A Day of Remembrance
On September 11, 2001, I was in the Missionary Training Center (MTC) for my church. I’d been there for not even a week and was still adjusting to missionary life. This includes always being with a companion but also no television, email, computers, phones, radio, non-sacred music and access to only a few books. As a missionary you are to focus on the scriptures, learn the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ and prepare to teach them, often in another language. I was trying to figure out the Cyrillic alphabet and getting used to being with another person all day every day. The MTC has been referred to as a compound or a bubble because you are intentionally isolated from the rest of the world for 2-12 weeks (depending on language) in order to prepare to be a missionary.
So it was in this circumstance that I came to class on that Tuesday morning to find my teacher drawing a diagram of buildings on the chalkboard. Once we were all there he told us how planes had crashed into buildings in New York City. It was truly unbelievable. Then we moved on to our lessons for that day. Every once in awhile during the next nine weeks a teacher would mention things related to the attack. They told us all the houses in the local neighborhood were displaying American flags and of other acts of patriotism, but mostly I just focused on my missionary training. Then I left for Kiev, Ukraine for 18 months. It wasn’t until almost eight years later that I actually saw footage of the building collapsing. In 2006 I watched the movie World Trade Center with Nicholas Cage and was overwhelmed with the sadness and loss of the day that I had been oblivious to in the MTC.
Today is a day of remembrance, although remembering can be difficult. Tragic loss is hard to live over and over again and sometimes it is just easier to forget and move on. But I believe it is important for all of us to remember what happened that day, especially me since I pretty much missed the whole experience. It is important to think of those who died, to honor them by living in such a way that our country is still a place of which to be proud. We need to remember to be grateful for those who made great sacrifices and try to exemplify their unselfishness. It is a day to remember and have hope that while there is a lot wrong with our country that there is also a lot right with it too. That as hate and violence stretch into our country, we can have faith in our neighbors and fellow citizens to look out for one another and for the well-being of our country and its ideals. I am proud to be an American and thank God for the opportunity to live in this free land. May we each remember our blessings and help those without.
So it was in this circumstance that I came to class on that Tuesday morning to find my teacher drawing a diagram of buildings on the chalkboard. Once we were all there he told us how planes had crashed into buildings in New York City. It was truly unbelievable. Then we moved on to our lessons for that day. Every once in awhile during the next nine weeks a teacher would mention things related to the attack. They told us all the houses in the local neighborhood were displaying American flags and of other acts of patriotism, but mostly I just focused on my missionary training. Then I left for Kiev, Ukraine for 18 months. It wasn’t until almost eight years later that I actually saw footage of the building collapsing. In 2006 I watched the movie World Trade Center with Nicholas Cage and was overwhelmed with the sadness and loss of the day that I had been oblivious to in the MTC.
Today is a day of remembrance, although remembering can be difficult. Tragic loss is hard to live over and over again and sometimes it is just easier to forget and move on. But I believe it is important for all of us to remember what happened that day, especially me since I pretty much missed the whole experience. It is important to think of those who died, to honor them by living in such a way that our country is still a place of which to be proud. We need to remember to be grateful for those who made great sacrifices and try to exemplify their unselfishness. It is a day to remember and have hope that while there is a lot wrong with our country that there is also a lot right with it too. That as hate and violence stretch into our country, we can have faith in our neighbors and fellow citizens to look out for one another and for the well-being of our country and its ideals. I am proud to be an American and thank God for the opportunity to live in this free land. May we each remember our blessings and help those without.
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