Finding My Way: Really Bad Behavior

Last Sunday, in a carefree defiance of now-standard Covid-19 protocols, hundreds of people crammed into a parking garage at the Salt Lake City International Airport to welcome home missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The missionaries were returning from the Philippines on a flight chartered by the Church, which is evacuating still-serving missionaries from around the world in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and returning them to their native countries.

In this case, a chartered Boeing 777 was returning a plane full of missionaries hailing from the intermountain region. Both the Church and airport had issued strict guidelines for the airport reunions: only two people were allowed to greet each missionary, and they would have to stay in their cars until the missionary was brought to them in the designated parking garage.

But, you know, the best laid plans…it’s a special occasion…one time won’t hurt…we’re just so happy they’re back…

What followed was something of an amiable rugby scrum. Facebook videos showed hundreds of welcomers out of their cars, crushed together, with signs and balloons. The missionaries, who walked through the airport with facemasks, had them off within seconds as the hugs and embraces commemorated the happy occasion.

What followed wasn’t so happy.

Within hours, the celebratory cellphone videos had flashed over the world, and were shown that evening on national news networks, websites, and a host of regional television stations and newspapers.

“This is not OK,” tweeted the mayor of Salt Lake City. Utah Governor and Church member Spencer Cox tweeted, “Really disappointed in the behavior we saw from missionary families at the SLC Airport tonight.” Utah Senator Mitt Romney called the scene “irresponsible.” Utah State Epidemiologist Angela Dunn said, “those types of gatherings cannot be happening. That will cause the spread of Covid-19.”

In response, the Church expressed “deep concern,” and reissued its calls for missionary families to fully follow airport protocols.

To be honest, all this media coverage of its irresponsible members makes the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints look both foolish and arrogant in an above-the-law kind of way to those on the outside looking in. As a forty-year member of said church, I suppose that, by extension, in some circles this would make me look foolish and arrogant.

I understand. It’s how the game is played. Bad members of any church, club, or political party are often considered to be reflective of the entire group by those on the outside.

Personally, I cannot imagine what mindset would convince those Salt Lake City missionary families to act as they did, unless, and I hate to say this, they were thinking that God would somehow protect them—that as God’s favored few or whatever, they could count on an occasional pass on the laws the rest of us follow.

I’m going to tread carefully here, but I have lived in other areas where there is a dominant religious presence in a community, and have seen the same kind of behavior. In Erie, Pennsylvania, there was a strong Catholic majority. In Shreveport, Louisiana, the Southern Baptists were dominant. In each city I saw members of those faiths do some occasionally dumb things, with an air of above-the-law superiority based on their attitude that in their town God had their back.

Seen in this light, I think what we witnessed in the Salt Lake Airport wasn’t religious behavior. It was sociological. Throughout history, dominant majorities have tended to occasionally act as if the laws others follow don’t apply to them.

So I prefer to think that the missionary families weren’t acting with the belief that God would give them a Covid-19 time out just because they’re all so righteous and stuff. I prefer to think these people were just thoughtless, careless, ignorant, and stupid.

And, for what it’s worth, I’m not going to let a couple of hundred Salt Lake stupidheads make me reevaluate my relationship with my church, or my God.

Because as near as I can tell, He hasn’t given up on you and I, despite all the dumb stuff we occasionally do in His name.

So I guess if we’re still good enough for Him, He’s still good enough for me.