Tolerance ... and Proposition 8

As most people probably know by now, Proposition 8 is the initiative that was passed in California on Election Day that provides that marriage can only be between a man and woman. Lots of people are very upset that it passed, and there have been lots of protests. There have been several protests outside the LDS temple in Los Angeles. I am sure that part of the reason is that the church supported the passage of Prop 8. Here are some pics:

I can't get the pictures to line up well, but you get the idea. These photos were taken at a protest outside the LA temple. The gay rights movement is constantly asking for tolerance. If these pics are any indication, I think they are sadly lacking in a trait they demand from everyone else.

When you consider that only between 2 and 5 percent of the voters in California are Mormon, the vote clearly did not ride solely on the Mormon vote. And if most Mormons voted for Prop 8, so what anyway? Aren't we all supposed to vote for what we think is right, regardless of whether other people will like it?

The passing of a prophet

President Gordon B. Hinckley, 15th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away yesterday. (Photo from www.lds.org). He was 97. I feel like smacking myself on the forehead.

I work for the state, with children that have been abused or neglected. One day, I was at the hospital visiting a baby that had been born positive for cocaine. As I was leaving the hospital, I passed an elderly gentleman sitting quietly in a chair in the lobby. He was wearing glasses and a suit. He was accompanied by two much younger men, that were clearly security or assistants of some sort. As I walked passed him, I glanced quickly at him as I hurried on my way.

As I glanced at him, I felt my face transform into this huge grin, and I felt suddenly full of joy. Before I could think further, I was already heading out of the hospital. I got in the truck, shut the door, and stopped. I thought, "Holy COW... I think that was President Hinckley!" I debated for a moment, and decided that it couldn't really be him, because, after all, what would he be doing sitting in a hospital lobby in Anchorage???

But the thought kept nagging me. As I drove away, I called my husband. He wanted to know if I had gone back in and talked to him, and I replied, No, and explained why. After talking to him about it, I felt more convinced it was really President Hinckley, and headed back to the hospital, but I was too late; he had already left. As I drove home, I convinced myself once again that it couldn't really be him.

A couple of days later, I heard from various friends that they had seen apostles in the temple that Saturday, and that President Hinckley did stop in Anchorage due to some unknown medical issue. Ever since then, I have called myself all kinds of an idiot for not stopping and at least saying hello. And now, unfortunately, I never will. At least not in this life. Although I have never met him, he will be missed.