Hangin’ out with the Mormons

We arrived in Salt Lake City yesterday afternoon.  I think the last time we were here may very well have been whatever year the winter Olympics were here.  We used to travel through here regularly on our way south and often ended up stopping for a night on either the south or northbound trip.  The last couple of years we’ve been travelling along the coast so its been a while since we made a run down I-15.

We always stayed in Cherry Hill RV park when we did stay here so that’s where we are again.  Its pretty conveniently located for a trip into SLC but its not cheap at $38 per night.  Our lifetime average for paid sites is $18.23 per night so $38 is significantly outside our comfort zone.  For the past year it has cost us $6.28 for every night we have actually spent in the bus.  We achieve those numbers by using our membership campgrounds and by simply staying at places where we don’t have to pay.  That $18 lifetime number includes the initial capital cost of the membership and whatever transfer fees were associated with it plus of course the annual fees.  I suppose we should have added the capital cost of the Buchanan house into that total but it wasn’t enough to make much difference in the lifetime numbers.

The equipment isn’t in place for the next Growsafe client so we’re taking our time getting across to Reno.  Today we had a leisurely morning and then set out in search of the Mormon family history library.  I was in it once many years ago – probably 30 years ago actually.  I didn’t have any material with me at the time but I was overwhelmed by the quantity of information they have and by the helpfulness of the staff.  Today was no different. 

Marilyn is searching for a mysterious aunt who disappeared in Saskatoon 80 years ago.  She doesn’t have much to work with and Marcella likely wanted to disappear.  At that time changing your name was more or less a matter of moving to a new town and introducing yourself as someone else so the odds are that she won’t ever be found.  And she’s pretty obviously dead by now but there’s a good story attached to her disappearance so Marilyn keeps plugging away at the search.  The Mormons weren’t able to offer a whole lot of assistance today other than the suggestion that Marilyn should check prison records.  Marcella was into some activities that could very well have landed her as a guest of the state at least once in her life so that was likely good advice. 

I’m inclined to believe that all religions were founded by lunatics and are maintained by the feeble-minded.  Mormonism is no different but they certainly do genealogy a huge service.  The volume and quality of information that they have accumulated is impressive despite the nonsensical reasons that drive them to do it.