summer heat

Summer has hit here with a vengeance, it was 101 F today. The only hope is that there is a lot of shady spots on the square and/or all of the buildings are air conditioned. Everything is a mess due to construction work to replace most of the pavement. The work is to be completed before October Conference.

The enemies of the Church are still trying every thing they can to stir up unknowing and unthinking people to react against the Church. Security asked two inebriated gay men who where sitting on a bench on the plaza late at night passionately kissing and groping each other to leave. The result was a confrontation when the men reacted angrily refusing to leave and using abusive language. The Police were called and they were arrested for trespass. The false story was given out to the press that they were harassed by church security because of a simple kiss on the cheek and that the security men roughed them up. The arrest record indicated that they were drunk and they was no evidence of any physical abuse. We have had a demonstration last Sunday, called a kiss in. where people wearing pink hearts came here to protest the Church's right to control inappropriate behavior here. They attempted to come on the Plaza and were informed by the City authorities that they would be arrested for trespass if they came onto Church property. Some removed their pink hearts and came on to the plaza, the others left.

The same people have been trying to stir up more controversy. I was a Tabernacle last Thursday when a man wearing a pink heart walked by waving inappropriate magazines for all to see. Security asked him to leave Temple Square. Two more Protesters were escorted off the Square earlier the same day. There is another demonstration planned for this Sunday. The sad part is that some families and other unthinking liberal types are involved in this mess. They think that the right of the Church to control improper behavior on its own private property is some how in violation of civil rights. This is an other attempt by the Rocky Anderson and group to cause trouble for the Church.

I found out the other day that four of our Sister Missionaries are first cousins, kind of neat to have such a large group from one family to be here. We had two sisters that were here serving here last winter, they ended up as companions.

We are starting to reap some good stuff from our garden at home. I had to remove some of the green tomatoes because they were becoming too thick and heavy for the plants. We picked some cucumbers and zucchini today.

We have been assigned to be the North Visitors Center Coordinators. We are in charge of the building making sure that everything is proper from insuring that all of of the pamphlets are in place to insuring that the proper procedures are used in the tours and displays in that building, most of the work there has to be done after our assignment time so we are becoming even more busy.