Cataclysmic Surprise

In warfare one of the most important elements for any army’s victory has always been the element of surprise.  The element of surprise is achieved when one of the adversaries is not aware of an impending attack until the moment it happens. 

But the element of surprise isn’t limited to the interactions between armies.  We find the element of surprise in business, music and natural phenomena.

Nature’s forces almost always have the element of surprise on their side.  Mankind has long been at the mercy of the weather, being surprised by sudden storms, losing blossoms or fruit on the trees and enduring the floods that follow huge rain storms.  Despite technological advances in the ability to predict other disasters, no warning system exists to predict earthquakes with any degree of certainty.  Tornadoes give very little notice before striking, and a tsunami can hit with little if any warning, although in some cases, we know a few hours in advance of the arrival of a tsunami.  A hurricane, which used to strike with terrifying suddenness, can now be tracked using satellite imagery, so that populations in its path can move out of its way.  But even rain, snow and wind storms that have been forecast to strike an area can hasten their arrival or can intensify at the last minute.

So it was this week in northern Japan when late Thursday (Pacific time) a terrifyingly powerful earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale struck in the ocean just 26 miles off the coast.  It was one of the five most powerful earthquakes ever recorded.  The quake did considerable damage, but Japan’s infrastructure has been built to withstand strong quakes.  Of greater consequence was the tsunami that hit just minutes after the quake, the rising sea that characterizes a tsunami arriving on Japan’s coastline at a velocity of approximately 600 miles per hour.  Here in California, even with many hours to prepare, at least one life was lost and several marinas and piers were damaged by the shock wave originating a third of the globe away from our shores.

We pray for those in Japan whose family members perished or are missing, and with those who are injured.  And we rejoice that none of the LDS missionaries were among the killed or injured. 

At this point in time, the lesson we wish to draw from this catastrophic event is that walking by faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ is the only effective preparation for unexpected, catastrophic events.  And we demonstrate our faith by obeying counsel given by prophets and apostles directly to us.  We have been counseled to exercise faith by living providently and by actively preparing for natural and man-made disasters.  We cannot know where, when or what type of catastrophic event might occur, so we prepare as well as we can, hoping and praying that our preparations – like life insurance – won’t be needed. 

Phrases from the scriptures come to mind:  “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the night” (D&C 106:4).  And “But, verily I say unto you, that desolation shall come upon this generation as a thief in the night,” (D&C 45:19).

And when such an event occurs, we reach out as the Savior taught, doing whatever is in our capability to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,” (Hebrews 12:12).

Our hearts go out to the people of Japan and to the victims in other recent calamities.  And we quietly but effectively prepare to support ourselves and assist others, should any type of calamity strike northern California.