Latter-day Saint Mission Leader, warned of Chile earthquake two weeks before it occurred.
In 2010, a mission president’s wife in Chile woke up with a powerful impression: “An earthquake is coming.
An earthquake is coming. That's the message a mission president's wife received two weeks before one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded. In February 2010, Sister Lisa Lok was serving alongside her husband, President Larry Lok, in the Chile Santiago East Mission. One morning at about 400 a.m., she suddenly woke up with a clear impression. Not a voice, not a dream, just a powerful thought that came into her mind.
There is going to be an earthquake. Prepare your missionaries. Years earlier, Elder Richard G. Scott had taught them that prompings often come during the quiet hours of the night. He warned them not to ignore them. So, they didn't. The very next day, the Lake began a missionwide effort to prepare all 171 missionaries. They traveled from apartment to apartment. across Chile. They taught emergency procedures.
They helped every missionary assemble a 36-hour emergency kit. They distributed water purification bottles. They reviewed communication plans. And in every apartment, they knelt together in prayer and dedicated the apartment for protection. Some missionaries became concerned. Do you know something we don't know? They asked. The Lok simply smiled and quoted the scripture. If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.
Then on February 27th, 2010, the earth began to shake. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile. One of the most powerful earthquakes in modern history. But amid the chaos, something remarkable happened. The missionaries were ready. There was no panic, no confusion. They knew exactly what to do. Every missionary in the mission was eventually accounted for. And because they had prepared beforehand, they were able to immediately focus on helping others.
By midm morning, missionaries were already serving neighbors, checking on families, and offering comfort to those who were terrified. In the days that followed, President Lok noticed something remarkable. While news reports focused on looting and destruction, he saw people turning to God. He saw neighbors helping neighbors. He saw hearts soften. And he saw opportunities to share the gospel everywhere.
The earthquake became what the Savior described in Luke 21, an occasion to bear testimony. Sometimes God's miracles aren't formed in stopping the storm. Sometimes they're found in the quiet warning that comes before it and in the peace that follows when we choose to listen.
