Utah Part 1

Utah, land of strange geological occurrences, the nearest In-and-Out Burger, and the “mecca” of Mormonism. As far as youth group missions trips go, the impact of this trip was far-reaching in the sense that it was an experience not soon forgotten. The trip was focused on exposing the youth to the Mormon worldview and giving them the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the people around them. It truly helped me to feel like I’d experienced Mormonism rather than just reading about it in a book or hearing about it in a lecture. In the end, I think it produced a level of compassion for the lost that was deeper, especially for those caught up in cults.

DAY 1: After arriving at the Blue House the previous evening, we were ready to begin our cultural experience (the Blue House is in fact “blue” and is the homebase of Utah Partnership for Christ and also houses their radio station). We went to regular church services in several groups and then later in the afternoon broke off and visited several LDS (Latter Day Saints/Mormon) ward services. Each of our groups had different experiences. One group after not participating in the sacraments was pegged as “Christian” and escorted by the Bishop after the service into a side room with two LDS missionaries and two counselors. The bishop said that they knew why they were there and didn’t want them asking questions in the following sunday school classes. They spent the next two hours conversing about doctrine and truth. It was quite the introduction into the LDS worldview for everyone in that group! The overall idea that the missionaries kept trying to convey was that everyone was in reality on the same page, which was a very strange approach if you ask me. On the other hand, two of the youth went to a college ward and had an experience that had a more post-modern flavor.  Payton and I were in a group that went to a family ward and because of the opposite schedule of services, we were able to sit through Relief Society(women)/Priesthood(men), Sunday School, and then the Sacraments without being too noticeable. Actually, at first they thought we were Mormons. In Relief Society, we watched one video about the voice of the spirit about and one on receiving personal revelation. After the lesson, people were asked to share about how the Spirit had led them in a personal way. Before the class started and at the end of the class we were able to talk with a few ladies and tell them who we were, where we were from and why we were in Salt Lake. I was asked by one lady when we told her we were visiting, “What did you think of Relief Society? Couldn’t you feel the Spirit move?!” The only thing that I could think to say at the moment was that it was interesting or unique. Later she found out we weren’t LDS and went on to explain how she loved being Mormon. Being so early on the trip, we really had no clue what to say or how to go about things! In Sunday School we studied a passage out of the Book of Mormon called Alma 5. I really had no clue what we were talking about and didn’t understand the context at all. During the Sacrament service they sang hymns, they voted in someone, several youths presented speeches, a returning missionary spoke, little girls sang, another man spoke and then they passed out the sacraments. The content was so very dry in all of the classes/services, lacking in the sharpness that the true Word of God carries. I felt like all of the life was being sucked out of me as this burden of their lost state became apparent. Most of the people present were half-asleep or leaning on their hands looking bored. Kids were noisy and uninterested. I cannot imagine repeating that week-in and week-out (if you think about it, some Christian services might have the same feeling!). It was strange to see a semblance of truth, but at the same time it was so very far from it. The truth of Jesus Christ was absent from what was supposed to be His “church.” That was the beginning to our week.

A statue in Temple Square of Peter, James and John restoring the Melchizedek priesthood to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey