This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
I would like to share my opinion about the "Zion Curtain/Ceiling."
I always learned in church that opposition makes you strong. I grew up in the LDS Church in the 50s and 60s in the city of Rotterdam, which became the largest harbor in the world. Ships from all over the world came there, and when those sailors wanted sex, they knew exactly where this certain area was. There were also nightclubs downtown and every neighborhood had a cafe.
My mother, brother, sister and I were the only Mormons in our family. Many of my aunts and uncles and grandparents smoked (pipe, cigars and cigarettes), drank coffee and tea and some alcohol, even on birthday parties when all the children were there, too. But my mother, brother, sister and I were the strongest Mormons you could imagine.
We also were the only Mormons in our street, our schools and later our workplaces. We felt very good about doing what we believed was right. Children need to know the truth, and be educated. You cannot protect them by sticking them in a cardboard box, putting blinders on them or building Zion Curtains or Ceilings so they cannot see. Like I was taught in the LDS Church: Opposition makes you strong.
Maria Van Lent
Woods Cross