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By Kent Larsen
Family Breaks Into Closed Jordan River Temple
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- TV news reports in Utah say that today a family
forced their way into the LDS Church's Jordan River Temple, which is closed
for the holidays, leading to an altercation with police. The family,
including children ranging in age from infant to eight years old, was
discovered on a third floor room, attempting to pray.
According to the reports, police from three neighboring cities responded to
a burglary report just before 4 pm, learning that the family, reportedly
from West Jordan, Utah, had forced their way past the building's security
guard. The police discovered the family in the Temple and arrested the
mother and father for trespassing and for assaulting a police officer. After
the couple was removed from the building, the father fought with the police.
While the couple was being removed from the Temple, the mother was injured,
suffering rug burns. She is being treated and the couple are getting a
psychiatric evaluation at the University of Utah Hospital while their six
children, who accompanied them, are in the custody of Utah's Division of
Child and Family Services.
The LDS Church reports that there was no damage to the Temple in the
incident and nothing was stolen. No one else was in the Temple and the time,
and the Church's security guard was not injured. The couple's motive remains
a mystery, although one news report indicates that the family just wanted to
pray.
The incident isn't the first time that someone has forced their way into an
LDS Temple. In 1986, a lone gunman forced his way into the Washington DC
Temple, taking several workers hostage just as the Temple was closing for a
Saturday evening. The stand-off with police lasted all night.
Sources:
KSL TV5 22Dec00 N1
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