When Westvale Elementary School, West Jordan, Utah, sent permission slips home April 24 for a fourth-grade field trip to the Church History Museum, which is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some parents parents were immediately wary. West Jordan is just south of Salt Lake City, headquarters for the LDS Church.
The slip told parents the trip would āsupplement regular curriculum programs and [would] take place during the regular school day.ā FFRF Staff Attorney Andrew Seidel, on behalf of several district parents, sent a letter May 1 to Superintendent Patrice Johnson.
Seidel pointed out that the museum āpresents an unscholarly, uncritical, nonobjective view of the LDS Churchā and noted that the New York Times has described the museum as ācreated by believers, for believers.ā
One section of the museum section called āLearn Truthsā depicts the āstories of ancient prophets found in the Book of Mormon.ā Another named āThe Gospel Blesses My Lifeā displays artwork from children who share āhow knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses their lives.ā
After taking a personal tour, Gregory Clark, a University of Utah associate professor of bioengineering, described how one museum docent āclaimed that black skin was a curse from God.ā Clark writes that the museum āis replete with religion, not history. Itās the Utahn equivalent of Ken Hamās Creation Museum.ā
In response to mounting evidence that the museum was much less about Utah history and more about prophecy and church doctrine, Kayleen Whitelock, a member of the Jordan School District Board of Education, said on May 6 that āstudents will no longer be attending this field trip.ā
Seidel commented, āWe hope that the Board of Education uses this opportunity to pick a more appropriate, educational location for a field trip. No one needs to play the martyr here.ā
He added, āThe Board of Education should have realized that this was an inappropriate location for a field trip from the beginning. If any Westvale fourth graders are disappointed, thatās on the board.ā