S a n

F r a n c i s c o

S t a k e

Public Affairs
Issue 6 August 2012

Have News? Let Us Know!

We are anxiously looking for stories about how members in our stake are making a difference so tell us what youve been up to! Also, keep up-to-date on the latest stake news by liking the Friends of the San Francisco Stake Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/sflds

Mormon Helping Hands Honors the Past while Preserving the Present
This years Mormon Helping Hands project was held on Saturday, April 28, in San Franciscos picturesque Presidio Park. Thousands of headstones were scrubbed clean in the National Cemetery while the Interfaith Chapel was cleaned, painted and refurbished by a hardworking team of craftsmen. The volunteer work was personal to servicemembers in particular. One former military officer stated that by looking at the date and infantry unit, he could place who might be lying beneath the stone. Each grave told a story one that was very familiar and close to home. The cemetery contains headstones dating back to 1854 and up to the Iraq War. Around 250 members and friends of the San Francisco stake gathered to undertake the task. Approximately 70,000 people participated in activities throughout California and Hawaii. Not all of the volunteers were Latter-day Saints; 17,000 were people of other faiths. Volunteers donated 227,280 hours on 536 projects. Dressed in their distinctive yellow vests, members were met by Senator Leland Yee and his assistant. News coverage was captured by KPIX CBS San Francisco. To view the story, visit: http://www.facebook.com/sflds _____________________________________________________

Contact Debbie Grewal at grewal.debbie@gmail.com or Heidi Kershaw at Heidi Kershaw at hlkershaw@gmail.com with details. _____________________________________________________

Latter-day Saints Strengthen Commitment with Red Cross and Outperform 2011 Blood Donations
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the American Red Cross met together in June to deepen commitments for people in need and to celebrate a long and fruitful relationship of working together. Gail McGovern, CEO and president of the American Red Cross, met with LDS Church welfare leaders at Welfare Square in Salt Lake City. Along with expressing much gratitude, McGovern mentioned that a new agreement was put in place to improve coordination for blood donation efforts located in church facilities and in disaster planning. McGovern noted, Time and time again, church members have rolled up their sleeves to make lifesaving donations. Bay Area members and friends did just that by showing up in droves to church buildings to donate blood on a designated day in July. The San Jose Mercury News reported that the blood drive broke the 2011 record halfway through the month. The effort was led by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the Catholic Diocese of Oakland with ten other religious groups hosting a location. On July 12, the San Francisco Stake was able to welcome the American Red Cross to our stake center, with a very successful turnout of 86 total donors beating last years total by 8%. Many thanks to all those who participated in the event. Although we cant tell the stories of the lives that have been saved by your united efforts, we can see the power of interfaith friend-shipping and the service it can provide to others.

Pop Quiz Time, All the Time

Lets face it were totally famous right now. Were even nearing the dangerous line of over exposure that celebrities worry about. Due to the presidential race, The Book of Mormon musical, and same sex marriage courtroom debates, the topic of the Mormon religion is like the new black. The chance of getting asked hard questions by well, just about anybody is high and its only going to increase the closer we get to November. To stay sharp and ready to respond, each Public Affairs meeting starts with a question and demands an articulate (and correct!) response within eight seconds. It has been a great way to exercise our know-how, so we thought wed give you something to chew on too. Consider these questions and how to answer themFAST and RIGHT.

Whats Happening in Stake Public Affairs

Question: Does your church endorse political parties or candidates? No. The Church takes a position of political neutrality. As members we are encouraged to participate in the political process responsibly. Question: Why do Mormons perform baptisms for the dead? Paul talks about this in the New Testamentit has to do with the Saviors teaching: that except a man be born of water he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Question: Mormons arent Christians, are they? Yes. He is my Savior and Redeemer. He is the center of our faith and the head of our Church. Question: Why dont women in your church hold priesthood positions? Our church is patterned after the original church of Christ and follows the guidelines found in the Bible. Women in our church hold many significant calling of importance in church leadership. Question: Do Mormons practice polygamy? We have not practiced polygamy in over 200 years, and those who do are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. *** These are just a few samples of what you might hear and the answers that are in-line with gospel principles and the organization of the church. To see other questions that could be coming your way, visit Mormon.org at http://mormon.org/faq and view responses given by church leadership and members. This is a pivotal moment that could end misconceptions and even plant some seeds. And as they saypractice makes perfect. They took some time to think about their efforts and while they pondered, one scripture passage resonated with Elder Leavitt.
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. (Matt. 4:1820.)

Elder Leavitt noted that the disciples were using nets not fishing poles. He considered expanding his reach to focus on the lot instead of spending time focused on a few. This revelation changed the direction of their mission and brought about massive change to the San Francisco area. The Leavitts hit the streets again. This time they were trying to find volunteer opportunities. They were led to a Chinese newcomer association that had rental space available. Inspired by a program in Oakland to teach English classes, the Leavitts realized that they could use the rental space to reach out to the Chinese community. They got the carpets cleaned and bought 50 chairs from Costco, a white board and an alphabet set. With the help of the Chinese-speaking elders, they designed fliers that said Free English Classes. Elder and Sister Leavitt then stood on the street corner to pass them out to passers-by. The program took on a life of its own. They invited people to stay after English classes to learn about the gospel. They met people who had never heard about the church as well as saints who had fallen away. They started holding Sacrament meetings at that nd location, presided over by the 2 counselor of the Sunset branch. Soon they added Sunday School and Relief Society meetings. When the Leavitts completed their mission, over 40 people were attending church services in that location, and leaders in the area are now pursuing space in China Town for a permanent space large enough to accommodate a ward. Although here for only a short time, the Leavitts made an eternal impact in the lives of many just by following the spirit and acting upon personal revelation. They will be missed!

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Spotlight: Elder and Sister Leavitt, Fishers of Men

When Gary and Bonnie Leavitt first arrived in San Francisco to serve a mission in the Bay and Golden Gate wards, they asked for a list of all the members needing a visit. They received a list of 850 names. Without missing a beat, they hit the streets to start meeting those ward members. Out of the first 100 doors they approached, they ended up talking to only three people two of them over the intercom and one face-to-face.

Save the Date

August 26: Multi-Faith Family Gathering, 4-7pm, Beresford Community Center, San Mateo. Join this fun afternoon of activities, games, and a potluck with nine different churches and synagogues. Contact Jen Jacobson for more: jennjacob@gmail.com th October 21: 4 Annual Interfaith Choral Concert, Sneath Lane. Mark your calendar as we host this outstanding musical event with friends from four other local churches.
Linda Koeling, Community Affairs Jen Jacobson, Interfaith Relations Paul and Brittany Larsen, Social Media

Debbie Grewal, Director of Public Affairs Richard Harris, SF Interfaith Council Rep. Heidi Kershaw, Media Relations Misty Cox, Interfaith Blood Drive