This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Bill of Rights was on full display this weekend at the corners and crosswalks leading to the LDS Conference Center in the heart of Salt Lake City.
Hordes of worshipers practiced their First Amendment right of freedom of religion by flocking to the center for fall General Conference to hear sermons from the top echelons of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
And a few street preachers who have determined Mormons are not true Christians practiced their First Amendment right of free speech by being obnoxious with impunity.
In the middle was the Salt Lake City Police Department to ensure everyone's rights were protected and the scene remained peaceful.
"Repent sinners," screamed street preacher Lonnie Pursifull to a crowd of Latter-day Saints crossing North Temple to the Conference Center on Saturday morning. He held a large sign that read "Fear God or you will have hellfire to pay."
Pursifull, who is a carpet layer in Salt Lake City when he is not spreading the word on the street, was essentially ignored by the throngs of conferencegoers.
A companion, Kevin Deegan, meanwhile, was engaged in a friendly conversation with one of the two dozen police officers standing by to monitor the scene.
Deegan, from New York, says he goes all over the country preaching the Bible and has lawsuits pending against several cities for obstructing his speech rights. On Saturday, he paused from his conversation periodically to yell at those crossing the street.
Pursifull and Deegan agreed the Salt Lake City police are fair and do their best to protect everyone's rights, including those of the souls they both believe are going to hell.
A couple of hundred yards to the west, on the corner of West Temple and North Temple, "Preacher Carl" warned the conference attendees that they were all damned and that Mormon missionaries spiritually rape families.
Only one person seemed to pay any attention to him, a young man who laughed at him as he ran by.
"Go back to your pit," Preacher Carl told him. He then reminded Salt Lake Tribune photographer Scott Sommerdorf and me that we, too, will go to hell because if we are not writing our news stories to serve the Lord, we are serving the devil.
Preacher Carl wouldn't tell us his last name, nor would he say where he is from, describing himself as a Gypsy serving the Lord.
The past few years of street preachers heckling conferencegoers have been free of any ugly incidents or anyone being arrested, said Salt Lake City police Lt. John Beener, who was in charge of the unit there Saturday to keep the peace.
He said the LDS faithful have grown used to the name-callers and are pretty good at ignoring any insults. The preachers are more restrained, too.
Years ago, some arrests took place after one or two conferencegoers lost their cool, especially when hecklers waved temple garments, underclothes sacred to faithful Mormons, at the passing crowds.