Beneath the Wraps

          I met Dave when he worked at a sandwich shop in Maynardsville, VA.   My two missionary companions adored him.   He was a really nice guy.   Very personable, very friendly, outgoing, full of life.   He liked to drink, smoke, and lead an immoral lifestyle.   He appeared to be happy and content.           Dave had been raised in the LDS Church – and whether he ever felt a part of it or not, I do not know.   I’m guessing he did.   I know he had lots of friends in the Church.   And out of respect to them, or perhaps for his mom, or maybe it was the Church itself, he decided to have his name removed from the membership records.           He hadn’t necessarily stopped believing the things he had been taught for most of his life.   He had just chosen a path that wasn’t very wholesome for a staunch...

          I once had a Sunday School teacher who related the following:           He and his buddy had gone to Hawaii one summer to earn some money picking pineapples.  The two were assigned to two different groups.  Rex was the only LDS member of his group.  Because his fellow pineapple pickers had never met anyone else from the Mormon Church, they looked at Rex to represent all members. Rex just happened to hate onions.  There was nothing religious about it.  It was a personal preference.  He just didn’t like the way they tasted or smelled.  Many in his group believed that it was a religious thing as they had nothing else (or no one) to compare it to. One day the two groups got together for lunch.  Some fast food place that served hamburgers.  Rex ordered his food with the added instructions, “No onions” Rex’s buddy than placed his...