Mormons to the rescue

BEN WATSON/North Shore Times

SURVIVAL SAINTS: Mormons like councillor Callum Blair, left, and Derek Good are sharing their skills with the council???s civil defence officers.

Relevant offers

When disaster strikes the Mormons will offer you salvation.

The doors to its four North Shore churches will open to provide emergency shelter should an earthquake, severe storm, tsunami or volcanic eruption hit.

Even North Shore Civil Defence taps into its resources because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches key survival skills.

"It's part of their doctrine - they're true civil defence disciples," says the council's civil defence manager David Keay.

"Over the years we have worked with them because it's for the common good."

Mr Keay says one of their churchgoers, Shore councillor Callum Blair, alerted him to the benefits to civil defence of having a close relationship with the church.

Mormon followers are urged to squirrel away up to a year's worth of food to survive a disaster.

But, at an open day at its Sunset Rd church next month they will be promoting the standard civil defence message to get a three-day survival pack together.

Open day organiser Derek Good says church members are encouraged to be self-sufficient and not a burden on the state.

That extends to encouraging members to save money in case financial disaster strikes, says Mr Good.

Putting aside so much money and food might sound quite a mission but if it's saved steadily it can be achieved, he says.

Mr Blair says internationally the church also has farms so food can be sent to help areas struck by a disaster.

This year's annual open day at the church focuses on emergency preparedness.

Mr Good says it will provide basic tips on how to survive an emergency and the current economic climate and won't feature religious instruction.

It will include information on food storage, water purification, financial planning and information and displays on civil defence emergency plans for the Shore.

- The emergency preparedness open day on September 20 is at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 313 Sunset Rd, Glenfield, any time from 2pm to 5pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News