And Walked And Walked And Walked

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

I have several ancestors who walked the 1,271 miles from Nauvoo, IL to Salt Lake City, UT as part of the Mormon migration in the winter of 1846 and 1847. Some members of their families died. Others suffered sickness and injuries. Most left all they had behind in Illinois.

My family drives 1.3 miles each way, every Sunday to avoid what could be a 5 minute walk each direction. They would not even have to walk the full 2.6 miles as there's a walking trail that cuts through a neighborhood and middle school field that would make the total walk less than a mile round-trip. There are hundreds of thousands of Mormon families who do this same thing every week.

I propose that the LDS church reduce the size of their ward house parking lots to accommodate only parking for the handicap, elderly and those required to work long hours at the building. That is, no parking for the general congregations. Make these families get off their asses and get some exercise, if only once a week. They could do their part to reduce pollution from cars, reduce obesity in children, and -gasp- improve the overall health of their membership.

It may also have the added benefit of keeping my wife and kids home from church a little more often.

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