Note: This report was originally published on deseret.com.
Some volunteers with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in the Middle East wanted to stay put when Iran began firing missiles at the countries they serve.
They left this week anyway after receiving guidance from church leaders that their area was not safe enough.
The Church is taking a pragmatic approach to advising members, service volunteers, and staff in the Middle East/Africa North region. Some moved or returned home even before the first attack. Others are sheltering in place. Still others were advised to make their decisions individually.
“Our prayers are for everyone in this area,” said Elder Anthony D. Perkins, a General Authority Seventy and area president who has overseen Church operations in the area for more than eight years.
The Regional Presidency oversees a region made up of 21 countries and territories. The Church has members in 14 of these countries and had volunteers serving in 11 of them before the recent hostilities began.
Elder Perkins, who is receiving daily updates, said there were no reports of injuries to church members, service couples or staff.
The church’s approach to keeping its members and volunteers safe reflects U.S. government policy. The State Department has issued a general advisory for Americans to evacuate much of the Middle East, while asking people to follow the recommendations of U.S. embassies in each country.
In several countries, including Israel, embassies have issued recommendations saying it is safer for people to remain in place than to evacuate. That’s why, for example, students, faculty and staff at Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center remain in a safe location within the city, complete with bomb shelters.
Elder Perkins said the church has an agreement not to proselytize in Islamic countries or Israel, so there are no missionaries in the area. In their place are married couple service volunteers who perform humanitarian work and support local wards and chapters.
The Church facilitates travel to ensure the safety of service volunteers and staff who decide to leave the Church. Some were transferred to Egypt, which was not attacked.
Only 20% of Latter-day Saints in this region are American. Many are Filipino. Elder Perkins said Church members work at most of the U.S. embassies in the area.
Non-essential U.S. embassy staff were ordered to leave by the State Department. They are advised to make an individual decision based on their employer’s requirements and personal circumstances.
Other Latter-day Saints work on U.S. military bases and other international interests.
The Church provided guidance to lay members during today’s sacrament meetings across the Middle East. Sacrament meetings are held on Fridays rather than Sundays in this area.
“We told the Saints that the Church is very concerned about their safety and well-being and that we are praying for them,” Elder Perkins said. “We informed the brothers that we are reporting daily and will provide advice as soon as we receive advice from local embassies and church security.
“Ultimately, they should follow the Spirit in their circumstances and what they will or will not do. We do not feel it is the church’s place to tell members to stay or to leave.”
Elder Perkins said that within the past 24 hours, he has spoken with each local stake president and district president who serves multiple congregations.
“Most of our members are approaching this not in a spirit of fear, but in a spirit of faith,” Elder Perkins said he was told. “Some of them have been working there for 20 years and this is literally their home. They’ve been through (conflicts) before.”
The church issued a statement on Saturday, February 28, after hostilities began.
“In these types of situations, the safety and well-being of people always comes first.” “Thousands of church members live in this area.”
How does the BYU Jerusalem Center protect students?
BYU Jerusalem Center released a security update on Wednesday, March 4, reiterating its decision to evacuate students and staff to designated locations. The plan was shared with students and parents at the center via video conference on Tuesday.
“Our top priority is the safety of our students,” the statement said.
The center is located in a safe area of the city, surrounded by sites considered holy to Muslims. The center is highly secure, with shelters and safety rooms available.
According to the center’s security update, shrapnel fragments, part of a missile intercepted by defensive weapons, fell on the center’s grounds over the weekend while students were in shelters.
“Debris cannot penetrate the shelter,” says one of the center’s updates. “During the attacks on other parts of Israel, everyone at the center was in the center’s shelters and safe rooms. Typically, they were in the shelters for 20 to 30 minutes, which is the time between the siren sounding in Iran announcing a missile launch aimed at Israel and the end of the attack and the clear siren sounding.”
In the latest statement, BYU security experts said they believe staying put is the least risky option, rather than evacuating by bus to Cairo, Egypt, or Amman, Jordan, because Iran has launched missiles into cities west of Jerusalem, making travel unsafe.
By remaining in place, students will be able to continue their studies, the statement said.
In a statement, the center said it was following guidance from the U.S. government.
“State Department officials urged all Americans in the Middle East to evacuate to either Cairo or Amman in Monday’s announcement, while the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem urged its staff to shelter in place,” the statement said.
“Similarly, the Israeli government urged Israelis with U.S. or non-Israeli passports to shelter in place. In a broadcast around noon (Jerusalem time) on Tuesday, Ambassador Mike Huckabee also urged Americans in Israel to shelter in place.”
