New Sanctuary Movement "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matt.25:34) MESJ Las Vegas plans to actively support immigrant workers and their families. Do we as Latter Day Saints follow the Savior's example?
	Handel's Messiah Isaiah, from whom many of the oratorio's of The Messiah best-known texts come, is also the Hebrew Bible's greatest prophetic voice on behalf of social justice. The Las Vegas chapter attends this concert annually.
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Las Vegas - Bulletin Board

New Sanctuary Movement
As residents of Las Vegas we welcome strangers on a daily basis, and not just with reference to the entertainment industry. In this city with a large LDS population (over 19 stakes), we have the privilege hosting many
'Spanish' wards and branches and it's probably a fair statement that quite a few of these have a sizable number of 'undocumented' brothers and sisters in their midst. MESJ, on her May 2006 homepage reported on the situation and observed that the Book of Mormon teaches that “there should be an equality among all” (Mosiah 27:3) and that it is to be expected that the communities of Latter-Day Saints will welcome any and all new members of the church with open arms, because our Heavenly Parents simply do not have any illegitimate children! While we as Latter Day Saints in general are law-abiding citizens, the question arises what to do when a higher law presents itself to us:
"I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matt.25:34)
The members of our chapter will keep their ears and eyes open to locate and assist any of our brothers and sisters in need, greatly inspired by the New Sanctuary Movement and we will report on our progress and experiences in the coming weeks.

MESJ Las Vegas has initiated a weblog for all those who are interested in the New Sanctuary Movement.
Please support us with your suggestions and practical help. You'll find the weblog below, to participate simply email your ideas to our contact person, and we'll enter it into our weblog.
click here to email

New Sanctuary Weblog

Great initiative
It often seems there is so little we can do to in a political environment that
thrives on fear of strangers. We welcome strangers to Las Vegas allright, by the millions each year! Just about every Latter Day Saint family here profits from our fair city's legendary hospitality, never mind the prophets who repeatedly have condemned gambling, drinking, and the like...
But what happens when the stranger has little money, or in this case, has been declared 'illegal'? What is the reaction of Latter Day Saints when confronted with the higher law and morality of the Savior when he spoke:
"I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (Matt.25:34) ?
I'm not sure if the New Sanctuary Movement will actually find much sanctuary in Las Vegas, but it confronts us with plenty of painful questions: Is our welcoming of strangers purely economically driven?
If we insist on being law-abiding, are there LDS initiatives for legal assistance within the framework of the law? I don't know of any. Do we in reality frown on undocumented families in our wards and wish they would go away and not make things hard for us? I know of bishops who have referred some of their illegal wardmembers (how's that for a contradiction in terms) to commercial law-offices, sometimes even assisting with fast-offerings to keep families like these going. Wait a minute, does that amount to aiding criminal conduct?
It is so much easier to hear our returning missionaries speak about the suffering of the poor accross our borders than having to look them in the eye when they decided to come and perhaps share in our abundance!
Great initiative, this New Sanctuary Movement!
(H.S., Las Vegas)

Not so fast
Not so fast! I think Latter Day Saints actually measure up when it comes to welcoming 'strangers' in their midst. After all, we are a missionary church and all new members are very much welcome. We reach out to all members through hometeaching and -visiting, and ethnic wards and stakes receive our full support. Utah is known to be one of the most immigrant-friendly states, much to the dismay of other 'red' states, this of course has to do with our heritage as immigrant pioniers. I think there is actually a great deal of sympathy for (even undocumented) immigrants, it is more a practical problem. As citizens of Zion we may not believe so much in borders, but the reality is that they exist. Putting up an actual fence on those borders is pretty much an insult to our common humanity, fences are to keep animals out, or in, but our brothers and sisters?
(J.K., Las Vegas)



Elder Robert Poort jr. (picture above) son of Telekaki and Robert Poort of Las Vegas, NV is presently serving among hispanic immigrants in the Tallahassee, Florida Mission. Elder Poort is a typical teenager, more interested in skate boarding and singing and playing in his band than in social justice, and is not all too familiar with the recent political developments around immigration. He is however very familiar with some of the implications of what it means to be an immigrant, being one himself! Born in The Netherlands Bobby immigrated with his family to the US in 1992 and knows what it means having to wait for 13 years for the processing of a green-card (permanent residency permit) which he received only months before being called on a mission. It meant a lot of insecurity, no opportunity to get a driver's license , not being allowed to work and save for his mission. Compared to most other immigrants his hardships however were minor, and he realizes that many hispanic immigrants in Florida face many more obstacles than he ever did.
Florida, of course was hispanic before annexed by the US in 1810, and ironically many of our hispanic brothers and sisters there are now labeled as 'illegal'. The concept of illegal brothers and sisters in the gospel is a contradiction in terms, truly an oxymor(m)on. The new immigration laws that may or may not make it through Congress would place Latter-Day Saints in impossible positions. Would bishops have to turn in their 'illegal' ward members? Would they be 'aiding felons' when providing them with groceries from the Bishop's Storehouse? And how about missionaries? May I see your green card brother Gonzales, you possibly may not qualify for certain blessings, after your confirmation awaits deportation. Never mind too, that your mexican forefathers gave refuge to our border crossing ancestors. On the sunny side there will be less crowded LDS church buildings, as a large percentage of our Spanish, Tongan, Samoan, and Fillipino wards and branches would no longer be there.
Elder Poort no doubt meets and teaches many 'illegal' investigators, and hopefully his message is one of hope. The Book of Mormon teaches that “there should be an equality among all” (Mosiah 27:3)

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