Lack of respect — 1991
A disturbing lack of respect for our meeting house on the part of the youth was a source of frustration for us as a bishopric in 1990 and 1991. We dealt with vandalism, irreverence, bicycles and rollerblades in the building, etc. This problem was vividly portrayed by an almost unbelievable series of events that happened to Bishop Andersen one evening. The Bishop was conducting a very sensitive interview in his office when a young girl burst into his office, laughing and hollering. The bishop arose and asked what the problem was, and the girl fled down the hall. The Bishop apologized to the interviewee and excused himself for a moment to pursue the girl. As he came into the foyer of the chapel he was confronted by two boys playing basketball, using the door of the chapel as an imaginary basket. The Bishop asked them to desist, which request they ignored. The Bishop’s temperature began to rise as he confiscated the basketball and began to admonish the boys. Just then, two other boys came flying down another hallway and into the foyer on rollerblades, and nonchalantly asked what was going on! Shepherding all four boys (the young girl had wisely vanished), the Bishop went into the cultural hall where a Teachers’ Quorum basketball game was in progress. He marched to center court and halted the game. The fans and players gaped in astonishment as the Bishop proclaimed, “This game is over unless you parents get up right now, find your children, and get them under control. They are running unattended through the building. This is the Lord’s house!” Believe it or not, a man in the crowd yelled back, “Get off the floor! You have no right to stop this game.” Needless to say, the Bishop didn’t move until at least some effort was made to control the errant children. Fortunately, none of the miscreants were from our ward. “Inasmuch as parents have children in Zion,…that teach them NOT…”
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