THE FUSS OVER THE MORMON PLAZA: THE LDS CHURCH NEEDS TO REMEMBER IT STOLE THE TEMPLE SITE FROM THE US GOVERNMENT

On Thursday July 9^th, a Gay couple used the Plaza between the Mormon Salt Lake Temple and the former Utah Hotel - now the Joseph Smith building - while walking home from a concert. While on the Plaza they engaged in some romantic interlude of kissing and hugging. They were ordered to cease such conduct by LDS security guards and arrested when they would not leave the site.

This caused a "Kiss-In" the following Sunday organized by a member of the city council when some 60 couples appeared and this next Sunday another "kiss-in" is scheduled.

Having had my own confrontation by arrogant Mormon security guards in 1976 and 1978 I can well imagine the feelings of resentment for this arrogant conduct by the Gay couple.

The history of the Plaza is a history of church arrogance. The Plaza, while beautifully designed and built, is another reminder of arrogance in belief of the provable falsity of the entire Mormon dogma.

First, of course, is the arrogance of the false sanctity of temple marriage itself where couples are married for time and eternity to fulfill an arrogant notion that by doing so those heterosexual couples can become gods and goddesses in the great hereafter called the "Celestial Kingdom". Gays and Lesbians can't be "married" for they violate the procreation notion, hence the Homophobia of Mormon arrogance.

Loving conduct by Gay or Lesbian couples on the Plaza violates the arrogance of the temple marriage concept and since Mormons believe that the temple contains the actual presence of God, He would be offended by any Gay or Lesbian displays of love within "His" arena...

The Plaza is built on Main Street - on what used to be publicly owned Main Street. To connect the temple square with the property owned to the east including the World Headquarter's Tower and the older Grecian marble Palace of the First Presidency, the church sought acquisition of the public street.

A lot of history was built on that effort with resistance by many citizens of Salt Lake City. However, since The pervasive power In Utah and Salt Lake City is the Mormon Church, all kinds of shenanigans were pulled to first acquire the street with a right of way for pedestrians and then a swap of other property with the city to eliminate the right of way. While the right of persons to cross from South Temple to North Temple streets was implied, the actual use would be conditioned upon conduct conforming to the arrogant notions of Mormon supremacy.

A little more history: When Brigham Young and his numerous wives and converts descended into the Salt Lake Valley through Emigration Canyon on July 24th 1847, the region had been conquered by the U.S, Army after invading Mexico.  Peace with Mexico was secured by Mexico ceding an area to become the Western United States, equaling ten states.  The Utah territory which Brigham thought belonged to Mexico at the time he led his duped followers west became a real problem for him.

Sometime later, the United States Congress enacted a law whereby legal ownership of the occupiers of land areas could be conveyed to the occupiers thereof. That is land that would be surveyed and parceled. Whoever occupied it at the time was granted a deed of the parceled land to be protected by the armed forces of the United States and its subdivisions from claims of all others.

Brigham was known as the "Lion" of the Lord and his own residence was called "The Lion House."  Indeed to this day visitors to Salt Lake City tour the Lion House as one of the interesting points of interest.

Brigham was also called the "Trustee in Trust for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That is, he held title to church property in his own name as Trustee in Trust. In that status, he held title to the land known as "Temple Square" in Salt Lake City adjacent to the "Plaza" where the fuss is centered.

The United States Constitution has a clause known as the "Establishment Clause." That is: "The Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Under that clause the government of the United States could not make a gift of property to a church for to do so would violate the Establishment Clause.

Anticipating that problem, Brigham transferred title to Temple Square to himself and his first wife as individuals so that when the Mayor of Salt Lake City gave deed to Temple Square under the Congressional Act, he was giving the deed to Temple Square to Brigham and his wife as individuals rather than to a religious organization.

Later, Brigham and his wife transferred title back to himself as Trustee in Trust for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The entire scheme was to get around the Establishment Clause.

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