I was deeply disappointed by the reckless circus created by the mass missionary homecoming at the SLC Airport today. I ask local government and Gov. Herbert to ensure that far more caution and planning is required as the church continues to recall their missionary force. One suggestion is the church can charter buses to disperse the missionaries to multiple stake centers across the valley. It was also clear from the photos, these missionaries were not following directions to self-isolate. This needs to be taken seriously.
What was most disappointing in the behavior is Sunday wasn’t the actual end of their mission for many of those returning home. They will be reassigned and down the road, when life is normal again, celebrate the successful completion of their missions with their families. Many students and professional athletes are facing losing major milestones they will never get a second chance at. These reunions could also have easily occurred in private homes and preferably after self-isolation had occurred. We are all waiting, you and your families can wait for a bit, too.
The missionaries and their families owe our state a sincere apology for their reckless and selfish actions. Multiple large reunions like Sunday at a high traffic area like the airport could send our COVID-19 numbers skyrocketing. Please Gov. Herbert, let’s ensure what happened Sunday is not allowed to ever happen again.
Tracy King
Kaysville, Utah