Members in New York flourishing a year later
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In the months following Sept. 11, 2001, New York New York Stake President Brent J. Belnap kept "waiting for the other shoe to drop."
With New Yorkers facing fear and an unstable economy, he said, "All I could think about was people are going to start moving. People are going to flee.
"And you know what has happened?" he continued during a telephone interview. "The exact opposite. Rather than people leaving the city in droves, people with a pioneering desire have just committed more firmly than ever before to build the kingdom here."
The kingdom is, indeed, building here. The First Presidency announced last month the construction of the Manhattan New York Temple, to be housed in the upper floors of the Manhattan meetinghouse, which include the offices for the New York New York Stake. The temple will be similar in concept to the Hong Kong Temple. (Please see Aug. 10, 2002, Church News.)
"We were told when our stake was divided in 1997 that the hand of the Lord was over the city," President Belnap said. "If anything, the temple has just confirmed that."
Looking back on the day two hijacked planes smashed into the World Trade Center, while in Washington, D.C., another crashed into the Pentagon and yet another into a field in Pennsylvania, President Belnap is amazed that not only have wards not shut down, they're getting stronger — including the Manhattan 5th Ward, created just months before the tragedy and closest to ground zero.
"We're flourishing back here. I guess that's one of the paradoxes." He spoke of the co-existence of times of "incredible sadness and turmoil and yet incredible blessings. I have to honestly confess I don't understand it. That's OK; I don't have to."
That's not to say, however, that members here have not felt the impact. Many lost their jobs, but only a handful moved to find new employment, and wards have been striving to meet housing and employment needs. The bishop's storehouse has also been utilized. "We have no one who went very long with any need at all," President Belnap said.
One member, Ivan Carpio of the nearby Richmond Hill New York District, lost his life at the World Trade Center. (Please see related article. Also see the Sept. 15, 2001, and Sept. 22, 2001, issues of the Church News.)
President Belnap's voice choked with emotion as he described the love he has for the city he moved to 16 years ago, when there were only about 170 members on Manhattan Island. Today, he said, there are some 3,900 just in Manhattan. On Sept. 11 this year, they will join with millions of other New Yorkers in commemorating the day the New York City skyline changed forever.
"All members of the Church are asked to be good citizens of New York and comply with whatever they are expected to do at their places of employment, at their schools, whatever it might be [in relation to commemorative activities]. The mayor of the city, Michael Bloomberg, has asked all houses of worship to be open the day of Sept. 11, and we will do the same. We plan on playing patriotic music."
President James Green, second counselor in the stake presidency said: "We hope the day will serve as a solemn tribute to those who died and a reminder of the value of this mortal probation, with emphasis on the Atonement of the Savior and the Plan of Salvation. We have no idea how many people might come, but we will have our doors wide open and hope it can be a positive experience for anyone interested in stopping by."
In addition, members here will gather Sept. 11 for the special First Presidency satellite broadcast in the afternoon. During morning hours, stake officials plan to replay last year's memorial broadcast from Salt Lake City. On Sunday evening, Sept. 8, the stake also plans on holding a patriotic concert for members and friends.
President Belnap recalled how last year during the broadcast at the Manhattan meetinghouse, some 800 people showed up, including at least one man who was invited to come by a member of the Church. That man was subsequently baptized.
"I just found this out about two weeks ago. We've had others who started to come to Church," President Belnap related. He added many of these newly active members were surprised to be contacted by Church members in the aftermath of the tragedy to check on their well-being. "It adjusted their whole thinking about how they viewed the Church as an organization that is there to bless and help. It's amazing."
It was also amazing, he explained with some emotion, to realize the connection stake members felt with members throughout the world. "Our phone was ringing off the hook. We heard from every state in the United States, at least a dozen foreign countries. We got room-loads of donated items from members of the Church around the world.
"It just overwhelmed me. I never would have supposed there was such goodwill in the world."
E-mail: julied@desnews.com
