It wasn’t just a pothole. It was massive hole — two-by-three feet — that allowed seeing all the way through the deck of an Interstate 15 bridge to the street below.

It closed the freeway near 800 South recently for what turned out to be a quick fix but spectacularly kicked off the annual spring pothole season in Utah. So The Salt Lake Tribune asked readers to point out other places where potholes are nasty. A partial list follows.

But first a brief explanation from Utah Department of Transportation spokesman Zach Whitney about why potholes become a problem every spring.

“Potholes appear about this time of year because of the freeze-thaw cycle. In winter, when everything is frozen, things stay put. When thaws and freezing happen, it breaks up,” Whitney said. “Formation of holes can happen really quickly.” For example, the big I-15 hole seems to have happened within days, and an inspection of the bridge last year found no problems.

Roads are designed to drain water to prevent it from seeping inside, but that doesn’t always work, especially in wet winters like this year, Whitney said. While crews apply sealant on roads to prevent water seepage, salt used for snow and ice removal tends to eat through that sealant over time — a problem in snowy winters like the one we’ve just had.

If motorists notice potholes or other problems on state highways or freeways, they can use UDOT’s Click 'n Fix app to report it — and crews will be sent to look at it and possibly make temporary cold-patch repairs. Problems on local roads should be reported to cities.

As a sign of how cities may respond, consider a pothole near Westminster College that one reader joked is so big it would require “a team of experienced climbers to repel in” to rescue victims. By the time The Tribune arrived, it could find no such hole — but saw several apparent recent patches there.

Here are some of the worst pothole areas that readers report so far:

• Fuller Avenue in Salt Lake City, off 1100 East about 450 South. It is easily the worst reported by readers so far. “It looks like a war zone,” shelled by artillery, resident Phillip Ringwood said.

It has numerous potholes more than a foot deep. Some are big enough that trash blown into them stuck to the muddy bottoms and hasn’t budged. The tire tracks of some unlucky victims are visible in the muddy bottoms of some of the largest holes.

“You have to drive as if you are off-roading — swerving side to side to avoid holes," Ringwood said. “Only one vehicle can negotiate the road at a time.”

• Redondo Avenue, just north of 2100 South between 600 East and 700 East in Salt Lake City. It looks like a top asphalt layer has mostly eroded down to concrete or even rocks. It has plenty of holes where chunks of pavement have broken up and disappeared — even though it has some apparent recent patches.

“Numerous potholes of varying sizes and depths make for a rough drive and an even rougher ride by bike,” said resident Brooke Stanislawski. But unlike Fuller Avenue, most of the potholes are relatively small, although numerous.

• 2700 South in Salt Lake City Several readers complained about it, especially in areas between 1300 East and 2000 East. It has several stretches of long lines of small potholes that make for a bumpy ride.

Matthew Rojas, spokesman for Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, said the city plans to rebuild that road, with work to start soon. “So it doesn’t make sense to repair potholes with that coming,” he said, adding that street is in the area of the city which has generated the most complaints.

“People drive to the side of the road to avoid the potholes,” said area resident Ian Hiscock. “That makes the bicycles ride up on the sidewalk.”

Don Nash added, “You have to drive out of the lane to avoid totally rattling your shock absorbers and ruining tires.”

• Highland Drive in Salt Lake City and Millcreek in stretches between 2700 South and 4500 South. It has numerous lines of small potholes strung together in spots, and a few significant ones — such as in its intersection with Richmond Avenue.

“It’s horrible,” Paul Young said. “People swerve into other lanes to avoid them.”

• 2100 South at 1100 East in Sugar House. Actually, readers didn’t point out this one. But driving around to sites they suggested led us to bump our way through this one. Parts of the intersection are more like a loose collection of potholes than actual pavement.

• 4100 South in West Valley City between 4000 West and 7200 West. Road construction in the area may make it worse. But several places have some seriously deep potholes. "It messed up our control arms on our Cadillac,” one reader said.

• 7200 West from 4100 South to 3500 South on the border of West Valley City and Magna. It has numerous stretches where groups of potholes seem to flock together. One reader called it “potholes like crazy.”

• State Street near 4500 South. It's rough, but holes are not too deep. “It's crumbling,” Paul Young said. “I hit it every day.”

• 900 East between 2100 South and 4500 South. It is bumpy, with plenty of small holes in spots. “It’s impossible to drive down it without ruining your suspension,” said William Wilson.

• Hawthorne Avenue in Salt Lake City. It’s a dead-end street lined by small houses, just off 500 East at 550 South. Residents say damage by city garbage trucks plus lack of maintenance through the years have created some monster potholes.

Peggy Hostetter moved from Seattle to an apartment in downtown Salt Lake City’s west side eight years ago, just as crime began to worsen at The Gateway shopping center and surrounding Rio Grande neighborhood.

Her dreams for retired life in Utah's capital gave way to routine fears for her personal safety. "It almost immediately started to change my world," said Hostetter, now 81.

She began noticing store after store abandon the mall and saw litter, human waste and discarded needles accumulate on the sidewalks along 500 West. The adjacent Road Home homeless shelter was overflowing, she and others recalled, and Hostetter had the police on speed dial for when she witnessed drug deals from her apartment window.

Hostetter joined state and business leaders Tuesday to credit Operation Rio Grande in summer 2017 and stepped-up security efforts by mall owner Vestar for a dramatic drop in criminal activity since 2015, a trend that officials say has helped revitalize the wider neighborhood.

"This is a very different place for me now," Hostetter said at a news conference, held in the Grand Hall of Union Pacific Depot at The Gateway. "I'm perfectly comfortable walking to events downtown."

Two new reports — one from the state Department of Workforce Services and another by the private security firm hired to patrol The Gateway — point to improved conditions at The Road Home as well as a marked decrease in felony-level crimes and a range of lesser drug-related, property and behavioral crimes in and around the adjacent open-area shopping center.

Those trends have government officials, business leaders and the mall’s owner celebrating.

Serious felonies within the two-block shopping center — crimes such as burglary, robbery and fraud — dropped from 26 incidents in 2015 to three last year, according to private security firm Trident Security Services, which began working at the mall in 2017.

Drug-related offenses went from 377 in 2015 to 27 in 2018, while property crimes — theft, graffiti and vandalism — fell from 587 to 134 over the same period. Behavior-related incidents — ranging from panhandling, disorderly conduct and trespassing to harassment and indecency — also dropped, from 2,158 incidents in 2015 to 463 three years later, according to Trident.

Separate crime statistics from Salt Lake City police show a similar overall decline across the city, with monthly crimes falling by anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent between January 2015 and the end of 2018.

Those declines were most pronounced in the city's Council District 4, which includes the Rio Grande neighborhood, police statistics show.

Since purchasing The Gateway in 2016, Arizona-based Vestar has spent nearly $1.5 million yearly on private security as part of a $100 million overhaul of the property, which the mall’s marketing director Jacklyn Briggs said had helped turn it into a public gathering space and venue for 180 separate community events in 2018.

Briggs and Dave Kelly, vice chairman of the Pioneer Park Coalition, a group of area business owners, said the neighborhood’s trajectory would likely improve further with completion of a multi-use recreation lawn, additional lighting and other improvements at nearby Pioneer Park.

Derek Miller, president and CEO of Salt Lake Chamber and affiliated Downtown Alliance, on Tuesday praised the “great strides” in boosting area security, while thanking police; city, county and state leaders; area businesses and Vestar, for its Gateway investments.

"In order for us to have a dynamic city center," Miller said, "we have to ensure that it is welcoming and safe for residents, visitors and for commerce."

Former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes, another key player in efforts to improve the area, praised a range of government officials, community leaders and social service providers for "completely inventing the rules" to create Operation Rio Grande, which began in August 2017.

The three-phase plan brought stepped-up police action to restore public safety in neighborhoods around The Road Home. Police jailed some of the homeless while others were sent for medical and addiction treatment, then assisted with job training, employment and housing.

The effort drew criticism from civil-rights advocates, who said it was heavy-handed.

"We were working in braille," Hughes said of the first-ever collaboration among Utah officials that went into Operation Rio Grande. The Draper Republican said he was "so proud of all the people who left their biases and turf at the door to solve this problem."

Hughes said that while Operation Rio Grande may have dispersed some of the homeless to other parts of the city, it also rid the downtown area of drug dealers and others who preyed on shelter clients, making it safe for those living in homeless camps elsewhere to come downtown for services.

"I'm not saying the job's all done," he said, "but there is a measurable difference."

The shelter, located at 210 S. Rio Grande, is now scheduled to close in the fall of 2019. City, county and state officials are building three new homeless resource centers elsewhere in Salt Lake County.

In their report, auditors at the state Department of Workforce Service found that conditions inside the homeless shelter, which the state purchased in October, appear to have improved since a May report highlighted major deficiencies, though they added that more progress is still needed.

In the surveys, a majority of residents, employees, volunteers and police officers reported that the shelter was safer, and that illegal drug use and abusive behavior had declined over the past eight months, as had the number of weapons brought into the shelter, state auditors said.

But the audit also found shortcomings, including custodians at the shelter not reporting drug paraphernalia; residents not being thoroughly searched upon admission; other lapses in security staffing and surveillance; and restrooms not being cleaned frequently enough.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it has yet to determine the source of an E. coli outbreak that has infected 72 people in five states — an admission one expert in foodborne illness called “perplexing,” considering how many have fallen victim to the illness.

The recent spate of sickness, which began March 2, is directly linked to a strain of E. coli known as "O103,″ according to the CDC. Eight people have been hospitalized as a result of the O103 outbreak, however, no deaths have been reported. The patients ages range from 1 to 74 years old with a median age of 17.

Symptoms of E. coli infection often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, typically occurring three days after consuming the bacteria. The states affected by the outbreak are Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.

Bill Marler, a food safety lawyer from Seattle with more than 25 years of experience, told The Post there's "no question" the patients in this case share one common source of infection. It's "concerning," he said, that the CDC has yet to pinpoint the source to a specific food item, grocery store or restaurant chain.

"Given the size and the number of states that are involved, what you're seeing is very unusual," Marler said. "If it was five people or 10 people, that's a little harder to figure out. But when there's 72 people and they're being interviewed by epidemiologists, it's pretty unusual you don't have a culprit."

He added: "The real question is, what do 72 people have in common over five states? It has to be something."

That something, Marler said, is likely a food or water product that people can't remember they ate. State and local health officials are required to interview ill patients and determine what they consumed in the week leading up to their symptoms, but recalling one's dietary choices is oftentimes easier said than done, he said.

Condiments, garnish, toppings, and spices can all contain traces of E. coli. But it's unlikely the patients in this outbreak were keeping track of all the additives in their recent diets, he added.

“That’s probably why it’s taking longer to figure out — because people can’t remember what was in their meal,” Marler said.

Citing a CDC data set that dates back to 1998, Marler noted outbreaks of E. coli O103 are relatively uncommon. Eighteen such cases have been reported in the United States since 2000, with the highest number of reported illnesses being 29 during a 2010 outbreak in Minnesota.

That makes this O103 outbreak by far the largest in recent memory, he said.

It's likely that number will grow. Marler said the CDC estimates that for every person reported sick, there are 5 to 10 ill people who have not been accounted for. "I would expect to see the numbers at least double in the next 10 days unless immediate action is taken this weekend," he said.

Thirty-six of the reported illnesses in this case stem from Kentucky. Last week, local health officials issued an alert for a "sudden increase in O103 cases" in the state, according to the Mercer County Health Department, which wrote in a Facebook post the illnesses were found in "children and teenagers with extensive exposure to fast food."

If that's true, Marler said, it corresponds the dietary habits of many 17-year-olds: the reported median patient age.

"It definitely does underscore it's probably some convenience, fast food consumed by kids," he said. One silver lining, he added, is that people in this age range are typically healthy and not prone to further complications from E. coli.

To avoid disease, the CDC advises that people cook foods thoroughly, wash fruits and vegetables and limit consumption of raw or unpasteurized juice and dairy products. Hand washing can also help prevent contamination.

But Marler says people fearing illness should go one step further: avoid uncooked food items entirely, at least until the CDC draws its conclusion.

"It won't kill you not to have a salad or smoothie made with fresh fruits and vegetables," Marler said. "You can live without that for a couple days as this shapes out."

- - -

The Washington Post’s Lena H. Sun contributed to this report.

Los Angeles • A man who rode around on a bicycle with a knife and slashed the faces and necks of nine people in Los Angeles has been charged with multiple felonies.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office says Friday that Lenrey Briones faces seven counts of aggravated mayhem, two counts of attempted aggravated mayhem and one count of attempted second-degree robbery. It's not known if the 19-year-old has an attorney.

Investigators say Briones left his victims, including a 13-year-old, with slashing wounds. One victim required 20 stitches. Stefany Coboz told KNBC-TV she received a deep gash under her ear, and the attacker turned and laughed as he rode away.

Prosecutors say in one instance, he tried to take a victim's purse.

He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts.

3:55 p.m.

One purpose of the recent shortening of Sunday meetings is to allow better focus on the sacrament and the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ, taught apostle Jeffrey R. Holland.

“In addition to making time for more home-centered gospel instruction, our modified Sunday service is also to reduce the complexity of the meeting schedule in a way that properly emphasizes the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper as the sacred, acknowledged focal point of our weekly worship experience,” he said.

“We are to remember in as personal a way as possible that Christ died from a heart broken by shouldering entirely alone the sins and sorrows of the whole human family.”

To allow that, Holland urged less tardiness at Sunday meetings, more reverence, dressing up and even reducing announcements from the pulpit.

“As for punctuality, a late pass will always be lovingly granted to those blessed mothers who, with children, Cheerios, and diaper bags trailing in marvelous disarray, are lucky to have made it at all,” he said. “Furthermore, there will be others who unavoidably find their ox in the mire on a Sabbath morning. However, to this latter group we say an occasional tardiness is understandable, but if the ox is in the mire every Sunday, then we strongly recommend that you sell the ox or fill the mire.”

About reducing pulpit announcements, Holland said he “cannot imagine a priest such as Zacharias — there in the ancient temple of the Lord about to participate in the one and only priestly privilege that would come to him in his entire lifetime — I just cannot picture him pausing before the altar to remind us that the pinewood derby is just six weeks away.”

He urged, “As we unite across the globe each week in what we hope is an increasingly sacred acknowledgment of Christ’s majestic atoning gift to all humankind, may we bring to the sacramental altar ‘more tears for his sorrow [and] more pain at his grief.’”

3:35 p.m.

It is possible to find and hear the voice of God among all the noise of the world, said Elder David P. Homer of the Seventy.

“We live in a world with many voices seeking our attention. With all the breaking news, tweets, blogs, podcasts, and compelling advice from Alexa, Siri, and others, we can find it difficult to know which voices to trust,” he said. “It is vital that we listen to the right ones.”

God has made it possible to hear his voice, but he often speaks in different ways.

“Sometimes, he speaks to our ‘mind and in [our] heart’ in a voice that is small, yet powerful,” he said. “Other times, his impressions ‘occupy [our] mind[s]” or “press … upon [our] feelings.’ Other times, our bosom will “burn within [us].” Still other times, he fills our souls with joy, enlightens our minds, or speaks peace to our troubled hearts”

Homer said God’s voice can be found through prayer, scripture study, attending church and the temple and while engaging in faithful discussions.

“We need to decide which, among all the different voices, we will obey,” he said. “Will we follow the unreliable voices advocated by the world, or will we do the work required to allow our Father’s voice to guide us in our decisions and protect us from danger? The more diligently we seek his voice, the easier it becomes to hear.”

3: 20 p.m.

Blessings will come if people will feast on the scriptures, said Elder Takashi Wada of the Seventy.

“When I was young, I thought that feasting was simply having a big meal with rice, sushi and soy sauce,” he said. “I believe when we feast upon the words of Christ, we ought to be thinking of the same kind of experience. Feasting upon the scriptures is not just reading them. It should bring us real joy and build our relationship with the Savior.”

He listed three blessings that come from such feasting: It will boost spiritual capacity to receive revelation; it will overcome lack of self-esteem by helping “us know who we really are and give us strength beyond our own”; and it will allow believers to lift others.

“The words of Christ will profoundly touch hearts and open the eyes of those who do not yet see him,” Wada said. “Feasting upon the words of Christ will bring life-sustaining revelation, reaffirm our true identity and worth before God as his child, and lead our friends unto Christ and everlasting life.”

3 p.m.

Observing a world of diverse individual beliefs, apostle Neil L. Andersen declared unequivocally that “there are some things that are completely and absolutely true. These eternal truths are the same for every son and daughter of God.”

The gospel “teaches us that it does not matter if we are rich or poor, prominent or unknown, sophisticated or simple,” Andersen said. “Rather, our mortal quest is to strengthen our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, to choose good over evil, and to keep his commandments. While we celebrate the innovations of science and medicine, the truths of God go far beyond these discoveries.”

Notions of identity and morality have changed over time, he said.

“During my teenage and early married years, many in the world walked away from the Lord’s standard we call the law of chastity, that sexual relations are to occur only between a man and a woman who are lawfully married,” said Andersen, who is 67. “In my 20s and 30s, many walked away from the sacred protection of the unborn, as abortion became more acceptable.”

In more recent years, he said, “many have walked away from God’s law that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman.”

The Utah-based faith teaches that same-sex attraction is not a sin but acting on it is. The church opposes same-sex marriage, and treats LGBTQ marriage as a “serious transgression.”

Andersen told of a gay friend, who has been “true to his temple covenants” that require celibacy outside of heterosexual marriage.

The man has “expanded his creative and professional talents and has served nobly in both the church and the community,” the apostle said, and sympathizes with other gays who choose not to “keep the law of chastity in the world in which we live.”

But the man reiterated that “God’s standards are different from those of the world.”

Some, Andersen said, will say that the apostle doesn’t understand their situations.

“I may not, but I testify that there is one who does understand,” he said, “...one who, because of his sacrifice made in the garden and on the cross, knows your burdens.”

2:50 p.m.

Beyond logical reasoning, God also teaches his children through inspiration of the Holy Ghost, said Elder Matthias Held of the Seventy.

“If we rely only on our rational mind and deny or neglect the spiritual understanding we can receive through the whisperings and impressions of the Holy Ghost," he said, “it is as if we are going through life with only one eye.”

Held said while people can see with only one physical eye, the second eye provides another perspective and allows the brain to perceive images in three dimensions. He said the same occurs when people combine physical and spiritual capacities to learn.

The Colombian native learned that lesson as he investigated the church 31 years ago while living in Germany. He rationally saw many fruits the church offered. “However, we still could not decide to be baptized because we wanted to know everything before doing so.”

Finally, a passage from the faith’s signature scripture, the Book of Mormon, “entered our hearts and souls, and we suddenly felt and knew that there was really no reason not to be baptized. ... We learned that, in addition to our rational minds, another dimension to gaining knowledge can give us guidance and understanding. It is the still and soft voice of his Holy Spirt speaking to our hears and also to our minds.”

2:35 p.m.

With all the big changes in the church in the past 18 months, some of the spiritual purposes behind them “might become lost in the excitement about the changes themselves,” said M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“The best ways for us to see the spiritual purposes of the church," he said, “is to live the true, pure and simple teachings of Christ and also apply the Savior’s two great commandments: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'”

The 90-year-old apostle, second in line after Dallin H. Oaks to assume the faith’s reins, listed some spiritual purposes, for example, behind the recent change to shorten regular Sunday meeting from three hours to two.

“The Sabbath day adjustments that emphasize home-centered, church-supported gospel learning and studying are an opportunity to renew our spirit and our devotion to God within the walls of our homes,” Ballard said. “What could possibly be more simple, basic and profound?”

He also said recently eliminating the old home and visiting teaching programs for a new style of ministering to neighbors brings higher possibilities.

“Effective ministering is best viewed through the focused lens of loving God and loving our neighbors,” he said. “Simply stated, we minister because we love our Heavenly Father and his children. Our ministering efforts will be more successful if we keep our ministering simple.”

He urged members to “do the best you can do day after day, and before you know it, you will come to realize that your Heavenly Father knows you and that he loves you. And when you know that — really know it — your life will have real purpose and meaning, and you will be filled with joy and peace.”

Ballard also said he is impressed at how [94-year-old] President Russell M. Nelson’s breathtaking pace. “I say ‘breathtaking’ because he’s the only one of the apostles who is older than me, and I am having a difficult time keeping up with him!”

2:15 p.m.

Among the new area Seventies announced by the church Saturday was a familiar name for football fans: Vai Sikahema.

After playing for Brigham Young University, he became the first Tongan ever to play in the National Football League. He played running back and kickoff returner in the league from 1986 to 1993.

He was drafted by the St. Louis (now Arizona) Cardinals, and also played for the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles. Later, he became the sports director for WCAU-TV in Philadelphia.

Henry J. Eyring, president of Brigham Young University-Idaho and a son of President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency, also was named an area Seventy.

Ten new general authority Seventies were named, including Peter M. Johnson, an African American born in New York, Benjamin M. Z. Tai, who was born in Hong Kong, and four leaders who were born in Latin America.

The faith’s other top leaders won “sustaining” votes from the members assembled in the Conference Center. Unlike in recent conferences, no audible “no” votes were cast.

11:50 a.m.

Building faith in Jesus Christ is the key to reversing the spiritual decline in families and homes, said President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the church’s governing First Presidency.

“Faith is more likely to bring repentance," he said, “than your preaching against each symptom of spiritual decline.”

Helping family members to grow in faith that Christ lives and is their loving redeemer will help them feel a desire to repent.

“As they do, humility will begin to replace pride. As they begin to feel what the Lord has given them, they will want to share more generously,” Eyring said. “Rivalry for prominence or recognition will diminish. Hate will be driven out by love.”

Ways to build that faith include praying with love, teaching how to repent early, cultivating a missionary spirit to share the gospel and visiting temples.

“You will best lead by example. Family members and others must see you growing in your own faith in Jesus Christ and in his gospel,” Eyring said. “Contention, pride and sin have to be kept at bay. The pure love of Christ must come into the hearts of those in our family.”

Eyring said he once told an apostle that he feared his family may not be together in the next world because of poor choices by some. The apostle told him, “You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the Celestial Kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.”

He added, “I believe that he would extend that happy hope to any of us in mortality who have done all we can to qualify ourselves and our family members for eternal life. I know that Heavenly Father’s plan is a plan of happiness.”

11:30 a.m.

No one is too far gone for the Savior’s loving reach, taught Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, which oversees the church’s vast financial, real estate, investment and charitable operations.

He told how his brother, who had not regularly attended church for almost 50 years, was lovingly cared for by members as he developed pancreatic cancer. Treatment eventually brought him to Utah, where the mission leader of the care facility where the brother lived became his friend.

After invitations, Waddell’s brother listened to gospel messages. Plans were eventually made to ordain him to the church’s all-male Melchizedek Priesthood. On the scheduled day, visitors were told the brother had no pulse, but he awakened to say he was ready to be ordained.

“Five hours later, Mike passed away, crossing the veil to meet our parents as a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood,” Waddell said. “Like my brother Mike, no one is too far gone, and it’s never too late, for the Savior’s loving reach.”

He urged Latter-day Saints to minister to individuals as Christ did.

“It isn’t necessary for someone to be suffering from a life-threatening disease to be in need of ministering service,” he said. “Those needs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and conditions. A single parent, a less active couple, a struggling teen, an overwhelmed mother, a trial of faith, financial, health, or marriage issues — the list is almost endless.”

Waddell noted that a former mission president used to tell his young proselytizers that “if someone is on a list that says ‘not interested’, don’t give up. People change.”

11:20 a.m.

Apostle Dieter F. Uchtdorf began his sermon by mentioning his recent participation in the dedication of the church’s Rome Temple, and how the Utah-based faith has become a global religion.

Before members become too self-congratulatory, the charismatic German said, they should remember that there are 7½ billion people in the world but 16 million Latter-day Saints.

“A very small flock indeed,” Uchtdorf said.

That means that, wherever members are, “there are plenty of opportunities to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with people you meet, study, and live with, or work and socialize with.”

However, he said, not every Latter-day Saint feels comfortable doing overt proselytizing. So Uchtdorf, who supervises the faith’s missionary department, offered "five guilt-free things anyone can do to participate in the Savior’s great commission to help gather Israel.”

• Draw close to God.
• Fill your heart with love for others.
• Strive to walk the path of discipleship.
• Share what is in your heart.
• Trust the Lord to work his miracles.

He suggested that members “see everyone around you as a child of God. ... Laugh with them. Rejoice with them. Weep with them. Respect them. Heal, lift and strengthen them.”

Uchtdorf instructed believers not to give up as they try to follow in Christ’s footsteps, sometimes taking “two steps forward and one step back.”

“Keep trying to get it right,” he said. “You will eventually become better, happier and more authentic.”

Whatever ways “seem natural and normal to you, share with people why Jesus Christ and his church are important to you,” Uchtdorf concluded. “Understand that it’s not your job to convert people. That is the role of the Holy Ghost. Your role is to share what is in your heart and live consistent with your beliefs.”

10:50 a.m.

God sometimes answers prayers in unexpected ways, but that is for our good, Elder Brook P. Hales of the Seventy taught.

“[Heavenly] Father is aware of us, knows our needs and will help us perfectly,” the general authority said. “Sometimes our most earnest and worthy desires are not answered in the way we hope, but we find that God has greater blessings in store. And, sometimes, our righteous desires are not granted in this life.”

For example, Hales said his youngest son received an overcoat just before he departed for a mission in France and packed it without trying it on. It was far too small for him — but happened to fit another missionary who had been praying to somehow get a new and better coat.

“Heavenly Father knew," Hales said, “that this missionary who was serving in France some 6,200 miles away from home would urgently need a new coat.”

He noted that Joseph in the Bible was sold into slavery, but that led to him eventually being able to save his family from starvation.

Hales, who serves as secretary to the faith’s governing First Presidency, also quoted how Patricia Parkinson, a Latter-day Saint who became blind as a young girl, responded to someone who suggested she could receive her sight again if she prayed for it.

“Well, sometimes Heavenly Father doesn’t work like that. Sometimes he needs you to learn something and so he doesn’t give you everything you want. Sometimes you have to wait.”

10:40 a.m.

Becky Craven, second counselor in Young Women general presidency, spelled out two ways of following Latter-day Saint behavioral standards — which she described as “careful or casual.”

“As we consider our commitment to the Savior, are we careful or casual?” Craven asked the throngs listening in the Conference Center or watching from a chapel or at home. “Being careful in living the gospel does not necessarily mean being formal or stuffy. What is does mean is being appropriate in our thoughts and behavior as disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Craven, the only female speaker at Saturday’s sessions, urged believers not to “lower your standards to fit in or to make someone else feel comfortable. We are disciples of Jesus Christ and as such we are about elevating others, lifting them to a higher, holier place where they, too, can reap greater blessings.”

Latter-day Saints are “not meant to blend in with the rest of the world,” Craven said. “We have been called a peculiar people — what a compliment!”

The Young Woman leader acknowledged that the only perfect man was Jesus Christ.

“Although we may not be perfect, brothers and sisters, we can be worthy: worthy to partake of the sacrament, worthy of temple blessings and worthy to receive personal revelation,” she said, while pleading with listeners “not to be critical of others making this same journey.”

10:20 a.m.

As the conference opened, Elder Ulisses Soares, the most junior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, urged members to bless and teach others by making Jesus Christ the center of their lives.

“The best teacher is a good role model. Teaching something that we truly live can make a difference in the hearts of those we teach,” he said. “If we desire people, whether that be family or not, to joyfully treasure up the scriptures and the teachings of living apostles and prophets, they need to see our souls delighting in them.”

Soares, a native of Brazil and the faith’s first Latin American apostle, said while many church members are sad that friends or family have distanced themselves from God, those who have gone astray may be blessed through love and offering a good example.

“For those of you who are right now experiencing these feelings of sadness, agony, and maybe regret, please know that they are not totally lost because the Lord knows where they are and is watching over them. Remember, they are his children, too!”

He added, “The best we can do in these circumstances is to just love and embrace them; pray for their well-being and seek for the Lord’s help to know what to do and say. Sincerely rejoice with them in their successes; be their friends and look for the good in them. We should never give up on them but preserve our relationships. Never reject or misjudge them. Just love them!”

The apostle said the father of the prodigal son in the Bible gave an example to follow for wayward friends and family who desire to return.

“If that happens with your dear ones, fill your hearts with compassion, run to them, fall on their neck, and kiss them, like the father of the prodigal son did,” he said. God “will bless your efforts and dedication to your dear ones if not in this life, in the next life. Remember always that hope is an important part of the gospel plan.”

10 a.m.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened its semiannual General Conference in Salt Lake City on Saturday for the faith’s more than 16 million members to hear instructions from their top leaders.

It comes amid many recent big changes announced by President Russell M. Nelson — including reversing just two days ago a policy that had deemed same-sex married couples “apostates” and generally barred their children from baby blessings and baptisms.

Other recent changes include lowering the ages that some male youths may be ordained to priesthood offices; reducing the length of Sunday services from three hours to two; urging use of the church’s full name; restructuring “home and visiting teaching” into “ministering”: eliminating local-congregation high priest groups; restructuring bishop youth interviews; and adjusting temple ceremonies to include more gender-inclusive language.

Nelson quipped last fall, “Eat your vitamin pills. Get some rest. It’s going to be exciting.”

General sessions continue Saturday at 2 p.m., with an annual all-male priesthood session at 6 p.m. The conference concludes Sunday with two more general sessions, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

In one sense, we’re all natural-born scientists. Give a toddler an egg, and sooner or later, they’ll drop it, just to see what happens — as life and Neil deGrasse Tyson remind us.

So why do we need to teach scientific experimentation, as the new proposed Science with Engineering Education (SEEd) Standards would have us do? And what’s up with the claim that the scientific method is counterintuitive?

Good questions. Let’s play, “I have a hypothesis.”

I (nature, metaphorically speaking) give you an observation: a triplet sequence of numbers, “2-4-6.” You (the scientist) try to determine the general rule that underlies such triplet sequences. You can’t know for sure what that rule is, given the present data. But you might venture a reasonable guess — a “hypothesis.”

First, write down your hypothesis, so you don’t change it later. To test your hypothesis experimentally, you’ll generate a new triplet sequence of numbers (methods). I’ll tell you whether your sequence fits the actual general rule (results). Repeat. You get as many tries as you like.

Write down the first sequence you want tested, for future reference. OK, now it’s answer time. The real point of this exercise — a seminal experiment by English psychologist Peter Wason in 1960 — isn’t to see whether you correctly hypothesized the general rule. Instead, the point is to see how you test your hypothesis.

If you’re like most people, you test your hypothesis the wrong way: by generating sequences that fit your hypothesis, rather than ones that don’t. Check yours; did you?

If your hypothesis was, say, “a sequence of even numbers, increasing by two,” then you probably generated a test sequence like that, such as “4-6-8.” To which my response would be, “Yes. Your sequence fits the general rule.”

So, you try another test sequence that also fits your hypothesis, perhaps “6-8-10.” Again I reply, “Yes.” And on it goes. Forever.

But here’s the thing. You’ll never discover the real general rule, which is this: “any ascending sequence.” Every sequence that fits your hypothesized but incorrect rule (“increase by two”) also fits the actual rule (“increase by any amount”). So you’ll never find out you’re wrong.

Oops.

In contrast, if you generate a single test sequence that violates your rule -- say, “1-2-3” -- but I nonetheless say, “Yes,” then you know immediately that your original hypothesis is wrong: It’s not “increase by two.”

Easy-peasy. But infrequently done.

Takeaway Number 1: Our natural tendency is to look for evidence that we’re right and avoid evidence that we’re wrong. This tendency is so common it has a name: “confirmation bias.” The problem is, this approach often fails to find the correct answer, despite convincing us that it did.

Takeaway Number 2: We need to train students in a better way to think. The scientific method embodies that improvement. In science, we try to overcome confirmation bias. We seek potential disconfirmation, to see if our hypothesis is wrong, rather than seeking only confirmation that it’s right. We investigate alternatives. Ideas that survive serious challenge are more likely to be correct.

So, too, the proposed SEEd standards will try to teach students “to think critically and experiment” (The Salt Lake Tribune, Mar. 28).

Unfortunately, many Utahns find science threatening — perhaps because they find critical thinking and objective evaluation threatening. Even in science classes, they seek the comfort of religion, as the continuing uproar over the proposed standards shows. Religion doesn’t belong in public school science classes for a simple reason: It’s not science.

Honest science doesn’t evaluate its findings according to whether they conform to scripture, popular consensus or the religious beliefs of legislators. One can’t legislate the similarity between human and chimpanzee DNA any more than one can legislate the value of pi, as Indiana legislators once tried to do.

Science education must do what science itself does: Present scientific findings and explanations accurately and fully, regardless of whether they conflict with religious beliefs. Religion often vilifies knowledge. In Christianity, consuming forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge constitutes the original sin.

People remain free to believe that at home. But that’s a horrible, inherently incompatible approach to science education. Honest science education, unfettered by religion, deserves our support. Voice it before 11:45 p.m., April 11, here.

Gregory A. Clark is an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Utah. The views expressed are his own, and don’t necessarily reflect the U.’s.

Western religions allow people to believe in things that have absolutely no basis in reality or fact and this has led to the madness in our country now.

It is Saturday morning and I am relaxing with my tea and reading. The doorbell rings, and two Mormons are at my door, delighted at the opportunity to push their beliefs on someone who did not invite them to do so.

I ask for their address so I can go to their house while they are relaxing and talk them into switching to my spirituality. They do not listen and continue with no awareness as to what is happening on the other side of the conversation. I may as well be a wall.

I tell them they are being rude to ignore my response and to not come back. I am speaking out against this aggressive and intrusive tactic as well as their ignorant and dangerous way of thinking.

I picked up a book called, “Love Poems from God, Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West” which illuminated the difference between the East and West. The West speaks of god being outside of oneself - male, white and to be feared. What a powerful way to control: You go to hell forever and ever if you don’t obey. What a loving god!

Of St. Thomas Aquinas it says, “numerous stories of Thomas often being absorbed in states of enchantment and being completely unconscious of his surroundings or his actions, even to the point of putting inedible items into his mouth at the dining table.”

How is this a good thing? This is disembodied, no link from mind to body. This perhaps explains how deeply religious people can commit such atrocities. They are not connected to their body, which means they cannot be connected to their heart. They act and react from beliefs and mental concepts. How else can someone justify putting children in cages (only one of countless atrocities) in the name of God? Or believe Jesus, born in the Middle East 2000-plus years ago, was a white man, therefore the white race is the only race God loves? (I haven’t even touched on how religion treats women).

The poems from the East, in contrast, speak of God as the Beloved -- as us. We are god and everything is god. That we cannot harm another without harming ourselves, because there is only one of us. No need for a hell or punishment for sins.

“If you put your soul against this oar with me, the power that made the universe will enter your sinew from a source not outside your limbs, but from a holy realm that lives within us.” - Rumi

Jade Chun, Sandy, is a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner with diverse and extensive training, helping people with a wide range of issues through shifting energetics, deep introspection and lifestyle changes.

Rudy Gobert snatched a pass out of the air, moving toward the basket, the ball in his left hand, a massive defender crowding him from the right side. He couldn’t quite get to the rim, even with the advantage of an intercontinental extension, for a dunk, which was the beauty of the whole thing. Instead, he boosted toward the corner of the glass, after gathering his feet, kneecaps, hips, allowing them to catch up with his reach, powering through the human barricade with his lower body, his right shoulder absorbing contact. He flipped a shot up, spinning it just so, kissing it off the window and into the hoop.

That sequence, hardly a spectacular movement by NBA standards, nor particularly sophisticated, signified much more than two points in a recent regular-season game, something much more valuable. It evidenced … advancement.

Here’s a stone-cold fact that should scare the bejeebers out of Western Conference foes as the playoffs near, and into the future: Gobert is getting better.

He’s doing things he could not do just two years ago, one year ago, four months ago. Especially on attack, but also at the defensive end.

“Rudy’s expanding his game,” pronounces Quin Snyder.

Stretching that already sweeping 7-foot-forever reach.

Yes, Gobert was the NBA’s defensive player of the year last season, adversely affecting opponents’ shots in and around the paint, causing them second-thoughts about even putting up routine attempts down deep, anchoring the Jazz’s resistance.

But now …

Now, stronger and better conditioned, seemingly better coordinated, he’s covering more ground, bothering jump-shooting bigs, returning back to help teammates who’ve been beaten off the bounce, roaming around like Inspector Gadget on patrol, having improved two weaknesses that formerly vexed him — a lack of anticipation and of lateral quickness.

“I have worked hard to make myself better,” Gobert says.

He gets no argument from Snyder, who says that his center is “building new habits,” and those habits “are making Rudy a better player, a more efficient player.”

The increased awareness Gobert has shown on defense, gaining a broader sense of where every opponent is, has come in part from his years in the NBA, but also from listening to instruction from Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen. When the best defender in the league pushes to become a better best defender, that is notable.

On occasion, Gobert still gets beat. An opposing center skies a shot over him, or he leaves his man to stop the drive of a guard who has blown by a teammate’s porous perimeter defense, which happens enough to cause some concerns for the Jazz moving forward, and that guard drops a pass to Gobert’s original assignment and that player scores. It happens.

Gobert cannot cover everybody everywhere.

But as the rings around the trunk have increased, he has improved his read-and-recognition skills, along with the physical gains to better take advantage of the knowledge he has acquired.

On offense, Gobert’s contributions begin with the subtle stuff.

Snyder compares him to a prized left tackle who protects the quarterback, without whose abilities an entire passing attack would collapse.

“Rudy would hate that comparison,” Snyder says. “But there are times when his job isn’t glamorous. In some respects, you don’t even notice it until it doesn’t happen. For us, Rudy’s offense, at a fundamental level, is selfless.”

The unselfishness is manifested in Gobert’s passing, his screen assists, his picking-and-rolling that draws teammates’ defenders to him, opening them for good looks or allowing them to get to the rim, the physical beating he absorbs in achieving all of that.

“He’s fighting through defenders grabbing him, busting through somebody who’s hitting him, chucking him,” Snyder says. “When he’s able to put pressure on the rim, he’s opening things up for other players.”

And there are times when the offense opens up for Gobert.

“I asked our team the other day: ‘Who’s thrown Rudy a lob dunk this year?’” says Snyder. “Everybody’s hand went up.”

As a kind of symbolic gesture, Snyder spent the opening minutes of training camp on lobbing passes from perimeter players to Gobert, over and over. His teammates got the message that their coach wanted a two-pronged emphasis at the offensive end — accurate airmails into a rolling Gobert and 3-point shooting.

The two are tied together, seeing that off the Jazz’s actions, defenders often are faced with a decision — committing resources to interfere with Gobert’s incessant rolls to the basket — or scrambling to defend the corner 3.

Gobert leads the NBA in dunks this season, and much has been made of that. Much should be made of it. He also leads the league in shooting percentage, scoring at a .670 clip. And he’s averaging 15.7 points, a significant jump from past seasons. His career scoring average is 11.1 points.

And the Jazz are attempting and making considerably more deep balls than ever before, particularly from the corner.

As Snyder suggests, Gobert is the key to making that happen.

“The things we ask him to work on are things he can do now or will be capable of doing,” Snyder says. “Things that are central to the team.”

Gobert has quietly spent hours working on his positioning and touch around the basket. His post-up moves remind no one of Hakeem Olajuwon, but nobody cringes anymore when he receives bounce passes down low. It’s in the center’s plans to continue that growth in the months and years ahead.

Catching and hammering the alley-oops indeed have already been mastered. His passing out of the post has become more precise. His free-throw shooting more reliable.

The more he’s been featured in the attack, the more he’s been motivated to expand and show his abilities.

“I always want to be aggressive,” Gobert says.

He’s fully aware that his dimensions give him an advantage, what was and is needed was and is a refining of skills. And that refinement is under way, to the point now where Snyder recently said Gobert’s contributions on offense are equal to his contributions on defense.

Gobert has made a liar of anyone who said in the past that that would never be the case. Which is to say, he’s made a liar of everyone.

GORDON MONSON hosts “The Big Show” with Jake Scott weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone.

Provo • When he was asked about the difficulty of his job last summer in a relaxed and casual one-on-one setting, former BYU basketball coach Dave Rose brought up a conversation he had with a fellow Division I college basketball coach during an all-star camp for high school players in New York a couple of years before that.

The other coach had heard that “if a guy goes to BYU, he can’t smoke, drink or have sex,” and wanted to know if that was true.

“He said, ‘That’s negative recruiting. That can’t be right,’” Rose said. “I said, ‘no, it is right. That’s what we expect out of our guys.’”

The coach then asked Rose which of the dozens of players in the camp could [handle BYU’s Honor Code], and Rose said he knew of just one, but couldn’t be sure.

“Man, I am glad I got my job, and not yours,” the coach said.

Maybe that little story should be relayed to the folks at Sports Illustrated, who last week ranked the BYU opening No. 8 on its list of “most desirable jobs of the 2019 college basketball coaching carousel.”

All the jobs in the list except BYU are in Power Five conferences. Some have been filled.

“BYU will be a good opportunity for whoever gets it because it’s considered the second-best job in the WCC behind Gonzaga, has a ton of fan support, and the athletic department is serious about the program,” SI wrote.

Still, several questions have to be asked as BYU officials narrow their search for Rose’s replacement after the 61-year-old coach retired on March 26 with 14 straight winning seasons and eight NCAA Tournament appearances a big part of his legacy:

Is the BYU job still a good one?

Along with that: Can the next guy expect to have as much success as Rose did? Will BYU’s membership in the Gonzaga-dominated WCC be seen as a net negative or positive? What effect will the school’s increasingly heightened admission requirements and seemingly stricter Honor Code enforcement have on the new coach’s ability to attract more talented players than are currently in the program?

“That’s kind of the challenge that we have,” Rose told 1280 AM last week. “Any coach at BYU has to find the guys that will embrace what is really good about this place, and what makes this place really, really good. It is not for everyone. We know that, obviously.”

The head men’s basketball coaching job isn’t for everyone, either, because the position has to be filled by a member of the faith that owns and operates BYU, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Realistically, there are fewer than a dozen qualified candidates due to that restriction alone, especially if previous professional or head college coaching experience is a requirement.

As The Salt Lake Tribune reported Friday, Utah Valley’s Mark Pope, a former BYU assistant, is seemingly a slam dunk for the job. But even Pope has some misgivings about his ability to meet the expectations of a very supportive, yet very demanding, BYU fan base, according to several sources.

There are a lot of whispers among Utah’s coaching community, even active LDS who might some day be considered candidates for the position, that it is no longer the great job it was once considered to be. Many say it is easier to get to the NCAA Tournament at Utah Valley, which doesn’t have mighty Gonzaga to deal with on an annual basis.

Also, as Gary Crowton quickly learned, it is much better to follow the guy who followed the legend, than to follow the legend — in Crowton’s case, LaVell Edwards.

And yes, Rose will be considered a BYU legend, despite the program tailing off the last few years. He leaves as the winningest coach in school history, by percentage.

“It is always hard to follow a legend because people are going to compare, especially in today’s world. That’s just human nature,” former BYU assistant Heath Schroyer told 960 AM. “Dave had an unbelievable run. … But it is obviously a very hard job. You have to have the right person, the right personality to come in and perform under the shadow of what was there before.”

When Schroyer joined Steve Cleveland’s staff, BYU was in the WAC and it was a totally different job.

“From an outsider [non-LDS church member] who has been there twice, it is a unique place, but the uniqueness makes it special,” Schroyer said.

Bottom line, the McNeese State coach said, “is that BYU is still a great job, and the bones of this job, the things that are in place right now, are attractive and should be attractive to a lot of people.”

Former BYU player Travis Hansen, now a successful business owner, agrees, saying that it is “absolutely” one of the top 50 jobs in the country, maybe even top 25.

“It has the resources, the fan base, the amenities and history to achieve it. That’s been my experience. I have played all over. I have played in the NBA and with some of the top teams in Europe. And nothing is better than BYU, as far as amenities, practice facilities, fans, the way we travel, the way our fans treat us. It is first-class, all the way around,” said Hansen. “And it is owned by a worldwide church. I think someone with good vision would see that it is an incredible opportunity.”

Former BYU player Mark Durrant, a longtime radio analyst of the BYU Sports Network, said the job is still viewed as a good one around the country.

“Notwithstanding all the things that come along with the position at BYU, I think it is a pretty appealing position that I think would interest a lot of guys who want to move forward in their coaching profession who are good coaches and have a lot to offer,” Durrant said, noting that he would like the new coach to get more diversity on his staff and team.

Hansen said those positives aspects of the job “far outweigh” the difficulties and barriers mentioned above, and believes BYU basketball will have downturns as “all organizations, companies and teams” occasionally experience.

“You just need a little vision and a plan, and you have to cast a wider net for recruits,” Hansen said. “It just takes someone with vision and the courage to make some changes, because basketball is global now, and you have to think globally or you’ll be left behind.”

Hansen, who also played for Utah Valley when it was a junior college and supports that program financially as well, said the drawbacks to the BYU job are having to go against Gonzaga every year, some inflexible admissions standards, and the Honor Code.

“A lot of people don’t understand the expectations of the Honor Code,” he said.

Including a certain coach in New York.

We are in the midst of an epidemic involving our youth and skyrocketing suicide rates in Utah. As professionals in the field of social work, we have firsthand experience working with individuals affected by this problem.

As social workers, we often work with clients who suffer from suicidal ideations and suicide attempts. When working with clients who are suicidal, our job is to determine the severity of these thoughts, whether or not a plan has been established and whether or not individuals have the means to enact this suicide plan. We have received training in suicide assessment and prevention at the University of Utah College of Social Work. Through these trainings, we have learned that when an individual has access to lethal weapons, their risk of attempting and completing suicide is significantly elevated.

Utah youth deaths by suicide continue to rise from numbers that already are too high. This epidemic is so significant that the Utah Department of Health asked the CDC to investigate the upward trend of suicide rates in Utah.

According to the CDC’s report, there has been a “141.3% increase in youth suicide rate from 2011 to 2015.” In comparison to Utah, the national average only increased by 23.5% over the same time period. Today, suicide is the leading cause of death among our youth in Utah. Additionally, it has been found that firearms are the most common weapon used by people who die from suicide. Suicide attempts are more likely to be lethal when an individual uses a firearm; according to Action Utah, “firearms are the most lethal form of suicide methods in Utah with an 87% Case Fatality Rate (CFR).”

House Bill 17, sponsored by Utah state Rep. Steve Eliason, renews and expands funding for interventions that address suicides by firearms amongst our youth and general population. This bill requires gun dealers to provide free gun locks with all gun sales. In previous legislation, gun locks were only required with handgun sales. With the passing of HB17, gun locks will accompany any and all guns sold. Additionally, firearm purchasers are given vouchers to purchase gun safes, decreasing the financial barrier to safe gun storage. These measures encourage gun owners to store and utilize guns in a safer way. Finally, HB17 requires gun safety and suicide prevention pamphlets to be distributed with all gun sales.

For most gun owners, the intention of purchasing a gun is not to commit homicide or suicide. Eliason, the bill sponsor, states, “One of the things that I hope people, particularly parents, become aware of is that the firearm they purchased to protect their family is much more likely to injure or kill a family member than an intruder’s firearm … It doesn’t have to be that way. If they will store it securely and safely, they can prevent an unspeakable tragedy from happening in their own home, while at the same time having a firearm for their family’s protection.”

This bill protects owners from catastrophic consequences of misuse of firearms, while also allowing gun owners to retain their right to bear arms. Additionally, this bill protects youth from accessing and misusing firearms owned by their parents.

HB17 passed in the legislative session and has been signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert. Our hope is that this bill will assist social workers in helping individuals who are vulnerable to suicide before it is too late. When the risk faced by our clients is death by suicide, reactive policies are not enough.

Truly, Utah’s suicide epidemic and historic lack of gun safety is a life or death problem. By incorporating preventative regulations, we are giving our youth and vulnerable adults the opportunity to heal and build a life worth living.

Lucy Izard and Natasha Fjeldsted are students in the University of Utah Master of Social Work Program. Izard has experience working on an inpatient behavioral health unit at a hospital in Salt Lake City. Fjedsted previously worked with children and families at the Division of Child and Family Services and continues her work with vulnerable adults at a local inpatient facility.

The 2019 Utah legislative session, dominated by LDS Republicans, was a stunning exhibit of Mormon values simply forgotten. Dismissed.

The honest, otherwise decent legislators are probably good husbands, wives, fathers, mothers and loyal members of their faith. Yet it is shocking to observe the spectacular metamorphosis that occurs when they have to address a gun issue. Suddenly they become rabid, myopic disciples of the NRA, spouting the same old fears about the slippery slope to gun confiscation.

For some, the Second Amendment is no longer enough. They now claim a God-given right to have a gun.

Where did these people go to Sunday school? What about the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount? How can responsible citizens trust GOP legislators when every one of them got an A grade from the NRA? This seems more like a cabal than a political party.

The mindless, permissive gun laws demanded by the NRA have produced a gun violence epidemic in which gun rights trump human life. How can patriotic Americans support an anti-government, seditious NRA that promises revolution if the government doesn't comply with its outrageous demands?

GOP-NRA policies focus on the few gun addicts who need a gun available 24/7, not the responsible gun owners willing to accept regulations that save lives. The problem is the majority of citizens is essentially being held hostage by policies demanded by a small minority. Polls show that most citizens feel vulnerable to gun violence and prefer greater regulation. Authentic democracy honors the will of the majority.

For the first time in four decades the legislature had nine bills focused on saving lives through modest regulations yet not one of them made it out of committee.

Following are a few of these bills:

• A universal background check requiring that all gun sales go through a licensed dealer (supported by 90 percent of Utahns).
• A safe storage bill requiring that all guns are locked up in the owner’s absence (reducing teen suicide).
• A red flag law that would allow guns to be legally removed from an individual proven to be a danger to self, to others, or both.
• Lauren’s Law, which would extend liability to a person lending a gun that is used to commit a crime.
• A law that makes bump stocks illegal.
• A bill forbidding open carry of a gun within 500 feet of a school.

There were three other bills, as innocuous as the six mentioned above, which couldn’t possibly offend anyone with common decency and common sense. Yet they were rejected easily by the GOP-NRA cabal. Colorado and Nevada, neighboring states steeped in the cowboy tradition, broke the NRA stranglehold by passing universal background checks.

The Utah GOP did, however, pass the Stand Your Ground Bill, another permissive law that allows an armed individual to shoot first and ask questions later if they in any way feel threatened. Also passed was a joint resolution that rejects any future gun regulations -- which is odd, as few gun regulations exist in this state.

We can expect in the coming years that an unfortunate number of young men will continue to commit suicide and more domestic partners will be murdered. And citizens will be expected to accept the gun violence epidemic as the status quo. Even though GOP legislators do not pull the trigger, they work vigorously to make sure the trigger is available to all the wrong people.

What will Utah be like if this continues for another 20 years? Certainly not the kind of place you’d want to live. Nor a favorable location for the headquarters of a worldwide church. An armed society can easily become a violent society. So wake up Utahns. You have the right to a safe place to live and that can only happen when the GOP-NRA cabal is stripped of its power.

Ron Molen, Salt Lake City, is a retired architect and a strong advocate for intelligent, well-crafted gun regulations.

On Friday morning, the Utah Jazz revealed their “Encore 2019” campaign designed to help center Rudy Gobert win a second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.

After that night’s demolition of the Sacramento Kings, in which Gobert added four more blocked shots, the ever-improving big man was asked about what the franchise’s bid to sway voters in his favor meant to him, and was partway through his response when Donovan Mitchell interjected.

“You don’t need it,” the second-year guard said. “You’re gonna win anyway.”

“I don’t know, man,” replied Gobert. “I’m not the one voting.”

With the end of the NBA’s regular season approaching, the politicking for awards season has begun in earnest. And while winners won’t be announced by the NBA until June 24, the awards have clearly become a hot topic of conversation.

While some of them have seen obvious favorites emerge — Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year are expected to be relative cakewalks — some of the other categories, such as Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player, don’t yet have such clarity. Gobert certainly is in strong contention for back-to-back awards, while the Thunder’s Paul George has been a favorite for most of the season, and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo has seen a recent groundswell of support take place given his ability to guard literally every position on the court.

Gobert, at Friday’s morning shootaround, admitted “It would mean a lot” to win again, but avoided discussing whether he believes he deserves it or will win it.

His teammates and coaches acknowledge they are biased, but were willing to be less humble on his behalf.

“I don’t even want to answer [that] question, ’cause I think it’s rhetorical,” said coach Quin Snyder. “… Obviously, we appreciate Rudy. And whether he wins or not, he is who he is, and I think he shows it every night, and hopefully that will get recognized on a high level.”

Mitchell, meanwhile, was less reticent still.

Donovan Mitchell, on Rudy Gobert's DPOY candidacy: "“Rudy, obviously, definitely deserves it. … I think he should be Defensive Player of the Year again, there’s no doubt in my mind. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll win the award as well.” pic.twitter.com/06SeYdzcPK

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) April 6, 2019

“Rudy, obviously, definitely deserves it,” said Mitchell. “I think he should be Defensive Player of the Year again, there’s no doubt in my mind. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll win the award, as well.”

The following is an analysis of the six major awards, with an overview of the respective candidates’ credentials, an opinion on who should win, a prediction of who will win, and how I would rank the top three players per category. (For the record, I am not one of the 100 media voters with a ballot this season.)

Rookie of the Year

Who should win • Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic (21.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists) hasn’t merely justified all the hype that came his way over the past few years, he’s obliterated any doubts about his ability to play in the league. Play in the league? Yeah, that was an apparent concern for some front-office types in the lead-up to the draft, who argued he was simply not athletic enough to flourish against top-level competition. Those people look beyond silly, now, considering he’s probably not only going to be an All-Star for years to come, but an All-NBA candidate as well. Atlanta’s Trae Young (19.0 ppg, 8.1 apg), meanwhile, has had a phenomenal second half of the season, and has erased plenty of doubts himself. But Doncic has been a force from Day 1.

Who will win • Luka Doncic, Mavericks.

My final order • 1. Luka Doncic, Mavericks; 2. Trae Young, Hawks; 3. Deandre Ayton, Suns.

Sixth Man of the Year

Who should win • Well, now that Jamal Crawford is approaching 40, and (barely) playing for the Suns this season, it would seem the Mr. Sixth Man torch has officially been passed to Lou Williams. He’s certainly deserving, a perpetual microwave off the bench, averaging 20.2 ppg and 5.3 apg this season, and in line for a third Sixth Man award. Is he even the best bench player on his own team, though? Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell is also having a year — putting up 16.6 points and 6.6 boards, while shooting 61.6% from the field. Personally, I’m partial to the work of the Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis, who’s averaged 14.1 ppg and 9.3 rpg on 58.8% shooting, while keeping Indy from sinking after Victor Oladipo’s injury.

Who will win • Lou Williams, Clippers.

My final order • 1. Domantas Sabonis, Pacers; 2. Lou Williams, Clippers; 3. Montrezl Harrell, Clippers.

Most Improved Player

Who should win • A former lottery pick who earned the ire of his first team but became an All-Star with his second? A former lottery pick who went from a “meh” rookie season to a “whoa” sophomore campaign? Or a No. 27 overall selection from a WAC school who has improbably become a big contributor to a title contender? D’Angelo Russell and De’Aaron Fox have both made huge strides, to be sure — but they were supposed to. Toronto’s Pascal Siakam, however, has become more than anyone could have reasonably imagined. When he’s not unexpectedly blowing by defenders to get to the hoop, he’s draining 3s at a 35.8-percent clip. He bumped his scoring up nearly 10 ppg to 17.0 this season, and is also contributing 6.9 boards and shooting 54.6% from the field.

Who will win • Pascal Siakam, Raptors.

My final order • 1. Pascal Siakam, Raptors; 2. De’Aaron Fox, Kings; 3. D’Angelo Russell, Nets.

Coach of the Year

Who should win • Voters in this category typically tend to prefer the narrative of a coach leading a group thought to be mediocre or OK to instead being good over the narrative of a coach taking a team that was already good and making them great. And if that were the case this year, Doc Rivers helming a cast of misfit toys that dealt away its best player at the deadline and still made the playoffs would have a good case. Or the Pacers’ Nate McMillan, improbably keeping Indiana going after Oladipo went down. However, seeing what Mike Budenholzer has done in Milwaukee — taking a group that was foundering under Jason Kidd and leading it to the best record and best defensive rating in the league? That deserves to change things around.

Who will win • Mike Budenholzer, Bucks.

My final order • 1. Mike Budenholzer, Bucks; 2. Doc Rivers, Clippers; 3. Nate McMillan, Pacers.

Defensive Player of the Year

Who should win • For much of the season, OKC’s Paul George was thought to be the favorite, though the narrative of late has been that the Thunder’s post-All-Star break defensive “collapse” would probably shift the vote to Rudy Gobert, who has allowed opponents to shoot just 51.6% on shots within six feet of the hoop, and only 52.9% on shots at the rim. Through Friday’s games, the Thunder’s season-long defensive rating is 106.1 (fourth), the Jazz’s is 104.8 (second); and since the All-Star break, OKC’s is 108.3 (ninth), and the Jazz’s 103.3 (first). Is that a sufficiently dramatic difference? Maybe, maybe not. Individually, both players have compelling cases: George leads the league in steals per game and is second in deflections; Gobert is fourth in blocks and rebounds. As for the more advanced stats: in individual defensive rating, Gobert is third, George 13th; in defensive win shares, Gobert is first, George fifth; in defensive box plus/minus, Gobert is first, and George is not in the top 20. ESPN’s vaunted “Defensive Real Plus-Minus” stat has Gobert first, and George 20th. Perhaps those numbers make it clear after all. But will the voters notice? Will they be inclined to give George this award as his MVP case fell apart? This may be the closest race of all.

Who will win • Rudy Gobert, Jazz.

My final order • 1. Rudy Gobert, Jazz; 2. Paul George, Thunder; 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks.

Most Valuable Player

Who should win • We started these awards with a two-man race, and we’ll finish with one, too. This really comes down to whether you value James Harden’s historic scoring binge, which helped rally Houston from a slow start and a plethora of injuries to a top spot in the West, or the do-it-all brilliance of Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose unmatched excellence on both ends of the court has vaulted the Bucks into contender status. Harden would certainly be a deserving repeat winner, averaging 36.3 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.5 rebounds — plus 4.8 3PM and 11.1 FTA per game. Meanwhile, to reduce Antetokounmpo to the simplistic label “the best player on the best team” is a big disservice to his own spectacular accomplishments — 27.7 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.5 bpg, 1.3 spg, 57.7 FG%. Ultimately, it comes down to defense: Harden is no longer a sieve, true; but the Greek Freak can guard just about anyone — and guard them well, too.

Who will win • Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

My final order • 1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks; 2. James Harden, Rockets; 3. Steph Curry, Warriors.

Ten days after a New York county banned unvaccinated children from public places in an effort to stem the rise of measles cases, a state judge put the injunction on hold.

"Children are hereby permitted to return to their respective schools forthwith and otherwise to assemble in public places," Judge Rolf Thorsen wrote in his Friday decision.

The controversial ban, announced by a spokesman for Rockland County Executive Ed Day, was an effort to address an outbreak in Rockland County, where 167 confirmed cases of measles had been reported as of Friday.

Officials in the county declared a state of emergency, as Lindsey Bever reported in The Washington Post last week, announcing that the ban would remain in place for 30 days or until unvaccinated minors receive the MMR vaccine to protect them against measles, mumps and rubella. Unvaccinated minors, official said, would not be permitted in enclosed places like churches, schools and shopping centers.

"We must not allow this outbreak to continue," Day said at a news conference. "We will not sit idly by while children in our community are at risk."

Dorit Reiss, a professor at U.C. Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, said a ban by executive order was an unusual step, one that prompted outrage in the national anti-vaccine community.

But she saw it largely as a symbolic measure.

"It wasn't as aggressive as it could have been," Reiss said. "They weren't intending to do mass arrests."

Day said cases in which parents and guardians violated the ban would be referred to the district attorney's office. Violations would be considered misdemeanors, punishable by a $500 fine or up to six months in jail.

Thorsen made his ruling after some parents from a private Waldorf school filed a suit calling the action "arbitrary, capricious" and "an unprecedented 'declaration of a local emergency.' " The parents claimed that the county had acted beyond its legal authority. They said the declaration caused "children to be denied attendance at nursery programs and schools and has effectively prohibited their movement and denied them the right to congregate and assemble in public places."

Thorsen's decision, Reiss said, rested on the question of whether the outbreak was an emergency. With an outbreak of such a highly contagious virus, she said, "There is a reasonable argument that it is an emergency."

Measles can cause pneumonia, brain damage, hearing loss and even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between Jan. 1 and late March, 387 cases of measles have been confirmed in 15 states across the country, from California to Kentucky to New Jersey - the second-greatest number of cases since measles was eliminated in the United States in 2000.

New York state has been particularly hard hit, with 259 confirmed cases in Brooklyn and Queens since October, many of them in the Orthodox Jewish community. According to the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the outbreak began after an unvaccinated child acquired measles on a visit to Israel, where there has also been an outbreak of the disease.

The measles outbreaks - and the increasingly aggressive public health response to them - have also prompted a spike in activity among anti-vaccine activists. Across the nation and around the world, a global movement that spreads misinformation about vaccines has helped drive down child immunizations, lowering the community immunity that is critical for protection against one of the world's most contagious diseases.

After Rockland County's ban, anti-vaccination activists likened the public health measures to the Nazi persecution of Jews that included forcing them to wear yellow stars.

Reiss suspects that it may not be worth it to local officials to fight Thorsen's ruling.

"It was a short ban," she said. "This might be the end of it."

- - -

The Washington Post’s Lena Sun contributed to this report.

With just a few days left in the season, naturally, there’s been a lot of discussion recently of who should win all of the various post-season awards. Our Eric Walden has a great look at those races, for example, but all around the country, various papers, websites, blogs, front offices, coaches, and even the players are themselves having similar arguments.

But when you allow yourself to step back and think about the totality of what we’re seeing; well, it’s pretty remarkable.

Think about it: for MVP, we have two exceptional leading candidates. One — James Harden — is scoring like the absolute prime of Michael Jordan while also adding 7.5 assists per game. The other — Giannis Antetokounmpo — has the numbers and the dunking abilities of prime Shaq while also being a legitimate candidate to win the Defensive Player of the Year trophy while playing for the league’s best team.

Consider the other top players, too. You have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, both of who play like evolutionary Scottie Pippen, but with even more scoring ability. Nikola Jokic plays with the scoring and passing grace of prime Bill Walton. Steph Curry has no legendary analog — but only because he’s the best shooter of all time, such that no one gets close. Damian Lillard might be 90% of Steph, Kemba Walker and Bradley Beal might be 85%.

Who do you compare Kevin Durant to? Maybe a stretched out Larry Bird with more Twitter accounts? We haven’t mentioned LeBron James — widely considered top-5 all time and put up 27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists per game this year — or Anthony Davis — 26 points, 12 rebounds, and a couple of blocks and steals per game due to their team’s bad seasons, much of which were out of their control. Russell Westbrook plays with Sonic The Hedgehog levels of speed and force, more energy than anyone I’ve ever seen. Karl-Anthony Towns would be wildly eye-opening for anyone 20 years ago, and how would you explain Rudy Gobert? Like Mark Eaton but actually good offensively?

And the style of play is fascinating, too, with some really beautiful and contrasting offenses and defenses. The Warriors have the Splash Brothers and a whirling system of cuts and ping-pong passing, the Bucks have Splash Mountain and the ability to attack inside at any time. The Nuggets play out of the post thanks to Jokic as everyone moves around him. The Jazz stifle teams with smothering defense, the Blazers get their best players open from outside, while the Raptors go inside, out, and back in again. The Rockets are the lone exception, boring in their isolations, but even that forces some pretty unique defensive approaches that are at least approach interestingness for nerds like me.

It’s also never been easier to watch the NBA. Remember when many games weren’t even televised, even on local channels? Now, you can subscribe to League Pass and watch every single NBA game at any time. You can watch any individual play on the NBA’s website, just look it up. Want to watch every Donovan Mitchell layup? It’s all just a search away. The league’s stat-keeping is at a whole new level, as is its reporting: rather than waiting to tune in for the weekly Peter Vecsey report on NBC, we have literally hundreds of reputable sources reporting on the thoughts of the league every day on Twitter.

Maybe it’s all of the different ways that the league can be viewed that has diluted TV ratings. The most-viewed NBA Finals ever is still the 1998 showdown between Jordan with the Bulls and John Stockton and Karl Malone with the Jazz. But the TV ratings for nearly everything have fallen in the last few years, and the 20 million that tuned in for the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavs is still pretty impressive.

The one caveat to the modern Golden Age is this: we’re pretty sure the Warriors are going to win every year. I think that will change after this offseason, as it seems that Kevin Durant is poised to sign elsewhere. But for the time being, if you’ll allow me to read from the decorative throw pillow section at Etsy for a moment, life is about the journey, not the destination. Or this one: life isn’t about where we end up, but who we spend it with.

So as we head into the 2019 NBA playoffs, let’s take a moment to enjoy the landscape. It’s one of the best we’ve ever seen.

A chaste gay man can have a fulfilling, even noble life, a Latter-day Saint apostle said Saturday, knowing that “God’s standards are different from those of the world.”

There are some things “that are completely and absolutely true,” Neil L. Andersen said on the first day of the 189th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “These eternal truths are the same for every son and daughter of God.”

The Utah-based church convened its twice-yearly gathering in downtown Salt Lake City’s Conference Center for the faith’s more than 16 million members around the world to hear instructions from their top leaders via television, radio and the internet.

Andersen’s remarks on unchanging truths came in the wake of a flurry of policy, procedural and programmatic shifts under President Russell M. Nelson’s 15 months as the faith’s “prophet, seer and revelator” — including one two days ago reversing an edict that had deemed same-sex married couples “apostates” and generally barred their children from baby blessings and baptisms.

“Our mortal quest is to strengthen our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, to choose good over evil, and to keep his commandments,” Andersen said in the afternoon. “While we celebrate the innovations of science and medicine, the truths of God go far beyond these discoveries.”

Notions of identity and morality have changed over time, he said.

“During my teenage and early married years, many in the world walked away from the Lord’s standard we call the law of chastity, that sexual relations are to occur only between a man and a woman who are lawfully married,” said Andersen, who is 67. “In my 20s and 30s, many walked away from the sacred protection of the unborn, as abortion became more acceptable.”

In recent years, he said, “many have walked away from God’s law that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman.”

The church teaches that same-sex attraction is not a sin but acting on it is. It opposes same-sex marriage and treats LGBTQ marriage as a “serious transgression.”

Andersen told of a gay friend, who has been “true to his temple covenants” that require celibacy outside of heterosexual marriage.

The man has “expanded his creative and professional talents and has served nobly in both the church and the community,” the apostle said, and sympathizes with other gays who choose not to “keep the law of chastity in the world in which we live.”

But the man reiterated that “God’s standards are different from those of the world.”

Some, Andersen conceded, will say that the apostle doesn’t understand their situations.

“I may not, but I testify that there is one who does understand,” he said, “... one who, because of his sacrifice made in the garden and on the cross, knows your burdens.”

Small flock, big heart

Other speakers Saturday addressed the need to live — not just talk about — Christ’s gospel.

“I am asking that you ‘stand as witnesses’ of the power of the gospel at all times,” apostle Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “and when necessary, use words.”

Uchtdorf began his sermon by mentioning his recent participation in the dedication of the church’s Rome Temple and how the Salt Lake City-headquartered faith has become a worldwide religion.

Before members become too self-congratulatory, the charismatic German said, they should remember that there are 7.5 billion people in the world and 16 million Latter-day Saints.

“A very small flock indeed,” Uchtdorf said.

That means that, wherever members are, “there are plenty of opportunities to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ with people you meet, study, and live with, or work and socialize with.”

Uchtdorf, who supervises the faith’s missionary department, said the most effective way for members to spread the gospel is not preaching it but living it — and he offered five “guilt-free methods” to do that for those members who are hesitant to speak up.

• Draw close to God.

• Fill your heart with love for others.

• Strive to walk the path of discipleship.

• Share what is in your heart.

• Trust the Lord to work his miracles.

He suggested that members “see everyone around you as a child of God. ... Laugh with them. Rejoice with them. Weep with them. Respect them. Heal, lift and strengthen them.”

Uchtdorf instructed believers not to give up as they try to follow in Christ’s footsteps, sometimes taking “two steps forward and one step back.”

“Keep trying to get it right,” he said. “You will eventually become better, happier and more authentic.”

Whatever ways “seem natural and normal to you, share with people why Jesus Christ and his church are important to you,” Uchtdorf said. “Understand that it’s not your job to convert people. That is the role of the Holy Ghost. Your role is to share what is in your heart and live consistent with your beliefs.”

The popular apostle reminded members that some people they invite to church will come but may never join.

“That doesn’t change our love for them,” said Uchtdorf, a member of a previous First Presidency. “And it doesn’t change our enthusiastic efforts to continue inviting individuals and families to come and see, come and help, and come and stay.”

Faith first

Similarly, President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the current governing First Presidency, said, “You will best lead by example. Family members and others must see you growing in your own faith in Jesus Christ and in his gospel” for them to build personal faith in Christ.

He added that such faith is the key to reverse spiritual decline in families and homes.

“Faith is more likely to bring repentance," he said, “than your preaching against each symptom of spiritual decline.”

Eyring said he once told an apostle that he feared his family may not be together in the next world because of poor choices by some. The apostle told him, “You are worrying about the wrong problem. You just live worthy of the Celestial Kingdom, and the family arrangements will be more wonderful than you can imagine.”

Continuing a similar theme, Ulisses Soares, the most junior apostle, said, “The best teacher is a good role model. Teaching something that we truly live can make a difference in the hearts of those we teach.”

He added, “If we desire people, whether that be family or not, to joyfully treasure up the scriptures and the teachings of living apostles and prophets, they need to see our souls delighting in them.”

Soares, a native of Brazil and the faith’s first Latin American apostle, said while many church members are sad that friends or family have distanced themselves from God, those who have gone astray may be blessed through love and offering a good example.

“For those of you who are right now experiencing these feelings of sadness, agony, and maybe regret, please know that they are not totally lost because the Lord knows where they are and is watching over them. Remember, they are his children, too!”

He added, “The best we can do in these circumstances is to just love and embrace them; pray for their well-being and seek for the Lord’s help to know what to do and say. Sincerely rejoice with them in their successes; be their friends and look for the good in them. We should never give up on them but preserve our relationships. Never reject or misjudge them. Just love them!”

Several authorities alluded in their talks to recent church “adjustments” beyond the reversal on LGBTQ members.

They include lowering the ages that some male youths may be ordained to priesthood offices; campaigning for use of the church’s full name; restructuring “home and visiting teaching” into “ministering”: eliminating local-congregation high priest groups; restructuring bishop youth interviews; adjusting temple ceremonies to include more gender-inclusive language; and reducing the length of Sunday services from three hours to two.

Sacrament and Cheerios

One purpose of the recent shortening of Sunday meetings is to allow better focus on the sacrament and the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ, apostle Jeffrey R. Holland taught.

“In addition to making time for more home-centered gospel instruction, our modified Sunday service is also to reduce the complexity of the meeting schedule in a way that properly emphasizes the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper as the sacred, acknowledged focal point of our weekly worship experience,” he said.

“We are to remember in as personal a way as possible that Christ died from a heart broken by shouldering entirely alone the sins and sorrows of the whole human family.”

To allow that, Holland urged less tardiness at Sunday meetings, more reverence, dressing up and even reducing announcements from the pulpit.

“As for punctuality, a late pass will always be lovingly granted to those blessed mothers who, with children, Cheerios, and diaper bags trailing in marvelous disarray, are lucky to have made it at all,” he said. “Furthermore, there will be others who unavoidably find their ox in the mire on a Sabbath morning. However, to this latter group we say an occasional tardiness is understandable, but if the ox is in the mire every Sunday, then we strongly recommend that you sell the ox or fill the mire.”

About reducing pulpit announcements, Holland said he “cannot imagine a priest such as Zacharias — there in the ancient temple of the Lord about to participate in the one and only priestly privilege that would come to him in his entire lifetime — I just cannot picture him pausing before the altar to remind us that the pinewood derby is just six weeks away.”

He urged, “As we unite across the globe each week in what we hope is an increasingly sacred acknowledgment of Christ’s majestic atoning gift to all humankind, may we bring to the sacramental altar ‘more tears for his sorrow [and] more pain at his grief.’”

With all the big changes in the church, some of the spiritual purposes behind them “might become lost in the excitement about the changes themselves,” said M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“The best ways for us to see the spiritual purposes of the church,” he said, “is to live the true, pure and simple teachings of Christ and also apply the Savior’s two great commandments: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'”

The 90-year-old apostle, second in line after Dallin H. Oaks to assume the faith’s reins, urged members to “do the best you can do day after day, and before you know it, you will come to realize that your Heavenly Father knows you and that he loves you. And when you know that — really know it — your life will have real purpose and meaning, and you will be filled with joy and peace.”

Ballard also said he is impressed at how [94-year-old] President Russell M. Nelson’s breathtaking pace. “I say ‘breathtaking’ because he’s the only one of the apostles who is older than me, and I am having a difficult time keeping up with him!”

Nelson quipped last fall, “Eat your vitamin pills. Get some rest. It’s going to be exciting.”

Careful or casual?

Becky Craven, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, urged members to keep their standards high as an example to others.

“As we consider our commitment to the Savior, are we careful or casual?” she asked. “Being careful in living the gospel does not necessarily mean being formal or stuffy. What is does mean is being appropriate in our thoughts and behavior as disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Craven, the only female speaker at Saturday’s general sessions, urged believers not to “lower your standards to fit in or to make someone else feel comfortable. We are disciples of Jesus Christ and as such we are about elevating others, lifting them to a higher, holier place where they, too, can reap greater blessings.”

Latter-day Saints are “not meant to blend in with the rest of the world,” Craven said. “We have been called a peculiar people — what a compliment!”

No one is too far gone for the Savior’s loving reach, taught Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, which oversees the church’s vast financial, real estate, investment and charitable operations.

Good and loving examples, Waddell said, along with service may sometimes reach people whose families had little hope of a loved one’s return to the church.

He told how his brother, who had not regularly attended church for almost 50 years, was lovingly cared for by members as he developed pancreatic cancer. Treatment eventually brought him to Utah, where the mission leader of the care facility where the brother lived became his friend.

After invitations, Waddell’s brother listened to gospel messages. Plans were eventually made to ordain him to the church’s all-male Melchizedek Priesthood. On the scheduled day, visitors were told the brother had no pulse, but he awakened to say he was ready to be ordained.

“Five hours later, Mike passed away, crossing the veil to meet our parents as a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood,” Waddell said. “Like my brother Mike, no one is too far gone, and it’s never too late, for the Savior’s loving reach.”

Waddell noted that a former mission president used to tell his young proselytizers that “if someone is on a list that says ‘not interested’, don’t give up. People change.”

As members seek to serve, they should realize that God sometimes answers prayers in unexpected ways — but for our good, Elder Brook P. Hales of the Seventy taught.

“[Heavenly] Father is aware of us, knows our needs and will help us perfectly,” the general authority said. “Sometimes our most earnest and worthy desires are not answered in the way we hope, but we find that God has greater blessings in store. And, sometimes, our righteous desires are not granted in this life.”

For example, Hales said his youngest son received an overcoat just before he departed for a mission in France and packed it without trying it on. It was far too small for him — but happened to fit another missionary who had been praying to somehow get a new and better coat.

“Heavenly Father knew," Hales said, “that this missionary who was serving in France some 6,200 miles away from home would urgently need a new coat.”

Hales, who serves as secretary to the faith’s governing First Presidency, quoted how Patricia Parkinson, a Latter-day Saint who became blind as a young girl, responded to someone who suggested she could receive her sight again if she prayed for it.

“Well, sometimes Heavenly Father doesn’t work like that. Sometimes he needs you to learn something and so he doesn’t give you everything you want. Sometimes you have to wait.”

Bluffdale Police are seeking help to locate a teen after they say her family received a suspicious phone call, Fox 13 reported Saturday.

A news release said Mia George, 15, was last heard from Thursday, when her family dropped her off at a TRAX station. She was planning to visit another family member’s home but never arrived.

Police said Mia is considered to be endangered due to no contact within the past two days and a phone call telling her family, “Mia is fine and with someone who makes her happy.”

Mia is described by police as being about 110 pounds with hazel eyes, and brown curly hair that was dyed purple but has since faded. She was also wearing a nose ring and was last seen in a black hoodie, gray camouflage pants, and black and white Vans shoes.

Editor’s note • The Salt Lake Tribune and FOX 13 are content-sharing partners.

A former congressional Democratic staff member pleaded guilty to posting private information about Republican senators on the website Wikipedia and threatening a witness who caught him on a computer in another lawmaker’s office.

Jackson Cosko, 27, of the District of Columbia, admitted on Friday to "doxing" the senators after he became angry about being fired by one senator and then grew angry at other senators as he watched the hearing on sexual assault allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, his plea agreement shows.

Cosko pleaded guilty to two counts of making public restricted personal information and one count each of computer fraud, witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

In plea papers, he acknowledged the senators were GOP Senate Judiciary Committee members Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah and Orrin Hatch of Utah, as well as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Cosko's lawyer Brian Stolarz said in a statement, "Mr. Cosko takes full responsibility for his actions and is sincerely remorseful. Sadly, Mr. Cosko's ongoing struggle with drugs contributed to a regrettable course of conduct. He is committed to rehabilitating his life, his reputation, and addressing his addiction."

Cosko was arrested Oct. 3 by U.S. Capitol Police, who said he was caught sneaking into the offices of Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., after 10 p.m. the previous evening and using an aide's computer and log-in, according to court filings.

Another aide recognized Cosko, ordered him to leave and called police, the defendant acknowledged in plea papers.

Minutes later, that aide received a threatening email with the subject line "I own Everything" and a text stating, "If you tell anyone I will leak it all. Emails signal conversations gmails. Senators children's health information and socials," according to plea papers.

Cosko, angry that he was fired from Hassan's office in May, had "engaged in an extraordinarily extensive data theft scheme" by burglarizing the office several times, copying network drives and identifying sensitive information he might use later, he admitted in court filings.

On Sept. 27, Cosko "became angry" while watching Kavanaugh's televised testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee and subsequently doxed five senators by anonymously editing their Wikipedia pages to add phone numbers and home addresses, he admitted to the court. The information was quickly removed after the doxing was discovered and aides contacted authorities.

Data on three senators was posted shortly before 6 p.m. Sept. 27, and on two others just before 6 p.m. Oct. 1, according to court filings.

Edits to Paul's page came after the senator called for an investigation into earlier posts and included the statements: "He dares call for an investigation of ME?!?!?!?" and "I am the Golden God," as well as "We are malicious and hostile" and "Send us bitcoins."

The five federal felony counts to which Cosko pleaded guilty carry maximum penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

Under a plea agreement, prosecutors said a sentencing range of 46 to 57 months applied under federal guidelines. Cosko's defense said the applicable advisory range would be between 30 and 37 months. Both sides agreed Cosko could not argue for less than a two-year term.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan of the District of Columbia accepted the plea and set sentencing for June 13. Cosko has served about four months in jail since he was charged.

“Doug was murdered last night,” my friend told me before I could say hello when I picked up the phone Sunday, Aug. 22, 1993.

The sentence she was saying didn’t make sense.

“What do you mean Doug was murdered?

In an exasperated voice she said, “Doug, Big Dumb Doug was shot and murdered last night.”

Big Dumb Doug. That was the name he insisted I use when I addressed him. Doug Koehler was anything but dumb. He was a smart businessman with a wild sense of humor and was gentle and kind. “The Gentle Giant” is another nickname of Doug’s.

Doug was gay.

Last week, as Gov. Gary Herbert signed Utah’s historic hate crime bill — Senate Bill 103 — the warm memories of the gay community from my teenage years came rushing back.

At 16 years old in the mid-1970s, I made a fake ID and went to the Sun Tavern with friends. At the time, it was Salt Lake City’s main gay bar.

In all my adult life of going to bars, some high-end others anything but, I never felt as safe as I did when I was at the Sun.

The gay people in the bar knew we were kids. They wouldn’t serve us beer and they made us feel safe. Not one person behaved inappropriately.

If my parents ever found out I went to a gay bar ...

I am now 60. They have both passed and I still panic at the thought. To them if someone was gay there were perverted. Evil. Terrible.

I remember thinking that, if I got caught, I would tell my parents the people at the Sun were a lot better than those Catholic boys trying to rip my off my blouse. Had that conversation happened (and I am serious when I say this) there is an excellent chance my parents would have had me committed.

Back to Aug. 21, 1993.

Doug was a close friend of my close friend, the late Mick Mackey, then a popular radio D.J.

Doug, Mick and several others hit the Park City bar scene and at some point, Doug became separated from the rest of the group. He ended up the Saddle and Spur bar and went home with roommates and ranch hands David Nelson Thacker and Clint Marcus Crane.

What happened after is not clear, but I believe that Thacker came out that night and immediately regretted his intimate time with Doug. He suddenly became totally macho and he convinced himself that he didn’t like “queers.” Later, a court-ordered psychiatric exam showed that wasn’t true, that Thacker preferred males to females.

After Thacker and his roommate were arrested, Crane agreed to testify against him. Thatcher decided to cut a deal.

Thacker had a great defense attorney, Ron Yengich, who argued that Thacker didn’t know what he was doing because Doug gave him cocaine and booze. He also claimed that the gun went off accidentally.

But Thacker had an even more important ally. Third District Court Judge David S. Young agreed that Doug Koehler had some responsibility in his own murder.

Thacker and his roommate Crane hunted Doug down, found him walking home, asked him to come over to the car, Doug leaned into the window and Thacker shot him between the eyes.

Somehow, Judge Young felt Doug was at fault, too. If this had been a young white straight male who had been shot between the eyes, you can bet this his killer wouldn’t have had the help of Judge Young.

Thacker was sentenced to six years in 1994 for shooting Doug between the eyes because he was gay.

Thacker has long since been released.

Thankfully, Judge Young was later voted out of office.

Mick Mackay was never the same and he died at the young age of 43. He died of a broken heart.

Utah is finally catching up with the rest of the U.S. Tuesday, Herbert signed SB103, a new hate crimes bill that adds sexual orientation to the list of enhanced penalties for a hate crime.

Doug Koehler should be the one remembered in this story. He was kind, funny, smart and when his arms grabbed you in a big bear hug you felt safe. Safe in his wonderful loving arms.

Finally, we have a bill that gives teeth to hate crimes prosecutions. If only we could have protected Doug from the hate on Aug. 21, 1993.

Tricia Arrington Griffith is a former radio personality in the Salt Lake City market, proprietor of the crime-solving website WebSleuths.com and the host of the Sword and Scale podcast.

With spring arriving, tourists soon will be waiting in hours-long lines to snake their way up to Arches National Park.

Meanwhile, traffic still is jamming every weekend afternoon in the Cottonwood Canyons as spring skiers drain out of the canyons.

It could be worse. Campers in the Klondike Bluffs area near Moab are leaving poop behind to the point that it’s become unsanitary.

In all cases, Utah’s natural beauty is getting beaten down by the very people who are there to enjoy it.

Love hurts.

There is a lot of recent talk about how the Utah’s technology economy has taken off, but the recreation economy is roaring, too. (In fact, Utah’s technology economy is built on access to recreation.) But we’re not keeping up with the infrastructure to handle more people, and the conflicts are growing.

We could blow this. We could fail to handle the masses, and Utah could become known as a place to avoid. It’s happened to other tourist areas.

The obvious and oft-cited solution is to encourage people to go to less visited areas. Utah’s successful “Mighty Five” marketing campaign built around our national parks may be working against us at this point.

In that respect, Bears Ears National Monument — which lives on in tourists’ minds despite a presidential proclamation to kill it — brings both good and bad news.

The good news is that San Juan County is taking some tourist pressure off the Moab area as interest in Bears Ears has soared. The bad news is that the Bears Ears — with its centuries-old archeaological resources literally scattered on the ground — is even less prepared for the influx. The damage in Bears Ears could exceed anything seen elsewhere unless a proper, and properly funded, management plan is in place. That hasn’t happened because politics has taken precedence over practicality.

Meanwhile, federal legislation to address land use in the Cottonwood canyons also has failed to get traction. The bill would not directly address the clogged canyon roads, but it would help define the limits of ski resorts that are the canyons’ big draw.

The future of recreation requires Utahns to embrace a more cooperative relationship with the federal government, the owner and manager of most of our recreational assets. That is true in the farthest reaches of southern Utah and in the heavily used canyons above the Wasatch Front.

And it starts with Utah’s congressional delegation. We’re past the pointless ideological battles over state sovereignty. We need the federal government, and federal resources, to help us keep our recreation economy humming.

Instead of dismantling monuments, our Congress members should be leading the fight for well-funded management of our federal lands. That would benefit Utahns and their millions of visitors.

Love shouldn’t hurt.

Amid the 2018 statistic report announced Saturday by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is a startling finding: the largest number of membership records ever removed in a single year — 140,868.

It’s not a line item, but independent church demographer Matt Martinich has a way of calculating the number.

To get the number of records removed, Martinich adds the number of convert baptisms to the increase in number of “children of record” born to Latter-day Saints. That brings the total to 336,434. Then, he subtracts the number of members reported in 2017 from the ones reported in 2018, which makes the net increase a mere 195,566.

“This is the lowest net increase in church membership since 1978,” Martinich said on his blog, ldschurchgrowth.blogspot.com. “when the church reported a net increase of 194,000 members.”

The removals could be caused by a number of factors, Martinich said.

It could be due to more children born during these years who reached baptism age of 8, but were not baptized. It might reflect more deaths due to an aging church membership, he said. Or it could signal that more individuals requested to have their names removed from church records, which may have increased in 2018 “compared to previous years.”

Here are the statistics the church reported Saturday. They reflect the global faith’s growth and status as of Dec. 31, 2018:

Membership • 16,313,735.

Converts in 2018 • 234,332.

New children of record • 102,102.

Congregations • 30,536.

Full-time missionaries • 65,137.

Service missionaries • 37,963.

Operating temples • 161.