LDS/Mormons: Have you seen this? With Conference coming up, what a wonderful way to combat the hate.?

Question

Without the Walls of Temple Square by Tiffany Wilde
[Editor's Note: This is a first-hand account, written by a young
woman,Tiffany Wilde, who served as a missionary on Temple Square during the April2003 General Conference.]
To be a missionary on Temple Square during General Conference is absolute heaven! Members of the Church travel hundreds of miles to Salt Lake City to see a prophet of God. The feeling within the walls is of peace, sacrifice, love, and testimony. Some members of the Church who don't have a ticket to get into a conference session will wait in lines inside the square for hours in hopes of crossing the street to the beautiful Conference Center. No one is impatient or grumpy as they wait. Even as it hailed and snowed, smiles are seen and laughs are heard as members try to squeeze under umbrellas of those in line with them. What a happy, joyous thrill it is to be a part of this event. Outside the walls of Temple Square, however, the scene is quite different. Several

very vocal protesters have been attending General Conferences for
many years. Each conference their following grows and becomes louder and even more disturbing than the last. Their main purpose? To yell and scream terrible things about the leaders, the doctrine and the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in this way convince us we are wrong. The last time I checked, yelling profane assumptions at families
who are minding their own business wasn't the most effective teaching method. Yet, their posters and billboards get bigger, their voices louder and the result is the same--families scramble, covering the ears of their little ones as they hurry across the street between the Conference Center and Temple Square, where within the walls they can again feel the peace of the Spirit. The Church got smart last year and came up with a plan. Anti-Mormons can buy a permit from the city to stand in a specific spot and conduct their protest. The Church decided to

purchase their own permits, as well. They purchased one permit on the Conference Center side of the street and one on the Temple Square side of the street, just outside the gates. The Church called a special meeting with those sisters in mission leadership positions and asked us to be brave and place ourselves smack dab in the middle of all the drama. Can you imagine two sets of young sisters standing at their designated posts in the midst of mobs of angry men holding posters, yelling, and blowing their noses in sacred garments and waving them in the air. We were a small force, but a mighty one. We had shifts, so we'd stand for two hours and then recharge back inside the Square before going back out to the lions.
One funny thing about these men is that they are paid to do this, and so when each Conference session started and everyone was inside, there was no one to yell at, so they'd put their signs and megaphones down and relax. This was an opportune time to chat. We called one anti-

Mormon. When his partner noticed, he re-directed his arrow so it was pointing at the Conference Center. We chuckled. Now that it had died down we made eye contact with this man and smiled. He smiled back and waved as if he wasn't aware of what he was being asked to do. My companion and I had a break, so we went across the street, back to Temple Square, to warm up. Before our next shift we really prayed that our presence would have some kind of impact. Conference let out and as we positioned ourselves on the post outside of the gates of Temple Square, we watched as 21,000 people came streaming out of the Conference Center, spiritually fed and strengthened. I said one more prayer just as the anti-Mormons picked up all of their megaphones and signs. As we watched the peace destroyed and the faces of the members saddened and
afraid of the mobs of yelling men, we were moved to action. My companion who has an incredibly powerful voice turned to me and said, "Let's sing hymns and try to out

sing these guys." We began singing hymns as loud as we could. A few missionary sisters joined in and as the members crossed the street, they started to hear the singing behind all of the yelling. As they looked past the mobs they saw us, and some joined in. We became very powerful, which angered the men, causing them to yell louder. It didn't matter-the members' faces turned from fear to happiness as they saw a small army of Saints standing for truth. Some mouthed the words "thank you," many waved and everyone smiled! More and more Saints joined in and we found more and more courage as we bore our testimony through song. As the mobs chanted "false prophet, false prophet," we sang with power "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet." As they chanted "the Book of Mormon is false," we sang with fervor, "We are as the armies of Helaman," and as they yelled with their megaphones that we were going to "burn in hell" we sang with full hearts, "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning." The feeling

was unmistakable. The presence of the Spirit was powerful and we were all brought to tears. Never had the contrast between good and evil been so clear to those standing there that day. In the midst of it all, my eyes were drawn to one man who had stopped yelling. I watched for a moment as the spirit of the music utterly stopped him from yelling. He lowered his sign and looked back to see a small army of Saints with faith in their eyes as they lifted their voices in song. He looked back down at his sign with the expression on his face as if to say, "what am I doing here?" There he stood with his head down, touched by the Spirit. At that moment I began to cry, knowing that the gospel of Jesus Christ will go forth boldly, nobly and independent and that no unhallowed hand will stop it. No amount of yelling men will change what is true and cause me to doubt the confirmation I received that day. How grateful I am for the spirit of truth and for the hearts that were touched through this

wonderful experience. The Spirit of God like a fire is burning, and will continue to burn brightly forever.



Sorry it took so long to post. I hope those of you who responded early check back.

It wasn't an article it was an email.

Briar, no, it isn't true that we think black people are "less" than any other group of people. We are all children of our Heavenly Father. We are all equal in that we are all human beings, we are all our Father in Heaven's children and He loves us all.

Just to clairify, this story isn't about me. I converted to the gospel as an adult and didn't serve a mission.
Thanks to all. I think I'll leave this up until Friday when I leave my Internet connection for the weekend.

Answer 1

Tony, thank you for posting the article by Tiffany Wilde. I had heard of such horror stories of those in my ward having lived in Salt Lake while attending General Conference sessions.

Such a story leaves no doubt that Satan has geared up and is influencing all those willing to be subdued in his thinking to run down the LDS Church and its doctrines.

Isn't it remarkable that from all the other churches in the world, only the Mormon Church is selected to receive such hateful, vicious, and spiteful torrents of evil diatribe while attempting to worship God in their own way?

You and I know why that is so.

Answer 2

That is amazing! I know the power of the Spirit is real and one way to bring it around is by wonderful music. I am a Young Women's leader and during YW's camp last year we attended the Manti Pageant. What a wonderful program! We got there a little early and of course the protestors had already set up their signs, posters and were yelling. I and another leader walked around a few of them just to hear what they were saying. It was sad really. Their hearts are so hardened towards the true gospel and it is evident in the way they acted and spoke. We returned to the group sitting inside the fenced area of the temple grounds...a young man came close to the fence and had a large poster and was yelling at the top of his lungs awful things about Joseph Smith and about the church. We decided to sing primary songs such as "I love to See the Temple" "I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ" and a few others. We tried not to acknowledge his presence as we sang and after a couple songs he went away and everyone around us cheered and thanked us for singing.
When the music and pageant started, the yelling protestors seemed to disappear. It was a wonderful experience - I LOVE at the end of the pageant when the choir of "angels" dressed in white sings...so powerful!

I would love to go down to the conference center and be part of those lovely Sisters singing.

Answer 3

I have seen this a matter of fact i went to the general young women's broadcast about 6 years ago i think it was and there was some protest them. Yes I live in Utah and have seen those people on the news in the last couple of years. I wish that the news would stop showing these people and focus more on the conference session in which last October some of the stations did and i want to congregate them. Anyways last year they had a choir stand outside on one of those certain areas and had them sing hymns to them. If i was there then i would sing to them also. I also think that they need to blast the conference outside that way the protest or people could here the conference. At least they have to stand in certain areas now and they have city cops watching them. Since the city works very well around conference times. It makes me wonder how those people would feel if we went to there church when they have a conference or a meeting and protest to them. If i remember right on when of them who was not LDS went and protested in the area about leaving the conference goes around. I though that was great and just wish that they would leave us conference goers alone beside we do not want to listen to what they say or get there garbage.

Answer 4

Thank you for sharing this story. It's so sad that some people think they should protest during somethng so special to us, just becaus they have different beliefs. It's really sad, and definitly not Christ like. There was a small group of protesters at the Sacramento temple when I went through it when it was open for anyone who wanted to go through. I thought here we are opening up such a sacred place to us to the public, and people protest this? Why not come through and educate yourself on what we are about. Oh well, that's life.

Answer 5

I don't get it? I think it cut off haha.
You should put the link to the article.

That was a really good article! I am so grateful to be an member of the LDS church, I am also grateful that I do not feel the need to attack others and their beliefs. I wish people would just lead by example as Jesus did and not use mere words.

Answer 6

Thank you for sharing this heart felt story. Peace be unto you. Thank you for the time you volunteered on your mission of service.

Mormons believe that we all have a God given right to worship as we feel is appropriate and allow all men that same privilege, Others apparently do not feel the same.

Answer 7

That was absolutely beautiful. My husband and I were very moved. Thank you so much for sharing that. We will be listening to Conference via internet (our branch meets one hour away and I have no desire to fight with two small children for two hours! I'm a wimp, yes, I know!) but we'll keep that in our minds and hearts as we listen to our prophet.

Answer 8

I haven't heard that or seen it, next time I go home to Salt Lake for conference, I will have to notice or ask my parents, next time that I go home.
Satan is working overtime to lure people away, because he is running out of time.
It reminds me of the persecutions that happened in missouri, soon after the church was organized.

Answer 9

Thanks. That is so interesting to find out the people you mentioned were paid to do what they do. Have a happy day, and I send you some virtual gummy bears.

Answer 10

Thanks for sharing that!

And to MeatBot... if the definition of a cult is the true church with the real Gospel, then you are right.