A Strange Day

Today we had a last minute change in schedule. Temple Square closed early due to a protest outside of the gates by gay/lesbian rights groups. They had come from California and elsewhere to indicate disapproval of the support that The Church gave to Proposition 8 in the Calif. election. The sucess of the hard work of Church members brought about a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman only. As we were serving in the north Visitor Center, at the north gate we could hear much of the comotion. There was concern over the safety of the Sister Missionaries so they were escorted home early by the Priesthood in a very inconspicuous way. Somehow this reminded me of an escape that Lot's family made from Sodom about 4,000 years ago. In spite of this, the peace and safety of Temple Square could still be felt by the relatively few visitors who braved the picket lines. What a wonderful place this is!. We are very blessed to be here. The Sister Missionaries are awesome. They have an amazing ability to bear testimony and to touch the hearts of the guests. Many people refer either themselves or friends or family for further contact. ........We were also able to attend the temple this morning--just a five minute walk from our apartment. This is almost heaven!