Mormon church says missionaries are OK in Japan

SALT LAKE CITY -- Mormon church officials have confirmed that all missionaries serving the faith in Japan have been accounted for following a magnitude 8.9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that killed hundreds.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has six missions comprised of several hundred people scattered across Japan.

A Saturday statement on a church website said missionaries in all six areas had been confirmed safe. The church initially had trouble locating missionaries in Sendai, along Japan's northern coast, as communications systems were down.

Information from a 2011 church almanac indicates the 13.5 million-member Utah-based church has about 124,000 members in Japan.

Local leaders are also checking on the safety of members and assessing damage to church facilities.