DCP Laughs in the Face of Tragedy

[_Mister Scratch]

Boy, the aptly named MADboard has really been a-hummin' with interesting threads as of late. Some folks may have noticed the rather sensationally titled, "See My Ward on Television!" With the exclamation mark punctuating this, what are you led to believe? Do you think this will be some silly, fun kind of local color piece? Do you think that DCP is boasting about some media coverage he's just received? If so, dig this:

The UVSC student ward over which I preside consists, essentially, of a single apartment complex that has four buildings.

One of the buildings was seriously damaged by fire today, during church. One apartment unit in it was completely gutted, another severely damaged, and many others are smoke- and/or water-damaged. Nobody will be allowed to stay in it over night, and I'm guessing that it will be quite a while before anybody is allowed (or will want) to move back in to most of it.

It was interesting to see the Church's organization move into action. We have housing taken care of for everybody, as well as food and bedding. My elders quorum president lived up to my expectations for him, and did a marvelous job, as did the Relief Society president. My second counselor, whom I deputed to monitor things at the apartment while I finished up some counseling matters that didn't go away even despite the fire, was also superb.

Of course, some of our people lost virtually everything they had, including clothing, so the challenge will not be over in a day or two.

Some of my ward members were interviewed by KSL News. My understanding is that they will be on at 10 PM.

During the meeting that we held immediately after our three-hour block to hand out instructions, assess needs and resources, wait for the authorities to grant access to the area, etc., I couldn't resist having the congregation sing "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning." They got a kick out of it, and sang with gusto.

Interesting. On the one hand, I think perhaps DCP should be given credit for lending some levity to this likely very grim situation. However, one cannot help but wonder.... Here's the Good Professor's next post:

I'm grateful for the expressions of concern and helpfulness.

Fortunately, although almost precisely a fourth of my ward were refugees as of last night, things seem to be more or less under control.

I was pleased that at least one of the evening news reports mentioned that, thanks to "the LDS singles ward" to which most of the people in the apartment complex belong, they were well taken care of with food, bedding, and shelter. This is true, and, again, the members of the ward, led by my counselor, the elders quorum president, and the president of the Relief Society, handled the situation quickly and extremely well.

So, this is turning into a PR opportunity for the Church, then? This seems rather reminiscent of the recent posting by GoodK, in which an LDS male used someone's hospitalization as a means of promoting the Church.

But wait---the twists and turns continue:

Glad everyone is doing OK. Do they have a reason for the fire yet?

A burning candle -- prohibited by the rules of the apartment complex -- was inadevertently tipped over. While the person who tipped it over (not, incidentally, a member of my ward; a few in the complex go to other wards, and a fair number of inactives and non-Mormons live in the complex) was in another room and unaware, flames engulfed the room in which the candle had been tipped over.

(emphasis added)

Ah, I see! So: not only is DCP rather opportunistically using this tragedy as a means of doing PR work for the Church, he is also using it as a means of smearing non-LDS, or at least insinuating that they were responsible for this conflagration.

Anyways, at least one MAD observer had these same thoughts:

Did anyone else think the title of the thread was misleading??? My knee-jerk reaction was to think that it was rather perverse to add an exclamation point on the end of the title, when the contents reveal a tragedy.

Glad all is safe and that you got the media coverage......

Yes, I think DCP went too far in trying to guffaw and make light of all of this. Bringing in a sense of good humor and levity, I think we can all agree, is a good thing, but the mixture here of trying to pin it on "inactives and non-Mormons", of alerting everyone to news coverage, and highlighting how great the LDS Church is at taking care of folks seems a bit much in this case.

Here comes juliann, swooping in to "ding" Redsox:

Did anyone else think the title of the thread was misleading??? My knee-jerk reaction was to think that it was rather perverse to add an exclamation point on the end of the title, when the contents reveal a tragedy.

And working to come up with the very worst about those actually involved in a tragedy is ungracious, unfair and uncalled for.

Finally, the thread winds up with yet more "yuk-yukking":

Did anyone else think the title of the thread was misleading??? My knee-jerk reaction was to think that it was rather perverse to add an exclamation point on the end of the title, when the contents reveal a tragedy.

Sorry. I'll try to remember to be more gloomy in the next difficult situation. I'm sure that that will be helpful.

Glad all is safe and that you got the media coverage......

Oh yes. Media coverage is what I want. Maybe I'll set Building Three on fire sometime . . .

Ho, ho, ho! Hilarious, Prof. P. I wonder if the folks who lost all their possessions in the fire find his antics as funny as he apparently does. I'm sure he'd do well to remember the teachings of Brigham Young:

The revelations in the Bible, in the Book of Mormon, and doctrine and covenants teaches us to be sober; and let me ask you Elders that have been through the ordinances in the Temple, what were your covenants there? I want you should remember them. When I laugh I see my folly, and nothingness, and weakness, and am ashamed of myself.
- Prophet Brigham Young, May 29, 1847, The Essential Birgham Young, p. 29

[_cksalmon]

Can't we somehow get Redsox banned for this?

CKS

[_skippy the dead]

Oh, c'mon - there's nothing wrong with Peterson's posts on that thread. There may have been an incongruity between the title and the content of the original post, but I don't think there's anything blameworthy in the circumstances or the reporting thereof.

Although juliann does seem to have her knickers in a bunch. But that's not new.

by the way - RedSox has certainly got himself on somebody's list de poop; now that he's "come out" with his doubts on the church, I suspect it's only a matter of time before he's dismissed from the MADB. They don't like it when someone switches teams midway through the game.

[_beastie]

Where did redsox come clean about his doubts?

[_skippy the dead]

Where did redsox come clean about his doubts?

That would be here: http://www.mormonapologetics.org/index. ... =34280&hl=

[_beastie]

thanks, skippy

[_Mister Scratch]

Oh, c'mon - there's nothing wrong with Peterson's posts on that thread. There may have been an incongruity between the title and the content of the original post, but I don't think there's anything blameworthy in the circumstances or the reporting thereof.

Don't you find the self-promotional and self-congratulatory aspects of the posts to be rather off-putting? I mean, I don't recall hearing FDNY representatives carrying on about how great they were, or boasting about media coverage of such post-9/11.... Just my .02.

[_Tal Bachman]

Scratch - with all respect, I think your expectations are way too high here. People suck - once we accept that, then everything you're describing will actually seem fantastic. :P

[_Blixa]

The responses he describes are what any normal neighbors would do, no?

We were roused in the middle of the night about eight or nine months ago because the apartment building next door had a roof fire. The fire department had us standing in the street in our barefeet and night clothes clutching children and pets for two hours and wondering if our computers and books would be destroyed (ok, here I'm projecting my fears as those of everyone in my building, but you get the idea). Before it was even clear whether or not there would be damage to either building, people I didn't know were handing out flip flops and slippers, bringing their cell phones over for us "refugees" to use, and assuring everyone that we all had a place to sleep and anything we needed.

Its good everyone was helping out in the Utah situation, and those involved should be proud of helping of their fellow man. But when mention occurs about "inactive" and non-LDS also living in the building, then the whole thing tips to the side of inappropriate Mormon braggadocio.

[_skippy the dead]

Oh, c'mon - there's nothing wrong with Peterson's posts on that thread. There may have been an incongruity between the title and the content of the original post, but I don't think there's anything blameworthy in the circumstances or the reporting thereof.

Don't you find the self-promotional and self-congratulatory aspects of the posts to be rather off-putting? I mean, I don't recall hearing FDNY representatives carrying on about how great they were, or boasting about media coverage of such post-9/11.... Just my .02.

Well, OK - there is some ego on display, to be sure. I suppose I was just taking into account his audience - folks on that board may have been interested in such a thing. But I don't think it's as bad as your OP made it out to be.

With that many people displaced at once, it was nice of the rest of the folks to help out. I'd expect the same almost anywhere.