting there, I heard the North Tower come down. I slumped in my chair—all the emotion just drained out of me as I realized that was the building I had just come out of.” It was 10:28 a.m.

Accounting for Members

Shortly after 9 a.m., Brent Belnap, who was serving as president of the New York New York Stake, ascended the stairs from a subway station near Wall Street on his way to work. He looked up and noticed sheets of paper fluttering in the air like confetti. Then he saw thick, black smoke billowing from the Twin Towers.

Belnap says his natural inclination would have been to stay and watch with the crowd of people that was gathering out of curiosity. “But at that moment, I felt on my right shoulder the most unmistakable feeling of a hand pushing me to go,” he says. “It pushed me so hard that I was running by the time I got to the end of the street.”

He rushed to his office, where he learned of the terrorist attacks. Soon after, the South
Tower fell, and he watched from a 15th floor window as a giant dust cloud suddenly swept down the street. “It just rumbled and roiled. It was like a bomb or a mushroom cloud or a volcano. All the people in the crowd outside scattered like rats. Suddenly, it got pitch black outside.”

After calling his wife, Belnap immediately began calling and e-mailing the bishops in his stake and asking them to account for their members. He then called Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Seventy and president of the North America Northeast Area to update him on the situation. Belnap’s second counselor, Jim Green, opened the stake center (where the Manhattan Temple now stands) as a shelter for anyone who needed it.

“I was in the tiny little portion of Manhattan that had power, internet, and phone service,” Belnap recalls. “I had communication to the outside world. I stayed for about three hours.” Then, at the urging of security personnel, Belnap covered his face with some wet paper towels and began walking north, the air still thick with dust from the collapse of both towers.

Eventually all stake members were accounted for. “There were many tender mercies, many lives spared that day,” Belnap says. “There were several members who should have been at the World Trade Center that day but weren’t.”

The Pentagon

At 9:37 a.m., shortly after both of the Twin Towers were struck, another hijacked plane, American Airlines Flight 77, tore through the western side of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing 59 passengers and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the building, including Church members Rhonda Rasmussen and Brady Howell. They were both members of the Mount Vernon Virginia Stake.

Floyd Rasmussen, Rhonda’s husband, also worked at the Pentagon, just one floor above and one corridor over from her. After feeling the impact, he was able to evacuate immediately. “I tried to locate Rhonda,” he recalled. “I walked around calling her name, but I couldn’t find her.”

As the hours passed, Floyd tried to call the hospitals, but the lines were tied up. “I started watching the news, and they showed where the building had been hit. I knew the plane had struck just opposite of Rhonda’s office space.” Her remains were lost in the ensuing fire.

“I started thinking about my testimony,” he recalls. “I remembered that I was sealed to Rhonda for time and eternity—she just made it into eternity ahead of me.”

In Utah, Brady Howell’s sister, Camille Mortensen, first learned of the attacks while watching the news and making breakfast for her children. “We knelt with the kids to pray for Brady,” she recalls. “The part of the building was miniscule, so I wasn’t too nervous.” But the day wore on without any word from him, and as night came, Mortensen realized she wouldn’t be hearing from him again.

Howell’s parents were whisked to Washington, D.C., by private jet, and Mortensen followed so she could be with them as they waited for word. The family would wait days before Howell’s body was identified.

“There was a base set up in a hotel where families were waiting for news,” she recalls. “They kept emphasizing the fact that it was a recovery effort—no one had been pulled out alive. People were wailing and dropping to the floor. It was horrible. My greatest treasure was the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I know I’ll see him again.”

Search and Rescue Efforts

Scott Baxter, who had previously worked as a volunteer firefighter and was experienced in search and rescue efforts, immediately contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to offer his assistance. He was deployed to the site of the World Trade Center, or Ground Zero, where he began working the night of Wednesday, September 12.

“I was right in the heart of the matter as part of the bucket brigade—a line of workers sifting through debris by hand and loading it into buckets, which were passed up the line and dumped elsewhere,” Baxter explains. “It was obviously a very traumatic event. There was an enormous amount of death and destruction.”

A firefighter stands in the rubble at Ground Zero.

Shaun Parry also searched the rubble at Ground Zero. He gets emotional as he tries to describe the devastation. But at the same time, he says, “I’ve never felt that kind of camaraderie. There was an amazing energy of love and brotherhood. On the rare occasion when someone yelled, ‘We found one!’ everyone cheered. During the time I was there, we found nine people.”

While Parry had no training in search and rescue, the Broadway performer utilized his dance talents in a way he could never have imagined. “In one area, there was a bunch of rebar sticking out of the concrete in such a way that you couldn’t really get through it. But because I was much more limber than the firefighters, I was able to slip through, where I found this huge cavern underneath the surface.”

Earning the nickname “Spider-Man,” Parry searched the caverns deep below the surface with a fiber optic scope. At one point, as he was calling out for anyone who might be trapped, he heard three distinct taps. But as Parry searched for the person or people who made the sound, everyone was forced to evacuate because a nearby building had started to collapse. An hour and a half later, when rescue workers were allowed to return to the scene, he rushed back to the area he had been searching. “We never found them,” he says, his voice breaking. “We knew there were people down there, but we weren’t able to get to them in time. That’s the hardest part for me.”

An Outpouring of Love

In the days that followed the horrific events of September 11, David Buckner, who was serving as bishop of the Manhattan 8th Ward and is currently stake president of the New York New York Stake, describes the outpouring of love as “palpable.” “I saw the change in people. Strangers looked each other in the eye. They asked each other if they were okay.” He continues, “I remember riding the bus to work. There was an elderly woman who sat down next to me and asked, ‘How is your family?’ Now, in New York, no one talks on buses. I told her we were fine. After telling me her family was also safe, she got emotional and said, ‘Things will never be the same.’ I responded, ‘I hope not.’”

Strangers from across the globe also reached out, anxious to help, anxious to send their love. Susan Robinson, then–stake Relief Society president, recalls the flood of letters and donations from people around the world, including many LDS wards and branches. “Our stake was on the receiving end of a lot of kindness,” she says. “You could tell people wanted to do something.”

Robinson says the stake was overwhelmed with donations of quilts, teddy bears, bottled water, and other gestures of good will. She worked with the local police departments and fire departments to distribute things where they would do the most good.

“The terrorist attacks were horrible, terrible acts, but in the aftermath I saw the best of people,” Robinson says. “We weren’t caring about all the silly things that seem to divide us. Those were swept away in an instant.”

Never the Same

“For me, priorities changed almost overnight,” Victor Guzman says. “I took the job at the World Trade Center for more money, but I was commuting nearly four hours a day. Now my family is my priority. Money is tight, and I have a wife and five children at home, but the sacrifices have been worth it.”

Guzman also goes out of his way to pay compliments to people rather than complain. “People deserve to feel better about their day,” he says. “When you make someone feel good, then you feel good.”

“I think about 9/11 often,” says Parry. “It’s had a huge impact on my life. It’s inspired me to be a different person, to view life in a deeper, more profound way.”

One way Parry has chosen to reach out to others is through a program he created called Promethean Spark. His mission is to teach life skills to impoverished youth worldwide through training in the performing arts. (Visit prometheanspark.org for more information.)

“I hope that people recognize that life is sacred, that we live in a very delicate world in a very tumultuous time that has been prophesied of—and that’s okay,” says David Buckner. “We don’t need to be afraid. Be committed. Be confident. Be ready.”

Tribute in Light Memorial, one of the first memorials for the attacks, set up for the anniversary in 2004.

Honoring Lost Loved Ones

There will be many memorial services to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, but for the most part, LDS families who lost loved ones are choosing to instead honor their loved ones privately.

“I don’t think our feelings are very different than the feelings of other people who have lost a loved one,” says Carson Howell, Brady Howell’s younger brother. “Over the years, those times of mourning are slowly replaced by remembering the good times. There has definitely been a peace that has come as we have relied on the Lord and our faith.”

A special memorial is planned in Washington, D.C., but Carson says most of his family will not attend. “It’s a sad day anyway, so we usually watch Star Wars, which was Brady’s favorite movie. We feel like we can mourn personally and spend that day with our family.”

Brady’s sister, Camille Mortensen, adds, “Brady loved everyone so much. He was able to convey that so genuinely to people. I talk to my kids all the time and tell them, ‘Try to be like Brady. Be everybody’s friend.’”

Margaret Wahlstrom, who lost her mother-in-law and sister-in-law on Flight 11, says her family feels similarly about the memorial services. “My husband and I aren’t planning on going,” she says. “I guess we don’t need that.”

She continues, “Since those events, we have felt obligated to share the gospel with others so they can have that peace in their lives. That’s our way of honoring their memories.”

---

In Memoriam
As we mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, we honor these Church members—and all victims—who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Mary Alice Wahlstrom, age 78. Died aboard American Airlines Flight 11 with her daughter, Carolyn Bueg, when the plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Wahlstrom was a volunteer usher at Temple Square and lived in Kaysville, Utah.

Carolyn Bueg, age 48. Died aboard American Airlines Flight 11 while traveling with her mother, Mary Alice Wahlstrom. She lived in Santa Monica, California, and was an acclaimed filmmaker and video producer.

Ivhan Luis Caprio Bautista, age 24. Died inside the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He was working at Windows on the World, a complex of restaurants on the 106th and 107th floors. He had moved to New York City from Peru two years earlier and had been accepted to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He was a recently baptized member of the Richmond Hill New York District. (Not pictured.)

Brady Howell, age 26. One of the 188 victims who died when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, where he was working as an intern. He and his wife, Liz, were in their fourth year of marriage. He was a returned missionary and had earned a master’s degree in public administration. He lived in Arlington, Virginia.

Rhonda Sue Ridge Rasmussen, age 44. Died when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, where she was working as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army. Her husband, Floyd Rasmussen, worked on the floor above her. He survived the attack. They lived in Woodbridge, Virginia, and were planning to move to California.

Where were you on 9/11?

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 11:17:00 -0600

source: MormonTimes.com

Five years ago, I stood at Ground Zero in New York City. While attending the Memorial Museum, the magnitude of the calamity enveloped me. There are walls of postcards with thousands of written accounts from people all over the world. My personal story seems trite compared to others. Nonetheless, I believe that each individual’s experience on Sept. 11, 2001 serves as an eye-witness against the evil targeted at America.

My morning began as usual, watching the news while getting ready for work. The breaking bulletin of airplanes crashing into New York City’s Twin Towers was mind-boggling. I had to force myself to get ready for teaching preschool. I remember looking deeply into the mirror while applying my make-up. The black eyeliner upon my eyes suddenly seemed symbolic of the darkness our nation was facing.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Tom Brokaw to remember 9/11 in special performance

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:54:00 -0600

source: Newsroom.lds.org

Mormon Life says: This looks amazing. It will air as a special Music and the Spoken Word on Sunday, September 11, and will be available on various TV channels as well as radio. Celebrated news anchor Tom Brokaw joins the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square for a special Music and the Spoken Word which commemorates the ten-year anniversary of 9/11. The special, entitled “9/11: Rising Above,” will air on radio, television, cable networks and Internet channels around the country.

Choir music director Mack Wilberg said the program will focus on how Americans have risen above the grief and loss of that September day. “The message of this show is that—as individuals and as a nation—we can find healing and strength in adversity and literally rise above all the negatives.”

Every Superman Needs a Dad

Tue, 27 May 2003 08:35:00 -0600

by Susan Easton Black
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: A little red, white, and blue cape helped me to learn how to be the man of the house.

Burned flags and lives of patriots cut short are too often today's remembrances of the Vietnam War. But for me, as young boy growing up in the 1960s, the war wasn't about destruction- it was about my dad.

My dad was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was a combat pilot in the Air Force. He was very patriotic and sympathetic to the war and, wanting to be just like him, so was I. My room was decorated in red, white, and blue. From the bedspread to the posters on the wall everything said, "American made" and "the American way." Model rockets and airplanes that my dad and I had built together were my prized possessions--that was, until he was called to active duty.

As much as I loved my country, I didn't want my Dad flying over war zones in Vietnam. But my wants were not to be realized. "Timmy, you are the man of the house now. Take care of your mother and your baby sister, Dorothy," he said.

"I don't want to be the man of the house," I snapped, as he reached for a package hidden between the slipcovers of the couch.

"Who could this be for?" he mused. "On the card it reads, 'This is for the man of the house.' The name on the card is Timmy Hill. It must be for you."

I tore open the wrapping paper and discarded the bright ribbon in hopes of finding a model airplane. I was disappointed to see a superman cape.

"You'll be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and even attract Lois Lane wearing this cape," Dad quipped as he tied the superman cape around my neck. He then bid me farewell.

It seems odd for a grown man to admit that wearing a superman cape made any difference, but that's just what happened. I felt more confident. I began to spread peanut butter on my own sandwiches without asking mom for help. I wore the cape everywhere: in the sandbox, the bathtub, and at church.

Isn't Timmy cute in the cape?" adults remarked. Friends were less kind. "How's Lois?" they asked. "Are you a bird, a plane, or could you be superman?" strangers shouted, "Show me how to leap a tall building and fly faster than a speeding bullet."

As the days of my dad's absence grew into months, I wore the cape less often. However I always kept it near my pillow, next to GI Joe and the airplane models. When the house was still and my thoughts wandered to whether my Dad would come home, I clutched the cape for assurance that all was well. The day my Dad returned to Fort Riley was a day I'll never forget--it was a hero's welcome. The military band played and the Air Force officers wore their finest uniforms. I proudly wore my Superman cape. During the awards ceremony, my dad insisted that I sit on his lap.

When his name was called to step forward and receive a medal for bravery, he insisted that I come forward, too. He had the commanding officer pin the medal on my cape.

My son Timmy is the real hero," Dad announced over the microphone. "He was the man of the house while I was gone."

Years have passed since that awards ceremony. And like my Dad, I became a fighter pilot. I have flown many missions that have taken me to military bases through out out the United States and abroad. In my absence, my family raises an American flag on a flagpole in our yard. Below the flag is my superman cape for extra courage. Neighbors and curious passerby often ask my wife, "Why the cape?" She shares with them the story of my Dad, and so it has been for years.

But on September 11, 2001, everything changed. That day I raised the flag and the superman cape at half-mast in our front yard. With the Twin Towers in New York City destroyed, I knew it would not be long until I would be called into a war zone--like my dad had been decades before.

Within a few weeks, I received notice that I would be transporting soldiers to Afghanistan for an extended stay. News of the assignment was difficult for my wife and children. I knew that they needed extra emotional support. Wanting them to have the best, I visited my bedridden Dad.

I need you to take care of mother, sister Dorothy, and my own family," I said. Dad lamented. "I'm too old and sick. I can't do it." He then gave a detailed explanation of his afflictions.

I listened attentively to his rationale before handing him the wrapped package tied with red, white and blue ribbon. He brightened as his gnarled hands removed the wrapping paper to reveal its hidden contents. Inside the package was the tattered Superman cape and a note that read, "You can leap tall buildings in a single bound and even attract Louis Lane wearing this." I tied the superman cape around Dad's neck and bid him farewell.

I left for a war zone. My Dad, attired in the Superman cape, arose from the sick bed with the same courage he inspired in a younger hero many years before. He showed me once again that every Superman needs a Dad.