David Musselman, Mormon Bishop, tests church by dressing as a homeless man
A Mormon bishop disguised himself as a homeless man to test the reactions in his own church and determine if there is a compassion problem or loving attitude towards all.
David Musselman, a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, disguised himself as a homeless stranger before heading to his church days before Thanksgiving as a social experiment with his congregation.
“I thought about some ways I could somehow convey the importance of not being critical … and sometimes the best way to do that is through experiences that go beyond just a talk in church,” Musselman told Deseret News. “And so I just laid awake many nights just thinking about what I could do, and then this kinda popped into my brain.”
Bishop Musselman contacted Salt Lake City makeup artist Tara Starling to transform his familiar face in the Taylorsville, Utah, congregation to that of a virtual stranger. PHOTOS BELOW
“The plight of the homeless is something that is particularly close to my heart,” said Starling, who co-created a nonprofit organization called Soul Food USA that provides both food and encouragement to the homeless. “So when Dave (Musselman) approached me with this idea, it was this magical moment of the two parts of my life, my two worlds, colliding in the most perfect way.”
Bishop Musselman received varied reactions to his appearance in the church building. At least five people asked him to leave the property, some gave him money and most were indifferent to his presence.
“Many actually went out of their way to purposefully ignore me, and they wouldn’t even make eye contact. I’d approach them and say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving,’ many of them I wouldn’t ask for any food or any kind of money, and their inability to even acknowledge me being there was very surprising,” Bishop Musselman said.
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