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Doncha just love people with a bit o’ the crazy?
The crazy eccentric people, I mean. Every group has them. It’s not just religions where you’ll find them… but the religious seem to do it incredibly well.
In Brazil we missionaries were fond of smirking at the enormous statues of saints often planted in prominent parts of town. Those took a little craziness to manufacture and build. Or sometimes there were the town “doctors” who had created their own religion from a mixture of Catholicism, Spiritualism, and perhaps even something else. I sat with one such old man in some tiny outpost in Brazil one day looking through his photo album with pictures of his former incarnations (They were pictures of himself in front of backdrops that were intended to portray different parts of the world at different times).
“Here’s the doctor during the French Revolution” (Eiffel Tower in the background).
“Here’s the doctor in Nepal climbing Mt Everest” (Doctor is wearing a beenie cap because it’s cold there)
Truth be told, it was one of the funniest memories of my mission and I have to confess and I’m extremely grateful for this unwitting bright spot and diversion in an otherwise dreary experience.
I loves me the crazies.
In Mormonism, these people usually manifest themselves by going nuts over one particular aspect of Mormon teachings to an uber enthusiastic extent. They are the ones who obey exactly what the Word of Wisdom says, rather than just what the top brass requires for a temple recommend. Or maybe ther are the ones latching onto the latest multi-level marketing scam (EVERY Mormon ward has a couple of these families). The families who are SUPER into scouting always seemed to be loco in the wards I attended.
Well, I just took a walk through a genuine crazy park in Salt Lake City Utah! Gilgal Garden
IT. WAS. AWESOME.
I made a last minute decision to attend the Mormon Stories “Circling the Wagons” conference in Salt Lake City this weekend. I’m sure I’ll post about it later.
I have to thank Mormon Expressions for pointing this place out to me in their podcast on Top Mormon Sites to Visit in Salt Lake City. I’m quite familiar with Salt Lake City. Both of my parents’ families live there and and so I visited there often growing up. And I went to BYU, but I had still never even heard of this place. Perhaps it’s because like all people, Mormons like to keep their crazy ones hidden. It’s why we don’t invite friends to Fast and Testimony meetings for their first church visits. It tends to bring out the ward crazies.
But the guy who created this park wasn’t a random crazy. He was the ward bishop for a long time in 20th century Salt Lake City. And apparently bishops back then had lots of free time. He sculpted the oddest statues out of stone and plaques with scripture or Mormon hymns are scattered throughout.
The best thing ever is the bust of Joseph Smith carved into a sphinx! I love it!
People like this make our world interesting.
Smorg said:
I’ve got to visit this park if I ever pass by SLC again! And that Joseph Sphinx hairdo… dude, that’s the next fad! ;D
Dan Clark said:
Oh my. This is awesome. I might just go there today. I came down to SLC last night with some friends who are all doing the circling the wagons thing today. I…declined the offer so this gives me something to do.
Please write something about the conference. I would be interested in what you thought.
Braeden said:
A few ideas of things: The fallen apart pieces are referencing the dream of Nebuchadnezzar about the rock cut without hands destroying the statue of the kingdoms of men. Joseph Smith said that rock was the church, which would fill the whole earth.
Also, look at the arch’s keystone – huge. Book of Mormon, keystone of the religion, you know the drill.
Anyway, just some thoughts. Long-time lurker, first time commenter. My wife and I went there before I asked her to marry me – I’m surprised she said yes after I took her to such a bizarre place.
dadsprimalscream said:
Thanks for the explanation! That all actually makes sense.
What a great place to warm someone up for a proposal! I LOVE it! LOL
Thanks for commenting
Michelle said:
I love, love, love stuff like this! The Sphinx Joseph Smith is awesome!!! It reminds me of a few scenes in Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods.
The objects under the arms look like freaky human hearts. Too funny.
Oh, and the guy with the pictures makes me think of the gnome in Amelie, posed in lots of scenic locales. 🙂