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Show People, Politics & Policy LDS Conference affects Pleasant Grove issues By E. MARK BEZZANT Sunday, October 4, at 4 p.m. the 157th Semi-annual Conference of the Mormon church came to a close. Thousands of Mormon faithful had gathered for two days to listen to the counsel and teachings of church leaders, including those of the Latter Day prophet Ezra Taft Benson. Here in Pleasant Grove the vast majority of citizens are members of the LDS church. At the junior high school over 90 percent of LDS students subscribe to released time for one period of the school day to be taught by Mormon doctrine. At the high school level, over 80 percent of the students are registered to take the optional seminary class. A solid majority of adults, who are Mormons, are active participants par-ticipants in their local wards. A good many of those who are not considered active are still supportive sup-portive of the basic tenants of the church including the belief that Ezra Taft Benson is a living prophet like Moses or Noah. His words are revered as those coming from God. This being the case, the events of the Mormon conference have a potentially big effect on the behavior of the citizens of this city and the policies necessary to govern the people. For example, school officials should note a marked decrease in the use of swearing by Mormon youth. Employers and others in the work place should also note the absence of off-color jokes and cursing by members of the Mormon faith. Gordon B. Hinkley, member of the church's first presidency, talked very frankly to church members at the Saturday evening session about the evils of such language. Fortunately, this year a poor tradition was eliminated at the high school, where football players had been in unison using a vulgar expression prior to each game, mind you these are mostly Mormon boys. Such things as this are not only unnecessary but repugnant in an educational setting. Following Apostle Boyd K. Packer's talk on Saturday, faithful Latter-day Saints will be dropping a lot of grudges, law suits, and other cantankerous feelings they have been harboring for years. Packer counseled church members to "Leave it alone." He went on to talk about the proliferation of law suits, and ugly feelings that ruin peoples lives as they become obsessed with getting their pound of flesh. Translated into reality, the Mormons on 700 East will forgive the city council and Mayor. The people on Grove Creek can forgive the city council and mayor for putting in the improvements to that street. Others can forget the fact that Manila was or was not annexed. an-nexed. The people in Lindon who supported pressurized irrigation, but lost, can move on and be supportive sup-portive of other things. In other areas Mormons were instructed in ethics and honesty, perseverance, looking beyond the mark, and it was the Prophet President Ezra Taft Benson who told the Saints to do something about these and other things. In his Saturday morning address, President Benson told church members to get involved, start studying, start reading, start speaking out about that which they believe in. Tying all of that together, we will see the people along 700 East who believe what they heard to persevere, and stay actively involved. They won't be found bad mouthing city officials as much as they are found supporting and holding them accountable in a positive way. If the Mormon people took to heart the Prophet's message we will see a lot more people involved in civic affairs, other than at the time of crisis. Instead of opposing everything they will be proposing things, even if it takes some time and resources. If there are weaknesses in the Mormon people, it would seem that it is not a result of having poor advice and instruction. Rather, it would seem that it is the inability of the people to take seriously and apply what has to be excellent advice and instruction. It took Moses 40 years to bring his people along before they could enter the promised land. These modern prophets must feel some of the same sense of frustration as they continue to prod their people along. Like Noah, it must hurt to hear the people laugh and mock. Imagine the Utopia it would be if the Latter-day Saints in Pleasant Grove took the teachings to heart line by line. |
