UTAH’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1871
NOV. 7, 2014 « FRIDAY » SLTRIB.COM
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SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BANS RELIGION • A LIFELONG QUEST FOR HARMONY Ruling BYU grads found may call love in Paris, a new FRANCISCO KJOLSETH | The Tribune Utah House Republicans chose faith decades later Rep. Greg Hughes as the new House speaker during a closed for high election meeting Thursday at the state Capitol. court’s GOP picks review Hughes “ 6th U.S. Circuit Court If it is con- of Appeals says that as new stitutionally states have the right to irrational to set rules for marriage. speaker stand by the By DAN SEWELL man-woman The Associated Press Utah politics • definition of Cincinnati • The march to- Dunnigan, who led marriage, it ward gay marriage across the Swallow investigation, U.S. hit a roadblock Thursday must be con- is chosen as House stitutionally when afederalappeals courtup- held laws againstthepractice in majority leader. irrational to four states, creating asplitin the stand by the legal system that increases the By ROBERT GEHRKE monogamous chancestheSupremeCourtwill The Salt Lake Tribune step in to decide the issue once definition of and for all. Rep. Greg Hughes was elect- marriage.” The cases decided were from ed Thursday as the new speak- Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and er of the Utah House, prom- JEFFREY Tennessee. ising to bring energy and SUTTON Breaking ranks with oth- transparency to the position 6th Circuit judge er federal courts around the and to be inclusive of all of the country, the 6th U.S. Circuit viewpoints in the body. Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that “Being a House member and Utah A.G. states have the right to set rules being able to be engaged in this to review for marriage and that changing is the honor of my life, and a definition that dates to “the I’m just grateful to be here,” ruling earliest days of human history” Hughes said. “I don’t think it’s State attorney is better done throughthepoliti- completely sunk in.” general’s office cal process, not the courts. Hughes, a Pittsburgh native plans to review “Surely the people should re- who lives in Draper, was first the 6th Circuit ceivesome deferencein deciding elected to the House in 2002. ruling to see if when the time is ripe to move TRENT NELSON | The Salt Lake Tribune He manages apartments and there could be from one picture of marriage An interfaith choir, accompanied by Mary Lou Prince, rehearses Thursday at the South Valley construction projects. implications for to another,” said Circuit Judge Unitarian Universalist Society church in Salt Lake City in preparation for a performance Friday A one-time amateur boxer Utah. › A4 Please see COURT, A4 at the LDS Assembly Hall on Temple Square. and fight promoter, his repu- tation at the Capitol is one of a laid-back wise-cracker to One became a friends and allies, and a pug- minister, the other nacious street-brawler willing a composer, and to mix it up with opponents. Judge rejects Hughes, who is currently together they are the House majority whip, beat building interfaith out House Majority Leader connections within the Brad Dee, and former House feds’ claims Speaker Mel Brown in the Mormon heartland. vote among his colleagues to replace House Speaker Becky for prairie dog By PEGGY FLETCHER STACK Lockhart, who is retiring. The Salt Lake Tribune The Republican caucus held the vote Thursday in a closed- protection Patty Willis and Mary Lou SCOTT SOMMERDORF | The Salt Lake Tribune door meeting. The vote tallies Prince fell madly, deeply for The Rev. Patty Willis, left, pastor at South Valley Unitarian Please see SPEAKER, A4 Ruling • The full impact of the each other in the City of Love Universalist Society church in Cottonwood Heights, and her decision remains unclear as the state —back when Mormonismstill wife, Mary Lou Prince, the church’s music director, tell their viewedtheirmutual attraction story Thursday in their Salt Lake City home. [ says it intends to protect the rodent. as a sinful choice. The year was 1978 and the By REBECCA WALSH and BRETT PRETTYMAN two Brigham Young Univer- HI The Salt Lake Tribune sity graduates met at a Par- Friday’s performance is LDS congregation. They What • A free cantata by Mary Lou Prince and Patty Willis 63 A federal judge has rejected the U.S. government’s spentmany clandestinenights, about the beauty of the Earth 36 justification for protecting the Utah prairie dog. walking along the Seine or se- When • Friday, 7:30 p.m. LO In a ruling issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Dee questered in an apartment, Where • LDS Assembly Hall on Temple Square in Salt Lake Today • Mostly sunny and Benson struck down regulations on the capture and cuddling and talking nonstop City breezy. > B8 killing, or “takes,”of thethreatenedrodenton nonfed- about music and art, French Who • Performing will be an interfaith choir from the eral land because wildlife managers could not prove cuisine and poetry, language South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, the First Unitari- [ theanimal “has asubstantial effect on interstate com- and literature. an Church and a Kaysville Mormon ward Classified Ads Y1 Money A9 merce.” And faith. Comics D14 Obituaries B5 The Pacific Legal Foundation sued 18 months ago Both were multigeneration- So the lovers reluctantly About two years ago, the Editorials A10 Puzzles D15 on behalf of People fortheEthicalTreatmentof Prop- al members of The Church of split up, only to be reunited couple — now officially mar- Film Finder D3 Sports C1 erty Owners (PETPO), a Cedar City group including Jesus Christ of Latter-day after one failed marriage (for ried — returned to the Bee- Legals B4, C7 Television D16 local government leaders, who want to control the Saints and neither wanted to Willis) and shifting views on hive State, where Willis was VOLUME 289 | NUMBER 24 small mammal on private and public property, in- live asecret life withinabelief religion (for both). They lived hired as pastor at the South cludingin thetown cemetery,at parksandon airport system that, at the time, saw abroad for decades, teaching, Valley Unitarian Universalist runways. their feelings as illegitimate, writing, seeking, travelingand Society (SVUU) church and Please see PRAIRIE DOGS, A4 immoral, even perverse. tastingvariousfaithtraditions. Please see HARMONY, A4 A4 UTAH & NATION » Friday, November 7, 2014 THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
proposals on whether to ex- considering options for the case straight to the Supreme Utah A.G. to Speaker pand Medicaid to cover more construction of a new prison. Court Court, for a definitive ruling ≥ Continued from A1 low-income Utahns. Gov. He sponsored legislation ≥ Continued from A1 on whether gays have a con- review the Gary Herbert has reached in 2009 that did away with stitutional right to wed. were not announced. an agreement in principle Utah’s requirements that Jeffrey Sutton, writing for The dissenting judge sug- decision on gay Rep. Jim Dunnigan, with the U.S. Department of bars and taverns be private himself and a fellow George gested that might have been R-Taylorsville, who recent- Health and Human Services clubs and required establish- W. Bush appointee, whileaBill the goal of Sutton and Judge marriage bans ly led the investigation of to cover the poorest Utahns ments to scan patrons’ iden- Clinton appointee dissented. Deborah Cook in their ruling. former Attorney General and subsidize insurance for tification. Cincinnati attorney Al Ger- “Because the correct result State attorneys plan to re- John Swallow, was select- those up to 138 percent of the In 2008, Hughes was the hardstein, who represent- is so obvious, one is tempted view a6thU.S. CircuitCourtof ed by the caucus as the new poverty level. subject of an ethics com- ed gay plaintiffs in two of the to speculate that the majori- Appeals decision upolding gay House majority leader. Rep. But Republican legislators plaint that alleged he at- cases, said he was disappoint- ty has purposefully taken the marriage bans in four states to Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, in both the House and Sen- tempted to bribe a colleague ed and will appeal to the na- contrary position to create the determine whether the ruling was elected House majority ate are wary of the long-term to support school vouchers, tion’s highest court. circuit split,” Judge Martha hasimplcations forUtah’s own whip, and Rep. Brad Wilson, cost of the proposal. had strong-armed lobbyists Ohio Attorney General Craig Daugherty wrote. same-sex marriage laws, an at- R-Kaysville, was selected as Hughes said he plans to into backing the voucher Mike DeWine’s office, which In October, the Supreme torney general’s office spokes- assistant whip. draw on the expertise of movement and of intimidat- argued in support of the vot- Court turned away appeals woman said Thursday. Senate President Wayne Dunnigan, who owns an in- ing political opponents. er-passed 2004 Ohio ban from five states seeking to up- “It’s a complicated legal anal- Niederhauser, R-Sandy, who surance agency, and Gibson, At the time, Hughes called on gay marriage, said it was hold their same-sex marriage ysis, so it’s not that easy to say,” was re-elected Thursday to who is a health care admin- it a politically motivated “pleased thecourtagreed with bans. The ruling had the ef- Missy Larsen said. his leadership post, said he istrator, as well as four phy- hatchet job timed on the eve ourargumentsthat important fect of expanding gay mar- Gay marriage became le- got to know Hughes when sicians in the Legislature to of the election. After seven issues such as theseshould be riage across the U.S. gal in Utah in December 2013, Niederhauser first ran for the inform the decision-makers. days of testimony, the House determined through the dem- The big question now is when a federal district judge Senate in 2006, since their “You’re going to see that Ethics Committee exonerat- ocratic process.” whether an appeal can be overturned thestate’svoter-ap- districts overlap. expertise, that citizen Leg- ed Hughes, although it wrote In its ruling, the appeals ready in time for consider- proved banon same-sexunions, “We became instant islature and the areas they a reprimand to Hughes for courtrejected oneof themain ationby thejustices thisterm. ruling it unconstitutional.Utah friends, and I have appreciat- understand,” Hughes said. conduct “unbecoming of a arguments against gay mar- Generally, the court would lost an appealof thedecision to ed him over the years,” Nie- “We’re really going to drill member of the Utah House riage, saying that same-sex have to decide by mid-Janu- the 10th Circuit Court of Ap- derhauser said. “He’s an en- down on [Medicaid] with of Representatives.” couples are just as capable as ary whether to hear the case peals, and sought a hearing be- ergetic and dynamic person.” the guiding principle being Hughes said he was heterosexual ones of effective- in time for a decision in June. fore the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican senators re- that we do right by our con- changed by the process and ly raisingchildren.ButSutton Otherwise, the case would That petition, which like tained the rest of their lead- stituents.” is a different person than he suggested that the same argu- probably not be decided until the 6th Circuit case was based ership team, with Senate Ma- In 2013, Hughes spon- was then. “I’ve learned a lot ment that says there is a con- June 2016. on a states’ rights argument, jority Leader Ralph Okerlund, sored legislation expanding in my time here,” he said. stitutional right to gay mar- The ruling followed more was rejected Oct. 6, when the R-Monroe, running unop- campaign finance reporting, Dunnigan was first elect- riagecouldbe used in support than 20 court victories for high court declined to hear posed. Sen. Stuart Adams, requiring nonprofits and cor- ed in 2002. He has been the of polygamy or some other backers of gay marriage since any same-sex marriage-relat- R-Layton, won re-election as porations to disclose money body’s point man on health combination. “If it is constitu- the Supreme Court struck ed cases. With that decision, majority whip and Sen. Pete spent independently on rac- reform issues, especially the tionally irrational to stand by down part of the federal De- same-sex marriage became le- Knudson, R-Brigham City, es in response to so-called implementation of the Af- the man-woman definition of fenseof MarriageActlast year. gal in Utah. was chosen once again as as- “dark money” that was used fordable Care Act — better marriage, it must be constitu- Michigan’s and Kentucky’s The deadline to ask the Su- sistant whip. to oust Rep. Brad Daw. known as Obamacare. tionally irrational to stand by cases stemmed from rulings preme Court to reconsider its Hughes served as chair- He led the creation of the In the summer of 2013, themonogamous definition of strikingdown each state’sgay decision on Utah’s case wasFri- man of the board of the Utah Prison Relocation and De- Lockhart asked Dunnigan marriage,” he wrote. marriage ban. Ohio’s two cas- day. The state did not ask for a Transit Authority during sev- velopment Authority in 2011, to chair the House Investi- Gay-rights advocatescould es focused on the state’s re- reconsideration, Larsen said. eral tumultuous years for the sponsoring legislation that gative Committee, looking seek a review of the panel’s fusalto recognizeout-of-state More than half of Utahns agency until his he stepped brought about the commis- into allegations of corrup- decision by the full 6th Cir- gay marriages because of its oppose same-sex unions, as down in September. sion to study the relocation tion against Swallow. The cuit. But because the court own ban, while Tennessee’s does The Church of Jesus One of the top priorities in of the Utah State Prison in $4 million probe concluded is made up mostly of Repub- was narrowly focused on the Christ of Latter-day Saints,the both the House and Senate Draper, which is in his dis- that Swallow had hung a “For lican appointees, advocates rights of three same-sex cou- state’s dominant religion. will be digesting competing trict. The group is currently Sale” sign on the office. will probably try to move the ples. – Jennifer Dobner
in the 1970s and ’80s. medieval French at the Uni- They still tried to attend When the women moved to world traveler and master sto- Harmony Neither, frankly, could Patty versity of Illinois. She eventu- Mormon services, but men at Tucson in 2007 andlooked fora ryteller, to boot. ≥ Continued from A1 Willis or Mary Lou Prince. ally met and married a nice church considered them po- church, they sought out a near- “She has brought a breath of — Mormon man, who was work- tential mates and it grew awk- by UU congregation. new life into our congregation,” Prince became the music direc- ing on a doctorate in philoso- ward.Plus,therewascontinued Before long,Willis felt called Lund says. “We wanted to get torfortheCottonwood Heights A family adventure • Hav- phy at UCLA. theologicaldissonancebetween to the ministry. She enrolled new members through the congregation. ing the name “Patty” was no Soon, though, Willis began their sexual feelings and LDS in a three-year program at a doors and she’s accomplished Thetwohave writtenhymns, accident. Willis’ great-great- to believe that the marriage teachings. Quaker divinity school in Indi- that.” some of which will be per- great grandmother was Pat- was killing her. She had a hard On top of that, both their ana. Upon her return to Arizo- SVUU’s 200-strong congre- formed Friday evening by a ty Bartlett Sessions, a pio- time speaking. She couldn’t Mormon families (with the ex- na in 2011, the two began their gation includes atheists, hu- joint SVUU, First Unitarian neering Mormon midwife. write. She didn’t recognize her- ception of Greg Prince) had re- musical collaboration, pen- manists, agnostics, former and Kaysville LDS ward choir Willis’ great-grandmother, Pat- self in the mirror. One day, she acted with horror, disappoint- ning hymns for the congrega- Mormons, ex-Christians and at the Assembly Hall on down- ty, named after her famous an- drove into the parking lot of ment and sadness at the news tion,wherePrince hadbecome believers. It has a sizable con- town Salt Lake City’s Temple cestor, “was huge in my life,” their married-student housing of their love. The couple jetted composer-in-residence as well tingent of LGBT members. Square. The couple see such the minister says. and couldn’t get out of the car. to Japan for a year to get a new as music director. Willis and Prince have interfaith harmony as part of Willis’familyhailed from the An hour passed. Then another. start. They wound up staying The music poured out of reached outto allof thediverse their mission. Bighorn Basin of north-central And another. away for more than 24 years them as never before, with groups but have a special con- “I spent my first 30 years in Wyoming, but herLDSparents Finally, Willis drove away, until the alienation on both words of praise and hope fly- nection to those from an LDS Mormonismandmy second 30 (a field geologist dad and a care- she says, “and left that life.” sides had eased. ing onto the page. background. years outside of it,” Prince says. giving mom) hadwanderlustso That’s when she reconnect- — “Every choice I’ve made They know how it feels to be “Now I want to build bridg- they draggedtheirfive children ed to thewomanwhohadstart- brought me to this holy moun- spiritually adrift and how to es. More than half of our sing- all over the globe — Libya, Bah- ed it all and began her rebirth. A life entwined • Much like tain,” proclaims one piece. “If I make peace with the past. ersused to be Mormon.It’s our rain, Venezuela and points in — Willis’ movable childhood, step ahead, will I fall to Earth? Some years ago, Prince rec- tribe.” between. the two travelers felt their vi- Or will angels’ arms bear me onciled with her family, who Prince’sbrother, Greg Prince, Her parents embodied the Apleasant cocoon •MaryLou sion enlarge as they lived and up?” embraced Willis with gusto. wonders if his sister had come hospitality principles that Wil- Prince grew up in the shadow worked abroad, while explor- The two finally felt they had And many of Willis’ extend- out as lesbian in today’s world, lis now associates with Unitar- of theLosAngelesLDSTemple, ing the globe’s holy places. found a spiritual home. ed kin came for her ordination whether she would have had to ian Universalism. As a child, seeing the Angel Moroni stat- They learned Japanese, Then came a call from Utah. in October 2012. As part of the choose between her piety and though, she saw it all through ue atop the holy “House of the taught English and labored as — ceremony, her relatives placed her partner. a Mormon prism. Church and Lord” from her living room. translators. They painted, fash- their hands on her, forming a In the past decade, the LDS family became synonymous. To Prince, Mormonism pro- ionedceramicartandproduced A congregation renewed • chain that linked the whole Church has taken a “big leap,” It was only natural for her vided an all-encompassing playsformental hospitals. They South Valley Unitarian Univer- congregation. Greg Prince says in a phone to go to LDS Church-owned community —andahappyone lived off the land in a village salist had gone through sever- In the Unitarian tradition, interview from his Maryland BYU for college and to study at that. Friends, parties, sto- on that nation’s western coast, al pastors, layministersandan Willis explains, the people or- home, when it acknowledged languages, in this case, French ries, services, songs and beliefs whichWillis laterwroteabook interim leader when the con- dain their leader. that homosexuality is “not a and Spanish. all revolved around it. about it. gregation’s leaders heard about Current SVUU board choice. It is biology.” After graduation, she got After high school, she, too, They prayed with Buddhists, Willis in the fall of 2012. co-President Lory Schantz un- Since then, the Utah-based the chance to teach begin- headed to BYU, and, on herfirst dined with Hindus, debated “We had been kind of stag- derstands such gestures. faithseemsto be “backing away ning French in the school’s day there, decided to major in with Muslims, sang with Sikhs nant for a while, We were not “I am not the kind of per- from holding disciplinary hear- study-abroad program in Par- music composition. In fact, mu- and worshipped with various growing at all. In fact, we were son who throws praise around ings for gays,” he says. “And, if is, where she ran smack into a sic took Prince to Paris in 1977 types of Christians and Jews losing ground,” explains Mac lightly,” Schantz says, “but she you are gay and celibate, you conflict between her faith and to studywith thefamedFrench across Asia, the Middle East Lund, who was the board pres- brings out the best in all of us.” now can serve a full-time pros- her desires. composer Nadia Boulanger. and Africa. ident when Willis was offered Lund and Schantz hope the elytizing mission.” Willis was the one who end- Prince, a tomboy as a child, One day, on the road to Da- the job. “We needed to get ex- couple’s journeying is over — Mormonism’scurrentstance ed therelationship with Prince. had already had a couple of re- mascus — where the Apostle citement back into coming on that they will continue to make holds that same-sex attraction “Some people knew how lationships with women in col- Paul had a blinding vision of Sunday, someone who would music together in the Mormon “is not a sin, but acting on it is.” to do it, but I could not,” the lege, but she also dated men. Jesus — Willis and Prince met make our services enjoyable heartland for a long, long while. Greg Prince, who serves on soft-spoken pastor says now. “If Then therewasWillis.When an American, who introduced again.” And that they’ll always have theboardof Affirmation, asup- Ihadtriedto live adouble life,I the two broke up, they didn’t them to Unitarian Universal- Willis was exactly what the Paris — and each other. port group for gay Latter-day could not have survived.” meet againforacouple of years ism. church leaderswere lookingfor, Saints, says he could not have Shereturned to theU.S. and until they reconnected in L.A. They never forgot that seren- he says — energetic, open, kind, [email protected] imagined such acceptance back pursued a graduate degree in and moved in together. dipitous encounter. positive, bright, upbeat, and a Twitter: @religiongal
“The Division of Wildlife Re- business interfering with prop- land development. They also the population around 40,000. in check. But he believes more Prairie dogs sources supports the right of erty rights where the allegedly notedthedogs improvethesoil It currently is listed as “threat- populated areas, including Ce- ≥ Continued from A1 the state to manage all wild- endangered species has no con- where they burrow. And large ened” on the Endangered Spe- dar City, should be able to con- life withinitsboundaries,” said nection to, or effect on, inter- predators, including golden ea- cies List. trol the rodent population, if “This ruling frees the people Greg Sheehan, director of the state commerce.” gles, hawks and bobcats, prey U.S. Fish and Wildlife offi- only for health reasons. Prairie of Cedar City from unconsti- state Division of Wildlife Re- Thetwosidesendedup mak- on the little animals. cials are “in the process of eval- dogs can carry bubonic plague tutional regulations that made sources. “Our citizens should be ing economic arguments to de- Benson rejected those ar- uating the court decision,” said and monkey pox. it impossible for them to build awarethat theUtah prairiedog bate wildlife protections be- guments. “Although the Com- Laura Romin, assistant field su- “People tolerate the animals their dream homes, defend is still aprotectedspeciesunder cause the U.S. Constitution’s merce Clause authorizes Con- pervisor for the agency’s Utah until they start digging up the their airport and protect the Utah law and cannot be legally Commerce Clause allows the gressto do many things, it does office. graves or eating the flowers,” sanctity of their loved ones’ fi- killed or removed at this time.” federal government to inter- notauthorize Congress to regu- Meantime, southern Utah Christensensaid.“And if you’ve nal resting places,” said Jona- Even Utah Sen. OrrinHatch cede in intrastate economic is- late takes of a purely intrastate ranchers,airportmanagers and got a bunch of rodents digging than Wood, staff attorney with weighed in Thursday. sues, including state gun and species that has no substantial government leaderswere doing up your yard, it’s the property theCalifornia-based legalfoun- “This is the first time a fed- marijuana laws. effect on interstate commerce,” the same. owners’ right to remove them.” dation. eral court has found that En- Many in southern Utah con- Benson wrote. “I don’t think it will affect us Another lawsuit challenging In southwestern Utah, dangered Species Act regula- sider the animal a pest and its Unique to the state, nearly much,” said Dave Christensen, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- where most of the prairie dogs tions limiting the taking of a burrows a nuisance and a dan- 100,000 Utah prairiedogs lived president of the Parker Moun- vice’sdecision permitting devel- live, ranchers and local govern- listed species exceed the scope ger. in eightof thestate’scounties in tain Grazers Association in opments on prairie dog habitat ment leaderswere assessingthe of Congress’s enumerated pow- But federal wildlife manag- the 1920s. But after decades of Wayne County. in Garfield and Iron counties impact of the ruling. ers,” Hatch said in a statement. ers argued the prairie dog ac- eradication programs, the pop- Christensen says the prairie still is pending. But state wildlife managers “The court’s decision confirms tually impacts interstate com- ulationdroppedto 3,300in the dog population on the moun- said they would continue to what we have said all along: mercewhen itsprotection stops 1970s. tain and at the Wayne Won- Tribune reporter Thomas Burr protect the rodents. Thefederalgovernment hasno agricultural operations and More recent estimates set derland Airport has been kept contributed to this report. UTAH’S INDED EPPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1871
JUNE 1, 2014 « SUNDAY » SLTRIB.COM
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TRIBUNE A F R I C A Prisoner swap Guinea Benin SPECIAL Nigeria Ghana Togo REPORT Ivory Coast frees Idahoan GHANA Liberia held captive in Accra Cameroon Afghanistan POW • Lone U.S. captive from Afghan conflict had been held for five years.
By ERIC SCHMITT forfive Talibanprisoners and CHARLIE SAVAGE held at Guantánamo Bay, New York Times News Service Cuba, Obama adminis- tration officials said Sat- Washington • The urday. lone U.S. prisoner of war The soldier — Sgt. from the Afghan con- Bowe Bergdahl, 28, of flict, captured by insur- Hailey, Idaho — was gents nearly five years handed over to U.S. Spe- ago, has been released to cial Operations troops U.S. forces in exchange Please see CAPTIVE, A16
D-DAY • 70TH ANNIVERSARY DIPPED IN Seventh-day Adventist pastor Richard Daves bap- tizes converts in muddied river water near Pokause, RELIGIOUS Ghana. The Adventists, AP file photo Mormons and Jehovah’s Troops on Utah Beach on June 9, 1944, take shelter behind Witnesses are U.S.-born a sea wall. Gayle Eyler, inset, may have had a role in the faiths growing in the Afri- beach being given a Utah moniker. can nation. FERVOR How a Utahn may Strict teachings, missionary zeal, community Project spirit turn Africans into Jehovah’s Witnesses, have put state on support Seventh-day Adventists and Latter-day Saints. Tribune report- er Peggy Fletch- By PEGGY FLETCHER STACK map at Normandy er Stack and her The Salt Lake Tribune husband, pho- and PHOTOS by MICHAEL STACK Invasion • A veteran’s son still seeks tographer Mi- chael Stack, trav- Accra, Ghana •Evidenceof morningand evening. Believers confirmation of his father’s story. eled to Ghana Christianity’s hold on thisWest pour into storefront sanctuar- as fellows for Africannationiseverywhere— iestoworship with NewHeav- LDS mission- By NATE CARLISLE believes they discovered the Washington, from JesusFurniture Works en ProsperityMinistry, Power ary Thom- The Salt Lake Tribune the answer in an old note- D.C.-based Inter- andRockofAgesHairSalon to of FaithWorldwide andeven as Fornaro, book found after their pa- national Center With GodAll ThingsAre Pos- theGhana Police Church. above, tries It’s an obscuremystery triarch, Gayle Eyler, died for Journalists, sible FashionDesigns andslo- Thrown into thiseclectic to get an ad- in the annals of World in Nebraska in 2003. He whose program gans such as “trust andobey”or mixare three American-born dress from a War II history. was 81. to promote glob- “God neverfails”painted on taxi versions of theancient faith— local woman How did Utah and Seventy years ago, Ey- al excellence in windows. Mormonism, Jehovah’sWit- in Accra. Jeho- Omaha beaches — two ler —from a little Iowa religion coverage It’s on thetoweringcross nessesand Seventh-dayAd- vah’s Witness- chunks of French sand townacross theriverfrom is supported by overChristthe King Catholic ventism—eachclaimingto es Kingdom that were thescenes of the Omaha, Neb. — was a car- the Henry Luce Church andinthe sounds of stripawaycenturies of tradi- Hall meeting best-known dayin Ameri- penter in the U.S. Army, Foundation. religiousexuberanceblaring tion to practice apurer,more times in Laba- canmilitaryhistory—get workingforD-Dayground into thestreets nearly every Please see GHANA, A10 di, Ghana. their code names? troops commander Gen. A Midwestern family Please see NORMANDY, A14
[ [ HI LO Classified Ads W1 Obituaries B6 Find us on Facebook Books D4 Puzzles D12 77 54 facebook.com/saltlaketribune Pakistan launches airstrikes Editorials O1 Sports C1 Follow us on Twitter WORLD • Pakistan launched airstrikes against Afghanistan Horoscope D12 Television D13 twitter.com/sltrib Saturday following Taliban raids against Pakistani military Movies D15 Utah news B1 Get customized email updates posts near the border. It was the latest in a number of skir- www.sltrib.com/pages/email mishes near the two countries’ porous boundary. > A5 VOLUME 288 | NUMBER 48 Today • Mostly sunny. > C12
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TEACHING, PREACHINGAND PROSELYTIZING
Margaret Asare, right, amemberof TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,teachesLDS primarychildrenin Teishi,Ghana.
Apreacher,below, delivers amessage at aJehovah’s Wit- ness Sunday meeting in Labbadi, Ghana.
LDSmissionaries,be- lowinset,talktoa localshopkeeper, Le- noreAhwah,inthe PigHill sectionofAc- cra, thecapital of Ghana.
An AdventistSun- dayschoolteach- er,bottom, gets the children’s attention duringclass in Cape Coast, Ghana.
- - - Mormonism’s standardized yellow chairs with the words Ghana Faith-drenched demo- chapels. “Good Lord” stamped on the ≥ Continued from A1 graphic • Ghana, though ec- Mormonismmaybe growing back and chickens running un- onomically depressed, is a rel- the fastest, but Jehovah’s Wit- der feet, many line up to get a Bible-based brand of Christi- atively stable country on the nesses are more numerous and free “health screening,” includ- anity. continent, with strong protec- widespread. ing height, weight and blood All three faiths emerged in tionsforreligiousfreedom in its “They are more aggressive pressure. They listen patiently the 19th century at a time of constitution andno objection to about opening new areas,” says to an hourlong lecture on osteo- religious upheaval and fervent proselytism. Matt Martinich, a researcher in porosis—notmuch of aproblem millennial anticipation in the More than 70 percent of Gha- Colorado Springs who tracks for Africans — from materials eastern U.S. — each preaching naians areChristians,according worldwide growth of these produced at church headquar- a coming apocalypse and the to the 2010 census. The largest churches. “They send members ters in Maryland. Music booms return of Jesus in the flesh. All group, as elsewhere, hails from to a new city where there isn’t a from giant speakers held aloft three exist outside the bound- the Pentecostal or charismat- Witnesspresence andgive them on poles, whileonlookerswatch aries of historic Christianity, ic movement, with 28 percent the commission to start a new a film about Jesus. though Adventists, with their of the country’s 25 million peo- church.” Waahu, decked out in a dark paid clergy and Protestant-like ple. Next come mainline Prot- Mormons, on the other hand, suit, preaches in clipped Eng- organization, come closest to it. estants, including Anglicans, at follow a “centers of strength” lish (which is translated into two They have found ways and 18.4 percent, followed by Cath- strategy. Their missionaries fo- tribal languages) about the Sab- means to explain Christ’s de- olics with 13 percent. Muslims cus on cities where most mem- bath,whilehiswordsgo up on a layed return, and developed make up about 17 percent of the bers live,whichsometimes slows big screen. tools for surviving into and be- population. the religion’s spread to rural re- He begins by condemning yond the 21st century — and in Of the three American-born gions. those who believe in evolution, settings far from where they be- faiths, the Adventists arrived Adventists reach outvialarge saying they think that “every- gan. Allhave zealousmissionary first — 126 years ago — and gatherings and a television min- thing happens by chance or by efforts, attracting followers to boastthebiggestmembership at istry. accident.” distinctive brands of Christian nearly 400,000 and 1,243 con- All three denominations are Not so, Waahu says. “God worship, beliefs and practices. gregations. They have built 916 involved in what Carl Raschke gave us a symbol of his creation They baptize by immersion and schools, 13 hospitals and 12 clin- describes as “infrastructure every week to remind us — the eschew alcohol and tobacco. ics throughout the country. evangelism.” Sabbath.” Of course, each insistsitsown Jehovah’s Witnesses came “They will go in and build At night’s end, he asks the versionis the“one andonly true in 1924 and have more than schools and churches and devel- crowd: “If it is your decision to church.” 100,000 members—threetimes opment projects that thepeople commit to Christ, stand up and Meanwhile,other Christians that many attend their annual desperatelyneed,” says Raschke, come forward.” andobserverscanseethat these conventions in Ghana — with a religious studies expert at the Many do. three denominations quietly more than 1,000 congregations. University of Denver who has Charles Essien, 20, found his are growing in number, visibili- The church could use an addi- written about Christianity in faith through a friend and by at- ty and influence across Africa — tional hundred “kingdom halls,” Africa. “Well-constructed build- tending a different crusade. and particularly in Ghana. or meetinghouses, because it ings have an element of prestige.” “I want to die as Christ and These days, you can see baptizesan average of 114people Plus, these faiths tap into be reborn,” Essien says as he neatly dressed Witnesses going aweek,Ghanaian Witnessessay. long-standing community rela- stands on the banks of a muddy house to house, clutching their Mormons began evangeliz- tionships, extendedfamiliesand rivernear Pokuase, an hour or so Bibles on the red dirt roads of ing in earnest in 1978 after the traditions. outside Accra.“God is in theSat- Accra. Then there are pairs of Utah-based faith ended its cen- “Africans are not as individu- urday Sabbath.” young Mormon missionaries turylong ban on men of Afri- alisticas we are,”he says.“They He dons a blue choir robe, — one of whom is often Ameri- can descent in the church’s all- are tribal in terms of faith pref- then joins about 30 other bap- can — in white shirts and dark male priesthood (though scores erences.” tismal candidates, who will go pants, sweltering on street cor- of Ghanaians had read LDS ma- Growth really depends, he under the water at the hands of ners in front of giant posters terialsandthoughtthey were al- says, on which missionary gets pastor RichardDavesof Pokuase proclaiming “Families Are For- ready members before that). there first. Seventh-day Adventist Church. ever.” And how TheChurch of JesusChrist of That wouldbe theAdventists. Daves, wearing rubber wad- about all those Latter-day Saints reports more - - - ers, intones a prayer for each well-mannered than 57,000 Ghanaians on its threesomeas they come forward Adventists, con- rolls, but the number attending Advent of Adventists • Ad- for baptism. sistently filling is less than 50 percent of that, ventist missionaries arrived in “Father God Almighty, peo- their pews on accordingto LDS officials there. Ghana in 1888, and almost im- ple want to enterinto acovenant Saturday, while Of the three denominations, mediately found potential con- with you. Angels may surround others work or however, the LDS Church has verts, especially in rural areas. them.Come bless your children. play? the grandest, most prestigious They discovered the Ashan- Break everycovenant with Sa- The country headquarters — and the most ti tribe, which coincidentally be- tan with your children and set not only abides white Americans involved in its lieved Godwasborn on Saturday them free,” Daves implores. “You these newcom- activities. — theAdventists’ holy day and volunteer to come to Christ, to ers, in recent Its gleaming white temple most distinctive doctrine. renounce alife of sinandworldly years, it also has with gold angel on top looms Now, some 60 percent of Gha- vicesandto walk with theLord.” welcomed them. above Accra’s Independence Av- naian Adventists are Ashanti, He concludes: “I baptize you “Every Chris- enue,across from theCanadian explains Solace Asafo-Hlordzi, in the name of the Father, Son tian has tac- Embassy on one of the most im- communication director forthe and Holy Spirit. Amen.” tics for win- portantstreetsin thecapital.Its denomination’s Southern Ghana Some candidates gag as they ning souls for manicured lawns and gardens Union Conference. come up —overcome either by their church,” spreadacross many acres, which Allit takesto be baptizedis to the spirit of the moment or the says Kingsley also hold an apartment build- accept Christ as your personal dirt-clogged water. Darko, an elder ing for temple patrons, a distri- savior, she says, and to attend a Later candidates cover their with the Ghana- butioncenter,an office building, Bible studies class. face with a towel, just in case. basedChurch of an LDS stake center, and, soon, Such conversions often hap- New members can also be Pentecost who the country’s Missionary Train- pen after one of the faith’s “cru- children of current Adventists, nowlivesin Utah. ing Center. sades,” during which a pastor who are at least 12, an age the Witnesses and Mormons, for Mormon chapels are easi- might gather crowds at an out- church considers old enough to example, “have time to go out ly identifiable on Accra’s archi- door location and spell out Ad- make an informed decision. and reach people,” Darko says. tectural landscape, being larger ventist beliefs every night for Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth “I like it.” and more Bountiful-like than twoweeks. At theendof hispre- Acquah, whose father is an Ad- He doesn’t share the Adven- the smaller structures favored sentation — Adventist clerics in ventist pastor, was recently bap- tists’ view of the Sabbath or by Adventists and Jehovah’s Africa, like Witness elders and tized by immersion in a swim- shunning meat, but he believes Witnesses. Mormon bishops, are always ming pool (Adventist churches that church’s emphasis on learn- Seeing the size and style of men — onlookers are invited to don’t have fonts). ing and health has made a pos- the LDS buildings, some call come forward and declare their “Fromthefirstmoment,Ifelt itive contribution to the nation. Mormonism “the rich church,” Christian awakening. aheavyload lifted from me,” the “Sometimes we have lotsof ar- presuming that it teaches the On a sweltering night in youngteen said.“I want to work guments,”Darkosays,“and then “prosperity gospel” — that God March, dozens of curious seek- with God. Iwant to feel hispres- we laugh and disperse.” blessestherighteouswith earth- ers gather in Jamestown, a fish- ence.” Everybody, he says, “thinks ly wealth —or giveshandoutsto ing village and former British For Witnesses, it’s about the there is good in other faiths.” new converts. trading post, for a nightly ser- preaching. It doesn’t, though that per- monby pastor Ambrose Waahu. ception persists, thanks to While they wait on plastic Please see GHANA,NEXTPAGE WWW.SLTRIB.COM SUNDAY,JUNE 1, 2014 ≤ WORLD & NATION < A11
O VIEW A VIDEO AND MORE PHOTOS > SLTRIB.COM
NURTURING ASENSE OF COMMUNITY
Townspeoplewatch video, left, aboutJe- susChrist at aSev- enth-day Adventist crusade in James- town,Ghana.
Building houses of worshipisone way American-born faiths provideasense of community in Ghana. Three such examples, belowleft, top to bottom,are theSev- enth-day Adventist Church in Pokuase, Ghana,the LDSTem- pleinthe capitalcity of Accraand theJe- hovah’sWitness Ghana Branch head- quarters in Nungua.
example, the mission has 130 Membership growth Ghana young men and 16 young wom- Statistics for Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh-day ≥ Continued from PREVIOUS PAGE en (82 of the total are non-Afri- Adventists in Ghana, 2012-2013: cans). - - - They also have an employ- LDS Jehovah’s Witnesses Seventh-day Adventists Witnessing to neighbors ment center,aliteracy program, Members 57,748 109,085 396,815 • William Brown brought his the Perpetual Education Fund Congregations 168 1,671 1,243 faith’sbiblical teachings to Gha- (to provide loans to Mormon na in the early part of the 20th college students), welfare ser- Percent increase 10.2% 4% 4.02% century. vices and workshops on self-re- Source:http://www.adventiststatistics.org, mormonnewsroom.org, http://www.jw.org Within a few decades, king- liance. dom halls sprang up in towns No matter how poor, though, “In addition to the prompt- to Mormon chapels for servic- and villages throughout the the LDS Church expects all to ings of the Holy Ghost and the es and activities, hostility from country. Each onehasthesame pay a tenth of their income to innate gospel message,Ibelieve extendedfamilymembers, and rectangularlayout,with astage the faith. There is no collection it is our sense of equality and an unfamiliar style of worship, or speaker’spodiumat thefront, plate, andno oneis paid fortheir community that attracts peo- LDS officials says. chairs lined up in rows on both religious duties. ple to thechurch,” Hill writes in Marriage, such a key com- sides of a center aisle, and class- “The LDScommunity seems an email. “Ghana is still some- ponent in Mormon lives and rooms and a library behind. to offerconcrete,practicalassis- what astratified societyand, by beliefs, is made more compli- Each hall is built primarily by tance to members in need, and contrast,we have no paid minis- cated by the persistence of the those who will use it. I think they’re very effective tryandno apparent distinctions traditional practice of a “bride By 1952, the group’s mate- with their missionary and pro- based on education, income or price” or paymentto awoman’s rials — written in the United motional material and messag- ethnicity. Where else are there family — sometimes as high as States, printed in England and es,” says Susanna Morrill, a reli- white people as missionaries $10,000 to $20,000 — before a shippedto Africa —beganto be gioushistorianat Lewis&Clark living in ordinary housing and wedding can take place. translated into Ghana’s tribal College in Portland, Ore. “[Mor- positions of authority held by Some 60 percent of Ghana’s languages. Today, theBible and monism’s] focus on maintain- plumbers (Kaneshie ward and Mormons are young adults, all the U.S.-produced copies of ing relationships with dead an- Tantra Hills ward) carpenters these officials say, and can- The Watchtower and Awake! cestors and future generations (a bishop in the Kasoa stake), not afford to marry because of are available in six tribal lan- seems to jibe well with the an- farmers(most ruralareas),and these expectations amid high guages in addition to English. cestral focus of traditional Afri- schoolteachers?” unemployment. This is essential for Wit- can religions.” John A. Koranteng, an area Despite such hurdles, many nesses’ weekly worship, which That was among the many Seventy for Ghana, also found Ghanaians are finding a home includes two hours of Bible attractions for Emmanuel Kis- the LDS Church’s lay clergy in thesethree faiths. They are study, scripture discussion and si. The 75-year-old physician comforting. stricter, more hierarchical and preaching lessons. converted in 1979 while he was “Mormonism offers partic- orderly than many other Chris- At the Wireless Road King- away at aBritishmedicalschool, ular answers about having a tian groups. dom Hall in Accra, about 150 then returned to his home- direct relationship with God,” They emphasize disciplined men and women — along with nearby evangelicalchurch waft go outto preach.Some go street land and “found fragmentsof says Koranteng, who convert- living andcommunity building a few well-behaved children — in through the windows. contacting as earlyas 6a.m. We the church in Accra and Cape ed nearly 20 years ago. “I like — and they try to stay in touch file into the early Sunday ser- “Brothers, we must align our see preaching as a lifesaving Coast.” not relying on a pastor but go- with those who wander. vice in English. They greet one thoughts and actions with Je- work for those we approach. It In his Ashanti tribe, a lot de- ing straight to God.” “If I am unable to go to ser- anotheras “brother”and“sister.” hovah,” Charway says with lit- is a very, very important assign- pends on having a relationship He also appreciates the em- vices in my church, nobody Before the proceedings be- tleemotion. “A good conscience ment.” with one’s ancestors. phasis on raisingrighteousfam- comes looking for me,” says gin, congregants pick up “dec- affects everything.” Witness beliefs are straight- “If you want to be a leader in iliesandthat everymember has Ernestina Novieto, a lectur- laration cards” on the front ta- At the end of the speech, the forward, he says. They come your clan, you must belong to aresponsibility to contributeto er on religion at the University ble, which have spaces to list attendees applaud. from the Bible. the right lineage,” the doctor the Lord’s kingdom. of Ghana. “The fact that they how many hours of witnessing They sing again and be- No politics. No rituals. No says. “Family history and ge- Others are drawn to LDS come to my house is very ap- they gave that month. gin the next phase: a question- liturgy. No holidays.NoTrinity. nealogy [as taught in the LDS temple worship, its signature pealing.” The elder in charge that day and-answer exercise from The The Lord’s Supper only once at Church] is in our culture.” scripture, the Book of Mormon, Mormons, Jehovah’s Wit- then offers a prayer addressed Watchtower. theannual convention.Miracles It is also easy for Ghanaians and teachings about pre- and nesses and Seventh-day Ad- to “Jehovah Father.” That is how all Witness ser- only in Jesus’ time. No paid cler- to embraceMormonism’s“First post-mortal life. ventists are filling in the gaps The congregation sings a vices go, says Francis Kwabala, gy.No blood transfusions,based Vision” story, in which founder Some prefer Mormonism’s, left by other churches, Novieto hymn, including these words: atour guide at thefaith’sGhana on biblical statements about Joseph Smith claimed to see well, more sedate form of wor- says. “Where other faiths have “We love Jehovah with heart, headquarters, Bethel House, in avoiding blood. God and Jesus. ship. failed, these new faiths take ad- mind and soul. But since we Nungua,about ahalf hour away Just moral living and the “Europeans think Africans “I went to an evangelical vantage.” aresinful,we need self-control.” from Accra. command to spread the Good are superstitious because be- church where they sing all day, Maybeoneday, images of the Dan Charway, the speak- Thecampusincludesarecep- News. lieving in the unseen is in our clap all day, speak in tongues Angel Moroni, clips from The er, reads a story from The tion area, kingdom hall, offices “We don’t put pressure on folklore,” he says. “It is replete and stay up all night,” says Jo- Watchtower and slogans about Watchtower about a plane that and dorms, where more than anyone,” Jyssi says. “We learn with experiences like Joseph’s. seph Larbie,whojoined theLDS the Sabbath will pop up on bill- crashed when it lost its way. 300 full-time workers help in how to respond respectfully.” When Ireadhisstoryin my lan- Church in 1985. “I decided that boards, taxis or hair salons. “Everyone needs a compass,” the dining room, laundry, auto Not everybody, he says, lis- guage, the details of his interac- this was not the way for me.” Charwaysays.“Our conscience maintenance and printing facil- tened to Jesus, either. tion with deity, it is enough for Would-be converts or new [email protected] Twitter: @religiongal is our compass. But conscience ities. They areconsideredvolun- - - - me. God is the same as he was members face an array of chal- has been lost in the modern teers, whoreceivehousing, food with Abraham and Moses.” lenges, includingtransportation world; we want to do our own and a small living allowance. Latter-day latecomers • Kissi also likes the LDS thing.” It fits with the time commit- Mormons came to West Afri- Church’s lay clergy. His bishop Many people in the world ment that the church requires: ca much later, but they have is a gardener. FDIC INSURED GUARANTEED! “are dressing in a shabby or im- To be consideredafull member, jumped in with typical zeal. Norman C. Hill, president of modest way,” he says. “And the a Witness must blanket neigh- They have four missions, with the Accra West LDS Mission, world’s entertainment gratifies borhoods for a certain number just under 150 missionar- sees that as appealing to other sexualpromiscuity. ... People are of hoursaweek.Thosewhogive ies each — in Accra West, for Ghanaians. used totheseworldlyconditions 70 hoursor more are called “pi- % but Jehovah does not change.” oneers.” CommemorativeAir Force (CAF) Heads are down. Even chil- It’s not a chore, says William dren sit quietly as fans whir Jyssi, an administrator at the B-25 Bomber 4.25 overhead. People in pews fol- University of Cape Coast near Maid in the Shade low along in their Bibles, while Elmina, a few hours from Ac- 6MonthCD- 5Star RatedBanksAvailable Heber City Airport drumming and singing from a cra. “Every Witness is elated to June 9-16 4001South700 East Suite 500 Bertrand Thomas Givan Jr. One Time Event Donation 0SLC, Utah (Tommy) $5 adults $3 seniors 801-264-6667 Children, militaryand veterans free! 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YANCEY QUICK Sports • RSL player key to unbeaten start > C1 PUTS UTAH OPERA’S BEST FACE FORWARD > D1 IN THE PLATA-SPHERE A peaceful, if unlawful, RELIGION • CHILDLESS WOMEN Recapture Canyon ride
CHRIS DETRICK | The Salt Lake Tribune Silvana and Daren Hoggan talk with Kirsten Rice, left, and Lib- by Sproat, back to camera, during a Childless Mormon Sup- port dinner on Friday. ‘You feel broken ... you feel alone’ Childlessness can try the faith of Mormon, Catholic and other Bible-believing women.
By PEGGY FLETCHER STACK these moms see portrayed in The Salt Lake Tribune greeting cards, TV ads, and on YouTube. To any guilt-prone wom- But Mother’s Day may be en, the annual idealization most painful to Bible-believ- of motherhood that sweeps ing women — whether Mor- across the country at this mon, Catholic, Protestant or time of year can be agonizing. Jewish — who cannot have The image in the mir- children. ror seems less qualified, less After all, God’s first com- nurturing, less altruistic, less mandment to the first couple crafty, less organized, less pa- in that holy book was to “mul- tient, less self-assured or wise tiply and replenish the Earth.” or adventurous than the one Please see CHILDLESS, A4
Immigrants’ trust
PHOTOS BY TRENTNELSON | The Salt Lake Tribune aided criminal case Protest • Scores of ATV riders enter off-limits trail to claim temporary Crime • Strike force works to build bridges, victory in jurisdictional dispute with the BLM over canyon access. but deportation fears still foster daily crime.
By BRIAN MAFFLY Waving “Don’t By LEE DAVIDSON and boy, fearing The Salt Lake Tribune Tread On Me” flags, MARISSA LANG for his fam- above, and under The Salt Lake Tribune ily, allegedly Blanding • Fed up with federal control over the watchful eyes told investi- landstheirfamilieshave used forgenerations, Blan- of a mounted sher- The ultimatum was as gators. ding residents along with out-of-town supporters iff’s deputy from harsh as it was ineffective: He was on Saturday drove all-terrain vehicles into Recap- Kane County, ATV Testify or face deportation. not alone. ture Canyon, an area rich in prehistoric sites that riders make their It was no way to persuade For years, the Bureau of Land Management closed to motor- way into Recapture a scared undocumented im- Rax and ized use seven years ago. Canyon on Satur- migrant to testify about how criminals Victor Rax • San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman, day to protest lack Victor Manuel Rax sexu- like him Committed acting, he said, as a private citizen, organized the of motorized access. ally abused him and oth- evaded cap- suicide in jail ride. It commenced with a rally in Blanding’s Cen- Though peaceful in er boys, manipulated them ture because tennial Park protestingwhat he andmore than 200 nature, some pro- into selling drugs at Utah their victims were as afraid of supporters call federal “overreach” into local juris- testers — including high schools and threatened law enforcement as they were diction. Prompting the protest was BLM’s failure the rider shown left to kill their families to keep of their tormentors. to process San Juan County’s applications for ATV — had firearms at them quiet. It’s a widespread problem Please see RECAPTURE, A10 the ready. “Deport me to hell,” the Please see TRUST, A11
[ [ HI LO Books D5 Money H1 Find us on Facebook Classified Ads W1 Movies D15 52 36 facebook.com/saltlaketribune Growing violence in Nigeria Crossword H3 Obituaries B8 Follow us on Twitter WORLD • Turmoil grew in Nigeria on Saturday in wake of gov- Editorials O1 Puzzles H3 twitter.com/sltrib ernment inaction over the kidnappings of scores of girls from Horoscope H3 Sports C1 Legal notices C11 Television H2 Get customized email updates a government school. A second bridge bombing was reported Today • Scattered thunder- www.sltrib.com/pages/email after revelations of new kidnappings. > A14 VOLUME 288 | NUMBER 27 showers. > C14
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Childless ≥ Continued from A1
Motherhood, the LDS Church declared this week on its website, is “the high- est, holiest service assumed by humankind. It’s the defi- nition of selfless service. It’s both a daunting responsibili- ty and a glorious opportunity. The divine role of motherhood is a gift from God, and key to his plan of happiness for all his children.” Biblical tales of “barren” women abound, but they all end up with babies (some- times becoming mothers in their old age, but still...). And church magazines about infer- tility typically end with “mir- acle babies.” Nearly 11 percent of women in the United States ages 15 to PHOTOS BY CHRISDETRICK | The Salt Lake Tribune 44 — 6.7 million — have “im- Clockwise from upperleft, Ethan Sproat,Libby Sproat, Kirsten Rice, Silvana Hoggan,Daren Hog- paired fecundity” (impaired gan, Rick Parker andDesiParker talk during Friday’s ChildlessMormon Supportdinner. ability to get pregnant or carry a baby to term), according to toughby discouraging medical “It can lead to depression and community. the Centers for Disease Con- procedures such as artificial anxiety.” Even for believers, it can trol and Prevention. insemination, in vitro fertil- Not only do “you feel bro- make more sense to stay se- Some of them may even- ization or surrogacy, they also ken and that you’ve failed in questered at home — or on a tually become mothers by can offer solace for sorrow. the one most important call- carefree vacation — than in a marriage, medicine or adop- Infertile Catholics and ing you could ever do,” says church pew on Mother’s Day. tion, but until then, many feel Mormons, in particular, draw Straubhaar, who was infer- ashamed, frustrated and ex- differing lessons from their tile herself, but “you also feel Breaking the mold • cluded. For others, childless- faiths’ pronouncements on the alone.” Orem resident Liberty (Lib- ness becomes lifelong. importance of motherhood. The Utah-based faith teach- by) Sproat,reared by a single Is infertility, then, a failure To the former, there are es that “families are forev- mom, was determined that of faith? A religious test? A many other visible ministries er,” stretching from Earth hers would be the model Mor- shirking of sacred responsibil- for women besides being a through eternity, which can mon life. ities? Or are churches wrong mom — nuns, many teachers make those without kids feel When Sproat married at 19, to hold up motherhood as the and most female saints are that they have somehow bro- she planned to have a passel apex of a woman’s life? single and childless. ken a link with heaven. But it of children like her fertile sib- Regardless of doctrinal par- To the latter, almost all role also promises that those with- lings (she now has 42 nieces ticulars or practice, many reli- models are married with chil- out offspring here will be giv- and nephews). gious women facing childless- dren. en that opportunity in the Sproat and her husband, ness go through a set of stages That stigmatizes the child- hereafter. Ethan, never used birth con- similar to any sort of grief — less, says Kristy Money For some, that is not much trol, she says, and initial- including denial, blame, anger, Straubhaar, an LDS psychol- comfort. ly were unconcerned about bargaining, depression and, fi- ogist in Santa Monica, Calif., Thus, infertility can lead not conceiving. Maybe God nally, acceptance. who specializes in infertility to loss of faith, ending par- thought they were just too While churches can make it among her Mormon clients. ticipation in the religious Story continued BELOW
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Story continued FROM ABOVE young. Eventually, the couple went to a doctor to figure out what was wrong. There were potential so- lutions. They tried fertility treatments, but reasoned if they were going to spend the money for in vitro — by some estimates, between $10,000 and $20,000 per attempt — they preferred to try adoption (equally expensive). When two adoptions fiz- zled due to birth moms with changes of heart, they stopped. “We prayed,” Sproat says now, after being married near- ly 16 years, “and got the an- swer that the Lord wanted us to do other things than have children.” In 2009, the couple “closed our adoption file,” she says, Donavanand Vanessa Hecker pose foraportraitwiththeir kids,Adlai,4,Maelle,2,and Koryn, 11 “and embraced childlessness.” months,attheir home in Magna. Vanessa Thecouple dealtwithinfertility forafew years, but She sought support online, Vanessa Hecker says sheneverlet negativity affect her faith. but found mostly resources for those still trying to have profession for someone who bigger plan for us even though because she did not wed in an children and others who were cannot have children,” she we can’t imagine at first what LDS temple. “childless by choice.” says. “I get to be an influence that is.” After two failed marriages, So a year later, Sproat on young people — plus I get Roy resident Amanda Rob- shestill believes in Mormon- launched a website for those enough sleep at night.” inson also blogs with Sproat ism, she writes in an email, like herself, childlessmormon- Being childless permanent- and Hoggan. but is “taking a break from support.com, and soon found ly, she says, “does not mean Robinson was so certain attending” services. women with the same need. you are not righteous or don’t that she would be a mom “There are realities asso- Sproat took heart from a have enough faith.” when she married at 19, she ciated with being LDS and conversation with Ardeth didn’t go to college. a childless woman,” she Kapp, who once served as Connecting with others After battling infertility writes. “My opinions car- general president of the LDS • South Jordan resident Sil- for years, though, she has re- ry less weight without actual Young Women’s organization vana Hoggan,aMormon con- turned to school and hopes to parenting experience, and, in for girls between ages 12 and vert from Brazil who gave up become a junior high counsel- general, women without chil- 17. trying to have kids after years or. Currently, she works with dren tend to he viewed as in- Kapp married but never of failed attempts, was one of students with disabilities. complete and stalled in their had children. the first to find Sproat’s web- “I was angry and blamed progression. They are then “You are so lucky,” Sproat site. Now she is a fellow blog- myself,” Robinson says. “But infantilized somewhat. Pity recalls Kapp telling her. “You ger there. I always knew God loved me, and furrowed brows are to be are going to find out what else “People need to realize that and he knew what was best expected with new introduc- is out there to do.” these other [childless] women for me.” tions.” Now Sproat is finishing up are fulfilling their lives, help- For Salt Laker Corey How- Even those childless wom- her doctorate in history from ing other people, nurturing ard, infertility caused her en who continue to be in- Purdue University in Indiana kids and friends,” Hoggan says. to distance herself from the volved in Mormonism say they and will be teaching at Orem’s “Faith is important to us. We Mormon community. are often treated “like second- Utah Valley University in the want to show that even with- Howard spent part of her class citizens.” fall. out children, you have a rea- early years of marriage be- So why is it different for “Teaching is a perfect son in life. The Lord has a lieving she could not conceive Cotinued, NEXT PAGE WWW.SLTRIB.COM SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2014 ≤ UTAH < A5
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