Originally Posted by thefoss1957
Funny story about moving to Utah from Chicago, after I graduated from college in Iowa.
We moved in November of 1986, and within a week, I got an LDS "calling", though, as a non-member, I had no clue what a "calling" was. Anyway, they asked me to go down to a "steak" center (imagine my disappointment when I found that they called their bigger church/meeting complexes STAKE centers). They wanted me to referee church sponsored basketball games. So, as "training" I saw a short film that taught that an LDS referee was a shining example for church members, in fair play. Well, that was a big help to a High School wrestler and college soccer player, who, while familiar with basketball, had only ever played at rec league levels.
Anyways, to the Gym I went, and there, prepared to referee my first game, mindful that I had to watch my language at the minimum. The two teams prayed for eachother's safety and well being, along with some BS about "good fellowship", and I tossed the ball up for an opening tip. The game instantly devolved into a f'n massacre! Again, I was a wrestler who was used to Chicago style "jungle" ball where "no blood, no call" was the norm. After around 18 first half foul calls, and tempers flaring, I had seen enough. Swearing at them, I threatened to pull out a second ball, and just have these knuckleheads have a 20 minute free throw contest at opposite ends of the court. I reminded them, that me, a heathen, didn't realize that pre-game prayer was, in fact, giving the players their "last rites", and this didn't seem very "fellowship-like" to me. Chastened, the rest of the game went much more smoothly, and, these church jokers were impressed enough with my arbitrating skills, that I got to referee the All-Stake finals for the region, the next couple of years.
My point is that these LDS types usually save their venom for each-other, for going to the "wrong" wards, rather than heathen outsiders.
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