The Gospel of Emergency Management

I teach Sunday School twice a month. Today's lesson coincidentally was about how the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were driven from their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois and the surrounding area in 1846. ("Saints" refers to members of the apostolic church, not to individuals who are especially holy.) Their lives were threatened by religious persecution, and they had planned to evacuate in April, but because of threats, they were forced to flee beginning in February.

The lesson was based on Section 136 of the Doctrine and Covenants, a revelation received by Brigham Young who had become the leader of the church following the murder of Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the latter-day church. I was impressed with the parallels to the problems faced by the people of New Orleans and the nearby Gulf Coast communities. They had to leave with only those supplies they could gather quickly and carry with them.

The inspiration and revelation given to Brigham Young included these instructions:

1. They were to organize a number of advance companies lead by presidents called by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, each with two counselors, and with captains appointed over 100s, 50s and 10s. Responsibility was delegated and a chain of command was created.

2. They were told to covenant and promise the Lord and each other to keep all the commandments and statutes of God.

3. Each company was to do all it could to provide itself with teams, wagons, provisions and the supplies they would need for the journey. In other words, get busy and do all you can for yourselves.

4. The first companies would "go to with their might, to prepare for those who are to tarry;" then choose out a sufficient number of able-bodied and expert men, to take teams, seeds, and farming utensils, to go as pioneers to prepare for putting in spring crops. These would go ahead of the main body, to establish the route, plow fields and plant for those who would follow to find food along the way and to establish camps in the vicinity of what is now Omaha and Council Bluffs, building cabins, etc.

5 Each company, with their captains and presidents, was to decide how many can go in the spring.

6. Each company was to combine their means and provide "an equal proportion, according to the dividend of their property, in taking the poor, the bwidows, the fatherless, and the families of those who have gone into the army, that the cries of the widow and the fatherless come not up into the ears of the Lord against this people."

7. Every man was to use all his influence and property to "remove this people to the place where the Lord shall locate a stake of Zion."

8. They were told that if they would follow these commands "with a pure heart, in all faithfulness, [they] would be blessed in [their] flocks, in [their] herds, and in [their] fields, in [their] houses, and in [their] families.

9. The companies and captains were to give this message to all the saints and "teach this, my will, to the saints, that they may be ready to go to a land of peace."

10. They were to focus on these tasks and not worry about their enemies, "for they shall not have power to stop my work." In other words, don't waste time being angry, bitter or fearful, but to get busy and prepare.

11. "If any man shall seek to build up himself, and seeketh not my counsel, he shall have no power, and his folly shall be made manifest." This was not an occasion for demagogues and aspiring men to be allowed to divide the people with criticism and attempting to sow discord in order to take advantage of the crisis.

12. "Seek ye; and keep all your pledges one with another; and ccovet not that which is thy brother’s."

13. "Keep yourselves from evil . . .;" don't take the name of the Lord in vain, or use profanity. Remember that God delivered the children of Israel and his arm is not shortened. They were to trust him and live so that he could bless them. Note how the following commands would tend to help them pull together and be unified:

"Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of another."

"Cease drunkenness; and let your words tend to be edifying one another.

"If thou borrowest of thy neighbor, thou shalt restore that which thou hast borrowed; and if thou canst not repay then go straightway and tell thy neighbor, lest he condemn thee."

"If thou shalt find that which thy neighbor has lost, thou shalt make diligent search till thou shalt deliver it to him again."

"Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward."

"If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

"If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful."

"Fear not thine enemies, for they are in mine hands and I will do my pleasure with them."

"My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom."

"Be humble, seek knowledge and wisdom "by humbling [your]self and calling upon the Lord [your] God, that [your] eyes may be opened that [you] may see, and [your] ears opened that [you] may hear;" For my Spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and contrite, and to the ccondemnation of the ungodly."

From these I can see a lot of ways the response to this hurricane could have been made better.

Tonight I heard stories of people who used their own boats to check on their neighbors, to buy food and supplies and distribute them. Individuals who took charge and got busy organizing, tracking down medicine and supplies and ministering to others. Most people were in shock. Many were sick, old or othewise unable to help themselves. But there were individuals who saw what needed to be done and put their shoulders to the wheel doing what they could. A ballet teacher named Bloodworth in Mississippi organized medical care providers and started helping people. Using her own money, she arranged for buses to evacuate people. There were lots of heroes.

What offends me, however, is the "journalists" whose idea of helping is to tour the area with cameramen and criticize government officials. There is a reason why emergency managers urge people to put together "72 hour kits." It's because they know that it takes at least that long to get their responses on the scene. It takes time to organize the large teams required to deliver assistance. As the revelation above shows, criticism and demands of others is counterproductive. It's true that the authorities could and should have been more prepared, but calling for heads to roll, an allusion to the French revolution, is petty and arrogant. What was Joe Scarborough doing for the past 20 years to establish better FEMA response? What was Tim Russert doing? He was willing to grill the head of FEMA who has been on the job for only a short time, but I didn't notice any series on any networks pointing out the low state of preparedness. Where were the local politicians and bureaucrats demanding that more be done? Where were the local citizens doing something to prepare. How many of them had 72 hour kits. How many were ripping wood from houses and building rafts? Why do they spend so much on Mardi Gras, but couldn't be bothered to have supplies stockpiled around the city in flood-proof storage.

As Mr. Chertoff noted, this is not the time to be blaming, criticizing, undermining and playing politics. This disaster required far more than the usual hurricane response, and it took time to realize that help was needed from out of the states affected, to notify the people needed from the National Guard, various other fire departments and police departments. There are thousands and thousands of people trying to help and do what they can and I consider it insulting and arrogant to keep carping about George Bush or anyone else. The root of this problem was with the government and people of New Orleans, not in the White House. I'm starting to equate reporters of disasters with the looters and street gangs who do nothing to help and lots to take advantage of them. I despise these people whose only "contribution" is to stir up anger, self-pity and dissension.

The absolute best way to prevent disasters like this is to not build homes and cities in such spots: Build on the rock, not on the sand. Of course, New Orleans is not known for its piety, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast had an economy based on gambling. They will rebuild and find other things to spend money on until the next Katrina. The police of the Big Easy and other cities will continue to include heroic public servants and far too many criminals and cowards, and be underpaid and undertrained. The local governments will continue to be full of competent people as well as feckless bureaucrats and political hacks. The National Guard will be ready to serve and be pelted with rocks and bottle and shot at.

Every city, county and state in the country could be doing more to prepare for disasters, like earthquakes, floods, wind storms, tornadoes and hurricanes. But they won't because such things are remote possibilities until they are days or hours away. Families should have food and supplies for such emergencies, but the majority won't. They should know and trust their Heavenly Father, serve him and be worthy of his blessings, but most won't. We can pray for our brothers and sisters, but too many of us will forget.

But remember that the Good Samaritan didn't stop to ask why the injured traveler was so dumb as to travel that road alone. Each of us should remember the lessons of Katrina, and be ready to go to work and do what we can for ourselves and our neighbors. Take Ms. Bloodworth's example. And we should be grateful for those who pitched in at the very first, and those who got there as soon as they could.