Comments on: Surviving Saints of the Armenian Mission, 1922

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:07:32 +0000

I've just put it on my reading list, Jeff. Thanks. And I'll note that we've had an earlier story of a Latter-day Saint family at Aleppo, although they left by 1910 so were not part of the branch in 1922.

By: Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 21:56:35 +0000

Ardis, have you read the autobiography of Arick Sherinian Kezerian? It is a very interesting account of a Mormon Armenian women born in 1887. I think the Church History Library has a copy, but if not BYU Library Manuscript Collection has a copy.

By: Amy T

Amy T — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:37:23 +0000

Thanks for that additional information, Allison. I’ve just started to read that and will have to come back to it later, but what an interesting account. The bit that I’ve read is very reminiscent of the stories in the book Wings of Faith (Babbel) about Ezra Taft Benson’s apostolic mission to Europe after the Second World War.

And I didn’t say earlier about this post: those are very striking pictures of the members, and what stories!

By: Allison in Atlanta

Allison in Atlanta — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:21:09 +0000

Your “imperative” made me curious too so I started Googling and found this addition to the story in a book about David O. McKay’s trip around the world and his being instrumental in getting a Brother Booth, the brother of James E. Talmadge’s wife, to take these Saints to Aleppo from Aintab.

Start reading on page 190 about the Lord arranging Booth to meet McKay in Haifa (beyond coincidence in an age of slow/non-existent communication) and how they were able to travel in the protection of the Lord to meet these Saints and give them the relief they so desperately needed:

http://wchsutah.org/documents/mckay-cannon-book.pdf

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 18:00:56 +0000

Thanks, Alison. There is so much 19th and 20th century history in that part of the world that sets up the problems existing there today, and most of us (me included) know so very little of it.

Thanks, J. I’ve read hints about the night-time flight from Aintab to Aleppo but have never found the details. I think it’s time I try. Somehow seeing the pictures of the individual women makes it imperative.

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 15:56:45 +0000

This is simply extraordinary.

By: Allison in Atlanta

Allison in Atlanta — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:46:45 +0000

Great story, thank you!

This is about the same time as the famine in Iran brought on by the British taking foodstuffs or burning them so the Ottoman Turks they were driving out did not take them. The Russians also took some of their food at the end of WWI, but it more so British policies that led to 1/4 of all Persian deaths between 1919-1922 (about 20 million which is not well-known outside of the Middle East.)