I wore shoes without socks today and I think it hit 60 degrees. . . I'm sorry for all of you shoveling snow back in Utah.
This place is different enough from my life back in Utah - personally, professionally and culturally - that I seem to have a surreal moment at least daily. But today's was more surreal than most. I had a meeting with a public safety official in the median of a major roadway to discuss a project I'm working on. Afterward, he put on his green vest to direct traffic so I could pull back onto the freeway. But then he saw my Utah plates and stopped, came back around to the car, knocked on the window and when I rolled it down said in his very strong southern accent.
"Y'all from Yoo-tah?"
"Yes."
"Y'all Mormon?."
"In fact I am."
"I been hearin' bout y'all's prophet dying. Is he like a real prophet?"
A little taken aback at this point, I cleared my throat and tried to decide if I should launch into the 3rd discussion right there or just give the quick answer. He was so sincere, I didn't know how to take it. Given the rushing traffic on both sides of us, I chose brief.
"Yes, we believe he was a prophet, just like Abraham or Moses in the Bible."
"Well, how're they gonna replace him?"
"The other 12 apostles - there are 12, just like Jesus had in the New Testament. They will meet and through revelation decide who should be the next president of the church."
"So he's kinda like yer pope?"
"I suppose so, yes."
"Well I'm glad yer here. I'm glad the Mormons are here cause we got too many Baptists here. I was raised in a strict Baptist home and I think we need other religions around. So good fer you."
"Um, thanks?"
And then, like a green-vested Moses on the banks of the Red Sea, he waved his arms and a lane cleared so I could rejoin the freeway traffic.
"Y'all from Yoo-tah?"
"Yes."
"Y'all Mormon?."
"In fact I am."
"I been hearin' bout y'all's prophet dying. Is he like a real prophet?"
A little taken aback at this point, I cleared my throat and tried to decide if I should launch into the 3rd discussion right there or just give the quick answer. He was so sincere, I didn't know how to take it. Given the rushing traffic on both sides of us, I chose brief.
"Yes, we believe he was a prophet, just like Abraham or Moses in the Bible."
"Well, how're they gonna replace him?"
"The other 12 apostles - there are 12, just like Jesus had in the New Testament. They will meet and through revelation decide who should be the next president of the church."
"So he's kinda like yer pope?"
"I suppose so, yes."
"Well I'm glad yer here. I'm glad the Mormons are here cause we got too many Baptists here. I was raised in a strict Baptist home and I think we need other religions around. So good fer you."
"Um, thanks?"
And then, like a green-vested Moses on the banks of the Red Sea, he waved his arms and a lane cleared so I could rejoin the freeway traffic.
3 comments:
What a lovely man! I've never met him, but I like him so much. Thanks for sharing this story.
I love your stories!
Are you sure that when he said, "hearin' bout y'all's prophet dying," that he did not in fact say "hearin' bout all y'all's prophet dying"?
Southerners are, in my experience, very careful to indicate the plural when such is intended.
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