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HOAXES:
"Rev. Billy Graham's son, Franklin Graham,
Comments on Exemplary Work for
Hurricane Katrina's Survivors"
Updated 22 April 2008
We have been flooded with e-mails
inquiring about supposed comments by the Rev. Billy
Graham's son, Franklin Graham, on the Good Morning America show which aired on
September 16, 2005. An example of the supposed conversation is below, followed
by our response:
A Typical Message:
(From: and To: have been
deleted)Sent: Wednesday,
September 21, 2005 11:59 AM
Subject: Fw: Rev. Graham speaks about the LDS Church
This was just sent to me from a friend...
I was watching Good Morning America this
morning and they spoke with Rev. Frank Graham (son
of Billy Graham), who is currently in Houston.
He spoke of the desperation and devastation that is the "new" way of
life in and around New Orleans, but he also had a
different message for the country.
He told the media that there are many
churches in the Houston area, indeed, all around
America that have reached out to help the victims,
but he said that the members of The LDS church are truly amazing.
He stated (that)..."those people are truly a charity driven people. In the scriptures, charity is defined
as the pure love of Christ." He went on to remark how the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints have adopted individuals and families
in the Astrodome and are helping them to find
missing members of their families. They are keeping touch with their designated person or family on a daily basis, making sure the children are enrolled in and can get to school, taking them
to Wal-mart and other retailers to purchase clothing and other necessities, and are taking people to job fairs and interviews to assist them in gaining employment. He stated that he has never seen such a love for complete strangers. This has even brought inactive members, according to Graham, "...out of their homes and back to the church because they
want to help and they know that the church will be
there, organizing and moving to assist those who
have nothing, to remember that they truly are something."
He ended with a personal opinion that
anyone in the Houston area who is an evacuee from
New Orleans, who says they haven't been "taken care of" or "seen after", has only themselves to blame for refusing the assistance of the amazing LDS population who are volunteering without so much as asking for anything in return for their efforts.
What a pleasure to be part of such an elect and honored group of people, one might even go so far as to say "Chosen". |
Response:
There is no doubt that members of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints are diligently assisting
survivors of both 2005 hurricanes, Katrina and Rita.
However, the alleged comments of Franklin Graham
provided in the message above never took place, either on Good Morning America, or anywhere else of which we are aware. A transcriptof the Franklin Graham segment of the September 16,
2005 Good Morning America can be read by
clicking
here. [The link is no longer available. Our comments regarding this incident will have to be trusted or ignored.]
We LDS should never start such rumors! The Lord knows our
works and has a hand in them. We at SHIELDS have no idea of the source for this
rumor.
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