http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_7fdb350f-49a2-5b2e-8278-af6d1a5df814.html

An LDS church was damaged in Pleasant Grove Friday after teens broke in and started multiple fires.

Pleasant Grove deputy fire chief Dave Thomas said three boys and one girl between 13 and 14 years old got into the church at 1300 W. 56 South by climbing in through a window between 4 and 5 p.m. He said the teens went through the church throwing items, overturning tables and vandalizing the building.

"During their time inside, they moved into the chapel area, where it looks like they set some scriptures on fire on the pulpit," he said.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2010 07:29PM by Susan I/S.

Are they members of that church? The article tries to make it sound like they aren't in that they wrote "anti-Mormon statements on a chalkboard." Yet, they were recognized by neighbors.

Also, they "climbed in through a window" (no mention of breaking it to get in). Who left the window open/unlocked, or was it conveniently left unlocked by the perpetrators when they were there earlier in the week for some Morgbot function?

Hopefully they will be answered in a subsequent article.

one of the kids that did it is my brother in law and they are in serious trouble i'm not gonna go to much into it but hate crime is one of the charges there looking at

i'm am one of the kids brother in law they wern't protesting they were just out getting into trouble

*You're* all way off

*I* am one of the *kids'* *brother-in-law.* They *weren't* protesting, they were just out getting into trouble.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2010 10:08PM by tiff.

...but I wonder how much the damage will cost compared to the damage that the LDS Church has done to teenagers over the years.





I'm just saying....

I hope the teenagers are gay. If so, then this will make the powers that be wake up to a potential threat from the church within.

I know how that sounds - but there is every possibility that it is so, or why would a group of teenagers have so much destructive anger against the church, unless someone in that particular ward is making life tough for the.

TSCC doesn't need any MORE stones to throw at the gay community.

PLUS, that makes gay individuals who protest in respectful and appropriate ways look bad.

Nealster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope the teenagers are gay. If so, then this
> will make the powers that be wake up to a
> potential threat from the church within.
>
> I know how that sounds - but there is every
> possibility that it is so, or why would a group of
> teenagers have so much destructive anger against
> the church, unless someone in that particular ward
> is making life tough for the.

Why? So TSCC can go on a full-scale 'war' against gays?

I agree with T-Bone as well. It doesn't matter if they were members or gay or anti-Mormon. It is still against the law no matter how you look at it or how you feel about the mormons. It just makes all those against the church look like psycho arsonists and vigilantes. There are other, more Christlike ways to show your feelings and beliefs. . . Or just to leave them alone for that matter. Let them believe what they want and we can believe how we want. This is America and we have that right!

This is really uncool. Not only is it the wrong way to protest Mormonism, but it emboldens Mormons. "If people damage our buildings, our church must be true."

I know the LDS church encourages its members to stay away and let the law deal with these things, but I can also imagine vigilantes in garmies.

I'm glad the vandals got caught. They're idiots.

T

When you have cookie cutter LDS buildings every two blocks, I don't blame them for wanting to thin the herd by getting rid of one of them. If anything, the kids should get an award from the city for attempting to beautify the place by getting rid of boring, utilitarian buildings.

From the report, my guess was it was probably a bishop's kid, or at least someone in the ward. I emailed one of the reporters for more info and followed the story until the local news got tired of the story. It was never announced if they had a suspect. I'm guessing the church leaders knew exactly who it was but were keeping it to themselves. Can't let the rest of the world learn there's such a thing as an unhappy Moron.

Interesting, because if the perpetrator had been a gay activist, the church would have been screaming persecution in all the media as loudly as possible. If a member's kid does it, there's a cover up.

I agree with T-Bone. Bad idea.

Wrong way to protest the LDS church. We've probably all envisioned doing something like this in the minds eye for a fleeting moment at one time or another when the Morg pissed us off, but reason should prevail. One can't stop the progress of Mormonism too well whilst serving a prison sentence for arson. Nothing accomplished except to feed the persecution complex of Mormons.

The Mormons are wrong--dead wrong about lots of s#*&, but they have a right to be.

Maybe one if the kids needed to give a talk on Sunday and this was the only way he figured he could get out of it.

When I was 13 I used to think about that WAY too much. I never did it and I'm glad I didn't. Apparently this group didn't have the same kind of restraint. It's weird because I don't have any fascination or interest in fire other than to keep warm. I've never thought about burning anything other than wood or paper. But when I was REALLY struggling I couldn't get the thought out of my head. That and spitting in the bish's face. Weird.

Our building was masonry and I use to fantasize about setting the stage on fire because it had a lot of wood in it and the stand in the chapel. I was good at building fires as a kid and knew I had to get the fire going real good and in multiple locations to make it hard to put out.

I had those evil thoughts as well. I guess we didn't like going to church eh?

As much as the church screws with people's lives and the pain they have brought people, I'm suprised more stuff doesn't happen.

I heard a local building in the Everett, WA area was burned down. I have to admit having a small amount of glee because of all the hours I spent in that particular building. Of course, this kind of justifying the persecution complex was my second thought, but I might have been really elated if it was the building I attended seminary in.
(For the sake of the Mormons, they'd be better off if that particular building was destroyed--it's older and a bit uglier.)

I certainly don't condone it in either case of arson, and I'm sure it feels terrible for people who go to church there (and I'm sure they'll be crowding in elsewhere, when buildings were already crowded enough). But I really can't help a small note of joy. And at least this stuff is paid for centrally, and the burden of rebuilding won't fall on the local community (though that particular community could afford it, frankly).

I'm really surprised this doesn't happen more often quite honestly. I mean if it's a choice between cleaning the toilets yet again or buring the place down? Hmmm...